Daily Star

The Daily Star is the British newspaper that offered Sun readers something more mentally stimulating, or at least, some slightly longer words. It was the latest and last new newspaper to be published in the country since the Daily Worker, now named The Morning Star, a left-wing journal easily distinguished from its tabloid name-alike by the absence of boobs. The Daily Star, or just "the Star" is somewhat to the right of center, though focusing less on the political balance between left and right and more on keeping the boobs equally sized and preferably equidistant from the center. As such it continues the tradition of topless "Babes" established by The Sun's page three girls, and wouldn't last ten seconds in the USA, where nudity at the breakfast table has yet to make an impression on the print media. I must admit, after years in the States I was almost embarrassed to look at the Babes page here even though when I lived in England, I wouldn't have looked twice. Well, maybe just twice. But not thought much of it. How different we are here, happily selling such brain-dead nonsense as "Obama baby found on Moon" at the checkouts but balking at the odd pair of boobs with our breakfast bacon.

Apart from the photographic interest, the paper is largely concerned with the lighter side of the news, plus celeb gossip and sports. If the serious news happens to be sensational and hopefully involves celebs, sportsmen, royals, or vegetables shaped like the Virgin Mary, this is the place to read it. Or if not read it, at least look at the pictures.

But it's more intellectually challenging than its major rival, The Sun. According to Google, a massive 86% of readers are at the "intermediate" level, while The Sun manages only 70% and has double the amount of "basic" readers. Neither does terribly well in the "advanced" league, scoring 2%, but that's no huge surprise, because both papers know their markets and don't mess with them.

Nobody out-Murdochs Murdoch, which means that the Star might attract some Sun readers, but can't hope to achieve the same crass vulgarity which its mortal enemy pulls off so effortlessly. It claims to be Britain's most successful newspaper, but I don't know what it's the most successful at, as it's not saying.

If you're an expat, a trip to the website will fill you with either nostalgia or despair for the old country. I guess, like the topless babes, it all depends how you look at it.

What a fabulous idea to include plenty of puzzles during the distancing/isolation period just now. A great idea!