Saturday 29 August 2009

Good for Her!



Do you find the above photograph offensive in any way? If you do perhaps you shouldn't read further.

If you don't then you may be interested to know that the photograph is one of Lynn Barber, a prominent author. She sent it to Richmond Council in Surrey as a promotional photograph for their Book Now festival brochure. Richmond Council says it is committed to 'encouraging good health habits' and including the picture in a promotional brochure would contravene policy.

Ms Barber was asked to supply another photograph but decided to pull out of the festival. In an email to the organisers she wrote: "I have always wanted to be a Smoking Martyr and obviously this is my opportunity. I hereby withdraw from the Festival. Best Wishes, Lynn Barber." She later joked, "If a pic of me smoking is such a threat to the good burghers of Richmond, imagine what my presence would do."

Ms Barber sent a note to the organisers which read:

“I do hope the finished brochure contains no photos of fat people (promoting obesity), or thin people (promoting eating disorders), white people (promoting cultural imperalism), black people (tokenism), women wearing make-up (promoting an unhealthy obsession with idealised female beauty) or children’s authors who do not have the correct CRB clearance.”

Well said Ms Barber! When is this nonsense going to end?

(May I say I do not condone smoking, it's a nasty addiction.)

Source: Telegraph

21 comments:

Dick Puddlecote said...

Good for her, indeed. And when is this nonsense going to end? You've got me there. Perhaps when the DH stops funding health scaremongers, fake charities and NHS offshoot anti-everything quangoes.

In Scotland, health hysteria is almost becoming a national pastime.

Baron's Life said...

Good on her for sure...well said by Miss Barber and superbly executed...!

Witterings from Witney said...

Ta for link SR

"May I say I do not condone smoking, it's a nasty addiction" Bearing in mind your partaking, is that statement an example of a Scottish Smokescreen?

brownlie said...

subrosa,

In older films - before your time obviously - a couple having a cigarette in bed was a sign that they'd been naughty. How many do you smoke a day?

GoodnightVienna said...

Well done to Lynn Barber - news like this gladdens my heart.

Oldrightie said...

Well done Lynn Barber. Now blogging should be banned on account of it's anti-pc and very anti-nannny state. All except the Labour rubbish and hoax smearing lefties.

Administrator said...

If you don't condone smoking, get that coffin nail out of La Dietrich's gub!



wv wheeze

subrosa said...

Yes Dick we seem to be overdoing the health prevention don't we?

Luckily I don't go to bars. ;)

subrosa said...

WfW, I am trying hard to finish the habit. Of course I'll have to ask someone to photoshop the cigarette out of my pic now.

subrosa said...

Now now Brownlie, that's personal. ;)

subrosa said...

It does indeed, a very eloquent way of saying 'get stuffed' GV.

subrosa said...

Auch OR surely they won't ban blogging, I'm sure they'd rather charge us for it. After all they need to raise money somewhere to keep the bankers happy.

subrosa said...

As soon as I can get someone with photoshop I will Monty.

Ted Foan said...

"(May I say I do not condone smoking, it's a nasty addiction.)"

Nasty addiction? I can think of many nastier addictions. Explain.

subrosa said...

I suppose I can too Ted but it is dirty, makes rooms smell, expensive, time consuming and now anti-social.

Did I just write that? lol

Dick Puddlecote said...

I disagree about anti-social. There's nothing social about groups of people being thrown outside when there are better alternatives to appease those vitriolic about it (and they are few).

I'd finger others as being anti-social myself. ;-)

subrosa said...

It's only anti-social if you're in a non-smokers home.

Otherwise it's just a habit, not a good one right enough.

Good post DP!

Unknown said...

How should I live my life under such intollerence when I live my life to please? What can I do, as a mere mortal, to appease the unappeasable?

I hate no living person, never have done, never will, yet my supposed betters try to bend me, but they never can, and never will! Yet my will is under threat.

Not because I impose my will upon others, that I can see so clearly, no, because I have a will, that is used against me, that, I also see with clarity.

Clarity is clouded by judgment.

Here endeth the lesson to the pious; let us sinners get on with life!

Well, it's been a long day, drinking and smoking in a pub that lets me do both with like minded people who are fighting this ban in the North if England, Solidarity-North is here to stay.

subrosa said...

I'm all for choice BigYin. Many places in Europe offer choice, here we have none.

Unknown said...

Ohhhh, my head! What is it about us lads (me, a lad, I should cocoa) that after a tincture or three we think we are worthy of the title poet laureate?

In my defense it was not the booze that done it, it was that dastardly tobacco! Never again says I,(until the next time.)

I smoke therefore I am...oh chit, I'm off again. :¬}

subrosa said...

Anyone under the age of 65 is a lad or lass in my book BY.

I smoke too but I defend the right to choose.

A couple of bananas and a glass of milk might ease the pain. :)

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