Who cares if she spells it Barraco Barner?

by Irn Bru Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:01 pm

Grace Dent: Who cares if she spells it Barraco Barner? Gemma Worrall is more employable than some bookish arts graduate

You probably noticed last week that Gemma Worrall – a 20-year-old beautician from Blackpool – made the most stupid remark in world history. It was about the Ukraine situation and it set Twitter alight with glee. “If Barraco Barner is our president why is he getting involved with Russia, scary” Gemma typed.

As the flawless, deeply cognisant, beyond reproach human beings who constitute everyone on earth apart from Gemma, we took her rather sweet, funny mistake and rounded on her with sticks. Evidence of her stupidity was retweeted 7,000 times, abuse turned from jovial ribbing, to “banter”, to straightforward personal abuse, to your common-or-garden internet threats to “stab a dumb fuck like her and rip her tongue out”.

Gemma spoke publicly about being very scared by this. Despite police arrests following the Caroline Criado-Perez affair, it still seems as if society feels such abuse is acceptable and “just the way it is today”, particularly if you’re a person who has committed a crime as bad as Gemma’s: poor spelling and a no handle on current affairs. The crime, that is, of being stupid.

Sniping at the less clever is so acceptable that thousands of perfectly rounded individuals add “pedant” proudly to their Twitter or Facebook biography as one of their attributes. Pedantry – the grim social curse of the middle classes – is the inability to stop pointing out to strangers their minor errors and then bask in the cold dank pool of mutual bad feeling.

But the fact is, they might not know where Ukraine is, and they might not know why Germany doesn’t favour sanctions against Russia, but when the lights go out in your house, they know where the fuse box is and which wires to fiddle with to mend it. And right at that moment that’s a damn sight less stupid than you.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/grace-dent-who-cares-if-she-spells-it-barraco-barner-gemma-worrall-is-more-employable-than-some-bookish-arts-graduate-9182487.html

I suppose some people rounding on someone who makes a mistake like that makes them feel superior to her and 'good' about themselves.

So who cares?

by Guest Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:07 pm

mmm...dunno....an idiot savant is STILL an idiot.....

whilst the vile threats and abuse are plain out of order, and those throwing it should probably be weeded out of society with the aid of a rope, there is no denying that that particular mistake is pretty crass. I mean typos are one thing but christ on a bike its not like she doesnt see it splashed all over the TV on an almost daily basis...

by Guest Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:23 pm

Bless her, it wasn't just the spelling, she thought he was our President. The abuse was horrible though. However, it did make me wonder about people voting and what they actually thought was correct!!!!!!

by Irn Bru Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:29 pm

Without looking it up type out the name of the deposed President of the Ukraine. His name has been plastered all over the news lately.

And anyway, apart from those lips of hers I wouldn't mind giving her a birl Laughing

by Guest Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:43 pm

You are a wicked man! President of Ukraine, no I couldn't remember it, you are right. However, I don't think he is our President! Rolling Eyes

by veya_victaous Wed Mar 12, 2014 12:32 am

Irn Bru wrote:Without looking it up type out the name of the deposed President of the Ukraine. His name has been plastered all over the news lately.

And anyway, apart from those lips of hers I wouldn't mind giving her a birl

Vladimir Putin ???? Wink

by Irn Bru Wed Mar 12, 2014 12:41 am

veya_victaous wrote:
Irn Bru wrote:Without looking it up type out the name of the deposed President of the Ukraine. His name has been plastered all over the news lately.

And anyway, apart from those lips of hers I wouldn't mind giving her a birl

Vladimir Putin ????

by Guest Wed Mar 12, 2014 9:24 am

Sassy wrote:Bless her, it wasn't just the spelling, she thought he was our President. The abuse was horrible though. However, it did make me wonder about people voting and what they actually thought was correct!!!!!!

I find that really worrying too. Wouldn't surprise me if any party that gave a free Candy Crush app with each vote could win the next election!

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