Mary Beard - who are these people?

Wasn't she also put down (not in quite such a loathsome manner) by either some other male historian who does television programmes or a well-known* critic as too ugly to be on television?

* So well known that I can't remember his name.

The twitter abuse is appalling and she is absolutely right not to shrug it off. It is unshruggable.

Y'know... maybe Attenborough has a point with some sections of humanity.

I wonder if it is a case of people (male and female) who are intimidated by an intelligent woman. I don't agree with some of her views but don't see that as a reason to attack her appearance.

I think it was AAGill in the ST who started the comments. He is a restaurant critic and tv critic. This is someone who refers to his partner as The Blonde. I rest my case. (In thinking he is an arrogant overpaid oaf)

Yes, thank you Stansgran, that's who it was.

Her version; good on ya, Mary

Thanks, Bags, I hadn't seen this.

I'm with Mary on this - even women with a brain (Fiona Bruce apparently among others) seem to put appearance first.

Although the Twitter abuse is unacceptable, I don't think it had anything to to with her appearance.
With regard to that, in this day and age if you are going to be in the public eye it is quite normal to look groomed.

It does not do to look like somebody who was dragged through a hedge backwards.
It sends out the wrong message. Not one of eccentricity, but inverted snobbery.

Einstein managed OK, Michael Foot, Patrick Moore used to look a bit cumpled ............

All men, though...

Mary Beard was recently "shot down" on BBC Question Time by a local lady in Boston, Linolnshire . Mary Beard was trying to say that immigration had a positive impact on the area and the local lady really "gave her what for " . Sadly just another case of someone having a great to say about something they know little or nothing about !

The website that published all the really unpleasant abuse has been taken down. She was just on Woman's Hour discussing it. I reckon putting a link to it from The Guardian did the trick. Johanna I don't recommend you look at the abuse because it's quite disgusting but it seemed to me to be nearly ALL about her appearance. There wasn't much addressed to her opinions!

People just don't like it when an intelligent woman like Mary Beard says something that challenges their prejudices. They can't attack her arguments with rational debate so they pitch in and attack her. Silly. I admire the way she dealt with it.

Suzanne Moore is another who has been subjected to outrageous Twitter abuse recently. She is also standing up to it, but at a cost. Brave woman.

Lilygran Her appearance or her presumed sexuality or both. [throwing up emoticon]

I must be living in a parallel universe. I've never been so shocked by the depths some people are prepared to stoop. They should, but won't be, thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

Ah, lily did not know that. Thought it was all about her opinion on immigrants. How disgraceful.

In general, reading the comments section in the various news papers for instance is bad enough, let alone twitter.
This electronic/digital age we live in is very much a double edged sword is it not?