Most Inflential Woman. Really?

[caddyman]

The press being disingenuous: surely not?

The Metro (a free daily newspaper, for non-UK residents) is trumpeting the headline that Leona Lewis has won the vote for London’s most influential woman. They then go on to add in the subtitle, “International Women's Day: Leona Lewis has been named by Metro readers as their most influential woman to live or work in London in the past century.”

If that were true, it would be rather depressing, given a list that includes Margaret Thatcher (like it or lump it, the UK’s only woman Prime Minister), Emmeline Pankhurst, the suffragette, Betty Boothroyd, former Speaker of the House of Commons, or Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, former President of the Family Division of the High Court of Justice, before listing other famous women from various branches of the political, sports, entertainment, arts and media worlds.

However, the poll that Ms Lewis won didn’t ask people to vote for the most influential woman on the list, it asked people to vote for their favourite on the list (my italics). That is a rather different thing. On that single criterion, it is not unreasonable that she would win, given her current popularity.

But whether she is actually that influential, or deserves to be on the list in the first place is another matter. Regardless, being voted ‘favourite influential woman’ does not equate with being ‘most influential woman’.

So the headline is just plain wrong. Misleading at best, and outright lie at worst.

International Women’s Day

Comments

[bluesman.livejournal.com]

This sort of thing gets me all indignant.

She can't be that influential; I had to look her up in Wikipedia (mind you, I don't live in London any more). She's a pop singer, for heaven's sake, not a leader of nations or a groundbreaking scientist. Are we told in what way she has influenced people, apart from getting them to spend their money to hear her music?

I'm always wary of such politically correct BS occasions and, as usual, this person gets the vote because she is jolly popular rather than because she did anything important (you rightly mention Emmeline Pankhurst and the hugely influential but reviled M Thatcher).

So, a media-driven popularity contest, then. Will they make such a fuss for the equally meaningless International Men's Day in November? Who will be the most influential chap? My vote goes to Freddie Starr. Hecky thump yes.

[keith-london.livejournal.com]

I wonder if it's simply a reflection of the times we live in? Celebrity "earned" through reality TV, and in Leona's case, with talent as well, does carry a lot of weight these days. (Even the late Jade Goody got ranked 25th most influential person in the workd in 2007 - by Heat Magazine). People voted for Leona, buy her songs, and book in their millions. She represented Britain in the handover ceremony in Beijing 2008, and in 2009, she was chosen to sing the theme song for 'Avatar'. She was the first British woman to hit number 1 in the US pop charts in over 20 years, with 'Bleeding Love' in 2008. She's certainly good for 'brand' Britain. Not sure about the way she was given the accolade of 'most influential' by the Metro - but she certainly commands a lot more influence (and power) than people might credit her.

[keith-london.livejournal.com]

I'd listen to Leona Lewis any day, than some snobbish, self-appointed arbiter of what constitutes an outstanding achievement or not.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Perhaps if Emmeline Pankhurst had got up on stage with Robert Plant and rattled out "Whole Lotta Love" this would be a non-issue.

[itsjustaname.livejournal.com]

Lovely comment on Twitter to the Metro from Dave Gorman along the lines of If a poll gives you a result that's that stupid don't embarras yourself.