By: Lewis Ashman

Lewis Ashman — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:27:05 +0000

O.M.G.

By: leanne warnock

leanne warnock — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:43:10 +0000

some people need to learn to have fun!

By: Lewis Ashman

Lewis Ashman — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:49:46 +0000

I was disappointed to read this article. Not because I am fervently opposed to its assumed sentiment, but because it serves not to argue a strong case for those of us that like to drink as much alcohol as our body permits, but to, in my opinion, make a mockery of ‘binge drinkers’ and the ‘journalism’ of this paper.
What I would expect from an article such as one entitled In defence of binge drinking, is a reaction to the government’s attempt to raise the price of cheap alcohol from the perspective of a ‘free citizen’ rightfully having access to affordable pleasure-seeking. The minority of those ‘abusing’ drink and setting an immoral, yet unrepresentative, standard soon follows this line of thought to complete the case for innocent Scots innocently being able to enjoy lower prices and higher intoxication. The government, or anyone for that matter, should not try and stand in the way. How liberal is our liberal democracy if the state forces lifestyle choices upon us? Should only those able to afford binge drinking be the ones able to do it? Even dipping a toe into the idea of a traditional drinking culture, that defines, in some way, us as Scots, is a promising notion to argue the case for a ‘binge drinker’. However, the first paragraph, indeed, the first 35 words, seem to be taking the piss out of a rather serious subject. Unfortunately, leaning a little to the light-hearted side was not the eventual problem with Lucia’s contribution.
At best, I can describe this article as ‘one of those stupid conversations’ – usually complimented by a harsh hangover – that everyone has from time-to-time. Lucia had obviously been thinking some ‘stuff’, and decided to write it down quickly before she forgot. Her bold claim that the present financial downturn was the “worst in living memory” must have actually meant that it is the worst she can remember – fair enough. However, I reiterate that it is not about the harmless aspects of any imprecision or oddness in her argument, but the ignorance and the stupidity of its written form. Media clichés are obviously unhelpful but describing them as portraying “abhorrent teenagers, ‘ladettes’ or working class” sits uneasily with me. Surely anything abhorrent is abhorrent, so why would this be neatly described as the ‘working class’? I’m beginning to wonder if Lucia is in touch with the real world when she offers the image of an “ardent” Daily Mail reader – surveys and common sense should back-up this person as having a job or children to care for – spending the occasional (sorry those of you laughing at the back, this is not a one off) afternoon “alone with a crate of toxic, bargain basement, Californian wine”. So, our ‘famously out-of-touch’, seemingly middle class journalist has possibly enjoyed a ‘soak’ before writing the article and can be afforded some wild ideas. Class consciousness is not something we can take for granted. We grit our teeth and carry on to find such phrases as “there are already enough ways to commit an offence as a drunk person” and a misguided idea that raising prices of cheap alcohol will condemn pubs and ‘exacerbate’ “the mass exodus from British pubs” to the supermarket (no, but, prices going up in supermarkets… pubs will be forgotten as people spend money buying more expensive ‘cheap’ booze… sorry?). My personal favourite, and the article’s equivalent of the A-bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (yes, this is an inappropriate metaphor), essentially removes any credibility from the article and renders it personally unreadable, amounting to a parallel between the Scottish Parliament and the Taliban ruling force in Afghanistan. A sense of madness is introduced to the equation when Lucia proudly informs us of her Catholic faith on Facebook (I might add that Facebook stalking is not weird on the grounds of science and criticism). I can’t bring myself to check the religious views of every MSP but I can rest easily with the belief that they are nothing like those of John Knox or the atrocious Taliban hegemony in Afghanistan that was such a scourge to humanity that NATO led an invasion to topple the regime in 2001. Everyone knows this, and that 240 British soldiers, and counting, have given their lives for the cause. In this regard, Lucia’s light-hearted approach renders her argument unfit for publication in a popular newspaper. Insensitive and misguided are two relatively kind ways of summing up the comparison.
In the end, the final attempt to offend people and mock serious issues by pretending to be considered an alcoholic by her parents – if she is, and numerous ‘interventions’ have been staged, I’m sure that those who have suffered the plight of alcohol addiction would recommend giving it up rather than celebrating its destructive capabilities – hardly come unexpected. Long gone are those stimulating ideas of public money being better spent on saving us from alcohol related death than draining away as we shun booze for other past-times (this is not sarcasm). Perhaps a grain of truth can be extracted from the line “alcohol makes everything better” as we consider using its flammable properties on the printed article itself. But finally, all joking aside, I wonder whether the editor is sure about what is included in the Guardian, and I think that some articles could be given some careful screening before print. Next time I notice the paper lying around I will most likely avoid giving it a look-see.

By: Hannah

Hannah — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 02:38:46 +0000

This is one of the most disgusting articles I have ever had the misfortune to read. Quite obviously, Lucia Hodgson has never been to a chemotherapy clinic where they also carry out blood transfusions for patients suffering from liver failure. I have and it is not a pleasant sight. Furthermore, Lucia Hodgson has obvious personality defects and I feel immensely sorry for her. If you have ‘neuroticism’ and ’shyness’, how about working on your confidence instead of turning to drink? If you only have half a personality when you’re drunk, I’d be amazed to meet you when you’re sober. In this article you’re trying to portray yourself as the common person, the common ’student voice’, and quite frankly I am ashamed to go to the same university as you. How can you possibly justify girls getting off their faces? It’s quite possibly one of the most dangerous aspects of student life. What about girls who walk home drunk? What about the high levels of sexual attacks in the West End of Glasgow alone? Has Lucia Hodgson even considered in her tiny and narrow minded perception of the world that maybe Britain’s alcohol culture is something to try and change, and that it should not be part of our culture? It’s one of the few things I completely resent about being British and wish that in future we could adopt a different approach to alcohol as something not to abuse but to take in moderation.
And most importantly how dare you try and justify the strain put on the NHS by alcohol related illnesses? Maybe you have never had to rely on the NHS in a life or death matter, and if so you are very lucky. I cannot believe you have written this article, and that the paper allowed it to be published. It is poisonous and frankly insane. But I guess you were probably drunk at the time….

Comments on: In defence of binge drinking

By: Lewis Ashman

By: leanne warnock

By: Lewis Ashman

By: Hannah