Madeleine McCann: Britney Spears, Lolita And Birthday Cards
MADDYWATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann
DAILY MAIL: “Woolworths forced to withdraw LOLITA bedroom furniture range for girls”
The Lolita Midsleeper Combi, a wooden bed with pull-out desk and cupboard designed for girls aged around six, retails on the Woolworths website for £349.99
The name has “sexual connotations”. A “mother” sees it and writes: “Am I being particularly sensitive, or does anyone else out there think it’s bad taste for Woolies to have a kiddy bed range named ‘Lolita’?”
Well, you don’t have to buy it…
A spokesman for the company says: “What seems to have happened is the staff who run the website had never heard of Lolita, and to be honest no one else here had either. We had to look it up on Wikipedia. But we certainly know who she is now”
Trusting Wikipedia for information has its own dangers. (And look out for an article on the state of British education.) But no danger is bigger than a bed named, perhaps, in honour of a charcter in a novel by Vladimir Nabokov
Or Lolita Fatjo, pre-production coordinator for Star Trek
Or many other women called Lolita
“On-line parent power has been growing in recent years. In 2006 Tesco stopped selling a pole-dancing kit on its website over accusations it was destroying children’s innocence. And last summer an on-line campaign by Mumsnet resulted in a cinema advert about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann stopped from being screened before the children’s film Shrek the Third”
THE TIMES: “Staff at Woolworths baffled by fuss over the little girl’s bed called Lolita”
“Woolworths has withdrawn bedroom furniture for young girls bearing the sexually charged name Lolita after a campaign waged by a mothers’ online chat room”
An internal company e-mail seen by The Times goes: “As discussed, we’ve got the product below on our website. Can it be hidden as soon as is possible? Then I really need to find out how it came about being on our site and who bought it. Lolita is a word that means sexually active young teenagers, so a young girls’ range of bedroom products is in very poor taste. We’ve had an approach from a website who are clearly a little disturbed by this”
THE SUN: “Gift from Maddie for twins”
No, not furniture
“Twins Sean and Amelie McCann will get a special present from their missing sister Maddie today on their third birthday. Parents Kate and Gerry got the gift for the pair who, at three, are the same age as Maddie when she vanished last May”
Sad. But is it relevant to the case? Is it news?
Grandmother Eileen McCann tells us: “Of course Madeleine being there would be our dream but we’ll do our best to make sure the twins have a lovely day”
DAILY TELEGRAPH: “Card from Madeleine at McCann twins party”
The twins are getting a gift in the Sun…
“Gerry and Kate McCann will throw a birthday party for their twins tomorrow - complete with a card from their missing four-year-old daughter, Madeleine”
DAILY STAR: “MISSING MADDIE’S SPECIAL PREZZIE”
“Little Sean and Amelie McCann will open a special present from their big sister as they celebrate their third birthday today”
With a card?
Says Eileen McCann: “There will be presents galore, lots of fun and games, lots of food and a big cake. Of course, Madeleine being home would make it complete and we continue to pray for that blessing”
SUR (Spain): “Marbella suffer their first loss of the year against Linares”
A football match: “Wearing T-shirts to raise awareness of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann and Mari Luz Cortés, the children playing in the tournament accompanied the players onto the pitch as mascots at the beginning of the game”
RADAR: “Theater of Cruelty, Carnival of Souls”
“British rags hardly pretend to be providing straightforward news. What they are doing is what used to be the job of popular fiction; namely, processing myth out of characters sucked in from real life. Right now the cast list includes such durable regulars as Kate Moss—with or without Pete Doherty—Princes Harry and Wills, Posh and Becks, and Kate and Gerry McCann, whose daughter Madeleine’s kidnapping/disappearance in Portugal made them last year’s headliners”
ALISTAIR CAMPBELL (TIMES): Britney Spears: person or news commodity? She’s a great singer but obviously ill: we in the media have to decide to leave her alone”
Britney Spears and Madeleine McCann..?
“In some sections of the media, Madeleine McCann and her family are there. As I said in the Cudlipp Lecture on Tuesday, her disappearance was an interesting and important story, the stuff of every parent’s nightmare. But it quickly became a commodity in which most of the media got close to hysteria, and some have remained there. Let us not pretend the coverage was driven by concern for the child - there are many missing children - or compassion for the parents - certainly not once the mood shifted - or regard for the truth. It has been the worst example of recent times, on a par with Diana, of some newspapers thinking that the word “Madeleine” sells, and finding literally any old nonsense to keep her name in that selling position on the front”
THE GUARDIAN: “Mechanics of the McCann campaign - Professional media management may have generated coverage of Maddy’s disappearance, but it hasn’t helped with public sympathy for the family”
“Try as they might neither Clarence Mitchell nor Justine McGuinness could quite shake off the sense that the way they’ve managed this case might have contributed to some negative public sentiment towards the family. In place initially as what Mitchell described as “a buffer” between the shocked and distraught parents and the world’s media, hungry for news about Madeleine, it’s clear that what developed was a professional media management operation. With city PR firm Bell Pottinger on hand - primarily, we can assume, to defend the interests of their clients Mark Warner Holidays - as well as Justine and, latterly, Clarence with all their experience of Westminster spin, the McCanns could not have wanted for more professional advice. But as time went on media management itself - and once you’ve started feeding stories to the press to get control of the agenda, you really can’t stop - began generating negative reaction from other parties”
Madeleine McCann: Making news and sensation from grief
Posted: 1st, February 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (1,022) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
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February 1st, 2008 at 7:19 pm
My questions to the lawyers seem to have filtered through to the FindMadeleine website. Now they have a phone number for the PJ. It was there - removed - and is now back.
They previously had 7 words describing Madeleine. Now there’s a decent sized piece. It’s only taken them almost 9 months to update it.
February 1st, 2008 at 7:19 pm
757 Stevo
This is interesting…
‘….didn’t seem to need much rest’
February 1st, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Still after money!
The full objects of the Fund are:
To secure the safe return to her family of Madeleine McCann who was abducted in Praia da Luz, Portugal on Thursday 3rd May 2007;
To procure that Madeleine’s abduction is thoroughly investigated and that her abductors, as well as those who played or play any part in assisting them, are identified and brought to justice; and
To provide support, including financial assistance, to Madeleine’s family.
If the above objects are fulfilled then the objects of the Foundation shall be to pursue such purposes in similar cases arising in the United Kingdom, Portugal or elsewhere.
No mention of preventing children from being snatched by STAYING WITH THEM!
February 1st, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Brandonflour
Hi, Just dropped in to say
HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
February 1st, 2008 at 7:16 pm
At LAST!!!
They put more info about Madeleine on the official site:
“Madeleine was born in May 2003 – a long-awaited and very much longed for little girl. She lives in the village of Rothley in Leicester, with her mummy and daddy and little brother and sister, Sean and Amelie.
Madeleine is a very happy little girl with an outgoing personality. She has always been a very popular little person, appealing to both children and adults alike with her funny and engaging chatter. She has many friends who obviously miss her dearly. Despite her young age, it often felt like Madeleine had been on this earth before!
Like most girls her age, she likes dolls and dresses (and anything pink and sparkly) but with a definite taste for action-adventure too! She has an incredible amount of energy and even as a little baby, didn’t seem to need much rest. She enjoys running and swimming and is an Everton fan like her mum and granddad.
Madeleine has always been a wonderfully loving and caring big sister to Sean and Amelie. It was certainly not the quietest house on the planet with lots of giggling, singing and the inevitable odd bit of mischief! For Sean and Amelie, there is without doubt, a very important person missing in their life.
Madeleine is a warm, life-enriching little person and will never fail we’re sure, to bring joy into the life of anyone she may encounter.”
February 1st, 2008 at 7:13 pm
746 Cheryl
You like his stand? What stand might that be? To place false reports here in an effort to … well, not sure, presume to prevent justice being sought?
You seriously think the McCanns could sue anyone on here for anything when they will be open to counter charges of negligence - which would blow apart any attempt they made at proving defamation.
They have admitted neglect, they can hardly deny it.
February 1st, 2008 at 7:11 pm
752
Ian
Look at the slope of the wall between Madeleine’s hat and Gerry’s arm.
It clearly slopes downwards from the right to left.
The actual wall slopes the other way!
February 1st, 2008 at 7:10 pm
I know what announcement/news was made at 11:30am
The new FindMadeleine website: http://findmadeleine.com/
February 1st, 2008 at 7:09 pm
12.01 is in the morning if it was midnight it would have said 00.01
February 1st, 2008 at 7:07 pm
748
Stevo
Not quite sure I am seeing what you mean?
February 1st, 2008 at 7:07 pm
What is wrong with Amelie’s lip?
http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/04_03/2mccannMCY_468×553.jpg
I know the twins look alike today but as babies they looked very different.
February 1st, 2008 at 7:00 pm
747
SteveT
Cheers Steve.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:59 pm
745 coolandcalm
I’m no more or less silly than you. You made a claim that the Telegraph articles are all timed at 12:01am. I showed you dozens of articles with varying times but you choose to say you can’t be bothered arguing with me about it instead of acknowledging your mistake. That’s ok though…
That kind of response is an indication all by itself.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Ian
Take a look at this pic: http://tinyurl.com/322srd
Look at the wall slope between Madeleine and Gerry. Then look at the wall as it was on September 26, 2007 in the inset version of it to the left.
The wall slopes up on September 26 but slopes down on the “last photo”.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Goodnight all.
Stevo - Thanks for the interesting posts. Definately something there but not sure about a drugs trial.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:52 pm
611
Ian Says:
February 1st, 2008 at 4:17 pm
608 Denzylle
The self publicist and pompous and pretentious pratt Sledgehammer likes to pretend that he is a part of the McCanns legal team.
His disruption of the site is a dissapointing reflection on the usually excellent offices of Anorak.
_______________
REPLY: It is interesting to read how some people perceive other people, Ian, especially when the perceiver has grandiose views of his own self-importance of being the font of all knowledge.
There are two sides to every story and I personally like the stand that Sledgehammer is taking. I doubt very seriously when this tragedy is solved one way or the other that Sledgehammer will have a worry in the world of any white papers appearing in his mail.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Stevo 743. Don’t be silly!
February 1st, 2008 at 6:50 pm
734
Chloe Spain Says:
But we don’t know whether the twins had needle puncture marks or not. The McCanns reportedly did not allow urine samples to be taken from them, so I doubt they were examined in any other way. And this could be one of the reasons for the need to make Madeleine’s body disappear.
———————————————————————————————————————————-
My reply was to Ferdinand. In 677 and 683, he suggested that, if the child had died as the direct result of a drug trial, an ‘unsuspicious death certificate’ could be issued to protect those involed and, if needle puncture marks were noticed, they could be explained away by ‘diabetes’.
All rubbish, as my post 734 says.
In this instance, I made no ref. to the siblings and neither did Ferdinand.
And, as for reasons for the body to disappear, there are many, many possibilities.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:47 pm
740 Ian
I know!
738 coolandcalm
For a so-called journalist you offer little in here. Maybe your eyes are boggled looking at those different times on Telegraph articles. No wonder you have to rewrite 30,000 words at a time.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:45 pm
The old articles are the best - set in stone and contemporary. Isn’t the Internet amazing?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2073027,00.html
Paul Moyes, 47, from Cheshire and his wife Susan, who own a holiday apartment in the same block as the McCanns, said they were woken at 11.30pm by a knock on the door and asked to join in a search for a missing girl.
“We went down to the beach with scores of other people to look for her,” said Mr Moyes. “The police arrived at around midnight and by that stage we were already out looking. There were uniformed police, plain clothes and even off duty local officers who joined in.
“The search went on all night, people were using torches, and in the morning police sniffer dogs arrived.”
By 4.30am exhausted holidaymakers began drifting away, having found no sign of Madeleine. Back home in Dumbarton, Mrs Cameron spoke to her brother again at 10am yesterday.
_____________________________________________________
So…the PJ weren’t bungling at all. And how did that article get published at 12:01am when the police got there about that time?
February 1st, 2008 at 6:43 pm
738 coolandcalm
What a good post that was.
No answer is there, you are supporting negligents - its crystal clear.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:42 pm
733
Stevo
Doors lying open and windows jemmied!
How do they explain the changes later?
February 1st, 2008 at 6:40 pm
735 Stevo
What it doesn’t explain is why the McCanns were talking about an abduction and Woolfall wasn’t.
Must go. Dogs to feed.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Ian 736… blah blah blah!! OCD.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Good evening super sleuths!
February 1st, 2008 at 6:36 pm
718 coolandcalm
You dont like it when its stated so clearly that you are suppporting child neglect…
Consider this….
Was there a duty of care due to Madeleine from her parents? Answer - Yes
Did they fail in that duty of care? Answer, based on her no longer being in their care and their assertion that she was abducted whilst they were not delivering to her that duty of care, Yes.
Did she suffer consequences as a result of that failure? Answer - not yet known.
So only one more item to add and their negligence may become very apparent and legally attributable.
Does the user ‘coolandcalm’ support the McCanns? Answer, yes.
Moral fibre crumbling? Answer, yes.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:35 pm
731 Chloe Spain
Yes…sort of like Men In Black coming to “mop up”.
It explains the hurried nature of the story in the hours and days after May 3. It probably also means the McCanns were told what to say and other powerful people were behind them pulling the strings.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:34 pm
731 Denzylle
But we don’t know whether the twins had needle puncture marks or not. The McCanns reportedly did not allow urine samples to be taken from them, so I doubt they were examined in any other way. And this could be one of the reasons for the need to make Madeleine’s body disappear.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Ian
Here’s an awesome site: News Sniffer. It spots differences between articles to see if they’ve been edited:
http://www.newssniffer.co.uk/articles/40847/diff/0/1
Amazing stuff. 7 versions of the same McCann story.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Ferdinand
677 and 683
There is no such thing as ‘an unsuspicious death certificate’. Any unexplained death in an otherwise healthy person, even an adult, is autopsied.
And you cannot explain away needle puncture marks by citing ‘diabetes’. A simple blood test, let alone an examination of the pancreas, would immediately expose that lie.