Cullen: Media intrusion like 'being raped'

[passinginterest]

Martin Cullen coming out with the outrageous allegation that the bad men in the media saying nasty things about him is like being raped.
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/cullen-media-intrusion-like-being-raped-443006.html

On a related note support for Fianna Fail is up in the latest polls.
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/some-comfort-for-ff-in-latest-opinion-poll-442941.html

I despair for this country sometimes. :(

I'm sure there's a few women out there who would like to tell Cullen what it really feels like to be raped.

[Bluebeard]

While I would have some sympathy for a man's private life, and particularly for his children, he now owes a massive apology to every woman, man and child who has suffered this most horrible of crimes.

[Macy]

Martin Cullen coming out with the outrageous allegation that the bad men in the media saying nasty things about him is like being raped.

I would have some sympathy for the treatment his children recieved, but it's a ridiculous comparison he made. It shows how out of touch with reality these people are - it's similar to the suicide comments made by Ahern.

iirc the false allegation came as part of the outcry about the amount he was spending on consultants/PR people/ spin/ advisors as Minister and why was there a need for them to travel around the world with him. Listening to him today you'd think the papers just went after him completely at random.


On a related note support for Fianna Fail is up in the latest polls.

I despair for this country sometimes. :(

Margin of error stuff at a time of year when there's normally a significant bounce for the Government*, but in any right thinking democracy they would've been ran from office by now. The spin the media are putting on it is amazing - it certainly shows were their political sympathies really lie.

*the fact that the Greens still managed to go down must be very worrying for them. What a shame.

[John83]

Rapists everywhere are reported to be furious at the comparison.

[Ringo]

I remember a while back some Sham fan saying that Rovers was raped by the previous owners. I complained & most people didn't see anything wrong with it. People need to cop on. But coming from a minister is a disgrace

[passinginterest]

I remember a while back some Sham fan saying that Rovers was raped by the previous owners. I complained & most people didn't see anything wrong with it. People need to cop on. But coming from a minister is a disgrace

It's a term that gets used quite a bit in that context and it's different to the way it was used by Cullen. I'd agree it probably shouldn't be acceptable in that context either, but I think a lot of people are guilty of doing it.

A government minister certainly shouldn't be likening some personal hardship from the media with being raped.

[noby]

I remember a while back some Sham fan saying that Rovers was raped by the previous owners.


Can it not also mean to plunder, which was probably the meaning in that context?

Out of order by the Minister, though.

[pineapple stu]

It may have come to mean "to plunder" by misuse, but when armies in the olden days raped and plundered, they, well, literally raped and plundered. So no, it can't.

Edit - actually, dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rape) does give "to plunder" as a meaning, but I'd be fairly sure the etymology above is correct.

I think there is a difference though between saying "Jayzuz, we were raped" and saying that you wake up every day knowing what it's like to be raped. Throwaway comment, genuine attempt at a simile.

Although it'd be interesting to see what he actually said, given how much trust I have in Irish journalists.

[noby]

Although it'd be interesting to see what he actually said, given how much trust I have in Irish journalists.


I didn't hear it, but as far as I'm aware Newstalk played the clip on their lunchtime show.

[osarusan]

An archaic definition is to "take by force". Cities and countries (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_of_Belgium) could be raped by invaders.

Nowadays, and I'm certain this is how Cullen meant it, the word means sexual violation.

He was just fishing around for something really bad to compare his ordeal to, and chose probably the worst thing he could have.

[Macy]

I didn't hear it, but as far as I'm aware Newstalk played the clip on their lunchtime show.
They did, and there's no misquoting going on.

[Ringo]

They did, and there's no misquoting going on.

I heard it too. it was very deliberate. It wasn't a throw away remark.

[MariborKev]

Full text of the speech in the Times today.

Use of rape was wrong no question.