Saturday, July 09, 2011
The hero who first reported on the News Corp phone hacking scandal was actor Hugh Grant?
You have to watch this exchange between Grant and ex-NOW reporter Paul McMullen to believe it. Grant essentially destroys this guy's credibility with ease.
Well now I am a little less embarrassed about owning "Love Actually" and having memorized several scenes from "Notting Hill." (Okay, that second one I still find embarrassing.)
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Gryphen, I too am completely hooked on this hacking scandal with Murdoch. And the original story where Hugh Grant recorded this guy with a microphone pen in the guy's pub? Fantastic! I'm reading Daily Mail, the Guardian, Sky News, the Daily Beast, it's all exposing how much political influence Murdoch has had over politics in the US and Britain.
ReplyDeleteThe Milly girl they are referring to:
They were hacking into this 13 year old missing girl's phone and the police thought, because the phone was being accessed, that the girl was still alive. She had been murdered. These guys not only hacked her phone, they dramatically impeded a murder investigation.
More on Murdoch and while I'm reading this, I'm thinking of Sarah Palin. Newsweek has on article here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.newsweek.com/2011/07/10/murdoch-s-watergate.html
and on page two it has this:
News International, the British arm of Murdoch’s media empire, “has always worked on the principle of omertà: ‘Do not say anything to anybody outside the family, and we will look after you,’ ” notes a former Murdoch editor who knows the system well. “Now they are hanging people out to dry. The moment you do that, the omertà is gone, and people are going to talk. It looks like a circular firing squad.”
We have seen how this has started to happen with Sarah Palin. The only reason she is still in the public is with Fox support. But they seem to be pulling support from her in subtle ways. I think all of this is getting very interesting. If he is toppled in the UK, if they pull his acquisition of Sky News, which they absolutely should, won't the Fox News/NY Post/WSJ trifecta in the US be regarded as questionable at minimum?
I love Mr. Grant's words at the end! He held his own throughout; intelligent, measured, factual. I've always enjoyed his acting. Thank-you Hugh.
ReplyDelete"I'm also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her."
ReplyDeleteSimply masterful. And what I love is that he doesn't give a rat's *** about any retribution from the Murdoch Media, which many in H-wood still kowtow to. The emperor is shedding his clothes, and he's losing significant clout. Go Hugh!
ReplyDeleteHere is the original article where Hugh Grant recorded Paul McMullan admitting how their hacking phones:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.newstatesman.com/newspapers/2011/04/phone-yeah-cameron-murdoch
And here is the original time he met Paul McMullan when his car broke down and Paul gives him a ride:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1343376/Hugh-Grants-Ferrari-breaks-dual-carriageway-theres-loo-need-one.html
Isn't it funny how a car breaking down could help humiliate Rupert Murdoch and cost him billions?
Damn, Hugh
ReplyDeleteI am so impressed with you. Keep speaking out. You have shown more intelligence, morals and clear articulation of the issues, than just about anyone I've seen.
Yes, like Gryphen, I'm looking at Hugh Grant a whole lot differently. I'd put him in that unique league of highly intelligent actors whose celebrity is only a small part of their contributions to our society-- the likes of Robert Redford and the late Paul Newman, come immediately to mind. A big toast to Mr. Grant.
love actually is a brilliant film - no embarrassment needed! my husband loves it even more than i do. notting hill, however.... not so much ;o)
ReplyDeleteand you are right, this exchange IS brilliant. hugh doesn't miss a beat. though i can't believe that sleazy reporter was willing to give him all that intel not once, but twice! and he actually states that he knew grant was recording the second conversation! what i don't understand is how he can defend hacking into people's phones as a standard practice. he acts like, not only should celebs have to put up with the paps by nature of their celebrity, but now they also have to put up with phone hacking!!! i read once that michael jackson used to change his phone number more than once a week - well no wonder! i would be surprised if this practice doesn't go on across the pond in the states. oh how i hope murdoch sinks into the fetid swamp of his own making for this.
and thank you hugh grant! i'm going to see if there is some website where we can thank him more directly. good man!
"About A Boy" is an awesome Hugh Grant flick.
ReplyDeleteBut, this... THIS is Hugh Grant's finest work---EVER!
WTG Hugh Grant! PS Gryphen, don't be embarrassed! He is a fantastic actor, and now he can add investigative journalist to his resume. An actor with more credibility than a newspaper editor? Who would have thought?
ReplyDeleteI was very impressed with Hugh Grant - I can't tell you how many times I have watched "Love Actually" but never knew how really brilliant he is. It takes a tremendous amount of courage and genius to expose these buggards, as he has. Thanks for posting the video. I am reassured that the little people, not that Hugh Grant is a little people, but the truth will win out. I loved his line about public interests. How true. Thanks, keep up the great work.. the end is near!! For Palin!!
ReplyDeleteOne other thing, if you want to follow the UK News on this, some sites, such as the Daily Mail, have a UK tab vs. the US editions. Your IP address tells them you are from the US and automatically takes you to the US version but this scandal is being covered more deeply at the UK tab because David Cameron, their Prime Minister, hired Murdoch's editor as his spokesman! See how deep and high this goes?!
ReplyDeleteI have to wonder why Murdoch didn't pull the strings on Maggie Thatcher to get his little sweetheart Sarah her much desired visit? Maybe, Sarah, that should show you that he really isn't that into you any more.
ReplyDeleteThis whole story sounds like a bad made for tv movie!
Good for Hugh Grant..he conducted himself quite well in this exchange. The reporter slash pub owner comes across as a weasely little twerp.
\
I've always said that Palin's "time" was going to take longer because there were others that had to go down with her. The "web of deceit" is much bigger than "just her."
ReplyDeleteGood going Mr. Grant, when you know there is wrong doing it is right to speak up, Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm. So, Murdoch's minions are accused of impeding a murder investigation, in England. Isn't that EXACTLY what Fox News has accused Caylee Anthony's mother (and possibly family) of doing????????
ReplyDeleteIf this scandal does reach across the Atlantic (which I think it probably does), I just wonder how far the Repubs will go to protect Fox News from the fallout. I think the coverup here in the US, or the attempt to stop any investigation, will be job one for the Repub Party. They can't afford to lose their well-oiled, highly-rated Bureau of Propaganda.
ReplyDeletepaul mcmullen is a former ex-NOW editor, not just a reporter.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUjrIn6OzJA
the above is another great interview in which he gets owned.
Bravo, Hugh Grant!
ReplyDeleteGood for him! The feeble idiot in the striped sirt was shorn of any trace of credibility in this brief exchange.
ReplyDeleteHe's a pretty good actor, but clearly there was no "acting" here.
Love watching this scandal unfold!
I love it when Paul asks Hugh, are you recording? Hugh says "no".
ReplyDeleteHaha, Who me? Recording? I'm just an actor, what do I know about that? You were saying?
Hugh Grant is very intelligent and has a certain disdain for "stardom" and calls it a silly way for a mature adult to live. He says he sort of "fell into" acting and doesn't consider it his life's work.
ReplyDeleteGreat job, Hugh! I'm wondering if he'll stand for office at some point?
OT sorry, but this is very big and very good news!
ReplyDeleteRussell Pierce the dick head from AZ who started all the racist immigration legislation is being RECALLED! They have way more than needed signatures that have all been qualified.
I'll be casting my vote against him come Nov., next Sheriff Joe!
http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2011/07/08/breaking-arizona-voters-to-sb-1070-architect-papers-please-senate-president-pearce-has-been-recalled/
"Pearce has two options: Resign from office within five business days, or become a candidate in the recall election. Either way, Pearce becomes the first state senate president in recent memory to be recalled in the nation."
So glad you're paying attention to this important story, Gryph. It's getting HUGH coverage over here in England, but a lot of Americans don't yet realize just how big this is. (It's already being called "England's Watergate.")
ReplyDeleteMurdoch has FAR too much power and influence in the political systems of England and America both - and the promotion of Sarah Palin via his vast media empire is only one of the many, many ways he has harmed both of our countries.
For any readers who want a good, concise explanation of what the Murdoch scandal is all about, there is an excellent vido of Nick Davies (the journalist who has been courageously and doggedly persuing this story for several years now) over on the Guardian Newspaper website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2011/jul/07/news-of-the-world-phone-hacking-nick-davies-rupert-murdoch-video
"You should try real journalism, Paul. You're not an idiot, you could probably do it." HAHA, go Hugh.
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe this man was trying to defend his illegal hacking practices - what better way to get information than to use a person's own phone? Wow.
Steve Coogan is doing a pretty good job, too.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkeSJLgzG8k
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jul/04/milly-dowler-voicemail-hacked-news-of-world
ReplyDeleteMissing Milly Dowler's voicemail was hacked by News of the World
• Deleted voicemails gave family false hope
• Hacking interfered with police hunt
• Family lawyer: actions 'heinous and despicable'
The News of the World illegally targeted the missing schoolgirl Milly Dowler and her family in March 2002, interfering with police inquiries into her disappearance, an investigation by the Guardian has established.
Scotland Yard is investigating the episode, which is likely to put new pressure on the then editor of the paper, Rebekah Brooks, now Rupert Murdoch's chief executive in the UK; and the then deputy editor, Andy Coulson, who resigned in January as the prime minister's media adviser.
The Dowlers' family lawyer, Mark Lewis, this afternoon issued a statement describing the News of the World's activities as "heinous" and "despicable". He said this afternoon the Dowler family was now pursuing a damages claim against the News of the World.
This. Is. HUGE.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for posting this, Gryphen. I hope your followers recognize that this "scandal" is actually problem that is shaking the foundations of UK and US democracy. Everyone should be paying extremely close attention.
Hugh Grant wants a truly free press, which is why he's helping to expose this corruption.
But the journalists at the News of the World then encountered a problem. Milly's voicemail box filled up and would accept no more messages. Apparently thirsty for more information from more voicemails, the paper intervened – and deleted the messages that had been left in the first few days after her disappearance. According to one source, this had a devastating effect: when her friends and family called again and discovered that her voicemail had been cleared, they concluded that this must have been done by Milly herself and, therefore, that she must still be alive. But she was not. The interference created false hope and extra agony for those who were misled by it.
ReplyDeleteThe Dowler family then granted an exclusive interview to the News of the World in which they talked about their hope, quite unaware that it had been falsely kindled by the newspaper's own intervention. Sally Dowler told the paper: "If Milly walked through the door, I don't think we'd be able to speak. We'd just weep tears of joy and give her a great big hug."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jul/04/milly-dowler-voicemail-hacked-news-of-world
OT, here is James Wolcotts take on Palins undefeated crap. He calls it Pity Porn. HA!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.vanityfair.com/online/wolcott/2011/07/pity-party-porn.html
Hugh Grant is awesome!!! So, he's not the greatest actor in the world, but he doesn't take himself too seriously like some other people, and not only may he very well be the one that brings down News Corp., but he made $12 million on a Warhol painting he bought once, on a lark, after flying from England to the New York on the Concord to extend a bender and visit his brother!!! I heart him...
ReplyDeleteAnd I LOVE Love Actually!!! Hugh Grant's speech in that movie makes me want to be British...
RE: 7:18 AM
ReplyDeleteThey can try to stall it, BUT if they hacked into the phones of celebrities in the US, there is NO WAY this is going to be hushed aside. There. Is. No. Way. In the battle of celebrities v. politicians, celebrities always, always, ALWAYS win the hearts and minds of the people. And I'm talking real celebrities, SARAH. You no qualify. (Although I doubt that Sarah will be reading this thread as it doesn't pertain directly to her.
Thank you, Gryphen, for keeping us informed about this brewing disaster for Fox. Your observations are spot on. I knew I loved Hugh Grant for more than his acting and great looks. He is now my permanent British hero.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I gleaned from this tape of Grant was that there might be a big story put out there to distract from the fall out of UK phone tapping.. maybe that is why the NEx put out Babygate,.. that may be the distraction to try to take the pressure off Murdock? Wow, is this getting good or what.. with the internet and the perseverance of bloggers and Grant and such, this just gets better and better.. good luck to all you "real reporters."
ReplyDelete7:45 THANK YOU for that video link to Nick Davies' explanation. Excellent video and I thought I had read everything, but he puts it in a nice A to Z way, although the story is still a pebble on its way to a boulder.
ReplyDeleteIt's my understanding that NIck Davies' stories in the Guardian this week are what really started exposing how bad this is and it grew from there. I hope he has security!
Just think of how many lives and worthy causes have been needlessly tarnished or ruined by the false accusations, rumors, and innuendos of Fox News. It is beyond comprehension. At the same time, they have angrily and one-sidedly promoted countless sleezy, perverted, angry, and evil people into positions of power. Once in power, many of those people have worked non-stop to denigrate others while apparently working to make the lives of the poor and middle-class as miserable as possible. It makes my skin crawl. This network seems to have intentionally, in pathological paranoia, and with a vengeance pushed the level of political discussion and compromise and civil discourse in this country downhill – to such a point that the foreseeably resulting nastiness has resulted in incitement to physical violence, actual violence, and lives lost. All of this has happened since Fox became a 'news-reporting' channel in 1996. IMO they have brought our nation almost to a point of no return, a point where our democracy may even become unworkable due to the civil (or should I say uncivil) hatred that they seem to have so gleefully stirred up. In addition to doing and promoting these evil deeds and pretending to be goodie two-shoes and holier than everyone else, Fox network contains some of the filthiest, most violent, and most sexually explicit and perverse programming of any network out there.
ReplyDeleteIMO Fox is an organization from hell, and all of their fruits prove it.
O/T Texas isn't into Bristol.
ReplyDeleteShe Came, She Signed, She Left After 30 Minutes
http://youcallthatart.wordpress.com/
2011/07/09/she-came-she-signed-
she-left-after-30-minutes/
Grant's last comment was priceless: "You should try journalism, Paul. You're not an idiot - you could probably do it."
ReplyDeleteMore please.
I think Hugh Grant said he stumbled into acting, but he doesn't consider it his life's work.
ReplyDeleteHugh Grant wrote an article about the phone hacking - could he win a Pulitzer Prize for breaking this story?
ReplyDeleteI love the civil way they argue. Can you imagine this on an American talk show?
ReplyDeletePaul McMullen looks like a serial killer. Just sayin'
Anon @ 7:52:
ReplyDelete"He said this afternoon the Dowler family was now pursuing a damages claim against the News of the World."
I have long felt that we are way too litigious a society, and far too many absurd and frivolous lawsuits are filed that clog up our courts and make a joke of our legal system, awarding people tremendous amounts of money for stupid reasons.
However, in this case, I hope the family sues and wins an enormous judgement against the Murdoch empire.
"You should try real journalism... you're not an idiot... you could probably do it."
ReplyDeleteClassic. Classy. Brilliant.
I was not especially a Hugh Grant fan, but I am now.
ReplyDeleteOK - I am now in love all over again with Hugh Grant. (You are my hero too Gryphen. )
ReplyDeleteQuestion,How is "fair and balance" Fox covering this.For too long Fox and the Rpugs have showered the American people with their hate,bigotry and bulling,using the likes of Sarah Palin to pollute our society with their filth.They felt they were God, and could do whatever they wanted,but goodness will prevail and comes in unlikely places and people like Hugh Grant.
ReplyDeleteWe are not going to let them destroy our society,we are going to call them out all the time and keep at it.
As for Sarah/Bristol books,it was always about greed and stupidity,but people are saying enough is enough and it is about time the cooperates who think they can stuff things down our throats are getting a kick in the ass.Bring back decency,good neighbors,and what real America have always been about.
Other News Corp. Outlets Relatively Quiet on Story - Robbery at lemonade stand took priority on one Fox News show
ReplyDeletehttp://www.adweek.com/news/press/other-news-corp-outlets-relatively-quiet-story-133251
This scandal is fascinating. The Guardian is covering the history, timeline, on-going list of victims quite well. Here's a good page to start at:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/media/phone-hacking
Hugh the rascal in the Bridget Jones series was absolutely sexy, I forgave him for the the transgression against his vanilla bag of bones model girlfriend long before anyone else did.
ReplyDeleteGreat article in the June 9, 2011 issue of "Rolling Stone" magazine about Roger Ailes titled The Fox News Fear Factory . Lots of information about how faux news got to be what it is (which is garbage).
ReplyDeleteFox News Accidentally Reports On News Corp Hacking Scandal
ReplyDeletehttp://www.newscorpse.com/ncWP/?p=4813
Aww, Gryphen, I Iove you more now than I did before! I love both of those movies and love Hugh Grant. He's definitely able to fight this one, and I am glad to know he's really got cojones.
ReplyDeleteI hope Murdoch goes down. He is the lowest of scum and is so harmful to this country. Faux News is so dangerous. I just can't get over how brainwashed the people are who watch that station. My friend got married recently and started watching because her husband has it on, and she's turning from a sweet thoughtful and kind person, to someone who is getting mean, paranoid about what the government is doing, etc. It's scary!
But back to you and Love Actually Gryphen, I love that! You made me smile. Thanks.
R in NC
Mr. Grant did a terrific job in countering 'Pauly'!
ReplyDeleteI hope Murdoch and his empire go down, down, down to include his holdings in the U.S. (specifically FOX!). I'd love to see assholes O'Reilly (who has already been proven to get his information unethically), Hannity and the lesser watched, Greta, lose their careers...none of them are true journalists...the fit in the same category as Nancy Grace. Folks, stop watching all of them and they will be dropped...it's all about ratings and advertising.
The amount of money earned is not the point. The law and the right to privacy is the point.
ReplyDeleteAlso, too the respect that a civilized person would show to another human being, especially if their world was being turned upside down.
And if money is the point who earns more Murdoch or Grant?
Gryphen, look at this!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/08/ed-miliband-broken-omerta-old-monster
"The game has changed. The emperor has lost his clothes
Kowtowing to Murdoch will now be widely mocked. Cameron can only press on with the BSkyB deal at his peril"
(.......)
"Meanwhile, US law may enter the fray. A former Labour cabinet minister has alerted attention to the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which makes an American company (News Corp) liable for colossal fines if any employee bribes a foreign official (the Met police) even if no one at head office knew. What's more, any whistleblower inside the company (sacked News of the World reporters), stands to win a percentage of that fine if they report acts of bribery."
Both of those were good movies, Gryph. I know, a little schmaltzy, but good.
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 6:12 - the "Milly" story is actually that the parents (and friends) were calling Milly's phone leaving messages asking her to please call, let them know she was alive. NotW was listening to them all. When the voicemail box got full, there was no way for them to listen to new distraught messages. More than once over a period of weeks the parents had found the VM full, then called back to find room for more messages. Because of this they and the police believed that Milly was alive when in fact she had been dead all along. Rupert Murdoch is a slimy piece of shit.
ReplyDeleteThis will certainly affect our 2012 elections. The uncertainty alone will make people question everything fox does from now on.
ReplyDeleteWill the republican candidates want to go on fox news?
If they do, will it tarnish their reputations?
Would certainly like to see Hannity and Bill O receive unemployment!
This will affect our 2012 elections.
ReplyDeleteIf fox is toppled or so severely crippled, then the republican candidates will not have a news/tv empire dedicated to them.
WIll be interesting to see how this will play out.
Obviously Fox news people will defend fox to the bitter end.
But when will enough be enough with the people who watch it?
And at what point will it be too toxic for the republican candidates to go near the place?
Can you imagine hannity, Bill o and palin and all the others on unemployment insurance?
They must be scared to death they will have to join the people that they have been vilifying about being too lazy to work.
And if they have used hacked info., will they be history?
I hate to be the one to disabuse you of the idea that Hugh Grant is a hero for breaking the NOTW phone hacking scandal. He came very late to the party and only received media coverage because of his celebrity status.
ReplyDeleteAll the hard work was done by Nick Davies at The Guardian, who with the full support of his editor, Alan Rusbridger, has been chipping away at the tissue of lies for more than two years often in the face of derision from others in the media who for a long time failed to understand the significance of the story that he was trying to expose.
Give the credit where it is due and don't be blinded by celebrity.
Here's a link to Nick Davies' blog and the articles that he has published on the topic - Phone hacking scandal.
My admiration of Hugh Grant went up big time.
ReplyDelete