Jack Monroe #250 Jack Monroe’s Patreon is a scam

[colouredlines]

Let's face it, Nigella Lawson is exactly the kind of out-of-touch rich person who Jack's schtick appeals to. She'd probably believe that the poor sell used lightbulbs and grate corned beef, because it's so far from her sphere of understanding.

These Patreons, like Nigella, won't mind that they're not getting beige recipe cards, because by funding Jack's lifestyle, they are Helping The Poor.

For anyone new, here are some pieces from Jack's original blog, long since deleted by her but kept alive by the Wayback Machine:

(A reminder: Jack quit her job in the fire service in Nov 2011. The official line is that she then spent 18 months in poverty. Here's what she said at the time.)

October 2012 - leaving her "luxury executive apartment" which, at 725/month "is expensive for what it is":

Oct 2012: new flat found. She has adopted two cats, as you do in crippling poverty. Her first priority is buying paint:

Moving House In A Yaris

Following on from flat hunting woes, I've found one and I'm moving. It was all very quick, after several viewings and a bit of wheeler-dealing, and a VERY nice man at Blackshaw Homes, I hold in my ...

web.archive.org

Nov 2012: in the midst of crippling poverty, Jack quits her job (job?) and becomes a self-employed crafter.

Self Employed Single Mummy: Week Three

So, I’m officially in Week Three of self-employed single mummy status. Week three? Where has that time gone? Well so far it’s gone on two exhausting but successful preview days at the Work Of Art G...

web.archive.org

Jack is not a skilled crafter, as evidenced here (that outfit in the second photo!!!): https://web.archive.org/web/20130115204307/http://agirlcalledjack.com/2012/12/31/bread-and-jam/ Nevertheless, she has willingly left her job to pursue this.

She was also writing regular columns for her local paper in autumn 2012 - less than a year after leaving the fire service.

December 2012: Jack's circumstances have improved: https://web.archive.org/web/2013011.../12/11/10-a-week-food-shop-shopping-list-etc/

Contrast and compare:

Jack's 2012 blog, talking about how healthy and delicious her cheap diet is. Note above that she says she CHOOSES to spend such a small amount:

vs 2022's version of the same events:

There's much, much more that I can dig out of the archives. But in conclusion: Jack Monroe never lived in poverty. Jack Monroe has lied for her own gains for the past decade. Don't give her money.

 

[colouredlines]

Jack's meeting with Asda:

"Hi, I'm Jack Monroe. Writer, activist, dreamer, author, campaigner..."

"Yes, we know. We invited you. Look at these photos. Our Shoeburyness branch stocks 45p rice. We are not trying to starve the poor to death. Please stop the conspiracy theories."

"You brought back the 45p rice? MY CAMPAIGN WORKED!"

"No, it was always there."

"Yeah, well I bet it's full of shitty irregular broken grains and rat poo and literal poison, isn't it?!"

"No, it's just rice."

"OK, now answer this. Sainsburys Basics tins of tomatoes were 22p in 2012. They're now 25p. Why do you want to kill the poor?"

"This is an Asda, Ms Monroe. We can't answer questions about our competitors' prices."

"I bet you can answer questions about Charlie Bigham's pies, eh?!"

"...anyway, the issue is now resolved. Thank you for your time."

Jack tweets: 45p rice is BACK! I wonder why... Thankyou all for your support, I couldn't have done it without you. Now I'm going to take a nap as I have literally been awake for 342 hours defending the poor. Send doggos.

 

[Veronicaaa]

This is what you get for softly, gently suggesting that the money given to Jack might be more wisely used to donate to foodbanks. From the #bekind brigade.

 

[Silver Linings]

(I hope this thread title is ok, legally?)

Title by @PortiaControl Nominated by @FunnyFuneral

Spoiler: Housekeeping

Please remember no thread title nominations until the tail end of the thread and to add ‘thread title’ or ‘thread title nomination’. No swearing in them please.

Wiki is the pink button for newbies.

250 threads. Wow. Sadly it’s a little overshadowed by Nigella Lawson telling her 2million plus followers to join Jack’s patreon, which they happily did. Cheers Nige, threads crying.

 

[BlendedSlop]

TD feeling the same as many of us.

 

[Marmalade Atkins]

 

[Marmalade Atkins]

Jack has retweeted Nigella.

 

[Vanelope]

You ordered that yourself

don’t lie

you have a shopping addiction and no friends

 

[OhhBacon]

The lack of critical thinking on display this week is staggering and frightening.

I think it can be challenging for us as a group to watch people fall for her story when it so clearly doesn't add up nor has it been fact checked.

I think the issue is bigger than just Jack, this week has shown the staggering impact of Twitter and celebrity on people's thought process.
If someone with a blue tick, whose politics generally align with the reader says something then readers believe it, seemingly without any research.

Now let's take a Trump or Farage figure; when people look at Trump and his view on the world then they will apply critical thinking and disprove his policies and beliefs. They will be horrified that others can't see through what he is saying and tweet their outrage.

The same applies to others who might not be as strong or outrageous in their opinions but if those opinions are different to the readers then just like that pair they would still be questioned.

However when someone comes along who claims to be seeing things or knowing things that would agree with a persons point of view then no questioning or quick goggle applies. Is it that people are unaware of their bias?

Add a blue tick into the mix and it really is like 'The Oracle has spoken', I am certain if Mary in the cafe said that the values ranges had been ripped out of supermarkets then Sue would likely say, 'Really? I will check that next time I'm in!' Then next week would say, 'Hey Mary, you were wrong the range was in there, maybe when you went in there was a delivery issue.'

The lack of critical thinking and the acceptance of what blue ticker says combined with the argumentative nature of the defenders, who in my opinion are trying to get noticed and be seen to be on the 'right side' really does squash all debate and with the debate going the thinking also seems to be going!

*Thanks for coming to my Ted talk, if anyone can explain what I mean with less words that would be great alternatively you can contribute to my paetron account to fund my PhD research because I really think there is a lot to look at here!

 

[TheDragonWithAFlagon]

I bet more than half of the new Paypigs wouldn't dream of giving a street beggar a fiver because it would 'be used for alcohol or drugs'.

Just because this particular beggar is living in a nice house in a nice area and uses the internet rather than a spot near the trolleys and cash machines or approaching people outside a pub or on a train, that doesn't mean they aren't conforming exactly to every standard reason for not giving spare change.

1. Used for alcohol - she's said she's an alcoholic and has been drinking until very, very recently when she was claiming she wasn't.
2. Used for drugs - apart from the J.1g, she said in Diva that she had been abusing painkillers/prescription medication (amphetamines? Cocodamol/codeine? Sleeping tablets?). A better quality control for drugs doesn't negate the fact that they are still drugs and being misused with all the harms that they cause to the user and all around them - partners, children, relatives, friends, well meaning but easily manipulated or threatened people who can be useful.
3. They aren't homeless and need money for a shelter, they have a flat round the corner - she has a big house in a nice area, full of expensive furniture.
4. They aren't starving, they have plenty of food/their child isn't starving or social services would intervene - she claims she can feed people for fuck all and therefore has plenty of food. And the kid is clearly cared for, whether by his father or any of his other relatives.
5. They've got a mobile phone - yep. A rather nice iPhone, amongst other Apple products.
6. They're wearing better clothes than me - bet there aren't many street beggars kitted out in Vivienne Westwood, Burberry Scarves or Lady Di jumpers, never mind new pleather outfits.
7. They're wearing better shoes than me - all the Nikes/DMs/others.
8. They make more money doing this than they would ever get from a job - Quite.
9. The charities say that it's more useful to donate to a charity because it will help more people for the same money - yup. Those winter fuel payments and subs aren't going on more than one person, after all.
10. It doesn't help them to get out of the helpless mindset or to make better choices - Well, it hasn't so far, has it?
11. They're lying - well, look at practically everything that she has ever said or will say.
12. Giving them that money and enabling them to stay in their current patterns can end up killing them - Well, you're giving a self proclaimed alcoholic and addict a fuckton of money combined with all the other Patreons. And it is well known that very, very few people with addictions stay off their substances for more than a year even after hospital detox or residential rehab programmes. You're giving somebody with known addiction issues shedloads of cash less than a year out of rehab. The odds aren't looking too grand, really, are they?

 

[Veronicaaa]

Like by trifle defender

 

[Skyfall]

Teehee

 

[jenny2603]

View attachment 1027320

This is it lads. While she's out at the meeting Charlie Bigham HIMSELF will arrive at the bungalow like the Milk Tray man and STEAL the notebooks. As he's leaving he'll say "all because the lady loves empty shelves" then he'll do a laugh like Skeletor.

 

[Terrible]

I know it’s maybe a tad early for a Thread Title Nomination, but I’ve been sitting on this all day, and I’m scared I’ll forget it:

FFS Nigella, we said “Fact-check” not “Fat Cheque”.

 

[Marmalade Atkins]

Probably quickly removed a post of her giving excuses for not delivering, and asking them to not comment in public 'cos trolls'

For anyone new, this actually happened

This took a long time to dig out but I found the screenshot:

 

[Cucumberthunder]

589 subs. That's £1800 assuming higher fees (not going to work out tax because, let's face it, she won't).
Because of the way patreon takes fees, she'll be getting at least £1000 this weekend the new subs (350-fees), plus the full £1800 on 1st Feb (ignoring annual subs).
For doing what? Some factually dubious tweets about the stock in her local ASDA, followed by claiming credit for changes the ONS were going to make anyway...
Plus the crafting of carefully worded tweets breadcrumbing poverty.

 

[Veronicaaa]

 

[Veronicaaa]

Apparently expecting someone to pay their taxes is ableist.

 

[traumatised sideboard]

Does it make anyone feel better to know that Nigella Lawson is an anagram of O Anal Swelling?

 

[Deej]

TD, we love you.