Pet Peeves

I’m an irritable person. It’s something I have never been able to shift. It just seems that most members of society have it out for me and always find some way to grind my gears. In the last few months I have been more irritable than ever so decided that I would compile a list of some of my biggest pet peeves. Yes, that is how annoyed I get at the human race.

1. Ignorant people.

I see ignorance taking two possible strands in people. There are those who are closed minded being the first type of ignorant but this is one variation I have learnt to shake off. They are rude and often unbearable but it’s unlikely that you will ever change their views. However, ignorance in the form of “I will try and talk about something that clearly I have no idea about” is the type of ignorance that really gets on my tits. Why try and act educated and knowledgeable about a subject you know nothing about? We can see right through it. You don’t look intuitive at all my friend, you look like a twat.

2. People who put milk in before hot water when making tea.

“PEOPLE ACTUALLY DO THIS?” Yes, I have witnessed it firsthand. It broke my heart to see my most precious beverage mutilated in such an unkind manner. I don’t like to say anyone’s way of doing something is wrong but in this case it is wrong. These people miss out a vital step known as brewing. That’s how the tea gets its flavour…Infusion in hot water… INFUSION! Brew the bastard you crazy fools! You’re making tea, not milky water!

3. Couples that sit next to each other in restaurants.

This peeve may stem from my intolerance to excessive PDAs. I just don’t get it! We all know you’re together, we all know you love each other, you are side by side most minutes of the day, can you not separate your bodies for just a short period of time? It’s the epitome of inducing third wheel syndrome. Whether you’re alone with this couple or not, they are still able to make you feel really freaking uncomfortable. Please, just gain some independence.

4. People who ask, “Can I ask you a question?”

You just asked a question. So why ask a question about asking a question? It’s annoying…

5. Children crying in public.

Before I start I’d like to clear up that I’m not some crazy anti-child activist who detests people under four foot. No, we were all children once. But listening to the screeching and wailing from a child that I have no connection to makes me want to rip out my hair and run off into the light. The bratty ones are the worst! You know those kids who have tantrums? Those fuckers get to me. And I understand, “they’re children, it’s not their fault, crying is what they do,” yet every time I hear an ounce of squealing all I want to do is isolate myself with a glass of wine and a snuggie to help drown my sorrows of pubescent ‘humans.’ Dear God I hope I was never that annoying.

6. Music elitism.

According to the Urban Dictionary (no comment), music elitism can be defined as, “the valuing of one’s own musical tastes as the standard by which all music should be made, or the standard that all others should use to choose what music they listen to…” I’m sorry but fuck that. In fact, i’m not sorry at all and I shall curse at these ridiculous people all I want. I feel that anyone who can judge someones musical taste is a complete eejit. Music is art. Therefore appreciated by people in different lights. Pffft…leads nicely back to ignorance. You people have the brains of a walnut!

7. Noisy chewers.

These are some of the most irritating fuckers to roam the planet. Most people would agree, that hearing the slobbery slapping of someone’s dinner is not a pleasant sound. Ah yes, you may be enjoying it but I really couldn’t give two shit’s how potatoes sounds sloshing about in your massive gob. Some would say that it’s not so bad, at least they aren’t chewing with their mouth open… well that’s just another story!

8. People who try to get on public transport before others have exited.

People like this have always pissed me off. I mean, what is the point of pushing your way onto the bus just to have to move to let the severely and quite rightly annoyed passengers off?! However, it wasn’t until quite recently that I discovered just how stubborn these people are. About a month ago I found myself at my destination when I went to step off the train. But before my foot even graced the floor outside the machine I was thrust back on by a family of four. “Um, excuse me?” Of course they just ignored me taking up my exit with their massive egos. Hearing the beep of the door to my exit about to close I made a break for it shoving the father out of the train with me. Luckily he managed to jump back on. I say luckily. It would have been a lot funnier to see him there abandoned. Anyway, story over, these people are just inconsiderate twats.

Why I like the word integrity…

Being honest and trustworthy is vital for any journalist as a simple means of getting the public on your side. In fact, for any part of societal life these ideas will get you far. Principles. Morality. Combining the two together to make you a well-rounded individual and friend to the people. Consequently chain reacting with any journalists desires. A balanced mix of high readership and publication sales.

I like integrity because of what it stands for. Honesty. And as I believe that in many senses the media needs reclaiming, highlighting this word to people seems to be about the only way I can define what I think a journalist should be. In my eyes and I’m sure in many others, an honest journalist is a good journalist.

Imagine you are a reporter working for a local paper. News comes in that a teenage boy has committed suicide in your area and it is your job to speak to the family in order to produce a story for the paper. After a traumatic conversation with the boy’s inconsolable mother, she asks and confirms with you that his means of death are not to be described in any story.

Now for me, your integral duty after confirming that you will not publish the information would be…not to publish the information. But for others, including the boy’s method of death could be considered completely okay. And although I do not see these journalists as the definition of bad, (maybe I could consider this as gutsy or brave) I can’t help but think that my morals would no longer be intact. I think it’s just the promises. In the sense of, “I gave you my word.” For me I would be breaking all of my ethical beliefs.

So I guess I’ll have to stick with the assumption that an honest journalist is a good journalist. But then again, maybe I’m still a little naive at the moment? I’m sure brains combust with considerations time and time again.

***

Just thought I’d pop this in. Somewhat sassy and a little off topic, but I do love this quote…

“The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.”  ― Thomas Jefferson

A Journalist?!

What do you want to be in the future? A statement every young adult has heard time and time again. I know I have heard it a fair few times and my response is always the same. “I want to be a journalist.” Now this statement is my answer and yet my answer is often questioned with uncomfortable intonations and pursed lips as if my recipient has just sucked on a lemon…
“A JOURNALIST?!”
“Yes. A journalist.”
As they beg me to question why I have chosen this career path, I can often say that sometimes I am unsure myself. As a child I dreamed about saving the world. Maybe I wish to write as a way of letting the public know the rights and wrongs of our society? Then I discovered music and a love of entertainment. Maybe I want to incorporate my two passions into one written nirvana?
But these are two very different routes in such a diverse circle. And for the most part, many people jump to assumptions about ones reputation in this career before they get a chance to explain their personal likes and interests. I know this because it has happened to me.

“A JOURNALIST? But why, is that not a bit…sleazy?”
I always answer adamantly that this career path is one of choice. But I can fully understand why assumptions into the trustworthiness of such a person can be made. We have seen unruly behaviour occur in the media time and time again consequently forcing the public into seeing these public servants as the equivalent to vermin. Corporate giant Rupert Murdoch for example is seen to be one of the prime contenders in the debate of why so many people in society are abhorrent of journalists.

Ethical dilemmas are a wandering disaster for the reputation of such a person, hence why it appears that one small slip up can damage the face of the journalist instantaneously. And one small minority of ‘the bad’ seep into the minds of the public reinforcing the idea that this industry is untrustworthy. But this is not the case.

What about those that want to make society happy? Those that simply want to inform? Those that seek to make people laugh? And those that are covering the human’s own interest?
Are these bad journalists? And for someone who wants to go into this industry, it continues to pain me that there is such a negative light on these public servants. I want to change people’s pre-conceptions of my chosen career path.

I just want to make people joyful with what I write.

Human Interest?

No one wants to read a dull story. And as much as we all wish to appear educated and well-rounded, reading an article on the latest financial boom or enquiring into the latest political movement can often leave us in a state of boredom, (they aren’t exactly the most riveting of pieces). Unless you do get excited by things like Tesco’s latest profit margins, then for that, I apologise.

The reality is that our attention is often governed by something of interest. As a human myself I can openly admit that when reading a story, I feed on something juicy. Maybe somewhat morbid, or full of action or even something naughty from time to time. But isn’t that just human interest?

However, I have recently been considering my views on what makes a good story. Some stories are perfect for the public eye but looking deeper I have began to wonder just how ethical some of these ‘stories of interest’ actually are. For example, one recent scandal saw the exposure of Brooks Newmark and his paisley pyjamas plastered across the national papers. I’m sure for many of the public, seeing the MP revealed in this light was a little disturbing but nonetheless incredibly funny. Although such a story strikes a ‘great’ response, I can’t help but feel somewhat uncomfortable with the idea that the media had used this man’s private obscenities to provoke a reaction from the public.

And although this story may be counted as something of human interest, can it really be moral and ethical to expose this persons private affairs to the rest of the world to create a stir? If you ask me, I think that’s pretty crap. But of course the media has such freedom to say and publish whatever they want. And for the majority of the time, I think this is pretty fabulous. But at the back of my mind I can’t help but remember that these individuals are continuously held under scrutiny at the extent of getting a ‘good’ story. How can we justify damaging the face of an individual as ethical? …But society continues to look past this.