If you're angry and you know it, lob a stiletto at someone ...

It worked for an Iraqi journalist and anti-war protester, so why not a tired and emotional celeb?

As a method of protest, throwing shoes is in vogue. Further proof came last week from Bungalow 8, a private members' club in London, where Peaches Geldof was involved in a footwear fracas. Reports of the incident are cloudy, as these things tend to be when they happen in celebrity hang-outs late at night. But it sounds remarkably similar to the incident last December when an Iraqi journalist at a press conference threw his shoes at George Bush. Here, we score their attempts.

Strength

Muntadhar al-Zaidi, powered by righteous fury and a deep sense of injustice, propelled his shoes with startling force. First one, then the other whistled by the ears of the world's media before crashing into the wall behind Mr Bush's head. 5/5

Peaches Geldof put less force behind her missile. Fuelled by a "misunderstanding", she tossed the shoes lightly across the celebrity nightspot in the manner of a girl at a cricket match. The victim was hit, but still standing. 2/5

Accuracy

They make them well, those Iraqi shoes. If Mr Bush had not ducked at the last minute, his presidency might have ended there and then. That's what being teetotal does for your reactions. 4/5

Ms Geldof, who is not teetotal, claims that her target was not a stranger's head. She missed completely, then. And so did the victim's boyfriend, who also missed when he tried to throw a glass at her. Less drinking and more praying needed at Bungalow 8. 2/5

Shoe size

A sturdy size 10 provided quite a missile for Mr Zaidi. 5/5

A dainty lady's shoe barely made a dent. 1/5

Political motivation

Mr Zaidi said that when he saw Mr Bush smile during the press conference it made him think of "the killing of more than a million Iraqis, the disrespect for the sanctity of the mosques and houses, and the rapes of women". 5/5

Peaches Geldof was motivated by trying to give her friend her shoes back, according to her camp. There was apparently some confusion as to whose shoes they were – the friend's or the victim's. The other side claims that she was motivated by being a spoilt brat. History will decide. 1/5

Collateral damage

Dana Perino, a White House spokeswoman, suffered a black eye after she was clouted by a microphone in the rush to tackle Mr Zaidi. She called it a "shoevenir". 1/5 – you can't go round beating up spokeswomen

The only collateral damage at Bungalow 8 was to Peaches herself when the boyfriend of the owner of the shoes threw a drink and then a glass at her. Police will not be charging anyone "because no one could agree on what actually happened". 4/5 – clever Peaches can wriggle out of almost anything

Repercussions

Mr Zaidi was sentenced to three years in jail for assaulting a foreign leader, reduced to a year on appeal. His family say he was tortured after his arrest. 2/5 for thinking ahead

Ms Geldof was left "badly shaken". She was said to be "in tears" and "shocked and scared". She has made no allegations of torture, however, and we are still waiting for her father to get her home. 4/5 for avoiding the consequences – again

Cult status

Mr Zaidi's protest was filmed by the world's media. The ITN footage has been viewed by 3,111,219 people on Youtube. He is hailed as a hero across large parts of the Muslim world. One man offered $10m for his shoes. The Baghdad-based artist Laith al-Amari erected a copper and fibreglass monument to him – in the shape of a shoe – in Tikrit. 5/5

Ms Geldof's protest received a largely charitable write-up in the Daily Star. 2/5