well, this was of course inevitable. we have a world of books, DVDs and maybe even apps coming along about Stumpie and his anger issues with doors. it was with some surprise, i must confess, that i saw this one coming out now, something like a week or so before he gets a suspended sentence or possibly just a fine for his "misunderstanding".
it was a bit of a surprise too to see that it has been issued with different covers around the world.
i must say i am impressed with the title for the most part, as it does draw attention to that most distressing thing of this whole case that has been overlooked - that a perfectly good bathroom door was mercilessly and needlessly destroyed.
few bathroom doors in this world have ever personified the magisterial beauty possible in the art of doors as the one Stumpie was fortunate to have in his house. it was simply magnificent, indeed breathtaking in a very real sense.
i remember some, arguably less informed, people got all upset about how some copper theoretically investigating the case took the door home. all that crying and moaning about how it was compromising evidence, tainting the case and just plain wrong missed the point. it was truly a magnificent door, and well worth showing off to the world. the South African police have a proud reputation of removing splendid items from crime scenes to show off to others, taking this door was simply the logical extension of that.
it still distresses me, and many other bathroom door enthusiasts, that Stumpie went right ahead and took a gun and then a cricket bat, or whichever way around it was, to that one. what he did was as criminal as if he had taken a biro or something to the Mona Lisa, without the beneficial side effect of upsetting the French that would happen.
i think there's a case for us in England being very jealous of South Africa and America here. just look at how pretty the cover for the book they have is. to some it might just seem like lazy photoshop rubbish, but that's missing the point. the pretty lovehearts behind Reeva really underline the tragedy of the door, and the blueprints of the house where the door was one proudly displayed does nothing but accentuates this. the provocative image of Stumpie in the spotlight, in clear judgement of his crimes against bathroom doors, accentuates the whole thing.
the name and reputation of the authors behind this book are, as you would expect, peerless. they represent the kind of pinnacle that South African, for want of a better term, journalism has reached, with the nature of their skills being so immensely immense that after a mere day or so broadcasters from around the world decided to stop featuring them, lest people get the wrong idea about their own standards.
Mandy is, as many of you know, a mega-award winning journalist, and has tirelessly worked to save the world by carrying out stories such as seeing if it is dangerous for a cross-eyed, larger lady to write a text message whilst driving a car. that her many awards are in no way undermined by the fact that the majority were created and decided on by her employers reveals the outstanding qualities.
as for Barry, well, he is proud of the fact that he was the first on the crime scene when Stumpie shot the door and battered it with a cricket bat. he also let people know how tough it was for him, as he considered Stumpie a friend. getting rid of all that nonsense about bias in journalism is healthy, i think. in terms of nonsense, it is also nonsense that people are suggesting that some of the info in the book might have been best served by sharing with the police as they indicate that things might have happened in a way slightly different to how Stumpie said. that's just nonsense. just because the coppers didn't find it doesn't mean you can walk around accusing journalists of concealing or not revealing it so they can use for their own purposes later. that's just very mean.
the differences in the book covers are of such a nature that i think it's going to have to be the case that i will purchase neither. it's a shame, as i am sure that it is written all brilliant, but there you have it. if i selected one i would just get heartsore for the other.
this, in Private Eye, pretty much covers everything anyway.
plus, i am sure that when the sentencing actually happens we will get another brilliant book from these most brilliant journalists. perhaps they may be persuaded to write one just about the sentencing itself, maybe calling it Further Behind The Door or even Beyond The Door.
anyhow, whichever copy of the book you decide not to select, enjoy.
be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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