If BBC presenters were not wearing poppies, that would be wrong. Now they're being criticised for wearing them too early.
Primly Stable has already blogged on the Mail's article. She points out that their original headline was 'BBC presenters criticised by charities for wearing poppies too early' eventhough there are no 'charities' being critical, just a few individuals (including the usual BBC messageboard people).
Indeed, the Royal British Legion were quoted as saying:
'What we do say to people is that when you receive your poppies – organisations, retailers, whoever – we set guidelines and say the national launch will be from 28 October,' said a spokesman.
'But it's really down to the individual as to when they choose to wear their poppy. We would never say they're wearing their poppy too early.'
So no real problem then.
However, a second version of the article has severely reduced this quote.
The Telegraph, jumping on the BBC-slating bandwagon, have churned out their own version of the same story, but at least they point out that BBC presenters starting wearing poppies on 23 October this year - exactly the same date as they did last year. The Independent was also concerned, explaining in an editorial:
The wearing of poppies, like the preparations for Christmas, seems to start a few days earlier every year. The artificial red flower was already adorning many a BBC presenter's lapel on Saturday, more than three weeks before Remembrance Sunday on 14 November... By stretching out the time in which the poppy is worn, we devalue its significance.
And yet, this year, the Yeovil branch of the British Legion launched its poppy appeal on 23 October. Will these papers criticise them too?
Or will they criticise the Sun and Express for flaunting their poppies before the official appeal launch date on 28 October?
And what about the Daily Star? They were equally happy to report on the criticism of the BBC, but there was just something about their article which made it feel a little hypocritical:
Yes - their own banner poppy rather undercuts the message 'don't put on poppy too early'.
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