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“Woolworths has withdrawn bedroom furniture for young girls bearing the sexually charged name Lolita after a campaign waged by a mothers’ online chat room”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
- eggman on Daily Mail Scuppers BBC’s Wrong Shipping Forecast
- agw on Daily Mail Scuppers BBC’s Wrong Shipping Forecast
- Bat E Bird on I’m A Celebrity: Samantha Fox Is Shrinking As ‘Lesbian’ Lover Katie Price Quits
- Bat E Bird on In Photos: Susan Boyle Sings Rockefeller Center Plaza In New York City
- yampster on Daily Mail And Tax Payers’ Alliance Attacks BBC Over Its Free Trees For A Better Planet
February 1st, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Cheryl
You said “Whatever, there are two sides to every story”
_______________________________________
Meaning what?
If you’re on about Ian Huntley do you mean he lied in his side of the story? If you’re on about Shipman do you mean he killed 250 women and didn’t tell anyone for his side of the story? If you’re on about Jeffery Dahmer do you mean his side of the story was to describe eating dead bodies? Or…do you mean like Denis Neilson who used to kill people and have the dead bodies sat in his living room watching TV with him?
Is this the “other” side of the story you keep telling us there are two sides to?
February 1st, 2008 at 8:55 pm
815 Sledgehammer
A squaddie like you wouldnt get pissed on were you on fire by their lordships, so why the heck you continue to defend them I do not know.
Xenophobia? Yes, thats it isnt it sledgie - squaddies brainwahsed to kill foreigners.
Wheres the 11:30 announcement [0bscenity removed. dr:01/02] ?
February 1st, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Catching up with posts after a long day is always difficult. But today …! With all kinds of numbers mixed-up and posters replying to posts with HIGHER numbers and then these posts cannot be found… Pfew… Wazza happening?
BTW Karen: Happy Birthday 2u2.
Re: a dress party [I know you're all of the subject already]:
as for Plan A: would suggest to be one of the middle-aged sisters; am sure I still have a gypsy skirt from the 70′2 somewhere
as for Plan B: I’d be a châtelaine. Have a dress which I use for our annual Bal Masqué
February 1st, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Could be that the McCanns were disappointed with the children they got, that they hatched a Plan! Will this pay off? Too many bright people out there and on this forum.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:53 pm
813 Cheryl
Sorry but you are wrong about ‘everyone’. Not everyone admits the McCanns were negligent - especially not the McCanns!
They are trying to make the focus cross border communications etc, but the fact is the root cause is much closer to home.
They are NOT the same as the cases you refer to - if they were locked away for the rest of their lives (which wouldnt happen anyway) they’d still not suffer enough compared with the failure and its result, An innocent and trusting child has been sacrificed on the alter of hedonism and they will not accept responsibility, instead they accuse us all,
There is no way I or any of my family and friends would have abandoned Madeleine in the way they did. They are professional medics - they have absolutely no excuse and they should stop pretending levels of love and adoration which were clearly not backed up with action and admit, they did not love enough to care.
Instead they seek careers in - incredibly - child protection.
And you and others like you are defending it.
You should hang your head in shame.
Child protection begins at home and with the first level carers - not in cross border security.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Interesting these medical connections:
Nik Powell - He is a childhood friend of Richard Branson and the co-founder of Virgin. He is widely reported to have helped build Branson’s empire in the vital early days.
“On another occasion, at the Virgin offices, I fell through a plate glass window. Richard (Branson) thought I was a goner because I was cut all over. There was blood everywhere. I don’t remember any of this but apparently Richard had everything cleared up in seconds. He just springs into action.”
______________________
Nik Powell is on the board of directors at the National Society for Epilepsy….and so is….wait for it…Piers Pottinger (the other half of Bell Pottinger). He is currently deputy chairman of Chime Communications plc and chairman of Newmarket Investments plc. He has a family member with epilepsy, and became a vice president in 2004.
________________________________
So, is this a strong reason for Mr Branson to be involved along with Bell Pottinger in helping the McCanns?
February 1st, 2008 at 8:46 pm
can’t say no, Rene Hasee 1996 German child walking on the beach with parents….never found a trace of again . Can you tell us the outcome of this case, also in Portugal. Seems the Portuguese never covered themselves with glory, in this case either.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:45 pm
804
Sledgehammer
There you are! Well, looks like you arent as in with the McCanns as you claimed! Suprised you dared post again.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:43 pm
765
Ian Says:
February 1st, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Stevo…threats from a pro-McCanner!
Cheryl 746
‘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.’
________________
REPLY: Ian, I’m not a pro-McCanner I’ve made that quite plain on here. I’m just not a prejudger. I’ve seen too many cases over the years that people thought were a ’slam-dunk’ and the outcomes left many with their mouths hanging open. People who sit on death row waiting for their time to come and there are lawyers and groups who believe in their innocence and what they say and spend years doing pro bono, researching, checking for evidence, finding evidence that would have cast down on their guilt deliberately hidden by the police and prosecution in their rush to judgement to please the public’s cry for blood, and literally at the last minute, in some cases, the truth comes out beyond a doubt - they were innocent. As I’ve stated on here before, what we ’see’ is not necessarily what we really saw but we see what our minds what us to see. Example, a man walked out of prison 3 weeks ago having spent 27 years locked up from a life sentence on a rape charge. Once again those ‘do gooders’ as some call those groups who truly believe in one’s innocence, investigated pro bono for years, looking at evidence or lack of evidence, what did they find? Evidence never produced by the police or prosecution to the Defense with another’s DNA on it which totally exonerated the man in prison. The woman raped had told the police that was the man who raped her. She picked him out by his picture not a line up (he was Black). She saw what her mind told her to see - a Black man who must have been the rapist. As a black man had raped her.
People have talked on here about the OJ Simpson case. He was acquitted because he had the ‘dream’ team - the cream of the crop! But he was guilty as hell, majority of people today still say. Was he really guilty? There was one other not named potential suspect who could have committed those murders. Frankly, I felt OJ most likely did but not because of the evidence found - as I also know how police can plant evidence or hide evidence when they focus on one and want a conviction - but the dog - an Akita will attack anyone hurting their owner, very one person/family dog - didn’t attack to protect its owner from whoever attacked and killed those two people. But then it most likely would not have attacked that then unnamed potential suspect either.
Whatever, there are two sides to every story and sometimes there are three sides!
They are guilty of neglect in everyone’s eyes no excusing leaving those three children alone in our eyes.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:42 pm
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2789070.ece
Noseycow. Here’s an article discussing the research grant.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:39 pm
809 - your welcome
I didnt see the documentary, but I saw the you tube vidoe months ago. Maybe all prisons should take a leaf from their book eh!
February 1st, 2008 at 8:37 pm
ALEX WOOLFALL HEADS ISSUES & CRISIS PRACTICE AT BELL POTTINGER GROUP
The Bell Pottinger Group has recruited Alex Woolfall as its new Head of Issues & Crisis Management.
With 20 years experience of in-house and consultancy roles, Alex brings a wealth of issues and crisis expertise to Bell Pottinger, where he will report to David Wilson, Chairman of Bell Pottinger Public Relations and Kevin Murray, Chairman of the Bell Pottinger Group.
Says David Wilson: “We already have a compelling offer for companies in crisis and for those individuals or organisations with the foresight to plan for challenges they will undoubtedly face. In Alex we have an expert in issues planning and crisis response who will draw upon the strengths and talent from across the Bell Pottinger Group.”
Alex Woolfall adds: “Bell Pottinger is serious about the business of issues planning and crisis response. It is second to none in helping clients to plan for, defend against and then recover and revive their brands from damaging situations. I look forward to playing my part in the development of our proposition and our client base.”
Alex was previously Managing Director of Issues and Crisis Management at Hill & Knowlton, heading a team of seven, and oversaw its media training business. Alex provided issues and crisis counsel, as well as training and preparedness programmes for a wide range of clients across multiple industry sectors.
His experience covers product contamination and sabotage; death and serious injury in the workplace; redundancy, administration and Chapter 11 announcements; regulatory breaches and fines; sex discrimination and whistle-blowing cases; fraud and theft; pension fund deficits; use of child labour; medical negligence and a wide range of other controversial issues.
Alex joins Bell Pottinger from Weber Shandwick where he was Head of Issues and Crisis Management, as well client lead on Coca-Cola.
He began his career as a graduate trainee at National Grid before moving to ABTA (the Association of British Travel Agents) to become Deputy Head of Public Relations and then moved into consultancy at Bell Pottinger Good Relations, where he notably lead on Monsanto during the controversial introduction of genetically modified food.
For more information call:
David Wilson +44 (0) 207 861 2445
Alex Woolfall +44 (0) 207 861 2513
February 1st, 2008 at 8:37 pm
800 Just_Me
Many thanks, just finished watching and sending myself an E-mail. Have you seen the
Documentary ? the Governor of the prison had the idea, there is complete harmony in the
prison as a result. , and they had lots more dance routines.
785 Cooland calm You can download it again, thenks to Just_me and my thanks to you
for trying.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:35 pm
802 Ian
I use Firefox. I right clicked the page on their site and did “view source” to see where they got the controls from. It’s a $29 photo gallery.
Give them their due - it looks better than before if nothing else. Why didn’t Calum use a proper blog or forum engine though? Beats me…
February 1st, 2008 at 8:34 pm
just-me… 783. I hadn’t realised there was a documentary on this evening about it. Must check it out and watch on PC. Channel 4?
Can’t quite see it catching on in the exercise yard at Belmarsh!
February 1st, 2008 at 8:34 pm
798 val - thanks for that - i don’t know whether it had come up or not and with the ‘drug company’ angle being discussed thought it might be interesting
February 1st, 2008 at 8:32 pm
2006 - A YEAR OF CORPORATE CRISIS
Alex WOOLFALL, MD, Issues & Crisis Management, Weber Shandwick ‘It’s hard to know where to start. Sony, Dell and Apple all had to contend with fears over the safety of lithium batteries, leading to product recalls. Cadbury faced a nightmare summer after a salmonella scare cost it £20m and led to headlines such as “I’ll Sue Cadbury Over my Bug Hell”. BP had its share of woes, too, shutting down the largest oil field in North America after a serious spill. This was blamed for sending oil prices surging. Then came allegations that the shutdown was really a strategy to manipulate the market - fiercely refuted.
‘But the crisis that sticks in my mind is the botched TeGenero drugs trial. The side effects suffered by six young people at Northwick Park Hospital in Middlesex made global headlines. And it drew a huge question mark over the safety and ethics of testing drugs on humans. We read with horror stories such as “My Boyfriend Looks Like the Elephant Man” (Daily Express).
Overnight, drugs firms, regulators and would-be human guinea-pigs began to think again about the risks involved in this type of trial.
‘Of course, a crisis can come in all shapes and sizes. For the BBC, picking up the wrong person from reception left a lot of people with eggs on their faces, and got acres of press coverage. Who will forget the live interview with a bewildered Guy Goma, who came for a job vacancy in IT, but was bundled into the studio after being mistaken for an expert on the music download industry?
‘Will it all be the same next year? Well, there’s never a dull moment in this game, that’s for sure.’
____________________________________
Why is Mr Woolfall interested in drug testing?
February 1st, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Stevo, out of your box you most certainly are, and your tree, what utter crap right up there with the Baby Grace wild goose chase.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:31 pm
795 Denzylle
Not sure which is Amelie. I thought it was the other. Anyway, if you scroll down this Wilkepedia link you can see photos of a child before being operated, shortly after being operated and several months after being operated. Don’t know if it throws any light.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleft_lip_and_palate
February 1st, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Stevo, the findmadeleine web site photo gallery is shit, Gerrys blog is accessed via a tab - Gerry Blog’ and thats where you end up when you go on the Tab news and support…
In short, they need some help!
February 1st, 2008 at 8:26 pm
792
noseycow
It rings a few bells…see what you can find.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Val - did you see post 783?
February 1st, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Stevo
791
That is very interesting.
Certainly, Madeleine in some pictures looks not much bigger than the twins.
And sometimes she doesn’t look awfully well - a bit pale and puffy-eyed - certainly not as robust as her siblings.
I’m also surprised by how few photographs of her have been released, relatively speaking. Certainly we haven’t seen any of her with her “many friends”.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:21 pm
792 Noseycow
Hi there,
Yes GM was awarded a 6 figure sum Grant and received the good news either just before, or
while they were on holiday in PDL. Apparently he studied in his own time, evenings and weekends, so no wonder Kate felt he wasn”t helping her enough!!!! Can”t remember where I
read it but I”m sure some Lesley Welch will.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Re the hypothesis in the link I just posted -
I know there has been discussion about the colombona, but is it a fact that it’s a genetic defect? And has this been discussed in the context of the child’s parentage?
February 1st, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Article on Human Growth Hormone: http://www.somatropin.net/hgh-history.htm
Researchers first attempt at treating growth hormone deficiency was to purify bovine growth hormone (rBGH) for use in GH-deficient humans. Interestingly this is the product that Monsanto are controversially linked to and so is Alex Woolfall:
(I got this from a site called markthomasinfo.com /info/ series2.asp)
* Wouldn’t talk to us
wedge Statement for broadcast from them
* “While the subject of genetic modification may be a matter of public concern, we do not feel that addressing the issue through comedy is hte best way to ensure that the public is fully and properly informed. Regrettably, we must therefore decline the offer to participate on your programme.”
wedge We paid them a visit anyway in High Wycombe.
* Reports from three US states say that Monsanto’s Bovine Growth Hormone when given to cows has caused serious bladder infections and even death.
* Monsanto produced Agent Orange, the defoliant used in Vietnam that caused mass starvation
* They also produce dioxins and PCBs
* They are now the biggest GM researchers in the food industry
* Mark takes along a cow and a Vietnam veteran
* Spoke to Alex Woolfall of Lowe Bell Good Relations
* Was their non-involvement due to Burston Marsteller’s advice so “stay off hte killing fields”
* They were giving PR advice to GM manufacturers
* Your best way of avoiding problems is to use “Symbols not logic”.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Stevo
790
I’m really no’ sure. It could just be the way she has her fingers in her mouth. If she had an untreated hairlip, there would be a complete split between nose and mouth and, from that photograph and all others I’ve seen, there isn’t.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:13 pm
val - ester mcvey was also quoted as saying the fund was not paying for met3 - days before she resigned (was pushed??? letting the cat out of the bag??)
February 1st, 2008 at 8:11 pm
762 Jass
I think the McCanns had their living and travel expenses incurred while “searching ” for
Madeleine, but were not allowed to pay their Mortgage from the furnd and had to return the
two monthe Mortgage payments when it was made public.
I wouldn”t be surprised if one of the reasons Esther McVey left the Company is because it is
being run improperly IMO of course.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:11 pm
evening all -
stevo - have just been scrolling through todays posts - so sorry if this has been mentioned, but wasn’t there a report around christmas about g’s return to full time work? If i remember correctly, it also mentioned that he had gained financial backing for a drug trial, that he had worked on in his own time.
I remember discussing this at the time on anorak, as potentially the reason why the UHL trust had let him return to work and not suspended him on full pay which many of us would have expected.
I can’t seem to find the story??? I’ll try and find a link somehow