Jack Monroe #149 How dare you defile our oats?

[Ninch55]

I have known poverty like that, albeit without a child. I was in a homeless unit for 2 months, years back, after getting out of a psych unit (catatonic depression), before being housed, and I remember the staff bringing me a mini jar of Nescafé so I could enjoy a cup of coffee. My stepdad came to visit and had his number plates nicked for a petrol robbery, so the family refused to come to see me again. I got housed and ended up with a social worker at the age of 40 because I was undiagnosed autistic and had nothing more than a pot of yoghurt in the fridge. Thankfully, I had an incredible GP who spotted the problem. It’s harsh, it’s really harsh. I’ve been in full time work for 8 years now but still don’t cope well, financially or emotionally. The idea of affording a 2/3 bedroom bungalow and the clothes and partners with those incomes - it’s unbelievable. I still struggle and a lot of the time can’t cope with life, no matter how much I banter on here. I think I’m going to take some time out because I can’t deal with her shit. I wish I had her money and her privileges, I really do. I’d be so happy.

 

[Veronicaaa]

I .... I genuinely have no words ....

 

[Emmapism]

Off to run the vacuum around the place but just gonna leave this here apropos of nothing

 

[Marmalade Atkins]

I hope Louisa Compton is enjoying the mushy peas.

 

[Veronicaaa]

Oh I love this post, more of this please, squiggles and viggles

 

[Silver Linings]

 

[twinklefoot12]

I've just stumbled on this thread and I'm really shocked.. I genuinely believed Jack's 'single mum on benefits' poverty story and really liked her! So to find out that she's from a well-off middle class family and chose to starve her son and keep him in a freezing cold flat without adequate clothes/shoes and selling his toys etc, just so she could pretend-play poverty for her blog and use her son for sympathy.. it's horrendous. I remember her early stories of writing job applications and her blog posts on a phone using free wifi as she didn't have a laptop or internet at home - it all seemed so genuine.

All the stories about her son going hungry or feeding him meagre meals were awful and I feel she needs to be more respectful of her son's privacy before posting about him now (age 11) saying he has food security issues. Her son could be affected by what she writes and if he does have trauma, surely it's not right to publicly disclose that where anyone including his peers can read it. It's bloody tough being a teenager and won't be easier with her writing that online.

Quote from a 2013 article.. with my fresh perspective I can see the way she writes reminds me of the phrase 'poverty porn' crossed with some Oliver Twist:
"Poverty is the sinking feeling when your small boy finishes his one Weetabix and says: 'More, Mummy, bread and jam please, Mummy,' as you're wondering whether to take the TV or the guitar to the pawnshop first, and how to tell him that there is no bread or jam," she wrote.

It makes me feel really angry - for all the people who are living in real austerity and Jack is essentially making a mockery of that by misrepresenting herself as someone with lived experience of poverty. 100% agree with the comments about "dirt poor", it's a nasty prejudicial phrase.

Thank you everyone who has compiled the evidence and wrote the wiki. I'm really surprised the major newspapers haven't picked this up before parading her as the face of poverty. I feel so naïve for believing it all.

 

[blurstoftimes]

View attachment 436238

Is she trying to make out her life is hard?
Cause surely she could simplify it?

If people are pulling up your lies.. stop lying.
If people are doubting your stories because they have evidence they're not accurate, stop telling stories.

Etc etc.

bounce back you say..

 

[Marmalade Atkins]

Who's that behind the door?

It's Louisa Compton wearing this jacket!

 

[Emmapism]

Babes you've never been dirt poor. You were just a middle class girl with no idea how to manage your money. Nothing has changed you've just got more money to mismanage and a bigger platform.

I think I will take advice about living frugally from someone who doesn't have to lock away their debit card meant for kids, THANKS.

Enjoy your soapy rinsed beans tonight.

 

[Sideboard Bob]

This is the reply to her reply, over on Linda Mc‘s Instagram page, the second comment is another viggle showing support to the first one.

 

[MancBee]

Here’s her reply to the viggle on LM’s Instagram

She locked the thing on its own overnight in a cold bathroom. It was so traumatised that it attempted to reach her in the bedroom for warmth and comfort. She allowed her huge adult half maine coon cat traumatise it further, thinking it funny that it was swiping it away with his paw. She wrapped it in a scarf and tied it around her body. She held it aloft in one hand. She took videos of her forcing it to walk on deformed legs.........I am not a cat lover, but even I could see that what she was doing was not in the best interest of the kitten. She even admitted that she ignored the advice of 3 vets.

But Jack believes she is always right. Always.

 

[Sideboard Bob]

If you want a Robot Wars, you know where to find me but I have to warn you that while my robots look as stupid as yours they are actually able to do things so I'm already multiple steps ahead.

Those fake robot pricks wouldn’t stand a chance TS, and you know it!
I think I can safely speak for everyone here with this -

 

[Silver Linings]

 

[BlendedSlop]

"I've got a nice house, nice jumper, but I rent this house and I'm not out of the woods yet, but I'm not dirt poor like living out of foodbanks"

You're not poor by any definition you fucking charlatan. If you're still struggling even after multiple brand partnerships with household names, articles in national papers and magazines, a BBC presenting gig, royalties from 6 books, advances from books you're supposed to have finished but haven't, speaking slots at numerous seminars and events, affiliate links to Amazon, revenue from your ad-filled website, at least £1,500 a month from Patreon, and all the tip jar donations we don't hear about, you're just shit with money and living well beyond your means. But we already knew that.

 

[Tomato223]

I know this is small fry in the grander scheme of things but why does she repeatedly mention how late she stays up working like this is something to be proud of? I was up till 4am last night finishing an essay. That doesn’t make me a hard worker, it demonstrates my total inability to manage my time effectively. And it’s definitely not something I’m proud of or would announce the the world (except for right now, obviously ).

 

[Blurp]

Going back to Nadiya, she really is the mirror that shows Jack up for what she is. I follow her on Instagram and she is very open about her problems with anxiety etc without making any excuses. Her husband openly adores her (they had an arranged religious marriage in Bangladesh which wasn't legal here as they are both British so a couple of years ago they went off to the registrar and married again, "this time for love"), gorgeous children with age-appropriate behaviour and likes but who have been taught to cook - and do so for the family by choice - and who take part in the weekly house cleaning. She is close to her siblings and parents and her sisters often interact with her on SM. She has been open about how lockdown has affected her mentally, particularly due to being unable to see her family as they come from large families, the in-laws have large families, there are several elderly and vulnerable people in the network, and so on so they have chosen to be rigid about bubbles.

Right from the start of GBBO, she was open about how her heritage influenced her baking due to her mother's cooking. She has also spoken about colourism in the Asian community as well as more general racism and Islamophobia. Her anxiety is well documented.

She has published gorgeous cook books with food that has actually worked and which looks lush, had several television series which have also gone down well in the USA, has partnerships with brands which are both food-related and not (such as Swarovski), and is generally a happy, likeable and genuine person with both personal and professional social media where she never needs to delete anything due to a chaos. Oh, and she has happy hens and a family cat too.

Compare and contrast that to Jack, who lives a lie of performance poverty, lies about her history, has had a series of partners, treats her son appallingly, can't cook for [sausage] toffee, is dreadful on television and social media, has fraught and weird relationships with her siblings and parents, playacts with her heritage, is cruel to various pets by neglect and more actively, plays fast and loose with Covid-19 regulations, jumps on every [delayed] bandwagon, has a ghastly presentation, doesn't know who she is, and generally is a total pillock and cunt.

Sorry about the long essay, but Jack would do well to compare and contrast herself with Nadiya in all aspects of her life

 

[DandyLion]

I’ve just read the House article to the end, and this wonderful comment sums up my thoughts perfectly!

 

[PoorPatrol]

View attachment 434313

In 2011 you were on maternity leave then off work sick with stress over scheduling issues, then you quit your job. This is why the "Poverty" started. Shoehorning these lies in is just stupid.

PS

This is where Jack was living in 2012.

View attachment 434319

Then she moved out to save...50 quid a month (article from 2013):

View attachment 434326

If I couldn't turn the fucking heating on, I wouldn't adopt two cats, and I'd sure as shit wouldn't "downsize" to a TWO BED FLAT.

When I first had kids, I had the little two in a one bed flat. So four of us in one room. The kitchen was so tiny it didn’t even have a window. Whatever. Literally just whatever. We had a damn good life compared to 99% of the world’s population. We didn’t have a garden or parking, again, tough shit! I got up every day and took my kids out, and they went to nursery and accessed all the exact stuff that was available in 2010-2013, like children’s centres and baby groups that literally feed you tea and biscuits. Sometimes fruit. Healthy start vouchers were a thing THEN.

I shopped online even back then, and would meal plan every Sunday night before checking out my careful order. My kids ate everything from curries to salads to whatever else, on a very low budget. My husband was working seven days a week for peanuts, and I was always completely solely responsible for two babies. Fuck off Jack. Just fuck the fuck off you bullshitting cunt.

 

[Boyo]

There you go. Fixed it for you. Yw.