The Bugger, Bugged

[Sweder]

For anyone not yet aware of it this is the sting of the year so far.

Hats off to Hugh Grant for taking the bull(shitters) by the horns and, to use his own inimitable vernacular, buggering the buggers. I laughed until I was almost sick. Messrs Cameron (yes, that one), Wade (nay Brooks) et al will be choking on their buttered scones.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

For anyone not yet aware of it this is the sting of the year so far.

Hats off to Hugh Grant for taking the bull(shitters) by the horns and, to use his own inimitable vernacular, buggering the buggers. I laughed until I was almost sick. Messrs Cameron (yes, that one), Wade (nay Brooks) et al will be choking on their buttered scones.

It still seems petulant to me. How does Mr. Grant expect to change attitudes if he adopts the same tactics? It's not exactly "giving them a taste of their own medicine" - paparazzi have no conscience or shame, so it just highlights to them the effectiveness of their methods. Hugh would have had far more impact and gained more sympathy if he'd just snotted the guy. Russell Crowe would have. Mel Gibson would have. Oh hang on though, they're Aussies, aren't they? Well what about Oliver Reed then? Little doubt what he would have done!

[Sweder]

By writing in the New Statesman Grant has exposed the level of hypocrisy and duplicity at major newsPapers. There's an ongoing government enquiry into phone hacking. Rupert Murdoch phoned (then PM) Gordon Brown last year when he heard about this to ask Gordon to 'cool things down'.

Grant turned the tables by 'bugging' the bugger. He then published the results in his own name, outing some senior figures and, I assure you, stirring up a storm. Not as instantly satisfying as a punch on the nose I grant you, but ultimately more effective.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I "grant" you, he has shown some spine... And no-one would be happier than me to see Murdoch slowly roasted over a pit of smouldering paparazzi.

The real shame however remains with those of us who buy the crap they peddle.

[Disclaimer: I work in the media, but am not paparazzi!]

[El Gordo]

Just caught up with this, and have spent 15 minutes of Tottenham-Arsenal time reading the article.

Yep, very enjoyable. The guy's arguments in trying to justify illegal bugging, are as thin as an anorexic stick-insect. It's galling to think that Fleet St hacks must have an enormous stockpile of information about corruption within their own profession, and their nod-nod wink-wink relationships with police and politicians, yet they devote all their time to trying to 'expose' minor celebs doing nothing more than enjoying a night out -- in probably very similar ways to them.