Utter tosh

But it’s not just the SA papers that write complete rubbish.

Step forward our old favourite the Daily Mail – describing the shark attack at Fishhoek.

Fiddling with his swimming goggles as he strolled across one of Cape Town’s most popular beaches, Lloyd Skinner did not notice anything amiss.
With temperatures in the 90s, the sand was packed with families enjoying the delights of the South African summer.
The sea appeared calm – perfect to escape the heat. But as he waded out, something terrible started to happen. A strange ripple effect circled him in the water. On the beach, people started waving their towels and shouting at him desperately.

Hmm. Let’s see what we’ve got so far shall we?

Temperatures in the 90s…

Sand packed with families…

The sea appeared calm…

Have you pictured the scene yet? And the strolling guy with the fiddly goggles?
Got it? Good.

And then let’s take a quick peek at this photo which eyewitness Gregg Coppen (who is quoted in the Daily Mail article) took 4 (four) minutes after witnessing the attack and tweeting his now infamous “Holy Shit” tweet.

Look at that beach, packed with families in the hot summer sun. And that wonderfully calm sea. Hmm.

I showed this to a colleague. He used the word “gobshite” to describe the writer, Andrew Malone.
And who am I to disagree?

There are probably numerous other inaccuracies in the rest of the article – I don’t know. With so much nonsense in the first five lines, I couldn’t be arsed to read any further.

25 thoughts on “Utter tosh

  1. Utter tosh indeed.
    I was in the general vicinity on that fateful afternoon and Fish Hoek was doing it’s best impersonation of a Turbine Hall at a non-Eskom run powerplant.

  2. Reflex > But not swimming, I hope. Yes – the black south-easter blowing. Not above 32C, not hot at all, not packed with families.

    Paul Scott > It’s a nice UK expression. Manchester-based, I think.

    Wu > Always good to have the Chinese viewpoint.

    HH > You misspelled “Shar… ok, no… got it. 😉

  3. Just got sent this way via Kevin Smith and all I can say is… Up The Blades.

    Twas a nice suprise to see that in the banner!

  4. Something else that was absolute drivel if you make it down to the bottom:

    “Even Peter Benchley – whose book inspired Jaws the movie, sealing the reputation of the killer Great White – now campaigns to save sharks…”

    Peter Benchley has been dead for four years.

    Incidentally, love the word “gobshite”. I’m an American, and it became part of my vocabulary a few years ago when a Brit friend was kind enough to introduce me to “Father Ted”.

  5. “Even Peter Benchley – whose book inspired Jaws the movie, sealing the reputation of the killer Great White – campaigned in the decade before his death to save sharks…”

    Looks like Rick never quite made it to the end of the sentence, never mind the end of the article!! 😀

  6. Helga, I copied and pasted that. COPIED AND PASTED. It said Benchley “now campaigns” at the time. Perhaps someone in the editorial office or the 60+ comments that are now attached to the original article pointed out to the idiot that wrote it that death is, in fact, something of an impediment for social activism, inspiring a correction.

    Much as brain death is something of an impediment to reading carefully enough to note that this is not the result of my leaving something out of the sentence, but that something was changed completely from when I posted it.

  7. Jackie > Thanks for the effort. You never know, it might all have been worth it.
    But I still haven’t read the article. 🙂

    Ro > Evidently.

    Solidpython > Up them indeed. Good old Kevin, the Kevster, the Kevmeister! (Who is Kevin Smith?)

    Rick > It is a wonderful term, and I fear I may have introduced it into SA.

    HH > Ah, but hang on a sec!!! 😉

    Rick > Ladies, Ladies, PLEASE! Calm down.
    It wouldn’t be the first time that the Daily Mail changed the wording of an article. They even changed the title of the Jan Moir thing on Steven Gately.

  8. Oh my. That’s me told off, then! 😀

    Dear Rick, on behalf of the British people (although technically I cannot represent this nation, being that I am actually Norwegian), allow me to apologise for the slur that the Daily Mail made me cast on your name! 🙁

    Naughty, naughty newspaper! Not a day goes by when I don’t regret not becoming a journalist… gone are the days when copy was actually checked before the “publish” button got pressed!! 😛
    .-= Helga Hansen´s last blog ..Lost =-.

  9. I learnt long ago that if I actually knew anything about an incident, and it was reported in the papers it would contain incorrect info period. I read the first few lines of an article and get bored, sorry journalists. BTW great blog!

  10. HH > 22 hours after your comment, I’m still trying to work out whether you want to be a journalist or not.

    Pamela > Always. Apart from when that black south-easter is blowing. When it’s not.

    Jacques > Not for me. Google must have noticed that you have been frequenting Godbotherer sites. Again.

    Joanne > I should know better. Especially when it comes to the Daily Mail.
    Thanks for the kind word on the blog. 🙂

  11. ~Hangs head in shame~ Well, if that’s the level of my English, which tabloid/red top/sensible paper would have me?? 😀

    For the record – I’m glad I never became a journo… there. I did use proper English… 😉
    .-= Helga Hansen´s last blog ..Dereliction of duty =-.

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