Swarm!!

[lindapalmara]

Apparently it's Racist for Cameron to use the word 'Swarm" when referring to illegal immigrants but OK for the left wing Daily Mirror to use it to describe the 'swarms of Jeremy Corbyn supporters who take to Twitter' !!

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/us-hard-left-jeremy-corbyn-6149878

[janbee]

Usual double standards Linda.

[Old_Geezer]

Well IMO it is appropriate in both cases.
Although in the latter it is a given as we are referring to Twitter users. Actually come to think of it, it's probably a given in both examples.

[Gromit]

Is it not used as a pun in the Corbyn example?

The story is about a tweet war. Twitters are symbolised by a litter blue bird. So tweeters swarm because they are represented as little birds.

http://www.technobuffalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/twitterbirdswarm.gif

It is disgraceful of the Mirror because it is a weak joke, not because of its derogitory conotations.

[lindapalmara]

//It is disgraceful of the Mirror because it is a weak joke, not because of its derogatory connotations//

Oh I understand now Gromit!! Like janbee said, double standards as usual. So according to you the Mirror never uses derogatory comments!!

[naomi24]

The left wing are a bunch of smarting losers reduced to scraping the barrel. Absolute nonsense.

[jno]

what race are Corbyn supporters supposed to be?

[Hypognosis]

Bees swarm. Bees are busy, productive little workers. Swarm, in such a context is positive imagery.

Which gives me pause. Those who criticised Cameron were the ones who inserted the negative imagery about "insects", the swarm as a threatening thing. This is the hazard with putting words in people's mouths or reading-in intentions which (possibly) aren't there: you either dig too deep, trying to find mud or you subconsciously insert your own fears and opinions into your spin on the quoted speaker's meaning.

However, they extracted "swarm as threat" from the overall context of Cameron's speech: a "mass" of people were "over there" and they are "coming here" - which is what swarms generally do.

People teaming up to do Twitter activism is cooperative working so the bee analogy is clearly what is meant.

Not hypocrisy but contextual flexibility.


Pity I'm not paid by the word!

[anotheoldgit]

Nothing new for the Mirror, it is ironic that on the same web page, there is a report about flying ants, and they call them 'BEASTS'

/// Celebrities such as Eamonn Holmes and McBusted singer Danny Jones join hundreds in complaining about the beasts ///

Only to later use the 'SWARM' word, yet again'.

/// Britain is 'under attack' from swarms of flying ants after hundreds of stunned people took to social media to complain about the creepy crawlies. ///

[Gromit]

// So according to you the Mirror never uses derogatory comments!! //

I did not say that and you very know I didn't.
Usual sign of a lost argument when the best you can do is put false words into my mouth.

It is a bit shocking that the Daily Mirror's journalism is too clever for some ABers to comprehend.
It was a joke, and you didn't get it. Which is funny in itself.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// Usual sign of a lost argument when the best you can do is put false words into my mouth. ///

You must have lost many an argument with me then Gromit,

/// It is a bit shocking that the Daily Mirror's journalism is too clever for some ABers to comprehend.
It was a joke, and you didn't get it. Which is funny in itself. ///

Oh so this is a joke then.

/// Swarms of Jeremy Corbyn fans have taken to Twitter to mock claims a 'hard left' cabal is taking over the Labour party. ///

You must have a very queer sense of humour then, please enlighten us all and explain it those ABers who are not clever enough to comprehend.

There isn't even a punch line as far as I can see.

[-Talbot-]

Bees swarm. Bees are busy, productive little workers. Swarm, in such a context is positive imagery.


Locust swarm and are very, very busy when they do...I doubt they are seen as positive.

[youngmafbog]

From the Oxford dictionary:(a swarm/swarms of) A large number of people or things:
a swarm of journalists

As usual the left try to re-write words to suit their agenda. Perhaps they should do a simple google before opening gob or putting pen to paper?

[youngmafbog]

No but I bet it would be racist if Labour were called a shower :-)

[Gromit]

AOG,
See my post at 09:00. I have even included a simple to understand (or so I thought) illustrationof a swarm of twitters. Birds swarm, so Twitters can swarm without it being offensive.

[bazwillrun]

The lunatics that are in an advanced state of PC infection can always find racist connotations in everything and anything.....theyve turned it into an artform dontcha know !?

[-Talbot-]

Was it the Mirror that accused Cameron of being racist for using the term 'swarm'?

If not I don't know what your point is, Linda. (I don't see the joke that Gromit sees)

[Gromit]

It is a pun rather than a joke.

Supporters swarmed on to Twitter.

As in:
Football supports kicked off the debate.
Swimmers dived in to add their support.
Knitters cast off new Labour.
Sewage workers poo-pooed the idea.

[-Talbot-]

Would they 'Flock' to Twitter?