David Beckham

I was pleasantly surprised to find a section for England’s most loved / hated man. And I certainly couldn’t resist writing an editorial about the guy. Whatever your feelings for him, I hope you enjoy reading my opinions on the man and the myth.

Firstly, I absolutely hate Manchester United Football Club plc and everything they stand for. I did so before they dominated English football and will stand as an ABU all my life. Obviously much of this is derived from jealousy and this affliction is the major driving force behind people’s hatred (and hatred is an apt word) for David Beckham.

But unlike Man Utd, I do not hate David Beckham, I respect them both and admire him and his wife for what they have to stand up to. Man Utd are a football club and football is a game, it may stir up raw emotions of excessive swings, but it’s still a game, so hating them is OK. Hating a human being is not something you should be proud of. Manchester United doesn’t have feelings, but David Beckham does.

The jealousy derives from the fact that he’s good looking. Blokes hate him for being better looking that them and girls hate him for their boyfriends not being better looking than him. He is rich, successful, married to a beautiful woman and he is one of the finest players of his generation. The English media love to knock "stars" off their perch and so do the English people. It’s a more popular sport than football, but can be crueller than Fox hunting, because we are dealing with real people.

Some say he is over-rated as a player, but I think that that is just bollocks. He is worthy of his position in the FIFA rankings of 6 and far and away the best English footballer. He would walk into any team in the world bar Real Madrid, where the older, more experienced Luis Figo resides.

The term "thick and thin" may be pretty funny, but the closer you look at such derogatory terms, the less funny they become. If you’re daughter was anorexic or looked it, you wouldn’t poke at her and show her up to the world. The media and the public did this to get back at the Beckhams. As for David being thick, he certainly doesn’t come across as particularly astute, but who’s to know what he’s like in public. Half the people slagging him off were idiots and do you laugh at people in public who are not as intelligent as you?

They are self-publicists to a large degree, but most people miss the irony of a lot of their publicity stunts. They may have stupid taste in clothes, but just because they don’t completely conform to taste, they apparently need to be mocked. The tyranny of the majority is trying to dictate taste here.

Somewhat ironically, they were crucified for receiving cash from OK Magazine for their wedding exclusive. The charge of greed was called out by a nation fixated with "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" and the Lottery, which is something akin to the pot calling the kettle black.

I don’t expect people to suddenly stop making fun of the media’s easiest target and his wife and kid. But I would like to remind everyone who does make fun (as I do on occasion) that it is extremely childish. Things get more serious when attacks get personal and even go as far to threaten the privacy and safety of Brooklyn Beckham. There’s nothing wrong with poking a bit of gentle fun at someone. But hasn’t the Beckham joke worn out a little?