Stanhope vs Pearson over 'Right to Die' article

[SuperMikey]

http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2012/03/16/15059/fight

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/9143449/Do-any-of-us-however-ill-have-the-right-to-die.html

 

Doug Stanhope, a US comedian, has attacked Telegraph journalist Allison Pearson over an article that she wrote about Tony Nicklinson - the man suffering with locked-in syndrome who is taking his 'right to die' case to the high courts.

 

I read the article and found it pretty nasty tbh, but it's the backlash from her which makes this whole situation more pathetic. After saying that Nicklinson should wish for an infection so he can die, she got offended after Stanhope called her a "c*nt" on Twitter. That's fair enough I guess (read the Chortle article at the top of the page for an overview of the Twitter exchange).

 

Pearson has responded by labelling Stanhope a "vile misogynist" and saying that his comments were "vile incitement to hatred against women". She has also said that he told her he wished she got cancer (when in actual fact he said he wished she got a "fetid ovarian cyst" - not easily defensible but not on the same level as wishing somebody had cancer).

 

Fair enough, Doug may not have handled the situation very timidly, but that's not the person he is. Watch some clips of him on YouTube and you'll see that he is very brash, opinionated and just doesn't care about what people think about him. Pearson could have just picked him up on his language or maybe even ignored him, but the fact that she retreated to the deplorable "misogyny" excuse just eliminates any sympathy I would've had for her. His comments were not misogynistic, although they could be viewed as a bit harsh.

 

I'd be interested to see what people thought of this situation: Doug had good reasons to attack her on this, but did he go too far?

[Rasiak-9-]

The only arguments against changing the law with regard to the right to die are the ones based on practical difficulties.

 

Any, and i do mean ANY argument against it from a moral standpoint HAS TO revolve around some kind of variant of the idea that an individual DOES NOT HAVE the complete ownership and rights to their own life.

[The Cat]

Stanhope is funny. He's quite right to have a go at Pearson about this, she is a complete smug loon anyway and probably deserves being taken down a peg or two. Works well for Doug as he gets a bit of extra publicity for his tour.

 

I'm going to see him in Portsmouth on 7th April, which should top off what will hopefully be a great day.

[SuperMikey]

Stanhope is funny. He's quite right to have a go at Pearson about this, she is a complete smug loon anyway and probably deserves being taken down a peg or two. Works well for Doug as he gets a bit of extra publicity for his tour.

 

I'm going to see him in Portsmouth on 7th April, which should top off what will hopefully be a great day.

 

I want to go and see him when he plays in Basingstoke but i'm not sure if I can afford it at the moment..

 

Big fan of his though.

[Verbal]

Pearson's attempt to turn Stanhope's attack on her into an attack on all women is preposterous. Clearly he found a particularly graphic way of expressing himself, but in the context of Pearson's extraordinarily crass comment, it seems well enough aimed. Her reaction is no doubt mirrored by that of Tony Nicklinson's reaction to her - so she now knows how it feels to be on the receiving end of her own hopeless insensitivity.

 

For the record, here's what she said:

 

"If Mr Nicklinson gets a serious infection, highly likely for someone in his condition, then, without antibiotics, he will soon get the merciful release he seeks.

 

But that isn’t enough. He wants a landmark case."

[SuperMikey]

Pearson's attempt to turn Stanhope's attack on her into an attack on all women is preposterous. Clearly he found a particularly graphic way of expressing himself, but in the context of Pearson's extraordinarily crass comment, it seems well enough aimed. Her reaction is no doubt mirrored by that of Tony Nicklinson's reaction to her - so she now knows how it feels to be on the receiving end of her own hopeless insensitivity.

 

For the record, here's what she said:

 

"If Mr Nicklinson gets a serious infection, highly likely for someone in his condition, then, without antibiotics, he will soon get the merciful release he seeks.

 

But that isn’t enough. He wants a landmark case."

 

She provoked a lot of criticism after writing an article about Gary Speed too. She's either too dim to realise what she's saying and how she's hurting people, or she's just doing it to illicit a reaction.

[shurlock]

Watched plenty of Stanhope's stuff and think he is a bit of a c**k tbh. An american Frankie Boyle (obviously Boyle copied Stanhope) who's not self-aware enough to elevate his humour beyond a cheap, soiled chuckle. Louis CK is much better.

 

Pearson - another self-important, north london critic. Two a penny, a nonentity.