April 2002, three years after it was 'purchased' from me. To say that, from April 1999, I entered into crippling poverty, coupled with a 120,000€ mortgage on my house for old printing debts as an unexpected consequence, probably explains in some small degree my dislike of the product in question.
Here, though, I'm going to contrast The Weenie with another local English-language freebie, The Olive Press.
When I ran The Entertainer (1985 to 1999), it was meant to help both English-speaking readers (and myself, for that matter) learn more about this beautiful country we had chosen to live in. Articles concentrated on Spain's gastronomy, its history, its culture, its attractions, its towns and cities, its people and its politics. The Olive Press, particularly in its print edition, leans towards the same philosophy.
The Weenie however, appears more concerned, after the obligatory front page piece culled perhaps from the local diario, plus a regular nod at the local dog-pound, to write about events in far-off England. The editorial this week, for example (Feb 27th), is about a row between several (unheard of) British pop stars at some event in London.
I think the reason for this is that the paper is eagerly read by British exiles, rather than expats (we won't worry ourselves here with those individuals who piously consider themselves 'immigrants', because they'll obviously only be reading El País and El Mundo). Exiles pine for their home, the fatherland, and tend to think that Leapy Lee is a superb columnist, while expats on the other hand are furiously enthusiastic for all things Spanish (bullfights excepted).
Beating the 52/48% by a large margin |
Hard immigration to the UK: 76% |
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