Russell Brand and the truth about ‘rape myths’
All the latest analysis of the day's news
An intelligent mix of culture, food, style and property, plus where to go and what to see.
Why do we find it so funny when a man gets hit in the genitals? It’s a regular occurrence in football matches, usually when a defender accidentally blocks a shot with the most sensitive part of his body. Fans and commentators alike treat themselves to a good old snigger. The euphemisms start flowing – ‘caught amidships’, ‘the crown jewels’ and so on. Or, switching to cricket, when Graeme Swann commentated on his former team-mate Alastair Cook: ‘Something got trapped against his leg.’ That injury happened not as Cook was batting, but as he fielded in the slips. The ball evaded his hands and thudded, at considerable pace, into his – let’s throw in a euphemism of our own – ‘gentleman’s area’. So serious was the incident that Cook had to leave the field.
This week's magazine
The prison early release scheme is already a disaster
Four days after he was released from HMP Wandsworth, Michael Bogle was back inside. The 38-year-old had served 11 of 32 weeks in prison for stealing before he was freed last month via the government’s early release scheme. He strolled out of jail, told reporters he would ‘hopefully not’ shoplift again, then stole from a Sainsbury’s a few hours later. The early release scheme was meant to increase prison capacity. But it isn’t working. Since it began two years ago, 80,000 people have been freed, yet there are just 1,000 extra prison spaces. Last week, the Ministry of Justice revealed that more offenders were recalled to jail in the first half of this year (25,531) than were let out (25,255).
Four days after he was released from HMP Wandsworth, Michael Bogle was back inside. The 38-year-old had served 11 of 32 weeks in prison for stealing before he was freed last month via the government’s early release scheme. He strolled out of jail, told reporters he would ‘hopefully not’ shoplift again, then stole from a Sainsbury’s a few hours later. The early release scheme was meant to increase prison capacity. But it isn’t working. Since it began two years ago, 80,000 people have been freed, yet there are just 1,000 extra prison spaces. Last week, the Ministry of Justice revealed that more offenders were recalled to jail in the first half of this year (25,531) than were let out (25,255).
The good, the bad and the ugly in books, exhibitions, cinema, TV, dance, music, podcasts and theatre.
Whenever I hear the phrase ‘national treasure’ I reach for my shotgun. Take David Attenborough. Yes, he may be impressively old – and modest and charming and sweet, so people claim – but he is also a menace who has probably done more to promote environmental hysteria, devious misinformation and spectacular misallocation of your scarce resources than Greta Thunberg, Al Gore and Prince William combined. The most effective propaganda takes you unawares, when your guard is down. So where better than in the cosy 8 p.m. Sunday slot when you are slumped on a sofa, hypnotised with that familiar soothing voice, manipulated by a score (Hans Zimmer) so soupy it could put Heinz out of business, and mesmerised by some of the most visually arresting images you’re ever likely to see.