Tuesday 13 October 2009

The West Australian
How hideous it is. Every day.
Get a load of this article from this morning's paper (click on it for a bigger image):
Anna Jacobs is a best-selling, prize-winning, highly acclaimed, popular and successful writer.
So why do the heading and the intro par belittle her by referring to her as a gran and a grandmother?
Why not woman, or author, or writer, or novelist?
How is her being a grandmother relevant in any way? Is it because it's so untterly unthinkable that once someone's old enough to be a grandparent, he or she is not only disqualified from achievement, but also totally incapable?
The fact the writer of this piece, and/or the sub-editor, have no apparent knowledge of Jane Austen says everything.

4 comments:

M said...

Shudder. It just goes to show who they think (know) their target market is. And it's not the thinking West Australian person.

Frances said...

Men are never, ever described this way.

Jennifer said...

Yeah -- can you imagine?: "Doting Father of 2 Wins Nobel Peace Prize" -- not in our lifetime. It is a gender double-standard, and I'm looking forward to seeing your letter to the editor published in an upcoming edition. Seriously.

Fairlie - www.feetonforeignlands.com said...

Put down that paper...and step away slowly.

You will drive yourself insane if you keep reading it.

During our short stay I cancelled The West subscription other than for Saturday and just had The Australian during the week.