Danny Dyer ruined my day

I had such a fantastic today. Really lovely. I thought I was going to watch a bit of tele, eat dinner and go to bed relaxed and happy. Then I heard about Danny Dyer’s advice column (to a recently single bloke - ''cut your ex's face then nobody will want her'') and now that I have finished spitting nails, I am going to rant instead.


The first thing I thought about when I heard about Dyer’s advice (or ‘Zoogate’ as I am sure it will be branded by the tabloids.) was Katie Piper. Katie was the woman who had sulphuric acid thrown in her face by someone paid by her ex boyfriend Daniel Lynch in 2008. The story of what happened to Katie is completely horrifying. 2 weeks into their relationship, Lynch took her to a hotel where he locked her in a room, beat and raped her repeatedly over a period of 8 hours and threatened to cut her with a razor before finally taking her home.

2 days later, after having none of his calls returned, he left a message begging her to read an email he had sent her on facebook apologising. Lynch knew Katie had no internet and on her way to her local internet café she was approached by a stranger who threw the acid in her face. After 12 days in an induced coma and 34 operations, she was left disfigured and blind in one eye. She now has to wear a plastic face mask 20 hours a day.

What made Katie’s story even more shocking to me was the way in which some of the press reported it. All made reference to her ‘beauty’ and many only used the descriptions ‘’model Katie’ or ‘blonde Katie’ throughout the articles. They talked of her ‘stunning’ face and ‘petite’ figure and the fact that she was ‘popular with men’. The Daily Mail even spoke of her decision not to go to the police after the rape as ‘open to question’. Oh and they mention her parents seeing their daughter’s ‘once beautiful face’ for the first time after the attack. Readers comments to the online article included such gems as ‘’well that’s what happens if you date people off the internet’’ – she met Lynch online – and ‘’oh another chance for all the women readers to post comments implying all men are bastards. I am getting really angry with this constant discrimination’’. Poor chap.

Katie’s experience, and her campaigning after the attack, helped wake the government up a little and the following year, the issue of violence against women was finally pushed ever so slightly further up the political agenda. And I do stress ever so slightly.

In my work I am inundated with statistics about violence against women and girls that become ever more bleak and depressing. According to myriad of studies and surveys, 1 in 4 women experience domestic violence and 2 women a week die as a result of it. 1 in 8 men think its ok to hit a partner if they are nagging or if they flirt with other men.

In the focus groups and surveys I have been conducting over the last three months, my data from under 21s in Islington backs up all these claims. Last week in a focus group on a Holloway estate, we started talking about Rhianna getting beaten up by Chris Brown. One young man said he was stupid to have done it ‘’so badly and in the street when people could see’’ but said that Rhianna had given Brown an STI and that if a girl gave him one ‘’yeh I would give her a slap but not bash in her face that badly’’. A 14 year old girl then added ‘’yeh and I am sure they doctored those pictures to make it look worse’’.

How did we get here?

I have digressed, but when I read Danny Dyer’s advice to a reader of putrid Zoo magazine the worst part was that I wasn’t entirely shocked. It seems to me that for a long time, these types of magazine have completely perpetuated the myth of all women being available and gagging for it or being prudes or prick teases if they aren’t. Zoo is read by over half a million people a week and 50% of its readers are under 24. 13% are under 16 and this helps shape their view of women and the world. This magazine that offers boob jobs for readers girlfriends and has described women on its pages as ‘fat hairy lesbians’ clearly doesn’t think twice about ‘joking’ about violence against women. And would we really expect Danny Dyer to be sensitive and compassionate? No. But how did this get past the editors?

I take huge offence at the pathetic excuse for an apology that Zoo’s editor Tom Etherington gave today:

‘’I apologise unreservedly for any offence the response may have caused’’ he said blaming a ‘production error’ and promising to donate a few quid to Women’s Aid. Dyer claims to have been misquoted. Ahhh that old chestnut. Offence this MAY have caused? Are we suggesting there is a possibility people won’t be offended? Surely everyone will be offended…. I thought… though by looking at the comments section of The Sun online, it turns out I am wrong.


SuperAmanda..you're a knob. Dont slag someone off who you've never met and know nothing about, It was a genuine mistake he's a lovely guy I've met him several times. ****
9:19PM, May 05, 2010Kt88

Anyone read zoo? It's not a magazine for 'The independent' brigade! The so-called problem page is more of a P**S-take than anything.Dyer didn't mean bad by this.On paper it seems an outrageous comment,but keep it in context and understand that it's not serious.Very much doubt there's gonna be a spate of attacks on ex's due to dyer's comment.
8:27PM, May 05, 2010Redeye69


Im suprised someone is making a big story out of this. He made a silly joke, quite original i admit, and thats that. He hasnt been misquoted or anything, he said that for a laugh, its quite clear throughout his comment. Does anyone actually expect a serious answer in a magazine full of sick jokes and weird stuff? GET A LIFE PEOPLE!
7:25PM, May 05, 2010RafRedDevil

Danny Dyer's advice column is very much tongue-in-cheek - like The Sun's own Betty Brisk's "advice" column which, I should point out, is full of advice for women to physically attack their husbands and boyfriends.

You can't be outraged by one and not the other - unless you're a hypocrite, of course! 7:28PM, May 05, 2010

Basically, it seems that us liberals should just take a joke and stop moaning.