Katie Hopkins: opinionated or simply cruel?
In light of the recent media storm surrounding male comedian Dapper laughs, Britain seems to have forgotten about the most hated female on our shores – Katie Hopkins. And she’s not even trying to be funny.
For a woman who started her career on The Apprentice, a show that involves some of the best educated and most intelligent business people in Britain (contrary to the stupidity you see from contestants each week) her current job as serial controversialist and Sun columnist, is a sharp contrast.
The mum of two, known for spouting viral gold such as “Ginger babies. Like a baby. Just so much harder to love” and “Personally, I hate mobility scooters. I find their owners intolerable”, Katie is rarely under the radar.
The 39 year-old Devonshire firecracker has been in newspapers this week accused of inciting hatred and racism after a series of pretty outrageous tweets.
They appear to be in response to the wave of violence that has swept Israel and the Occupied territories in the last week in which a number of Israelis have been killed and injured in stabbing attacks and hit and runs.
Palestinians busy knifing Israelis. 2 state solution my arse. Filthy rodents burrowing beneath Israel. Time to restart the bombing campaign
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) November 10, 2014
Father beats his daughter with an iron bar. But he is a good Muslim, prays in his cell & attends the mosque. So that’s all happy days then.
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) November 10, 2014
Whilst another shockingly distasteful tweet appeared in reference to Channel 4 programme 24 hours in Police custody.
The police are singing from the same hymn sheet. Mohammed is going DAAAAAAAN. Allahu Akbar. #24hoursinpolicecustody
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) November 10, 2014
Since the vile tweets were published last week there has been a call-to-arms amongst members of the public, campaigning for Hopkins to be arrested for her incitement of hatred. A dedicated website has been set up to coerce police into investigating the columnist.
Join the hundreds of people that have Placed @KTHopkins under citizens arrest http://t.co/ooKHD9Vckz #arrestkatiehopkins #katiehopkins
— ArrestKTHopkins (@arrestkthopkins) November 12, 2014
There’s even an online petition calling for the same police action with almost 2000 supporters.
Arrest Katie Hopkins For her incitement to violance Tweets & Racist Hate Speech Comments Against Palestinians http://t.co/cpfRASN5F9
— Calamity Sunshine (@KunoichiG) November 14, 2014
Hopkins’ Twitter feed reads like a digital burn-book, slating celebrities for being too fat, too pregnant or too stupid. It’s amazing that The Apprentice reject has internet reception when she’s so far up on her high horse.
But it’s not just the sacred land of Twitter that has been desecrated by Hopkins’ bile, TV (specifically This Morning) have decided to give her unnecessary amounts of airtime.
Not even London olympic heroes are exempt from Katie’s opinionated drivel.
Jessica Ennis, gold medalist and olympic poster girl (the one with a killer six pack), recently revealed that she would be severing her affiliation with Sheffield United FC after it was rumoured they would be signing convicted rapist Ched Evans.
Hopkins was quick to put forward her opinion – that Ennis had no right to have one:
Jessica Ennis is Supreme judge in the court of public opinion. Being able to run fast & jump high makes you super qualified. Who knew?
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) November 16, 2014
Having the opinion that somebody should not be entitled to an opinion.
The hypocrisy of Hopkins is often impossible to comprehend, but when you have a twitter feed full of 28,000 snippets of abuse lamely disguised as ‘my opinion’, as well as a newspaper column and TV presence – you’re bound to trip over your own ill informed comments.
The most recent controversy stirred up by Katie has been a result of the new series of popular ITV show I’m a Celebrity. Hopkins has instigated a personal vendetta against plus-size TV personality, Gemma Collins, by publicly fat shaming her.
Gemma is going to be so sick her whole stomach is going to fall out. Australia is only so big #ImACeleb — Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) November 17, 2014
Trying to work out what Gemma is good at. I think I’ve cracked it. Nom Nom Nom Nom. #ImACeleb
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) November 17, 2014
Gemma’s legs are big enough to support a grown man. Or an oil rig #ImACeleb
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) November 17, 2014
But Hopkins revels in the hate she receives for her controversial stances, never deleting tweets that harbour criticism or retracting abusive statements made on live television.
The ex-reality TV star wasn’t even a regular fixture on our screens until early 2013, before which she was slumming it in the journalism field writing for small Exeter newspapers.
Now, her brazen disregard for the feelings of others and self-obsession with her own warped opinions has gifted her a career.
It’s not quite a £100,000-a-year job with business giant, Lord Alan Sugar, but a column with The Sun and a solid job as seat filler for debates about the fat, the aged or anybody else she decides she doesn’t like.
As a columnist, Hopkins is (unfortunately) employed to have an opinion and to write about it. But morally, there is a clear division between having a cutting opinion and being a bully, which most decent people seem to be aware of.
Whilst tweeting to 258,000 followers that Gemma Collins has legs big enough to support an oil rig and a talent for nothing but eating – it’s clear that Katie Hopkins doesn’t care much for the feelings of others.
Picture: @KTHopkins
WNOL 