Be Excellent To Each Other

It seems that every day, some twonk loses the plot and makes a fatal mistake that could potentially ruin their career, their reputation and/or their family life. What is it about people in public life that they can't stop themselves acting unwisely?

Here's a nice one to start off with. Congressman admits underpants photo.

Heh, his name is pronounced Weener.

Weiner!

Problem is, as far as US Congressmen go, he is one of the good ones. The really good ones. Look up his speeches on the Health Care debate.

Please tell me that the rest of you can, in the final seconds of the video, hear the guy at the press conference shout the question 'WERE YOU FULLY ERECT?'

But do his underpants pass The Window Test? That's what's really important.

Just cranked up the sound, and by golly, you're right.

(BROAD GENERALISATIONS AND UNSUBSTANTIATED STUFFS AHEAD) Here's how I see it. Politicians and other high-flyers tend to be knuckle-down work hard types who voluntarily forgo much of the hedonism that normally comes with being young. They may find a similarly driven partner and get married, but they tend to be focussed on their goals. When they achieve their goals and become a famous face, rightly or wrongly, they're going to be getting attention from strangers. Sexy attention (it takes all types, look at John Prescott for fuck's sake!) that they will be flattered by and will perhaps respond to in an attempt to make up for their missed youth.

Absolutely.

But thinking about the number of high profile people who've fecked up in really stupid ways, wouldn't you think that the supposedly intelligent ones wouldn't make such silly mistakes?

Nobody every thinks they'll get found out.

Is that the sound of the perfect person throwing the first stone? I doubt that there's any great difference in numbers between those in the public eye and the frequency of deviations across the population as a whole. We all have foibles, but those in the public eye are more likely to have them exposed (and probably have more opportunities to do exercise them).

There was an amusing statistic I saw last week about the percentage of the population in prison, and the percentage of MPs in the last government now in prison which I'm sure someone can find.

Malia has it on his wall on the sinister facebook, from 'Private Eye':

Agreed, but not many people would be interested if I sent a pic of my shreddies to a young lady on t'internet and I have a lot less to lose than someone in public life, which is why I'm still amazed at how often one of them drops a bollock. I'm sure Mr Russell is correct in his assertion.

Aye. You'd expect them to have some idea of how nasty the press can be. But, we're only human.

Also, seriously, sending a picture of his pants to someone? Is that all? Is that actually worth wrecking someone's career over?

I think he might have been wearing them, with a stiffy, at the time.

It was described as an explicit photograph.

It was explicitly a pair of pants.

The UK meaning of the word, not the US.

Nah, I'm pretty sure 'explicit' means the same on both sides of the pond.

Why is is a pair of pants? You cant have a pant, it's a leg.

Trousers used to come as a separate bit for each leg, which laced together at the top.

They still do if you keep them for long enough.

My flirtation with Congressman Weiner - Meagan Broussard


FFS girl, if you're going to be interviewed on TV, DON'T CHEW GUM!!1111

I read this completely out of context, and my mind got very confused.

Hmm. I fancy a pair of lace up trousers, now!!

Porridge for Ofcom IT boss in £500k software fraud. How could he possibly believe he would get away with it? And working for Ofcom, ffs.