Earlier this week, the pro-Fidesz 888.hu news site stooped to a level perhaps never before seen in Hungarian politics (so we’re talking pretty low) and published a series of completely nude, pornographic images of the wife of József Tóbiás, the leader of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP). The photos date back to the nineties when Tímea Rába was a model and contestant in the Miss Hungary pageant. But the publication went even further: it referred to Tímea Rába, today a 46 year old mother of three, as a “masturbatory tool” and then published a photo of Ms. Rába and Mr. Tóbiás’s daughter, making references to the girl’s good looks in the same article. The 888.hu news site is edited by the worst-of-the-worst, when it comes to Fidesz, namely the frighteningly Machiavellian Gábor. G. Fodor.
The completely tasteless article sparked some reaction even on the right. Ákos Gergely Balogh, the editor-in-chief of the conservative Mandiner news site, wrote a strongly-worded editorial, which we’re translating for the readers of the Hungarian Free Press.
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The leader of the Hungarian Socialist Party, József Tóbiás (middle) with his wife, Tímea Rába.
Here’s a rather particular article, which appeared on the 888.hu website.
“If we’re already talking about marriage, Tímea Rába, the wife of József Tóbiás, former beauty queen and masturbatory tool, delighted the stout socialists with these pictures”–writes the nameless author courageously. His bravery just makes the air vibrate around him with power.*
It is unbecoming to use this language when speaking about a mother of several children and of marriage in general. But to bring into all of this a 13 year old girl, the child’s beauty and her future, is quite simply contemptible.
“Most likely the only thing with which we will agree in terms of József Tóbiás is his daughter’s attractive looks, which–let’s admit–is unquestionable. And this is why we are worried. We can’t decide what would be worse: for Nina to follow in the political footsteps of her father, or take example from her mother’s pornographic past. We don’t wish either future for her.” These lines are then followed by a photo of father and daughter, followed by an internet poll on masturbation, focusing on her mother. Someone without a name and face is publishing photos and writing about three people, using their full names and faces.
And all of this is not followed by shame and regret on the part of the paper, but by a defence from the publication’s editor-in-chief, all under the banner of conservative journalism: “Everyone gets what he deserves. It values grandeur and looks down upon lowliness. And it calls a slut by its name.”
People often label us as conservative, or young conservative and they do so much more frequently than the number of times when we actually use this label for ourselves. For almost fifteen years, we prefer to call ourselves “civic underground,” if we absolutely must label ourselves. In general, I don’t like to engage in the endless “what is conservative?” terminological navel-gazing. But is far easier to provide a negative definition and example. What 888.hu did is almost certainly not conservative, nor does it qualify as journalism–not in its content or style and most certainly not in terms of its motives.
Ákos Gergely Balogh
(Translated by: Christopher Adam)
Notes:
*888.hu once defined itself as “888.hu=Power,” and this is what Mr. Balogh refers to. The cult of power is very strong around people like Gábor G. Fodor.
**HFP decided not to provide any links to the article in question on the 888.hu website.
Ákos Gergely Balogh