Times Article On Glasgow East

[Supras]

Are you suggesting I'm trying to be funny?

Question for you - have you ever been to Shettleston? You may think it's a sweeping generalisation, but, in general, the people there do not look good. It comes with the territory - people from one of Britain's most deprived areas are hardly going to be a picture of health, are they?

No, and neither is the writer he is just being spiteful.

I have been to Shettleston, it isn't the nicest place but I don't think that a respected national newspaper should be printing a spiteful pointless article.

What do you think the writer is trying to achieve calling the people "cave dwellers"?

[Nizzy]

Going out of his way was probably the wrong choice of phrase, but I doubt that Gill wandered into the more attractive pubs and shops of Shettleston Road whilst looking for interviewees.

That's a fair point. I was born in Glasgow and live up the road in Cumbernauld, but the places Gill visits and the people he encounters are exactly the kind of places and people my eyes are drawn to while passing through the area. What we can say is that he doesn't paint an accurate picture of the whole of the east end - as you've noted, he doesn't take Mount Vernon, Tollcross, etc. into consideration - but he does describe those he has decided to focus on in perfect detail.

[The Old Northerner]

What do you think the writer is trying to achieve calling the people "cave dwellers"?

I thought the article *compared* them to cave dwellers.

[Bloobell]

No, and neither is the writer he is just being spiteful.

I have been to Shettleston, it isn't the nicest place but I don't think that a respected national newspaper should be printing a spiteful pointless article.

What do you think the writer is trying to achieve calling the people "cave dwellers"?

AA Gill is a renowned food critic and is EXPECTED to be spiteful, to the point of it almost being satirical

Good article and the fact it's struck a raw nerve with the natives says he's probably got it about right to me

[Nizzy]

What do you think the writer is trying to achieve calling the people "cave dwellers"?

I think he's trying to visualize the area for his readers and, as someone who passes through Shettleston on a regular basis, I think he does a pretty good job of it. C'mon, put political correctness to one side for a minute. You say you've visited Shettleston, so you must have recognised the kind of characters he was describing when you were reading the article.

[Bloobell]

That's a fair point. I was born in Glasgow and live up the road in Cumbernauld, but the places Gill visits and the people he encounters are exactly the kind of places and people my eyes are drawn to while passing through the area. What we can say is that he doesn't paint an accurate picture of the whole of the east end - as you've noted, he doesn't take Mount Vernon of Tollcross into consideration - but he does describe those he has decided to focus on in perfect detail.

I'm involved in a project in North Carbrain just now and they're not far behind

[Supras]

AA Gill is a renowned food critic and is EXPECTED to be spiteful, to the point of it almost being satirical

Good article and the fact it's struck a raw nerve with the natives says he's probably got it about right to me

I don't, and never have lived in Glasgow

I wouldn't be bothered if AA Gill was criticising a restaurant, but instead he is insulting people who have done nothing to deserve such abuse, and have been unfortunate enough to grow up in one of the most deprived areas in the UK.

[Nizzy]

I thought the article *compared* them to cave dwellers.

It compared their complexion to that of cave dwellers. At no point, as Supras has suggested, does he call them cave dwellers.

[Stainrod's Fedora]

No, it was rhetorical at best but I wouldn't expect someone so clearly stunted to see that.

Do you think I was seriously asking if these people should get a vote?

Don't answer that as it too is rhetorical - look it up if you're struggling

I will answer the question because I think that you were. But by 'sub-title' I wasn't referring to the link. You started the thread and in the topic description box wrote the word 'hilarious'. I don't think I'm alone in thinking that was in bad taste.

I'm going for that lie down now.

[seamus]

So many people on here have such an educated view of the East End without living there, they drive through it and they can feel the poverty

It reminds me of Tim Westwood getting down with the hommies.

[Nizzy]

I'm involved in a project in North Carbrain just now and they're not far behind

Naughty. South Carbrain is infinitely worse than the North Carbrain, though.

[Nizzy]

I wouldn't be bothered if AA Gill was criticising a restaurant, but instead he is insulting people who have done nothing to deserve such abuse, and have been unfortunate enough to grow up in one of the most deprived areas in the UK.

The fact you're born in such an environment doesn't mean you have to succumb to it.

So many people on here have such an educated view of the East End without living there, they drive through it and they can feel the poverty

I'm not suggesting I 'feel the poverty' but even passing through Shettleston gives you a pretty good indication of what the area, and it's residents, are like. Do you recognise the people he describes in the piece?

[Supras]

I think he's trying to visualize the area for his readers and, as someone who passes through Shettleston on a regular basis, I think he does a pretty good job of it. C'mon, put political correctness to one side for a minute. You say you've visited Shettleston, so you must have recognised the kind of characters he was describing when you were reading the article.

There is no way I would describe them the same way he does.

Yes they are small, so are most people in Glasgow, I don't think they physically look worse than people from other areas of Glasgow.

Even if his descriptions are accurate does he really need to say it, I think "deprived area where people suffer from a variety of health problems" is better than "the people here don't look good."

The main point of the article is no doubt to be controversial, and he has achieved that.

[Nizzy]

There is no way I would describe them the same way he does.

I'm not saying you would, but you do recognise the kinds of characters he describes, don't you?

[Bloobell]

I will answer the question because I think that you were. But by 'sub-title' I wasn't referring to the link. You started the thread and in the topic description box wrote the word 'hilarious'. I don't think I'm alone in thinking that was in bad taste.

I'm going for that lie down now.

It IS hilarious though, in a Rab C Nesbitt kinda way

[Supras]

I'm not saying you would, but you do recognise the kinds of characters he describes, don't you?

No, most of them look something like this:

And yet he has the cheek to say "the people here do not look good"

[Nizzy]

No, most of them look something like this:

And yet he has the cheek to say "the people here do not look good"

You're verging on the ridiculous. In fact, scratch that, there's no verging, you are being ridiculous.

[Bloobell]

The fact you're born in such an environment doesn't mean you have to succumb to it.

Precisely

I grew up in Edinburgh's Wester Hailes area and totally agree with that sentiment

[Supras]

You're verging on the ridiculous. In fact, scratch that, there's no verging, you are being ridiculous.

The people from Glasgow East look better than that in my opinion.

[Michael W]

I don't, and never have lived in Glasgow

I wouldn't be bothered if AA Gill was criticising a restaurant, but instead he is insulting people who have done nothing to deserve such abuse, and have been unfortunate enough to grow up in one of the most deprived areas in the UK.

It's hardly abuse. The report does make dim reading, and may certainly be exaggerated, but it's hardly abusive.