another pee story but apparently this one is news
A few days ago we had the story of Iain Duncan Smith using a disabled toilet, keeping a disabled person waiting, not apologising and not flushing. No enquiry into whether he has a hidden disability (which imo would have been a reasonable enquiry, since he's chosen to live in the public eye) and no mention of the story that I've seen on any mainstream news channel.
Today we have the story of Gerard Depardieu peeing in an aeroplane aisle and apparently it's news. I noticed the story on BBC Radio Leeds, of all places - the incident wasn't anything to do with Leeds but the presenter took it on herself to joke 'please phone in if you're a urologist, Depardieu needs your help!' and to judge his peeing as 'absolutely disgusting'. So does he have a hidden disability affecting his bladder control? Seemingly not, in fact. A little googling has taught me that he's famously alcoholic and that he was drunk on that plane. Whether or not you consider alcoholism to be a disability is another point, but anyway, what strikes me is the way one of these stories is news when the other is not.
Today we have the story of Gerard Depardieu peeing in an aeroplane aisle and apparently it's news. I noticed the story on BBC Radio Leeds, of all places - the incident wasn't anything to do with Leeds but the presenter took it on herself to joke 'please phone in if you're a urologist, Depardieu needs your help!' and to judge his peeing as 'absolutely disgusting'. So does he have a hidden disability affecting his bladder control? Seemingly not, in fact. A little googling has taught me that he's famously alcoholic and that he was drunk on that plane. Whether or not you consider alcoholism to be a disability is another point, but anyway, what strikes me is the way one of these stories is news when the other is not.