Those F Word readers living in London will not have missed yesterday’s copy of The London Paper which ran with the headline “‘RAPE’ GIRL GRATEFUL FOR SEX, SAYS LAWYER”.

Yes I know… And the article goes on to back up this argument by saying that the victim was overweight at the time of the attack. Evidently rapists are getting picky these days.

Now you sort-of can’t really blame the lawyer because it is her job to get the guys (three of them in this case) off the hook, although personally I don’t think I could live with myself if I said things like that in a court of law and a case like this. However what sort of a newspaper takes such ridiculous comments and reprints them as “news”?

Oh hang on - THIS sort of paper. Page 2 features Dita Von Teese in only a thong and a couple of pasties. Page 3 features entrants in the send-in-a-photo-of-yourself-in-swimwear contest. And by page 23 they are asking readers to phone in to a premium rate number and vote for which woman should receive the top prize of … wait for it … a modeling contract. And, for those of you who live outside London, this paper is distributed aggressively for free on all major train, bus and commuter routes, to the point where by 7pm my bus is literally carpeted with copies people have glanced through and dropped. Your free misogynist handout every day. If by any weird chance you don’t think The London Paper is the best thing to happen to London in years, the good news is they would love to hear from you (apparently). Contact yourview@thelondonpaper.com, be nice now!

Posted by Kate Smurthwaite on 18 May 2007, at 8:36 AM