Linday Johns of the Daily Mail hits out at the idea of “hiring hoodies” as recommended by the UK’s Employment Minister. In his ran the pull out a looks like Beirut cliche:
Employment Minister Chris Grayling’s plea yesterday in a speech to the Policy Exchange think tank for British companies to “hire a hoodie” is laudable but misguided.
The problem being, of course – as anyone who has worked with the hoodie brigade knows only too well – that many hoodies have rendered themselves quite frankly unemployable by any right-minded, intelligent mainstream employer because of their lack of grammatically correct spoken English, inappropriate choice of apparel, surly demeanour and faux-macho, “street tough” attitude.
[…]
With their “game face” firmly fixed on like a mask – the “screwface” which they choose to adopt, as they perceive it, in order to survive life “on the streets” (acting as if the streets of first-world London are akin to real war zones like Beirut or Mogadishu) – they do not inspire or engender positivity, but only exude menace and negativity. It is a harsh truth that people are more disposed to be friendly to someone who is smiling, not scowling at them.
Real war zones? Like the London riots last year? There is also a sense of irony where Lindsay attacks these people for failing to grasp the English language but seems indifferent to the use of cliches. Lindsay, your Looks Like Beirut certificate is on its way.
Beirut taxi ride! by whatleydude -- via flickr