I don’t care what people get up to in their private lives, subject to the usual caveat of adult consent - so Mr Mosley’s private amusements over the past 45 years, pruriently reported in graphic detail with video in the News of The World, is to my mind a matter between himself and his hooker / dominatrix. It is not my responsibility, nor anyone else’s, to make decisions for consenting adults… so the ludicrous statement by The Daily Mail that Mosley somehow degraded five women who thrashed his backside with a cane until it bled is just ridiculous.
The Daily Mail reports the extraordinary activities (At the Select Committee), complete with a ’smirking barrister’, and I am therefore relieved of the responsibility of replicating their purple prose. Here is their report. I was amused by one comment made by Mosley… that his fascist leader father, Sir Oswald Mosley (who knew Hitler) and had a taste for jackboots and dictatorial dreams, “may have overdone it.”
I do, however, care about freedom of the press to report on matters of ‘public’ interest. The emphasis is on the word ‘public’. As far as I know, save for some responsibility for a sporting interest, Mosley does not sit as a judge, he does not sit in parliament governing our lives and his private affairs and amusements should not be blazened across the tabloids for profit. Let’s be honest. There are several million adults in this country, at the last stroke, sorry… count… who enjoy sado-masochistic sex and fetishes. There are millions of gays (who in days past were criminalised) who now, because of change in the law and social attitudes, enjoy their lives without fear of being arrested for being gay. Surely our society is mature enough to allow adults their pleasures without behaving like kids drooling over soft porn behind the bikesheds? If so, do we really need the posturing ninnyism of The Daily Mail and The News of The World which, I suspect, are more interested in the revenue than in protecting Mr and Mrs Cravat-Blazer from ‘depravity’. I’ve always thought it rather odd that to protect middle England from ‘depravity’, newspapers first have to reveal in salacious detail what that depravity is and then rail against it – preferably with a good pic or video or two.
I do not want to see a law of privacy develop in this country where those in power or celebrities can turn the Press and Media switch on and off at will should they commit criminal offences – but for the rest of their behaviour? – that is their private business and is not and should not be revealed for the amusement of sloths on Sunday who don’t have the imagination to get their kicks save for reading about the sexual peccadillos of others.
The late, great, Sir John Mortimer QC took up smoking again in his later years as a protest against the increasing tendency of government to intrude in our lives. Perhaps I shall take up strutting around in odd uniforms, shouting in faux German, brandishing a cane, and ask if those I drink with down at the Old Dog & Fuck and my mates on Twitter if they fancy whipping it up a bit…
On that note.. in the time honoured fashion… I’m making my excuses and leaving to drink… what else?… RIOJA.
Ah RIOJA. Isn’t there a song about that. Oh for the days of the Wig & Pen club.
I think it entirely appropriate that the leader of the Libertarian Party UK should be the first to comment on this post. I raise a glass to you!
The Wig & Pen was fun – weird place but on the occasions I went as a guest I had some rather amusing long sessions!
Agreed. I think an interesting point here is that one of hookers was on the payroll of the screws and so it was essentially a honeytrap, a la Botham but with whips and not sawed off bed legs. I have some issue with investigative journalism at times, the law tries, where possible, to stop at the front door and so should the press.
The women, I understand from my sources who have an interest in BDSM say that the women were consenting and a couple of them were regulars on the circuit and open about their interests. The BDSM community have little time, I understand, for the woman who outed Mosley.
Assuming that there is no element of duress there should rarely be a reason for the press to publicise private matters such as these and in all honesty and in this context, who really cares?
Hasn’t the public, largerly thanks to media over exposure, become blase about nudity and sex and its partner in crime, scandal? And being nonchalant about these things is surely a progressive attitude, even if achieved by default?
My own personal perception in relation to public figures and private individuals alike is really simple: I don’t want to know what anyone does behind closed doors, as long as noone is being coerced and as long as professional duties are carried out competently. I certainly don’t vote for politicians based on their sexual proclivities.
Having said that, to my mind the argument gets more complex once you step out of the consent arena into the ethical arena. For sure, S&M fetishes would not stop me voting for a politician but if that fetish involved a violently racist element or a tendency towards physical violence, I might think twice about whether or not the person in question was going to react rationally in a national crisis.
I do think there is a fine line between public interest and private life and where we draw that line should really be down to pragmatism and not sensationalism.
There, I said my piece!
Natasha… If a Politician or judge was wandering around shouting illegal nonsense (or indeed general nonsense!) – I would think that fair game to report. Their position in our society and in our lives is such that we are entitled to know about racist or illegal behaviour if it impacts on their ability to carry out their jobs… etc etc.
Yes, I agree with you.
‘Perhaps I shall take up strutting around in odd uniforms’
*terrace chant style*
Are you Prince Harry in disguise?
Or possibly double disguise
White Rabbit
Bonjour! Yes… I had forgotten about Harry Pothead’s uniform fiasco!
I continue to man my post… scan the horizon and watch for examples of the bizarre. It keeps me insane.
How lovely to see Mr P-J popping into your abode, Mr Charon, he’s an awfully nice chap and didn’t seem the least bit offended when I refused his card after strolling with him and other last November the 5th. But I don’t do political parties, so I couldn’t honestly take his without feeling obliged to soil my hands with any others that might be proffered in the future.
Incidentally, my refusal occurred in a pub and we still haven’t had our long-promised beverage. My fault entirely. The problem with being retired is you just don’t have time to meet old chums, you’re too busy doing being retired. It will happen, it will, and soon.
Ah… Monsoir Monsieur FB.. you are a creature of the night!
Good to hear from you. Have emailed directly in response!
Enjoyed my podcast with Ian PJ. he is on Twitter – so I keep up with his musings. He told me to stop wearing suspenders yesterady. By way of explanation – I have a rather swollen left leg… minor DVT. Maybe he thinks that all lawyers are cross-dressers? i have no idea. I certainly am not.
Anyway… we shall drink of the fruits of the god Bacchus soon, I am sure.
I think it unlikely that I shall retire. I plan to be at my post, scanning the horizon for U-Boats and the menace from within until the going down of the sun…. at which point I shall quietly ferry myself across the Styx and enjoy my long planned afterlife.
‘I’ve always thought it rather odd that to protect middle England from ‘depravity’, newspapers first have to reveal in salacious detail what that depravity is and then rail against it – preferably with a good pic or video or two.’
billy bragg put it as well as ever in ‘it says here’ (a song about the right-wing press – ie most of it):
‘where they offer you a feature on stockings and suspenders
next to a call for stiffer penalties for sex offenders’
(tho it takes an effort to make the second line scan)
and of course:
‘When you wake up to the fact
That you paper is tory
Just remember, there are two sides to every story’
[...] Charon QC: Freedom of the Press [...]
[...] Charon QC: Freedom of the Press [...]
[...] Head of Legal – Privacy: Max Mosley is right Max Mosley appeared before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee yesterday to talk about the exposure of his private life by the News of the World last year, his successful privacy action and the law on privacy generally. More… Charon QC: Freedom of the Press [...]
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