Mad, Bad or Misunderstood?

Some pop singer's death having made this a good day to bury bad news, Agent Smith has chosen to reveal to the world the singularly unpleasant fact that Agent Smith is still a public figure. A journalistic firebrand at the BBC World Service asked whether she had felt humiliated by her husband's televised apology for the claim of two porn films on Agent Smith's expenses. Agent Smith confirmed that it had, indeed, been horrible. I am sure we all sympathise deeply. Agent Smith, who has done so much to protect the little people's rights to privacy and security, found the presence of the paparazzi outside her humble home "a real intrusion", and also registered concern about the impact of the popular press on the relatives of those unfortunate enough to be called to the holy task of claiming a second home allowance. I am sure we all sympathise profoundly. Agent Smith was also somewhat exercised over the word stroppy, which she appears to believe has been reserved by the evil media solely for the nefarious purpose of persecuting female politicians. Hence, to the many interesting epithets which can be applied to Agent Smith (incompetent, blundering, authoritarian, greedy and obtuse, to name a handful of my own favourites, though inevitably they lose something when deprived of their accompanying Anglo-Saxon nouns and modifiers), we may now add petty and self-important. Nevertheless, and unfortunately for those of us who maintain a benevolent interest in at least one aspect of her brilliant career, Agent Smith appears to have forborne commenting on the Michael Savage case. I am sure we are all deeply, profoundly sorry about that.