Monstering Lily Allen ignores the hard truths
IFEEL like I’m living in a bad dream these days. The world seems upside down and back to front; I’m constantly finding myself in disbelief at the kind of views that have become “mainstream”, and wondering how the hell this happened.
For example: last week, singer Lily Allen visited the refugee camp at Calais, a place filled with destitute people who’ve lost homes, livelihoods and any sense of the security we take for granted. These are human beings, including children, desperate to live.
Moved by what she saw, a tearful Allen felt shame that her country, Britain, had played a role in the predicaments of the people she met, and that it wasn’t doing all that it could to help them. She then apologised, after meeting a 13-yearold Afghan refugee, saying: “We’ve bombed your country, put you in the hands of the Taliban and now put you in danger of risking your life to get into our country. “I apologise on behalf of my country. I’m sorry for what we have put you through.” For me, this was a natural, compassionate reaction towards people far less fortunate than Allen herself, but instead of prompting a serious conversation about how a civilised society should be dealing with such a horrifying problem, the story soon became about Allen herself, when she found herself deluged under a furious response on social media from people who took issue with her apology. One of her most highprofile detractors was rightwing rent-a-gob Katie Hopkins, who never misses an opportunity to take a swipe at the people at the bottom. She tweeted: “Do not apologise for this country Allen, you cretin. This great country prefers to look after its own. Get over it.” This is the same Hopkins who compared refugees to cockroaches in an infamous newspaper column as hundreds of thousands of desperate people were dying in a bid to reach safer land. “These migrants are like cockroaches,” she wrote. “They might look a bit
‘Bob Geldof’s Ethiopia circa 1984’, but they are built to survive a nuclear bomb.”
She went on: “No, I don’t care. Show me pictures of coffins, show me bodies floating in water, play violins and show me skinny people looking sad. I still don’t care.”
This is beyond bonkers. It is incredibly worrying that such aggressive rhetoric is presented as valid mainstream opinion. Hopkins defenders will say that the TV personality and newspaper columnist is simply reflecting the views of others in society, which is evidenced by the frenzy of tweets she receives in support, but I’m sorry, I don’t buy it.
BEING a journalist or commentator brings with it a serious responsibility. We are required to consider the impact our words have on the wider discourse, and whether or not we are making a constructive contribution to issues of the day. Using the platforms of social media and newspapers for a wild ranting rampage which punches down at people who barely have a voice is irresponsible, dangerous and downright wrong.
Responding to difficult, disastrous international situations and domestic turmoil by turning to inward, isolationist calls to keep everyone out and bow down to a flag without question is simply easy. It ignores the uncomfortable questions about the role the UK has played in these situations, and it’s an easy get-out from taking any responsibility for them.
It’s “I’m alright Jack” at its very worst – why care about the cries for help from children in Calais when you can shut your front door and forget all about them? Hopkins’s view legitimises a way of thinking that doesn’t belong in a society that considers itself civilised. It must be recognised that commentators don’t simply reflect the views of others, they influence them.
Once upon a time I’d have pitied Hopkins, but I’m not sure she even deserves that. Our energies are better spent trying to combat the unforgivably racist rhetoric spouted by some commentators without a care for the consequences.
Reducing Lily Allen to a “cretin” is just another way of avoiding the hard truths ahead of us. For me, if you’ve attracted the ire of Hopkins, you’re doing something right. When the worst elements of social media are fuming with you, you’re doing something right.
In this surreal moment we’re living in, Allen’s view isn’t the easy option. Caring about others and allowing their plight to disrupt your life and your conscience is a harder path than the one Hopkins has chosen.
I’m still hoping this might all be a dream, and that I’ll wake up soon.