A regional daily’s “tongue-in-cheek” spread discussing the looks of political candidates has been slammed as “sexist” by an election hopeful.
The Belfast Telegraph spread, pictured below, saw journalists comment on the campaign posters of nine different candidates, under the headline ‘So, which candidates are topping the poles?’
However Naomi Long, the Alliance Party’s East Belfast candidate, was among those who took exception to the piece, describing it as “asinine” and “sexist” on Twitter.
The controversy comes just two months after the Bel Tel appointed its first female editor in Gail Walker.
Writing on the social networking site, where the piece was widely shared, Naomi added: “And we wonder why women stay out of politics. It’s a person’s character and values that matter in life.”
Responding to the criticisms on its website, the Bel Tel said the spread had been “willfully misrepresented” by those sharing it online adding: “The key word here is ‘humour’.
The paper said it had asked two writers, Malachi O’Doherty and Frances Burscough, to take a tongue-in-cheek look at how the candidates had chosen to publicly present themselves.
It also pointed out that the male candidates mentioned in the piece had also been subject to “robust comments about their appearance”.
“Political parties — without exception — employ professional PR people and professional photographers and stylists to make themselves look ‘good’ on posters which pollute every telegraph pole in the land, but then complain about people passing comment on the image they are actually trying to convey on them,” said the paper.
“The question should be asked: why posters at all? And why foster and promote a cult of personality with certain politicians and then run off when people laugh at them?
“What they are really objecting to here is being laughed at. The women issue is a diversion — which they are all very good at promoting.”
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What does the ‘poles’ thing mean? I am confused.
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What a surprise…
Woman doesn’t like what’s written about women, it is therefore sexist.
And you wonder why people don’t listen to hopefuls who chuck out cliches by the armful…
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Two possible reasons, neither of them very encouraging. 1. It’s a cheap link with pole dancing. 2. Nobody can spell polls at the Belfast Telegraph. Sadly, I fear No.2 is the answer.
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Is the headline trying to do a play on pole dancing?
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Simply awful howler to use poles instead of polls! Bad taste tale anyway.
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Presumably the use of poles is a reference to the candidates’ posters, which are displayed on poles, lampposts etc around the city.
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Give ’em credit. I genuinely think they’re referring to candidates who are trying to climb ‘to the top of the greasy pole’ of politics (Disraeli)
So calm down…
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