How judgmental are you?

granjura and Butternut, much appreciated.

POGS, in response to my post, you said "I read the Daily Mail, I do not as you suppose all Daily Mail readers do, reproduce it's prejudices in my own life".
This is what I actually wrote.
"If the DM is all they read and they believe every word and reproduce its prejudices in their own lives, then I am sad about that and I think that I probably would not choose to have a close friendship with them."
I was actually very careful in what I said the first time and will say again that I do not assume that everyone who reads the DM shares its views, wholly or partly.
I hope that clarifies things. If people want to judge me because I detest the DM as a newspaper, then I am comfortable with that.

Like it or not 'Daily Mail reader' has become a not particularly flattering way of defining a certain type of person in the way that 'Guardian reader' has.

I hasten to add I don't necessarily go along with these stereotypes though there is probably some truth in both of them.

I read the Guardian for 25 years and then suddenly went off it for being smug and just a bit hypocritical (left wing journalists who write for the paper sending their children to private schools for one thing).

I if I read a newspaper read the sun,live in a council house,am on benefits,have had a basic education,only had a job not a career,live with my partner ...or lover 20 years my junior,and my granddaughter of mixed parentage and a teenage unmarried mum with tattoos whose father is a convicted criminal,paranoid schizophrenic,and an unemployed son sleeping on my sofa,who used to take drugs and drink Stella......but when I have spoken with you all I haven't given all of this information...I have been accepted as being nellie ...who is if she makes a gaffe still accepted......I have never learned to debate and listen to the news for information.....not really sure what I am saying here but I am a stereotype that you have got to know because of who I am and not what I read or how I live.....

nellie and hugs. Thank you for being you. xx

Littlenellie, well said, and I'm with you there. I may be judged because I don't read a newspaper, but listen to news on radio or watch it on television. The paper that my partner buys is a local one and apparently mainly unbiased. I went through a phase of reading all types of newspapers, but then decided that they 'swung' one way or another, and I wanted to make my own mind up how I saw things. We will only be told what the media want us to know, in whatever form. In saying that, I'm making my own judgement.

petallus, I have similar feelings about the Guardian. Was brought up on it in a household where the Daily Telegraph was not even allowed to cross the threshold and liked it a lot. But, yes, smug and a bit too much insidious lecturing about how one ought to live. Indie likewise. I still read both and sometimes find good, well-written articles. But I also find those in the DT and, even, once or twice, in the DM. The Sunday papers, last time I looked, were all nauseating in their upfront 'trendiness'.

I used to have the telegraph, mainly for the crossword. I don't bother now and wouldn't have time anyway.
Perhaps it's time I retired?
Anyway off to work, see you all later.

The Daily Mail is a red herring (as well as a newspaper).

The judgemental thing has come about almost by accident. In an attempt to ensure tolerance of different views, beliefs, faiths, cultures and so on – all very worthwhile – it seems that it has become politically correct never to criticise or judge anything or anyone. This is wrong in every way. For example, it may well be one of the reasons why it has taken so long for the issue of forced marriages to be tackled seriously, although such actions are considered unacceptable in our society. Prejudice, on the other hand is unreasoned and biased judgement and has no place in our society.

Brilliantly put Nellie and I love you for being you and for being honest. I think you have illustrated the point well.

I had thought about starting another thread headed 'My name is Kitty and I read the Daily Mail' because, while that is one part of me, there are lots of other bits of me that are at odds with being a sterotypical DM reader. We also have The Times (I know, I know) and two local papers but I mostly get my news from the BBC, either the News Channel or 5Live.

Whilst now voting Tory (there's a surprise!) I was a founder member of our local SDP but left after being villified for sending our children to independent schools, by other members, who simply moved house to be in a better catchment area!

I have never really worked since having the children (apart from as emergency dental nurse/receptionist or bookkeeper) but I have volunteered extensively and still do. I am aware that there are people much worse off than myself, I count my blessings and try to do as much as possible to help others, be they family, friends, neighbours or the wider community

We are comfortably off but that doesn't mean that we have not had to deal with similar events to those experienced by people who read a different paper! Each of us has a cross to bear and some of us have much bigger crosses than others. It seems incredibly judgmental to assume that because someone reads a particular paper they are in someway not worthy.

It seems to be politically incorrect at the moment to be slightly to the right of centre.

Why

The wonderful thing about Gransnet is as nellie says, we can all appear reasonably annonymous (should we wish to) which gives the advantage of being less likely "judgemental" of each other on a "class" level.

I don't take a daily paper regularly, although I quite enjoy certain sections of The Sunday Times to relax with over coffee, but at the same time regretting supporting the Murdoch empire. I have the read the DM in the past quite a few years ago but went off it, however sometimes read it online.

As far as prejudices are concerned, I certainly feel I have them about one or two things, but when I start to consider these in detail, I find I start to waver in my feelings. As with reading threads and postings on Gransnet, sometimes I am tempted to comment, but then start to see an opposing view, and step back.

Am I confused or what

Littlenell - A very special post.

moomin you and me too

I read papers online but don't favour one more than the other, just pick articles that catch my eye. As green said should we be judged because we dont buy a certain newspaper.

nellie the saying 'you should not judge a book by its cover' comes to mind all the way through this thread.

Kitty, please tell me where anyone has judged anyone just because they read the Daily Mail.
I read (online) the Mail, the Telegraph, the Guardian, the Independent and the New Statesman. I often read the New Statesman's 10 best articles of the day, which are from papers right across the political spectrum. I don't read the Times or the Sun, because I would never give Rupert Murdoch any money (and don't / wouldn't have Sky for the same reason.) The only physical paper I read is the Ouest France.
I absolutely agree with absentgrana's post.

Littlenellie, just want to say that I think your post is one of the most refreshingly honest I have ever read. You sound great.

Thank you all

littlenellie you can debate and you do!

Todays news, tomorrows fish and chip paper!

I read the DM online and take half of it with a pinch of salt.

I am who I am, not defined by what I read (War and Peace anyone?)

Nellie see you at Lil's xx

Mamie this thread demonstrates quite well the prejudice some people have against readers of the Daily Mail.

My point is that I read the DM and conform to some of the stereotypes that implies BUT that isn't all that defines me, nor anyone else regardless of their reading choices. I am a mish mash of different experiences, as are we all, and it is wrong to judge people on just one superficial part of their being. As nellie put so well!

Can we change the subject now? How about the north/south judgements/prejudices for a change? How do others who have lived in both feel?

PS I don't read a daily paper, read one Sunday (but don't dare tell you which) and our local and I also don't dare say what I have been doing today or what I am reading!!!!

Sorry, Kitty - I can see judgemental attitudes against the DM as a paper, but I cannot see anything that is judgemental about people who read the DM or anywhere that people have suggested that reading the DM defines people as some kind of stereotype.
Actually, I do feel a bit that some people have judged me because I said that I detest the DM, but I am happy that they should do that.
I think people sneer at Guardian readers or Guardianistas in all sorts of media, but I know that although the Guardian is my paper of choice, I frequently disagree with it (especially about education) and it in no way defines me as a person. At the end of the day, I know what I believe in and I don't really mind what other people think.

Fine, Alison. Love the North, love the South; have lived in both. Love England, love France; have lived in both. After 62 years on the planet, I think people are people wherever you live.
Why don't you want to tell us what you are reading?

I'm certainly not prejudiced against D M readers, if fact one of my best friends is one (eek)

Was just posting a message when my broadband went on the blink - apparently Virgin is making 'improvements'. What I wanted to say was - nellie, you are not a stereotype. You are unique and we all love you. x x x

mamie I'm scared of being judged!