Thread by @marcowenjones

1/ On today's episode of why it's embarrassing to be British we will be looking at viral misogyny and hashtag 'growler gate'. I will explain why such a hashtag trended in UK, and why/who was promoting it. #angelarayner

2/ 'Growler' is a British vulgar slang term for vagina. The hashtag in question is a reference to @AngelaRayner. It relates to an ongoing smear campaign by the Daily Mail, where they claimed Labour MP Angela Rayner engaged in Basic Instinct like-tactics to distract Boris Johnson

3/ The Daily Mail reported that Rayner used the term *ginger growler* herself, and joked about using it to distract Boris Johnson in private remarks she made to four unnamed Tory MPs. Labour described this as a smear.

4/ I analysed around 24000 tweets on the hashtags 'growler gate', 'all my growlers' and 'ginger growler'. I also analyzed phrases ' ginger growler' and those using the term in @AngelaRayner 's mentions. All in all, an alarming number of ppl willing to talk about an MP's privates

5/ Here are some of the most influential tweets. Right wing blog @guidofawkes drew attention to the 'ginger growler' story ahead of its release, while others deliberately tried to get it the term to trend (anon accounts of course)

6/ Many well-known influencers uncritically embraced the veracity of the anonymously sourced Daily Mail story, including self-styled free speech advocate and everyman @LozzaFox, journalist @SoniaPoulton @GBNews stalwart @EssexPR

7/ The most salient biographical descriptors of those attacking @AngelaRayner while referring to her 'growler' are pro-Brexit, Boris Johnson fans. Indeed the most frequent noun in their bios was 'Brexit'. This is perhaps unsurprising given the Daily Mail's right wing bias.

8/ The below time series graph shows @GuidoFawkes popularising the term 'ginger growler' ahead of the story's release. He also accused @AngelaRayner of lying about it but doesn't accuse Glen Owen of lying, even though in his initial story he never mentioned Rayner was 'joking'

9/ This story has prompted people to direct abuse at Rayner, specifically mentioning her vagina, which is, of course, what happens when the Daily Mail runs misogynistic smears. In the past 24 hours, over 703 growler-related mentions have been directed at Rayner's Twitter

10/ The nature of this harassment can be seen below. Every two minutes or, Rayner is receiving some bullying comment using the term 'growler'. Imagine receiving that much invasive and vulgar abuse, and imagine that it is being abetted by a national newspaper.Such brave journalism

11/ That I am even doing this thread is kind of absurd. The fact is, the miasma of misogyny that is the Daily Mail ran a misogynistic hit piece because they find it hard to stomach the fact women, especially working-class women, can be successful on their own merits and without

12/ the use of seduction. Indeed, that trope just fits the typical misogynistic stereotype that women exploit their sexuality to manipulate men. Hey it's a story as old as the bible right! Of course, it's not enough that the Daily Mail has succeeded in creating

13/ a national level imaginary of Rayner's naked body, but have prompted a stream of sexualised abuse at her Twitter account. Also @TwitterSupport - learn what a growler is.

14/ So basically. The Daily Mail created an unironic misogynistic hit piece about Rayner that they tried to back track out of by describing it as the result of a joke, despite still blaming Rayner for the misogyny that they'd initiated. All that with the added ignomy of

15/ unleashing a Twitter pile on against Rayner. Be interesting to see what proportion of those accounts are having a pop at Neil Parish. I'm guessing 0