Marina Hyde: How Charlie Sheen has taken the shine off my week

[Taxloss]

These are dark times for Lost in Showbiz. I am distressed to the point of requiring constant medication by a week that began last Saturday on these pages, in a column addressing the actor Charlie Sheen's espousal of a 9/11 conspiracy theory, and has ended mired in hundreds of furious emails - including a trenchant exchange with David Shayler - and, perhaps most upsettingly, a verified document headed "Charlie Sheen Statement to the London Guardian".

It is difficult to imagine a situation I could take more seriously.
Frankly, I had no idea Charlie was such an assiduous reader of the column (and might even find his interest slightly hot if he still looked like the drug addict he played in the 1986 classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off). Indeed, had I known what a gifted ironist he was - and, in retrospect, after Hot Shots! Part Deux, who could have doubted it? - it goes without saying I would have thought twice before daring to crack out the usual lame jokes about forming a kitchen cabinet of celebrity conspiracy theorists, which would also include Michael Jackson (It's the Jews!) and Tom Cruise.

Too late now. Charlie has issued a formal rebuttal, and though I haven't quite the strength to print it here, I am deeply chastened. Come to think of it, the entire episode has the flavour of the aforementioned scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, where his character poses a variety of searching questions to Ferris's repressed and disgruntled sister Jeanie, leading her to open her mind and get over herself and her cynicism. It's like he's doing that to me! Only over the internet, and we don't end up kissing afterwards and getting told off by Jeanie's mother.

More ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1744446,00.html

I realise that this is a dupe but repost to circumvent the selectivity of the previous post. Hyde further adds: 'Rebuke instead comes from a new army of web readers. "You stupid whore," reasons one. "Do you believe everything the president tells you?"'

Another such charming, truthseeking riposte was headed "you naive bitch". Apparently that sort of robust discussion was a recurring theme in the emails she received.

Of course it is highly unlikely that any of these emails emanated from DU's resident 'Truthseekers', despite the familiarity of that "oh so you believe everything Bush says" line. Nevertheless, I feel bound to remind them that not only is Marina Hyde a leading British liberal columnist, she is also by far one of the most intelligent, witty and fearless. It is thus tragic that some of their camp have not given her the respect that they extend to Rense, Alex Jones, Tom Flocco, and similar denizens of the very murkiest reaches of the extreme right.

[TheBaldyMan]

1. I wouldn't describe her as liberal, unless you mean in the sense

that she is not a frothing at the mouth RW nut.

Working at the Guardian doesn't automatically qualify you as a radical or even as a left-winger. It's indefensible that she is subjected to these lowbrow attacks but IMO she does tend to be light weight and reactionary, fine for the diary but definately not for reporting on serious matters.

The spat was started over a rubbishing of a conspiracy theory. A silly subject treated in a suitably light hearted manner.

edited for typo:

[Taxloss]

4. Well, I really meant left-wing.

She's been far more vicious in her assault on US/UK foreign policy than many other Guardian columnists, rightly so. And she's uncovered many fine examples of its inherent hypocrisy.

[bemildred]

2. The tempest in a teapot blows up into a typhoon in a toilet.

No doubt the fresh publicity is appreciated by all or the players.

[ovidsen]

3. Priceless!

The British are good at sarcasm! Hats off to Marina.