While it would be nice to say it was surprising to read yet another tired old ‘article’ in The Daily Mail newspaper today claiming to offer evidence that Kate has “withdrawn herself from the world” among other inaccurate statements, it really isn’t a surprise. The only reason we’re briefly mentioning it here is that we’ve had a spike in visitor numbers and would suggest that any new visitors read the words that one fan posted as a comment on the Daily Mail website:
“Why do you appear to think that shunning a meaningless existence of celebrity and limelight, makes a person odd?…this woman should be the role model for all young ladies who instead, watching their celebrity obsessed idols, grow up behaving like Divas, falling down drunk, reading magazines about who has just broken up with who and literally aspiring to nothing other than money and fame.” Kyla Clay Fox
Update: Jan Moir, also writing in The Daily Mail, has reacted to the paper’s coverage here.
Kaitlin Moran in the 4th May Times says: “All kudos to the Daily Mail this week, whose ongoing mission to make all its female readers self-loathing, self-harming neurotics too scared to leave the house in case they get mugged by a gay Muslim continues apace.
Reporting on the South Bank Show Awards, held on Tuesday, the Mail online greeted a rare appearance from Kate Bush with a barrage of unflattering pictures and snide comments …This is, of course, the correct way to treat a shy genius …”
Suzanne Moore in the 5th May Daily Mail says: “Adele outsells Michael Jackson, but people remain obsessed with her weight. The goddess that is Kate Bush reappears and snide comments are made about her. Bjork reveals her range of influences, which are called, of course, ‘obsessions’. Lily Allen takes some time out. Why do we not accept our great female artists as artists? Bush, having been hothoused, chose to stay out of the limelight and raise a son. Adele did not sell herself as an emaciated sex machine. Bjork remains at the cutting-edge, forever interesting. Why do we have to pathologise these women as mad, bad or ‘unable to cope’ if they play the game on their own terms? Actually they are all making, in their individual ways, eminently sensible choices.”
Of course, this all just momentarily distracts from the real story this week; the enormous appreciation and admiration which Kate’s work continues to attract. To that end, here’s a reminder of why Kate’s new album has generated so much critical acclaim: another look at Kate’s recent film, Eider Falls at Lake Tahoe. Seán, Dave, Peter & Krys.
[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKPHA3_cBus[/youtube]
Karin
Amen Kyla !
Rod
Excellent post, and excellent riposte to the Mail, Kyla.
Bill
Well said!!!
Stuff the media circus. Kate is Kate and we like her just as she is. Working Mum and Musical Genius!!!
candice
I couldn’t have said it better. Life is so much more than FAME although the Media would have us believe otherwise and more worrying, with the internet, et al, we are sucked more and more into reliance upon media and thus, more likely belief that what they say has some iota of truth. Fortunately for a genius like KB this is not the case. I imagine her life to be one that is far more fulfilling than any famous-attention-seeker’s but I need not speculate, she’s living, out of the limelight, not reliant upon it, and this VALIDATES the belief that there is so much more out there.
Barbara
Kyla, what a great response to that rubbish about Kate. Her work speaks for itself, she doesn’t have to prove anything to those who love her.
Yirry Yanya
Kuddos for Kyla Clay Fox! The point exactly.
The “article” gets too much attention: it popped up everywhere.
Lucy
Amazing how quick they are to tarn people with the ‘mentally ill’ brush these days.
Anyone who goes against the grain must have something wrong with them.
Can’t help but think about poor Syd, how the rest of Pink Floyd milked his ‘illness’ and made a fortune from their songs/albums/films about him while he was still alive, living a quiet life away from the horror of the music industry and fakeness of fame. Thank God Kate was never in a band for the same thing to happen to her.
Journalists are all sick in the head.
We love you Kate. x
Barbara
Lucy, I like Pink Floyd but I felt sorry for Syd Barrett (going by what was said about his dismissal in the biography A Very Irregular Head). Also around the time of ‘The Wall’, Roger Waters was said to have dropped Rick Wright as a Floyd member due to problems caused by Wright’s divorce.
I wouldn’t want to work with Waters – he seems to be the kind of person who won’t allow family matters to affect what HE holds dear.
christopher rye
Well said everyone… the Mail purports to be for women, and yet its website is full of the most exploitative, misogynistic, facile stories. A woman such as Kate – strong, original, talented, self-made, unique, successful, a musician, an innovator, a mother, the only woman (to my knowledge) to ever be nominated for a Brit as a producer, entirely in charge of her own career – ought to be someone that everyone in this country cherishes and holds dear. I suspect the very fact that she has walked away from the limelight and refused to be anything other than a natural, sane family woman (as she has always been) is what makes some so determined to knock her. Because it says to gutter journalists “you’re not needed here”. The outpouring of support for her from most is inspiring, and I, like everyone here I’m sure, am simply delighted to see her happy and well and receiving a well-deserved award.
John
This site would be better to ignore an odious little paper like The Daily Mail rather than to give them publicity.
They’ve never forgiven Kate for complaining about their ‘exposure’ of Bertie. If she saved all the starving children in Africa they’d still be writing snide articles about her.
arosegrowingold
Quite so – this isn’t worthy of the ‘oxygen of publicity’ (although I do enjoy the comments at the bottom of the article)
The work will endure, the pettiness of the bottom-feeders will not
Chromesthesia
I would like to be Kate Bush… or at least like her in the sense of making awesome songs such as THE FOG. Which is MY FAVOURITE SONG IN THE WORLD.
Anthony
Have to admit I must have been reading a different article to everyone else. I didn’t really read anything that character assassinated Kate. The article didn’t really tell anything spectacular, but justing seeing Kate back in the papers was nice., when they are usually full of the Jessie J, One Direction etc tripe.
Peter
the daily mail is a pile off shit basically. they follow any trend they think is safe and from what I have seen do not employ journalists, just in case one should actually file a real story. I am sorry if you are reading this and regularly read any of the british daily rags. My work means that I see some of the world they claim to report and I know if they have nothing ” interesting” to write they simply make it up. To sell copy is all they are interested in. £££££$$$$$££££ and nothing else. And the truth or even good news does NOT sell.
corinne
I’d want to hide away from all that crap too. It’s so shallow, humiliating and fleeting. Kate’s a talented ARTIST not a cheap celebrity; shes in it for the long run, it’s in her blood. Boo to them all Kate! x
SiO'D
Daily Mail is a real rag. This is just lazy, uninspired journalism which denies the real story (the award and her art) and rakes over old stories, that were based on half truths in the first place. A classic example here is taking a note of humour from a R4 interview about a new wave of inspiration and productivity being related to a bag of bonemeal left on the piano during a gardening session and turning that into some bizarre obsessive superstition. I have and will never read it since their disgusting coverage of Stephen Gately’s death. Best thing we can do as a collective community is to reduce their profits by boycotting it’s purchase.
Isabelle
Great post, Kyla!
We know the article is a load of non-sense written just to amuse the readers. The sad thing is people will believe it all. But Kate is and always will be loved and respected amongst her fans. No Daily ‘Fail’ will ever change it.
xxx
Nanette
Dear Sean, Dave, Peter and Krys:
There’s a typographical error at the head of the page. For “Daily Mail”, substitute “Birdcage Liner”.
Peter
🙂 🙂
sean
The Daily mail don’t like anything much really. I agree entirely with the response from the Kate fan. So true. What a pointless article about someone with Kate’s longevity, who released two works last year. I am one of those ‘types’- hated by the Daily mail and happy to be so.
Greg
What a silly quilt of an article. Knowing all the root sources cited, it’s stunning to see how details have been massaged in pursuit of “the scoop.”
Gabriella
Kyla Clay Fox,..you said,..whats going on and it so true,…thank you for being here,..
much love Gabi
Gursel Ali
I love that too but My all time favourite and will be my funeral song is it’s cousin
The Morning Fog….
Gursel Ali
Look thank God I haven’t seen it!
It’s a mad world indeed a world gone mad for gossip and mud raking …. who’d want to be part of it? Who’d want a bar of it?
I remember when Warhol championed celebrity for his art- as art, but it WAS art! It was a true statement. I think even Andy would be stunned by how far the celebrity culture has come to take the place of the actual work of the artists. There’s a huge focus shift. It’s a bit scary.
neil
Kate apparently shouting ‘Get off my land!’ when anyone comes near? They forgot to mention her shotgun though.:)
Peter
“I’m gonna get him and I will not miss….”
Barbara
I hope you all saw Russell Howard’s show last night on BBC-3! He said about the Daily Heil that they do down women who do something good (no Utah Saints pun intended, honest!) and yet print pictures of actresses with their tits and asses out.
All I can say about the Heil article is that they cannibalised bits of Graeme Thomson’s book and twisted it to their own petty ends. A bit like Jehovah’s Witnesses with the Bible.
The same week ITV1 also showed a Wills N’ Kate documentary in which Middleton (a mute puppet much loved by the Heil as well as her sister) was described as ‘a working mum’. When Middleton releases something as well loved as Kate’s catalogue I’ll believe them.
JohnnyGee
The angle taken by the Daily Mail is as cretinous as it is predictable. These people peddle cliche and stereotype, tosh and tripe.
Kate displays decency and commonsense in the way she lives her life privately. She is in a sense an utterly normal person. The fact that she also creates music of stirring beauty is a remarkable thing (for which I and many others are extremely grateful).
I am not surprised that the Daily Mail is unable to understand someone like Kate. Personally I wouldn’t even want to defile myself by wiping my arse with this publication.
Mandy
I couldn’t agree more! It’s a vicious and nasty little rag, that serves only to belittle and attack truly talented people. Women like Kate seem to be “fair game” for them. In fact, any women with talent, intelligence and integrity are routinely attacked and ridiculed. The obsession it has with appearance, and how every woman is scrutinised is actually quite vile. Kate Bush is an icon..and one who maintains her own privacy, and quite rightly too!
aerialgrrl
I’m intrigued by the fingerless gloves.
John
The barest mention of Jan Moir in any context and I’m vomiting blood. Who gives a **** what she thinks? Kate doesn’t need the approval of the likes of her any more than she needs the criticism of the paper in question.
giulio
Kate Bush is an original Artist.
Wonderful woman. It was a pleasure to see her and hear her speak.
Although she’s famous, she has never wanted to be a ”celebrity”.
You look great Kate, and you are an extremely talented Artist.
🙂
edov
C’mon people, lighten up 🙂 How important is that article really? It’s like, whatever…
Nanette
Could we not drag religion into this please? All right, so you don’t like the way Witnesses interpret the Bible. One could say the same about Witnesses, snake handlers, fundamentalists, Catholics, Methodists, and every other religious group. Kate’s music is beautiful, surely, but her art and her life are hardly Holy Writ!
Barbara
I wasn’t saying Kate’s music was Holy Writ, just saying that the Daily Heil twist stories from elsewhere to fit their own agenda.
Nanette
Point taken. I’d just rather you not use the religious analogy. After all, I do believe this site unites fans of good music and it would be sad to start dividing people by religion, etc. There’s plenty of that in the rest of the world. The U.S. is right next door, and I get to hear all that by the bucketful :-/
Donna
This dreadful newspaper article illustrates why our lovely Kate has never courted ‘celebrity’. It made my heart sing to see her collect this award because it’s so deserved and I hope this awful article doesn’t taint such a special occasion for Kate (or discourage her from appearing in public again). Thanks Kate for all the glorious music and thanks also to the katebushnews team for keeping ‘us up to date’ so brilliantly X
Collin Kelley
The Daily Mail isn’t even good enough for wrapping fish or lining a bird cage. The fact that people continue to support “newspapers” like this and the rank tabloids still amazes me.
jackie king
What more could you expect from the daily hate mail? Ignore their pathetic lies and rejoice in the recognition of such a fantastic album and artist!
kennym
I wouldn’t give the Daily Mail the pleasure of wiping my a*** with it. It’s a rag and doesn’t deserve to be called a “news” paper.
Harry Horton
I don’t take any of these articles overly seriously, and there is way too much negatives centered on Kate Bush that get blown out of proportion and sets off a cascade of reactions in all different directions that wind up scattering to nowhere. In the end its much to do about nothing.
Robin Hooppell
Who cares what some journalist writes? It is wrong to comment on appearences, but difficult not to. Personally I’d love her and her music even if she were a mountain goat.
Robin Hooppell
Just thought I’d add my definition of a journalist, given that they write about anything at all. ” A journalist is somebody who doesn’t know about what he is writing about.” Unlike artists and song writers or even teachers. At school the journalists were the ugly people standing in the corner of the playground, ignored by everyone who could take part in life.