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The Sun doesn't do irony, as its managing editor illustrates once again The Sun doesn't do irony, as its managing editor illustrates once again
(7 months later)
Is The Sun preparing the ground to ditch Page 3 after all? In today's issue, the model featured on the page, Irina Shayk, is pictured in a bikini. On Monday and Tuesday, however, there were the traditional topless poses (by Kelly from Daventry and Katie from Liverpool, in case you're wondering).Is The Sun preparing the ground to ditch Page 3 after all? In today's issue, the model featured on the page, Irina Shayk, is pictured in a bikini. On Monday and Tuesday, however, there were the traditional topless poses (by Kelly from Daventry and Katie from Liverpool, in case you're wondering).
On Saturday and Sunday, bikini-clad women appeared (as is always the case on those days). And there was no Page 3 on Friday, the day the paper carried its controversial front page of Oscar Pistorius's late girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.On Saturday and Sunday, bikini-clad women appeared (as is always the case on those days). And there was no Page 3 on Friday, the day the paper carried its controversial front page of Oscar Pistorius's late girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
It may be a sign that Rupert Murdoch's defensiveness about the use of bare-breasted women on a daily basis is having an effect, though it's surely too early to pronounce the death of Page 3.It may be a sign that Rupert Murdoch's defensiveness about the use of bare-breasted women on a daily basis is having an effect, though it's surely too early to pronounce the death of Page 3.
The now-you-see-them, now-you-don't approach comes against the background of increasing antagonism towards the phenomenon plus a continuing online petition (with more than 82,000 signatories thus far).The now-you-see-them, now-you-don't approach comes against the background of increasing antagonism towards the phenomenon plus a continuing online petition (with more than 82,000 signatories thus far).
And the criticism is clearly getting to at least one Sun executive, its excitable managing editor, Richard Caseby. A couple of days ago he took to Huffington Post to attack The Guardian's editor, Alan Rusbridger, and one of the paper's writers, Marina Hyde.And the criticism is clearly getting to at least one Sun executive, its excitable managing editor, Richard Caseby. A couple of days ago he took to Huffington Post to attack The Guardian's editor, Alan Rusbridger, and one of the paper's writers, Marina Hyde.
Caseby was exercised by a single phrase in an article by Hyde headlined Reeva Steenkamp's corpse was in the morgue, her body was on the Sun's front page.Caseby was exercised by a single phrase in an article by Hyde headlined Reeva Steenkamp's corpse was in the morgue, her body was on the Sun's front page.
In the course of her piece, which highlighted the Sun's sexist ideology, Hyde pointed to the paper's daft habit of asterisking the word t*t while publishing pictures of, well, tits.In the course of her piece, which highlighted the Sun's sexist ideology, Hyde pointed to the paper's daft habit of asterisking the word t*t while publishing pictures of, well, tits.
She then turned to Murdoch's tweet in which he implied that it might be time to replace the regular Page 3 models with "glamorous fashionistas". Hyde continued:She then turned to Murdoch's tweet in which he implied that it might be time to replace the regular Page 3 models with "glamorous fashionistas". Hyde continued:
"What Rupert is after, this made clear, is a better class of tit – not those cheap tits, attached to downmarket scrubbers so guilelessly keen to show you them, but the sort of chic tit you get on the catwalk where it looks like the tit's owner can take or leave you looking at it, or the sort of tit you see if some celebrity has failed to establish exactly what flashbulbs might do to a material that appeared opaque when she left the house.""What Rupert is after, this made clear, is a better class of tit – not those cheap tits, attached to downmarket scrubbers so guilelessly keen to show you them, but the sort of chic tit you get on the catwalk where it looks like the tit's owner can take or leave you looking at it, or the sort of tit you see if some celebrity has failed to establish exactly what flashbulbs might do to a material that appeared opaque when she left the house."
You, dear reader, may note that Hyde was employing irony. But The Sun doesn't do irony (as its attack on Hilary Mantel also illustrates). It is absurdly literalist. And no one, it seems, is more absurdly literalist than Caseby himself.You, dear reader, may note that Hyde was employing irony. But The Sun doesn't do irony (as its attack on Hilary Mantel also illustrates). It is absurdly literalist. And no one, it seems, is more absurdly literalist than Caseby himself.
So he plucked two words, "downmarket scrubbers", from that paragraph in order to accuse Hyde (and Rusbridger) of a "repellent" and "baffling"… "verbal sexual assault" on Page 3 models, asking: "How on earth did the Guardian and its columnist Marina Hyde sink to this nadir?"So he plucked two words, "downmarket scrubbers", from that paragraph in order to accuse Hyde (and Rusbridger) of a "repellent" and "baffling"… "verbal sexual assault" on Page 3 models, asking: "How on earth did the Guardian and its columnist Marina Hyde sink to this nadir?"
Entirely missing the point that Hyde was mocking Murdoch's class condescension, Caseby denounced her for it. How stupid can you get!Entirely missing the point that Hyde was mocking Murdoch's class condescension, Caseby denounced her for it. How stupid can you get!
Then again, I don't think Caseby is stupid. Surely he knew exactly what he was doing by misrepresenting Hyde's subtle, sarcastic polemic. He was simply using it in order to attack the Guardian, his bête noire.Then again, I don't think Caseby is stupid. Surely he knew exactly what he was doing by misrepresenting Hyde's subtle, sarcastic polemic. He was simply using it in order to attack the Guardian, his bête noire.
It would appear from the comments below Caseby's rant that some have accepted his attack at face value, illustrating that there are plenty of people who cannot grasp the meaning of the term parody.It would appear from the comments below Caseby's rant that some have accepted his attack at face value, illustrating that there are plenty of people who cannot grasp the meaning of the term parody.
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