The Daily Mauling (Daily Mail)

Member Name: shopaholicleo

Product:	Daily Mail
Date:	07/11/08 (142 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The website has an interesting and modernn layout, good fashion section

Disadvantages: Frequent scaremongering and general hatred of all women

I feel incensed to write a review about this newspaper, for the increasingly annoyed way that it makes me feel. Of course, I recommended this as one of my 'Top Ten Websites' purely for the fact that the website is set out well, and it keeps me up to date with basic news. It is also regularly updated and articles routinely adapted throughout the day, and I mainly check the fashion and showbiz sections (though the ongoing presidential election drama has also caught my attention). The unbiased, neutral articles that state the facts are not my problem. My problem is the general tone about females, their bodies, what they do, what they wear, anything is ripe for criticism.

In my 'Top Ten Websites' review, I briefly mentioned the article they had published about the actress Jennifer Love Hewitt gaining a few pounds. I remember the distinctly mocking tone of the article, that even included a picture of her airbrushed in a Hanes campaign compared with her on the beach with some cellulite. Never mind that she looks far better than a lot of people on the beach, and probably better than the reporter, which we can only imagine (some of the scathing reports only bear the name DAILY MAIL REPORTER, so you have no idea who has written the garbage). What was just a beach photo has been turned into a pointless story, about something that women everywhere face. I don't really see how they can write articles like this one day, then feature an anorexic's story the next.

Take today, Geri Halliwell is being lampooned for wearing purple tights. They write:

She used to be Ginger Spice, but purple was the colour when pop star-turned children's author Geri Halliwell stepped out this evening.
Switching on the Christmas lights at the Bluewater shopping centre...she could almost have passed for chic - save her odd choice of bright purple tights....Most likely the former Spice Girl's style statement was purely an attempt to brighten up her otherwise sombre ensemble - nevertheless, it seems an odd choice for someone so famously figure-conscious. Coloured tights are notoriously unflattering, even fashionistas who have hailed it the style of the season agree it's something to be left to the supermodels. The fashion faux pas did not seem to deter eager young fans who happily posed for photos with the russet-haired star.

To me this is a non-story (plus being a fan of purple tights myself, I felt I had to rush to leap to their defence). So what if she wants to wear them? It's her choice and since when did the DAILY MAIL REPORTER get to decide who can and can't wear them? There's absolutely nothing wrong with her legs, and I think that they're the perfect way to brighten a black outfit up. Anyway, I know I'm going off on a tangent, and this review is not really supposed to be about purple tights. What I don't like is the seemingly one-sided view that it seems to have about women, that we are constantly in the wrong no matter what we do. Of course, I read the articles on the site, and think that some of them are quite ridiculous and a waste of the reporters time, but what will happen when some young impressionable girl takes these words to heart? The newspaper has such a strong readership, and the website is easily accessible. If this newspaper is your only source of news, then who knows how it can begin to affect your thoughts.

So what is good about this newspaper? Well sometimes you'll get free DVD's or CD-roms (McFly's new album being my favourite), or the chance to collect hundreds of tokens just to get a china dinner set that you may never use. The Sunday version of the paper is also less harsh with it's Live! and You supplements, which feature some decent articles and fashion stories. Liz Jones is probably my favourite writer on there, with her moaning about her ex-husband or huge thighs (debatable) making interesting reading. The online site also has an interesting and modern layout, with clear news, showbiz and sports sections, and the writing is uncomplicated and easy to understand. The articles they write do provoke debate, and the comments feature is vital as many people will often disagree with their female-bashing articles. The annoying thing is that your comments need to be moderated before they go onto the site, and none of mine have ever made the cut (but other inane ramblings have). Even though this paper is controversial most of the time, you couldn't really call it boring and safe. I just don't like it's frequent descent into gossip-magazine territory (some of the articles are even lifted from Closer magazine).

I am not the expected Daily Mail reader, with my liberal views and support of Russell Brand, but I tend to take much of it with a pinch of salt. I do not agree with many of it's views (moaning about political correctness, biased reporting) but it is provides some entertainment for me while I put off doing something more important.

Summary: Take it with a pinch (or vat) of salt