Lady soldiers? Whatever next?

[webofevil]

Today’s Metro headline about the Brits detained in Iran, particularly Faye Turney, was needlessly mawkish: “A prisoner, a pawn—but above all, a mother”.

Surely this is nonsense. Surely, “above all, a soldier”. Several other papers have also followed this sickly journalistic recipe: “Will she see her child again?” and all that. A good question, and one she will certainly have asked herself when she set off for military operations in Iraq.

This stand-off with Iran is all very silly and could yet escalate, though it really shouldn’t, but it’s intriguing to watch a press that forever claims to be fighting against government control of its news agenda so swiftly and willingly pump out propaganda that would make any Ministry of Truth proud. “They’re attacking innocent mothers. Will your sister be next?”

Comments

[slightlyfoxed.livejournal.com]

I would be surprised if none of the chaps with her are fathers, but that's a much smaller chip in tabloid roulette. Man go out, hunt, find food. Woman stay home, see child grow, bake fondant fancy. And so forth.

[strictlytrue.livejournal.com]

I think this is it in a nutshell. The papers aren't producing propaganda as such, just reverting to (stereo)type. They've found an Angle - the "human interest" in the "story".

It would be extremely easy, if they so wished, to give over acres of coverage to how pathetically transparent the actions of the Iranians are, and how their actions have no legal basis whatsoever, but why do that when you can pile on the sentiment, and tap into archaic notions of gender roles?

[chiller.livejournal.com]

Don't be daft! Everyone knows men don't have relatives. They walk alone. Without breasts.

[lebeautemps.livejournal.com]

Hey, did someone mention cake?

[pvcdiva.livejournal.com]

This has been how it's been reported since the personnel were first nabbed. Has been driving me to yell at the telly in quite frequently.

The first time I saw the news on BBC24 the soldiers were described as 'fathers, sons...even /significant pause/ A MOTHER'...Really, what was this person thinking, running off to war rather than knitting bootees t home!

Not described as combatants, or soldiers, 'people with guns' but 'innocent chaps out for a nice afternoon's boating'.... at least it's now 'military personnel' rather than 'servicemen', just assuming they would all be male.

[lebeautemps.livejournal.com]

Yes, a mother. The same mother that could be living in poverty on benefits if she chose to stay home to raise her children. The Metro should be wailing about the several million children living like this because of the horrendous benefit system, not those individuals, who have children (because we are not just 'mothers'...)and are trying to provide. Who was the Sahofee that reported it? Numpty.

What, so Mothers are only allowed to have jobs that won't put them in any danger? Better to keep us drugged up unconscious then. I could fall down the stairs at any moment.

Faye should be fine. I was always treated with great respect in the Middle East, more so when travelling alone. I'd go to Iran in a heartbeat if I could get a damn visa!!

[internetsdairy.livejournal.com]

It's a lovely curtain, isn't it?

[yiskah.livejournal.com]

Irritating coverage. Particularly when it spawns the Metro-letter style backlash of people going 'raaaaar, she shouldn't've been in Iraq in the first place, women should put their children first!'. Oh, f#ck off.