The Week on TwitterTopical

The Week on Twitter | David Gest, David Cameron, & Stephen Fry

By Jade Hayden

This week, we said goodbye to David Gest, told David Cameron to resign, criticised some comments made by Stephen Fry, and watched the Pope tweet a few questionable tweets.

Anti-austerity protesters call for the resignation of #DavidCameron #ResignDavidCameron #PanamaPapers

Last week, the Panama Papers leak led to the release of millions of documents detailing the existence of hundreds of thousands unregistered offshore companies. These accounts were being used primarily for tax evasion, fraud, and in some cases, even drug trafficking.

Following the leak, David Cameron was forced to admit that he had owned shares in his late father’s offshore fund, but that he had sold them before becoming Prime Minister. However, according to the Guardian, almost 10% of British companies avoiding tax are directly linked to Cameron’s account.

Last week anti-austerity protesters took to the streets of London to call for Cameron’s resignation – not just for his involvement in tax evasion, but for the severe cuts being made by the Tory government, his lack of compassion towards poorer members of the public, and his attempts to dismantle the welfare state.

Protesters will make themselves known again this weekend, as their march for reform continues.

https://twitter.com/negansgirI/status/718859334520856576

https://twitter.com/realCarterDunn/status/718841578505121793

#DavidGest dies, aged 62

On Tuesday, it was reported that David Gest had been found dead in his hotel in London. The American television personality had been best known for his marriage to Liza Minnelli, his close relationship with the Jackson family, and his appearance on multiple reality TV shows in the UK.

Gest was due to begin his the David Gest is Not Dead But Alive With Soul tour this summer after false reports that he had died during his time in the Celebrity Big Brother house earlier this year. The tour is set to go ahead in July in Gest’s honour.

https://twitter.com/missgemcollins/status/719906679505166336

#StephenFry tells abuse victims to “grow up”

On Monday, Stephen Fry did an interview with David Rubin for his YouTube show ‘The Rubin Report.’ It was here that he made some comments about sensitivity, trigger words like ‘rape,’ and why he thought victims of sexual abuse did not deserve any of his sympathy if they were going to pity themselves.

Fry’s comments were met with some totally warranted backlash from many, many people. Some of those people found it ironic that Fry should be so disgusted by others’ sensitivity when he, too, had made the choice to abandon Twitter due to contrasting viewpoints. But most people were simply appalled that such an influential, intelligent, generally inspirational mental health advocate could have made such cruel and uncaring comments.

https://twitter.com/alexander_olly/status/719993076463366144

Fry eventually apologised for his comments on Wednesday. In a statement on Mind.org.uk‘s website, of which Fry is President, he said that he was distressed “greatly to think that I have upset anyone in the course of the TV interview I had with David Rubin the other week.” Fry also mentioned that he recognises the true trauma of rape and abuse and that he did not mean to trivialise crimes that have affected so many people.

@Pontifex offends with tweet about people with disabilities

Pope Francis has a Twitter. Lots of people follow him because he is the Pope. Sometimes Pope Francis tweets about things like God, and the church, and Jesus, and stuff. Other times he tweets about marriage, and the family, and God, and the church, and Jesus, and stuff. It’s fine.

But every now and then Pope Francis will tweet something that’s not so fine. This week that something concerned people with disabilities. Pope Francis took to his Twitter to say that these people were “a gift for the family,” and that they helped everybody else who did not live with a disability to “grow in love, mutual aid and unity.”

Some people did not see anything wrong with the Pope’s comment. Others found his objectification of disabled people odd and offensive. They found it strange that someone would suggest people with disabilities exist only for the self improvement of others. They were insulted that the Pope deemed their worth only in terms of those around them.

They decided to challenge the Pope on his tweet.

https://twitter.com/Jenny_Trout/status/719245129610063872

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Jade Hayden 144 posts 0 comments

Jade Hayden has an MA in journalism, a degree in English, and a house rabbit who sleeps in her bed sometimes. You'll often find her wearing glasses, fixing her fringe, and complaining about the amount of time she spends on public transport. Jade is also the editor of HeadStuff's topical section, and she'd love if you sent your submissions over to [email protected].

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