Moral equivalence: A first lesson

Cheryl Tweedy has defended what we believe is called her "party hard lifestyle" by reference to the behaviour of another pop star:

"If any of us go out and get a bit tiddly, it doesn't matter because whatever we do, Pete Doherty's done far worse. And taken the spotlight off us for bad behaviour."

This is like a priest caught with his hand in the collection plate suggesting it doesn't matter, because "at least I'm no Reverend Jim Jones." If the best person Cheryl can think of call on misbehaviour worse than Girls Aloud is Pete Doherty, it's pretty much admitting you've slipped the leash of proper behaviour altogether.

Mind you, we're not entirely sure Pete is worse than Tweedy. Tweedy's got so drunk she's assaulted a person; Doherty hasn't yet attacked anyone so badly as to end up in court for it. We wonder if, when he's on the phone to Kate Moss, he ever sobs "... but at least I'm no Cheryl Tweedy, eh?"

music pete doherty cheryl tweedy