Media persecution of Raheem Sterling

[Blue Hefner]

8am headline news on LBC.

Now, getting a tattoo of gun isn't something I would do and given the amount of shit he gets for going about his daily life he surely would have expected some headlines around this

Thay said, our relationship with guns is very strange in this country. James Bond hardly ever has one out of his hands and he is a national treasure. Look at the top 10 DVDs in Tesco, apart from the comic books, the majority have some sort of weaponry on the front cover. I'd suggest 'Mum's Against Guns' concentrate on mainstream cinema and their advertising billboards if they want to focus on glamorising violence and the like

 

[bluetonium]

I'd say I can't believe the Sun's angle on this, but it is all too believeable. Regardless of his motivation and thinking, just days prior to a world cup they can choose to do a story on Sterling visiting some disadvantaged kids with the national team, or on a tattoo he had done almost a year ago.

When Sterling had his done I imagine he'd have said to himself 'the media will pick up on this and roast me again', but it is just a tattoo, a symbol. Without asking, nobody knows what that symbol means to him and was supopsed to express, and it was unfair of the Sun to suggest one idea of what it represents. They were very much peddling the idea that Sterling's Gun tattoo = Sterling loves guns and killings, in reality the meaning is much more personal to Raheem as he has now had to come out to clarify. A tattoo doens't just have to be of something you like or support, it can be a reminder of the past, of an unconfortable truth, of what life his thrown at you, of what you hate even.

Agree that a tattoo of something else would have been better for his image, but I think it is clear that the Sun have again excelled themselves at nobheadedness here and are on a mission to derail England's world cup bid before it even kicks off, beacuse controversy sells better than happiness in these morbid times. I hope that this latest idiocy from them further highlights the unpatriotic nature of their coverage, leads to their demise as a paper, hopefully fuelled by Raheem asking his legal team to look at the cost to his image and potential earnings in the future.

Surely the Sun have to publish an apology for this, though even that won't change my view of them at all as journalists, a new source, or as people. They've already changed the article header online to a more positive one, calling him 'TOP GUN' instead ofsaying he has shot himself in the foot, so must be feeling the backlash.

Anyway, Raheem Sterling, he's top of the league ;)

 

[taleofbluehalves]

I find the Sun, which seemingly has no moral compass, reporting outrage at this bizarre.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I don't actually give a fuck if he wants a gun on his leg, even if it's because he likes guns. It's got fuck all to do with anyone & 'mums' can all fuck off imo.

If he had the tattoo because he fancies himself as a Gangster, it would mean he was probably not someone I would want to go out drinking with, but I wouldn't want to go out drinking with most footballers. A fair few seem to be God bothering weirdos anyhow.

I'd be more offended if he had a tattoo of The Sun newspaper.

 

[goater555]

Why do they carry on with this? Supporters from other clubs have even cottoned on to the obvious agenda so who are their audience? You'd think he'd hacked into dead girls phones or something.

 

[oldius]

Newspapers' readership is ageing dramatically. They base their stories on outrage as there is very little that an older audience likes more than to express disgust at the youth of today. Black youth, for an ageing white readership, is the ultimate.

 

[HelloCity]

Ban them.

 

[Skip Donoghue]

This is what our own fans have said about one of our own players without fully realising what this tattoo might actually be about when completed but like The Sun you are prepared to straightaway condemn the player...........strange that people would do that!!!!

Some people can’t help themselves they really should get out more, it’s a fucking drawing when all said and done....over reaction at its finest and totally sums up the way some have been moulded by the very very PC world we live in, god help some if this place ever does go tits up they will be fucked for sure

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Guns don’t kill people; tattoos kill people.

 

[Skip Donoghue]

Not really strange when City fans want their players to be uncontroversial, like say David Silva

I dont want opposing fans to hate Raheem, I prefer them to look up to our players.

everyone is different, we all don’t see the world like you do, it’s got fuck all to do with anyone but him what he does with his life and his body.....get a grip