Hello Frauen! Long time grunker, first time poster here. I read you like origin stories so here is mine:
I have a Jack cookbook that I got as a gift years ago (Cooking on a Bootstrap) when I was a strapped-for-cash student, tried one recipe (I
think it was an easy-bake break type thing which failed miserably, so I shelved it and never attempted anything else from it, putting it down to me being useless in the kitchen rather than the recipes being fundamentally flawed…)
I followed Jack on Twitter after getting the book, saw her posts at times and generally held the impression that she was a do-gooder prima facie and didn’t interrogate any further. I’d see tweets that generally aligned with my own views and think ‘ah okay cool’ but didn’t think much else of Jack.
When the wool was pulled from my eyes was the Jamie Oliver pile-on; I just thought that was deeply deeply unkind for someone I had an impression of as very
be kind
and when she called tin can cooking her ‘specific niche’ I was like
because if your primary motivation is ensuring as many people have access to easy, cheap recipes in a pandemic (and latterly the cost of living crisis), surely a Big Name sharing those kinds of recipes is a positive thing, no?… It then dawned on me that Jack’s actual motivation was herself; her own profile and was only invested in ‘poverty campaigning’ when she was the centre of it.
Then came the Awfully Molly blogs and that was the absolute final nail in the coffin. I supported Molly and thought she approached things very fairly and corroborated everything she put out there. Jack’s reaction to Molly as an EVIL BAD TROLL and to encourage her flying monkeys to dogpile her just cemented my view that she was a self-serving, narcissistic and nasty person who only cared about preserving her place in the spotlight (meagre though it is) and about maintaining her view of herself as this Holier Than Thou Perfect Smol Angel who is above reproach and that anything threatening that was immediately shot down and ripped apart rather than recognising that as someone with a public profile she should respond to questions and concerns with facts and at least a degree of civility.
Of course Molly referenced Tattle a lot, which led me here! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading the threads (it’s become a bit of a nighttime routine to have a little read of Tattle, giggle at the jokes and have my eyes OPENED to say the least). You all seem like a jolly great bunch and
forensic
in your analysis (the Wiki is a beaaautiful resource, congratulations!!) and it’s a pleasure to be able to finally join properly, because I’ve so often wanted to be able to respond to things and contribute!
So, hello! Nice to sort-of meet you and be among you. I look forward to grunking, mithering (MY-thering
) and having a laugh. 🩷
. Probably an error in hindsight).