An open letter of thanks to the Daily Mail

This week I have ranted a lot, far more than usual. We’re not quite on the scale of the week after the American election but we are damn close. Aside from the fact that I am a twenty-two-year-old grandma living in student halls, I have had a deadline and minimal caffeine something else has topped it off.

Article 50 was signed. Now I am not going to dwell on this because even this wasn’t the biggest annoyance of my week. No no.

Dear Daily Mail,

This week you did what I thought would have been the unthinkable. You made me annoyed about something that wasn’t Article 50 being triggered. So well done, go you.

I just wanted to thank you for that, frankly, pathetic headline you produced this week about two of the most important women in politics meeting to discuss the future relationship between England and Scotland. You see, you proved people wrong. They may have previously thought that to be a paid journalist you have to have some sort of grasp on the written English language. But no.

You have proven time and time again that it is perfectly fine to make up words like, I don’t know, legs-it, just to get a ‘laugh’ because we are all laughing.

Obviously, when you objectify two politicians on the front of your newspaper it’s hilarious. Especially when you do it in such a way that you would never do to two men. People just need to lighten up, right?

I don’t think so. But what I will thank you for is, the next time that a woman stands up for herself and points out something unacceptable and they are shot down and told sexism no longer exists, they can use this. I know I will. The next time I sit around a table and am told by white, middle class males that we now live in a wonderful meritocratic society where everyone has an equal look in I’ll bring you up. Because for all the damage that you do printing BS like ‘that’ front page you are blatant proof that we still live in a society with a problem and there is so much progress to be made.

You went viral this week so you probably achieved your aims. Hell, I am writing a blog post about it where as I wouldn’t have usually even seen your front page if I could avoid it. So let’s be honest, you’ve probably achieved your goals, you sold lots of papers and everyone is talking about you.

But I thought I would I, like so many others this week, air my feelings and just say a little thank you.