Ah, Guardian, I love you, but...

[f4f3]

Was mopping up my Red Fort Delicacy (pretty damn good, actually) with some red wine and this article from last weekend's Guardian when I almost choked. It's a pretty good piece, all in all, on a subject which interests me on more than the abstract level, growing up with an alcoholic parent by someone called Isabel Ashdown.
I was more or less nodding myself through the piece when I came to this:
"It's estimated that today in the UK, nearly a million children are growing up with one or more alcoholic parent. *f4f3 nods* Most of them will rise up quietly, fudging attempts at being ordinary, avoiding situations that might expose the thing no one ever talks about. *more of the nodding thing* It's convenient to think of these families as hailing from the "Asbo classes", but that's just a convenient myth. So often, these families look just like us. *WTF??? Red Fort Delicacy ALL OVER the Moroccan table runner*"

Well fuck off, Ms Ashdown. Fuck off, firstly, for saying so plainly that Guardian readers break down neatly into "Us", the nice people, and "Them", the Asbo classes". And fuck off, principally, for putting me in the category of "Us". Your club, lady, I'd never want to join.

It reminds me of the time a friend, well intentioned and reasonably aware, railled against her privileged fellows and spat out that "they should all be made to work in call centres for six months."
I can't remember if I took the time to explain how many of the kids from my school would have KILLED for a job in a call centre, or if I just moved on, reminded that there was an Us and there was a Them...

Comments

[psychochicken.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to slap her looking at the photo. The first paragraph of the article did nothing to restrain the urge.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

It does sort of scream "SMUG!" doesn't it?

[unblinkered.livejournal.com]

*WTF??? Red Fort Delicacy ALL OVER the Moroccan table runner*

I certainly hope it washed out!!!! :P

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

Artistic licence, m'dear.

[parthenia14.livejournal.com]

Asbo classes. Well, that's me told.

*headbutts*

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

I'd never want to belong to a club that wouldn't have me...

[anthrokeight.livejournal.com]

That's worth a letter to the editor, truly.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

I don't think I'll bother. I mean, I live the Guardian, but we've been drifting apart...

[anthrokeight.livejournal.com]

Understandable...

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

Their attempt to bring Gordon Brown down, followed by months of sniping have just about made me flee to The Indy. But not on Saturdays.

[anthrokeight.livejournal.com]

I quit reading regularly when I couldn't tell much difference between it at the New York Times. I only have so much time in a day to read fauxgressive news, alas, alas.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

I usually check the web site every day, and still buy the print edition at the weekend, but it's becoming harder. OTOH, there is no left wing alternative here.

[anthrokeight.livejournal.com]

Yep, same here. Well, except I can't get a paper copy...

[coughingbear]

I'm always fascinated by 'us' assumptions - I often notice it in politician's speeches, they'll be saying something about, oh, Islam, say, and suddenly a little 'us' or 'British' will slip in that reveals they still think of that as meaning white middle class culturally Christian.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

Clergy are very good at that - no matter the denomination. I suppose it's just another manifestation of "U" and "non-U".

[rparvaaz.livejournal.com]

I have had a job in a call centre for 4 months, as i am sure you remember, so does that make me us or them?

[anthrokeight.livejournal.com]

From the POV of a xenophobic American, you're a Them. Because They have moved all the tech jobs Away Over There and the jobs are now being done by Them in Other Countries. Who, because Americans can be like that, have accents We can't understand.

Unless you had a call center job in Iowa, in which case you're an Us.

The last time an American person was whining to me about how they called Customer Support and got some person in Away Over There and They had "non-standard" English and was thus was hard to understand I finally snapped.

Well, I snapped "y'know Away Over There has one of the fastest growing middle classes in the world. And They have companies looking to establish manufacturing work in America because it's cheaper. And it is, in fact, not unlikely that someday *your* grandchildren will be working in Customer Support in a call center (and be happy for the job, too, cuz they didn't learn another language so English language supoprt jobs are all they can do). And they'll be ticking off some regular, everyday person in Gujarat/ Malaysia/ etc. who won't be able to understand YOUR "non-standard" English accent. And when that happens call me up and tell me all about it."

Because intersectionality of Us and Them is just how we roll here in Middle America.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

I love having chats with Bangalore or Delhi for the price of a freephone...

And Glasgow beat the rush in call centre business, back in the day when a Scot's accent was a sign of probity...

[anthrokeight.livejournal.com]

I know, right? If you get a little sidetracked, the chit chat can be lots of fun. Which is more than I can say for any run-of-the-mill call I have ever made for MS (or whatever) support.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

I refuse to recognise a Them.