Tim Worstall

Madeleine McCann

Err, excuse me?

Look, I know, she’s missing, it all happened only a few miles from here and it’s terrible. Yes, I agree. But:

A video of Madeleine McCann will be broadcast at today’s FA Cup final
at the new Wembley stadium to a worldwide audience of more than 500
million. The FA agreed to a request from the missing girl’s family to
show the video at half-time on screens at the match. The television
audience is likely to be a record as the finalists Manchester United
and Chelsea are two of the world’s most glamorous clubs. Their players
are expected to wear yellow ribbons, the symbols of hope adopted by
Madeleine’s family. The video, set to a sound track of Don’t You Forget
About Me by Simple Minds, was broadcast at the UEFA Cup final in
Glasgow in the week.

Isn’t this all going a little far? Is this another one of these collective insanities, like the Diana funeral?

In

25 responses

  1. Alex Avatar
    Alex

    It’s far worse than Diana – I haven’t heard any decent Maddy jokes yet.

    Reply
  2. A nonymous Avatar
    A nonymous

    Should we be offering prayers to St Holly and St Jessica yet?

    Reply
  3. JuliaM Avatar
    JuliaM

    “Is this another one of these collective insanities, like the Diana funeral?”
    Yup…

    Reply
  4. Justin Avatar
    Justin

    Yep, it’s emotional pornography / blackmail / incontinence but I wonder if there isn’t also a practical upshot: there’s going to be thousands of Brits on holiday across Europe this summer. This is the Diana way of telling us to ‘keep ’em peeled’.
    Tim adds: Every pub and cafe in the area (we’re about 15 miles away) has the posters up too.

    Reply
  5. Dan Brusca Avatar
    Dan Brusca

    The purpose of the video and it’s playing at the FA Cup final is to keep Madeleine’s profile high. It’s a sad state of affairs if someone considers being asked to remain vigilant for a missing girl as “emotional blackmail”.
    Tim adds: Dan, as I say above, I’m actually living here in the Algarve. Not that many miles from where all of this is going on. Thank you, but I really don’t need to be shown a video at the FA Cup final to be reminded that a young girl is missing and that if I see her I should do something about it.

    Reply
  6. Barry Bethel Avatar
    Barry Bethel

    The profile is high in Europe already, but given this is it not likely Europe is probably the last place her captors would keep her, if she is still alive?
    There is definitly a pornographic edge to much of the media coverage of this story, but even so the chance of alerting a large Asian, African et al audience is surely too good an opportunity to pass up.
    *removes serious face*

    Reply
  7. JuliaM Avatar
    JuliaM

    “I wonder if there isn’t also a practical upshot: there’s going to be thousands of Brits on holiday across Europe this summer.”
    Hmm, good point. This is actually a pretty good way of reminding them to not leave their kids unattended in a room while they wine & dine themselves in a neighbouring cantina…

    Reply
  8. carol42 Avatar
    carol42

    I know no one must be blaming themselves more than her parents. However to leave three children that young alone for half hour at a time was stupidity. I could never have done that, not because for one minute I thought one would be snatched, but they might have fallen, got sick and chocked and, given it seems the patio door was unlocked, wander off. none was old enough to go for help if there was a problem. They are educated professionals what were they thinking of? it would have been crass stupidity from anyone but for two doctors! I doubt if this would have been passed over so lightly if it had been single mums from a council estate. This is not to detract from their very real grief but most people I know think the same and that this is being ignored.

    Reply
  9. Richard3 Avatar
    Richard3

    The media circus is awe-inspiring – so far out of proportion to the event. The display of emotion, superstition and religion is appalling. One can’t help wondering if the displays from the parents and the media frenzy orchestrated by them are designed to direct attention away from themselves and their irresponsible actions. They could afford a holiday in the Algarve, but they couldn’t afford a babysitter. Hm.

    Reply
  10. Michael Avatar
    Michael

    There were a few Madeleine McCann jokes up at sickipedia
    http://www.sickipedia.org/index.php?title=Madeleine_McCann
    but they have been removed and replaced with
    “if you have any respect at all stop posting jokes about madeleine mccann, this is unacceptable and unfair.”
    I guess a line was crossed …
    or was that an international border (boom boom)

    Reply
  11. joanne Avatar
    joanne

    the people who are being so negative make me bloody sick, see if it was your child.

    Reply
  12. joanne Avatar
    joanne

    the people who are being so negative make me bloody sick, see if it was your child.

    Reply
  13. tracy Avatar
    tracy

    the people that choose to tell sick jokes about the abduction of little maddie are the absolute scum of the earth.

    Reply
  14. mike Avatar
    mike

    The family have let it be known that she is called “Madeleine”. Nobody who knows her has ever called her “Maddie”, which was a stupid name dreamed up by the tabloids.

    Reply
  15. sarah Avatar
    sarah

    People that think a child being snatched should have jokes told about it are as sick as the person that took her. If that is the attitude of some people why don’t you grow up and think of the horror that little girl is possibly going through. The world is a shit nasty place, do your bit, by acting normal and try to care. Or are you sick in the head?
    I have a 3 year girl and she is beautiful and clever and very precious! It was unbelievably stupid that they left their children but its done and the only thing the matters is her safe return. Sadly land is being searched for her body right now, lets hope you get some good jokes out of it, eh? weirdos!

    Reply
  16. World Wide Webby Avatar
    World Wide Webby

    A Dad, A Pervert and Maddaline go into a bar…
    Oh wait i can’t type this because of PC Sarah!
    Jokes are said to make otehrs laugh it doesn’t matter of what topic nor who they are about!
    It happpens to everything in life
    Deal with it!

    Reply
  17. WAlker Avatar
    WAlker

    No, not funny.

    Reply
  18. marie Avatar
    marie

    people like yous who are saying sick things and jokes are sick as the people who have this little girl. people like u should not be able to live in this world . every one thinking about themself and this poor little girl what she might be going through so if no one has nothink nice to say dont say nothink at all. and i hope to god nothink like this happens to u lot who are sick in the head.

    Reply
  19. michelle wood Avatar
    michelle wood

    I can’t beleive the world we live in, people who make jokes of something like this? Must be sad people with no children of their own! I am a mother of 2 and if it was my kid I certainly would not let any of my other kids out of my sight. I can’t beleive that two “Educated People” left 3 children under the age of 5 years alone in an apartment, in a foreign country while they “dined”. Anytime we go on holiday, the kids are with us, even sleeping in the buggy’s. But that’s something the McCanns will have to live with for the rest of their lives.

    Reply
  20. billthebobder Avatar
    billthebobder

    Humour is the only way to cope with tragedy. Joke on, amigos, joke on.

    Reply
  21. jim Avatar
    jim

    Deleted not just for bad taste but also because we’ve all heard it already.

    Reply
  22. Mike danson Avatar
    Mike danson

    I think jokes are like swear words, you use them, you know they are bad but you also know that they are hamless words. Stick and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. or should i say anyone.

    Reply
  23. Linn Avatar
    Linn

    All the people that have made the jokes about Maddie McCann are sick!! Maybe if you were all taken from your family and have the happy world you knew taken away you would think twice before doing something so stupid!!! Why don’t you put more effort into the search for the poor child !! Hope you have trouble sleeping at night, you should! May God have mercy on you!

    Reply
  24. Graham Avatar
    Graham

    Those who make jokes about Maddy are as sick as the people who took her? Fuck it I may as well go out and get my a small child then if I’m that bad already!

    Reply
  25. Conor Avatar
    Conor

    There r jokes on sickipedia and they’re just plain WRONG. It’s sick, I dunno how people can find them funny…I wouldnt even consider them ‘jokes’.
    People who come up with them are totally fukd up in the head..seriously!

    Reply

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