Rupert Murdoch gets Burma-Shave pie in the face
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Nothing says, “Answer the dang question” like a pie in the face.
Testimony by Rupert and James Murdoch before a Parliament committee was interrupted Tuesday morning when a man in a checked shirt attempted to shove a plate full of shaving cream into Murdoch’s face. The man, later identified as a UK Uncut activist, was quickly hustled out of the room, though not before Rupert Murdoch’s wife, Wendi, rose in protective fury and clocked the guy.
It was a startling and bizarre moment in the long and often-repetitive testimony that is part of the investigation into the journalistic practices of News Corp. and forced committee members to pause in their generally scalding interrogation of the father and son to commend the media mogul for agreeing to continue.
Louise Mensch, the Parliament members whose turn it was when the pie incident occurred, expressed her admiration for Rupert Murdoch’s ‘huge guts’ but warned that her questions would still be tough. And, indeed, she quickly asked whether, in light of the scandal at the News of the World, Murdoch was investigating his other papers for similar offenses. No, Murdoch answered, but he was prepared to do so. Mensch was not satisfied, pushing James and Rupert to face the ineffectual past investigations so hard that he was reduced to a few moments of actual babble and demanding to know why Rupert Murdoch has not considered resigning.
Because he still thinks he is the best man for the job. And, as was wryly observed, his wife has a very nice left hook.
Update: Comedian and anarchist Johnnie Marbles has identified himself as the pie-thrower, tweeting, ‘It’s a far better thing than I have ever done’ a paraphrase of the famous quote from Charles Dickens’ ‘A Tale of Two Cities .’
See our post on the Company Town blog here.
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-- Mary McNamara
