Katie Hopkins- the new Marmite.
What seems like a life time ago, our lives were changed with the unavoidable presence of former Apprentice participant, Katie Hopkins. Without realising what was happening, Katie was suddenly everywhere we looked- in the paper, on the TV and, of course, all over Twitter, with an account that has caused more controversy than any other. Outspoken, unafraid and highly opinionated, Katie Hopkins is the human equivalent of Marmite. But why do so many of us choose to hate her?
Katie Hopkins is most famously known for having an opinion and airing it for anyone to hear, with no care for how it affects other people. This can be good and bad. It's always a positive thing to be able to have an opinion and to express it regardless of how others may feel. To be that confident is a great thing, and to have your own opinions rather than being a sheep and copying others, as many people tend to do nowadays, is also a great thing. However, expressing an opinion that will intentionally upset someone is not okay. Whilst I do admire Katie and her ability to stand up firmly for what she believes in without being swayed, sometimes even I can see it can go a little far.
Does this make her deserving of abuse though? Rather than disagree with her opinion, or express an opposing opinion of their own, many people decide to hurl abusive tweets her way, often full of expletives and criticisms regarding the way she looks. How on earth is the way somebody looks relevant to someone's opinion? The reactions Katie gets to her tweets not only show the narrow-mindedness of some people, but also the lack of respect people have for other people. Our brains have been so numbed by many sources of media that we expect everybody to have the 'perfect' Westernized look. If they don't, we feel that we have to criticise people for it. Furthermore, the lack of opposing opinions to engage in a healthy debate with Katie and the amount of abusive comments trying to destroy Katie's looks and personality show that actually, people don't really care about what she's writing. People are just afraid to be different and afraid of the controversy Katie raises. The only way they can get over this fear is by trying to break down someone who is brave enough to go against the norms and speak out in a society that is so often forced to remain silent- how very Stone Age of them. In actual fact, people more often than not silently agree with what she is saying. It is true that Katie is one of the only one's who is brave enough to say what the rest of us are thinking, often tackling every day problems that many of us complain about including racial issues, benefit issues and government issues.
So if so many of us have the same opinions as Katie, why do so many of us criticise her for airing them? If nobody says anything about the issues Britain has, there is a far lesser chance of them being solved than if one person is saying something. And imagine if the people who agreed with Katie but chose not to express the fact that they agreed all stood together and spoke out together. Society would be able to unite and become more powerful than ever before.
But no.
Too many look at what Katie is doing as 'wrong'. Even if they have the same opinions, they feel that expressing them is wrong. Why? Because they think it's rude or out of line to say what they are thinking and are fearful of what consequences can arise from it. As mentioned previously, it is of course wrong to say something that will intentionally upset someone or hurt them, it is wrong to be intentionally racist or abusive or any culture, country, gender etc. etc. But if you can use your words well enough to express a valid opinion, there is nothing wrong with that.
Personally, I think Katie is great, and exactly what Britain needs- someone who is unafraid of people who are seen as 'scary' and able to express her opinion on very current issues regardless. Not only does she manage this, but she does so intellectually with good points to back up her opinion for anyone who disagrees with her.
Maybe it isn't just fear that the people of Britain suffer from. Maybe they need a good English lesson so they can form their opinions properly too. But what do you think?
Love from,
Florence Grace
Love her or hate her? Let me know which, and why, in the comments below, or get in touch using the links in the sidebar!
Katie Hopkins is most famously known for having an opinion and airing it for anyone to hear, with no care for how it affects other people. This can be good and bad. It's always a positive thing to be able to have an opinion and to express it regardless of how others may feel. To be that confident is a great thing, and to have your own opinions rather than being a sheep and copying others, as many people tend to do nowadays, is also a great thing. However, expressing an opinion that will intentionally upset someone is not okay. Whilst I do admire Katie and her ability to stand up firmly for what she believes in without being swayed, sometimes even I can see it can go a little far.
Does this make her deserving of abuse though? Rather than disagree with her opinion, or express an opposing opinion of their own, many people decide to hurl abusive tweets her way, often full of expletives and criticisms regarding the way she looks. How on earth is the way somebody looks relevant to someone's opinion? The reactions Katie gets to her tweets not only show the narrow-mindedness of some people, but also the lack of respect people have for other people. Our brains have been so numbed by many sources of media that we expect everybody to have the 'perfect' Westernized look. If they don't, we feel that we have to criticise people for it. Furthermore, the lack of opposing opinions to engage in a healthy debate with Katie and the amount of abusive comments trying to destroy Katie's looks and personality show that actually, people don't really care about what she's writing. People are just afraid to be different and afraid of the controversy Katie raises. The only way they can get over this fear is by trying to break down someone who is brave enough to go against the norms and speak out in a society that is so often forced to remain silent- how very Stone Age of them. In actual fact, people more often than not silently agree with what she is saying. It is true that Katie is one of the only one's who is brave enough to say what the rest of us are thinking, often tackling every day problems that many of us complain about including racial issues, benefit issues and government issues.
So if so many of us have the same opinions as Katie, why do so many of us criticise her for airing them? If nobody says anything about the issues Britain has, there is a far lesser chance of them being solved than if one person is saying something. And imagine if the people who agreed with Katie but chose not to express the fact that they agreed all stood together and spoke out together. Society would be able to unite and become more powerful than ever before.
But no.
Too many look at what Katie is doing as 'wrong'. Even if they have the same opinions, they feel that expressing them is wrong. Why? Because they think it's rude or out of line to say what they are thinking and are fearful of what consequences can arise from it. As mentioned previously, it is of course wrong to say something that will intentionally upset someone or hurt them, it is wrong to be intentionally racist or abusive or any culture, country, gender etc. etc. But if you can use your words well enough to express a valid opinion, there is nothing wrong with that.
Personally, I think Katie is great, and exactly what Britain needs- someone who is unafraid of people who are seen as 'scary' and able to express her opinion on very current issues regardless. Not only does she manage this, but she does so intellectually with good points to back up her opinion for anyone who disagrees with her.
Maybe it isn't just fear that the people of Britain suffer from. Maybe they need a good English lesson so they can form their opinions properly too. But what do you think?
Love from,
Florence Grace
Love her or hate her? Let me know which, and why, in the comments below, or get in touch using the links in the sidebar!
Really well written post as always Flo,(you really are very talented)! I watched her on a chat show on Irish TV last week and OMG she was so horrible to some people in the audience calling them fat and disgusting individuals and that they should be ashamed of themselves etc! Sometimes she really should just say nothing but this is not going to happen! Marmite is right! xx
ReplyDeleteHollie! Thank you AGAIN, you are just too sweet!! I'm glad you think so! Yes, I agree that sometimes she can be unnecessarily nasty, but other times I do think she is given a whole load of undeserved abuse for just saying what several people are thinking!! It's nice to hear some different opinions though! xx
DeleteOh gosh she is just the worst. I swear she must put it on as an act. Surely no one is that detached from empathy. However you wrote a really excellent post x
ReplyDeleteHeroine In Heels
Sometimes it can seem as though it is all an act for attention- such as when she claimed to hate geographical names, yet has a child called India!! However, most of the time I feel she makes really valid points! Thank you very much! X
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