GERARD HENDERSON’S MEDIA WATCH DOG – ISSUE NO. 9
8 MAY 2009
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THE CHASER “BOYS” ACT THEIR AGE – AGAIN
According to Biblical lore, Jesus Christ was born in circa 1 AD and died at aged 33 – or thereabouts. Some followed him; others did not; but he was – and still is – regarded as a man. According to the lexicon of the ABC, The Chaser comedy team are “The Boys” – despite the fact that all are in their mid-thirties and all have lived on this earth longer than the founder of Christianity. What used to be diagnosed as protracted adolescence is now a (publicly funded) comedy asset.
And so it came to pass that two of the 30-something Boys decided to do a stunt – funded by the Australian taxpayer – at Vatican City last weekend. Julian Morrow, The Chaser’s executive producer, and comedian Craig Reucassel decided to fly a helium-filled blimp at the front of St Peter’s Square, close to St Peter’s Basilica. The blimp was flown in Vatican City airspace which, for obvious security reasons, is a restricted zone. Both “The Boy” Morrow and “The Boy” Reucassel were detained by Italian police for over six hours before being released. It is not clear whether or not The Boys will be charged by Italian authorities and the ABC has no information on this matter.
Apparently the blimp contained a rude message for Pope Benedict XVI (no surprise here) and the stunt will be shown in the new Chaser series which is an ABC co-production. It seems that The Boys have not only been filming in Vatican City but also in such democracies as Japan and the United States.
Rachel Browne reported in last Sunday’s Sun Herald that “The Boy” Chas Licciardello had been questioned by police in Texas after he attempted Chaser-style a “try-before-you-buy” stunt in a toilet fixture display shop. This suggests that Mr Licciardello has protracted-childhood-on-steroids condition since most males get over their toilet fixation by the time they reach primary school.
“The Boy” Morrow, “The Boy” Reucassel and “The Boy” Licciardello are not fools. They know that the Pope is a potential terrorist target – as is the Vatican City itself – and that the United States and Japan have independent legal systems. The reason why The Chaser types target the Pope and the Vatican – along with toilet shops in Texas and security guards in Tokyo – turns on the fact that they believe that they will be treated gently by the local authorities. Unlike in, say, Saudi Arabia or China.
Nancy’s Top Five Suggestions For A (Really Courageous) Chaser Stunt
MWD has a suggestion for The Chaser Boys if they really want to be courageous. They should follow Nancy’s Top Five suggestions on where to fly blimps/threaten urination/provoke security and really annoy people:
- Put a rude message about the Prophet on a blimp and fly it over the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca.
- Put a disrespectful comment about the God Ram on a blimp, fly it over the Tirupati Balaji Temple in India and wait around and see how the radical Hindus react.
- Place a mock cartoon of Guru Nanak on a blimp, fly it over the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, and see how angry the Sikhs become.
- Put a “Free Tibet” message on a blimp and fly it over Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Talk about your feelings with China’s secret police.
- Pretend to have a leak on the Kremlin Wall in Moscow, right near Vladimir Lenin’s Tomb. Try telling the Moscow police that you are a Lenin-hater and are merely engaging in a “piss-before-you-diss” routine.
The evidence so far suggests that The Boys are happy to engage in that kind of international prank which is not likely to result in a Boy having his throat cut – or being on the end of a truncheon or policeman’s bullet. It’s much easier to target the Italians or the Japanese or the Americans – sure in the knowledge that ABC management will support you in a court of law – irrespective of how reckless or immature your behaviour happens to be.
▪ Amanda Duthie’s “Full Support”
So it came as no surprise when Amanda Duthie, the ABC Head of ABC TV Arts, Entertainment and Comedy, stepped forward at the weekend to defend The Boys’ Vatican stunt. That’s what ABC management does when Chaser stunts backfire. Said Ms Duthie about The Boys’ behaviour in Vatican City:
The Chaser shoot was approved by ABC TV. No one has yet been charged and anyone who is charged will have our full support. We are certainly glad they’re all safely home.
You really wonder whether Ms Duthie and ABC TV would approve a Mohammed-mocking stunt in, say, the Masjid-i Sultani Mosque in Tehran. Just in case, here’s how a Duthie statement might read following such a (satirical) mission: “The Chaser shoot was approved by ABC TV. Not all the Chaser boys got their throats cut in the resultant mob violence. Fortunately, one of The Boys was pretending to urinate in a Tehran toilet fixture display store at the time and escaped injury. He has our full support. We are certainly sad that two of The Boys did not make it safely home. But the return of The Boys’ coffins will provide an opportunity at gallows humour to match the 2007 skit by The Boy Licciardello aimed at the disabled in wheel-chairs.”
JOHN SAFRAN NAILS IT NEAR MANILA
The Chaser’s stunt in the Vatican City occurred just over a month after comedian John Safran had himself nailed to a cross during a Good Friday ceremony in the Philippines. It was a stunt for the 36 year old’s eight part series titled John Safran’s Race Relations soon to be shown on, yes of course, the ABC. Safran managed to fool the poorly educated – and poor – residents of Kapitangan (near Manila) into believing that he was a young Western Christian who really believes in the crucifixion/ resurrection double. It was the familiar Chaser-style humour when well educated comedians mock the poor and uneducated.
▪ Kim Dalton’s Full Support
This time round, Kim Dalton, the head of ABC TV, stepped forward to declare that the public broadcaster “fully supports” Safran’s behaviour. Spoke Dalton:
This is a thoughtful and challenging explanation of cultural differences and convictions – the kind of project that you expect from John Safran. John has always had a unique creative style through which he investigates serious issues.
Oh, yeah. As the Australian Jewish News has documented (17 April 2009), Mr Safran’s “thoughtful and challenging explanations of cultural differences and convictions” include running naked through the streets of Jerusalem. Outside the taxpayer funded halls of the public broadcaster, this is called streaking.
Mr Dalton did not say whether the ABC would cover John Safran’s medical bills following his “look-at-me-nailed-to-a-cross” stunt. Your ABC, indeed.
Meanwhile MWD awaits with interest to see how ABC chairman Maurice Newman has gone on his trips to Canberra to get more funds from Australian taxpayers to support the lifestyles of the likes of Julian Morrow and John Safran. All will be announced by Treasurer Wayne Swan in next Tuesday’s Budget. MWD remains amused by the sight of the once free market advocate going cap-in-hand to Canberra asking for more public funding (See Issue 5).
NANCY’S PICK OF THE WEEK
PROFESSOR MANNE – TOPS FOR HUMILITY
Meanwhile back to a story the media loves best – namely, the media. Nancy was surprised, truly surprised, to read in Gideon Haigh’s article in The Age last Saturday (“When the media is the story”, The Age, 2 May 2009) that MWD was the spark that ignited the saga at The Monthly – which eventually resulted in Dr Sally Warhaft’s sacking as editor by publisher Morry Schwartz and editorial chairman Robert Manne. How about that?
Nancy has also been surprised at the hubris overload evident as Mr Manne and Mr Schwartz defend their turf. First up, publisher Morry Schwartz declared that he – and he alone – was responsible for the magazine’s success: “It wasn’t just her. I’d rather think I could take more of the credit for it. I thought of the magazine. She didn’t think of it. Sally was getting attention and thought that it was all her – and it wasn’t her” (The Australian, 30 April 2009). Mr Schwartz also went into rhetorical question-mode as in: “Who dreamt up The Monthly? Who conceptualised it completely? Not Sally. Me. She’s not that critical.” (The Age, 30 April 2009). Which makes Nancy wonder: If Morry Schwartz is all that good – why did he need an editor at all?
When the blue about The Monthly was at its height, the Schwartz-Manne faction received some passionate support. From leftist Mark Aarons. From a certain Ron Sharp [Ron who? Editor]. And from novelist Alex Miller. Benjamin Disraeli was once reported to have said: “Everyone likes flattery, and when you come to royalty you should lay it on with a trowel.” It seems that Alex Miller is a follower of Disraeli’s advice – at least concerning the art of the fawn. As he wrote in the Crikey on-line newsletter on May Day:
Robert Manne is not a diminished force in this community, but is a man in his prime, a man, in fact, of rare character in this world. His enemies – and any honest man or woman has enemies – will not like this, but the voice of Robert Manne is precious to all of us and will go on being heard at full strength for many years yet. For a man of his great accomplishment and immense intellectual force to be so unaffected by ego is a combination that is found only among the very best of people.
Go on. Robert Manne has many qualities. However, until Mr Miller’s declaration, few would have regarded a lack of ego as one of Professor Manne’s accomplishments. It reminded Nancy of the joke that some Irish like to tell about themselves. Namely, that the Irish are tops for humility.
DEBTOR’S CORNER
In response to many enquiries, MWD must report that The (False) Prophet Bob Ellis has still not paid the $750 he owes Gerard Henderson for failed wagers close to a decade ago. Alas. But the cause will not die.
STOP PRESS – AN IN-BRED, IN-HOUSE ASSESSMENT
ABC1 Media Watch’s assessment of ABC1’s Media Watch went to air on ABC1 last night. Titled Media Watch 20 Years: Stuff Ups, Beat Ups & Barneys, it was presented by current Media Watch presenter Jonathan Holmes (who even covered his own time on the program). The executive producer was current Media Watch executive producer Jo Puccini (who even got interviewed on the documentary). The producer was Janine Cohen, part of the ABC TV family. It was the kind of in-bred production which Media Watch might have criticised had it been about another program.
Media Watch 20 Years will be reviewed in the next issue of The Sydney Institute Quarterly. For the moment, all that needs to be said is that MWD was thrilled by the program – and particularly impressed by the following performances and omissions:
▪ Stuart Littlemore QC (of course) – Media Watch’s inaugural presenter – was much praised. The ABC’s publicity even referred to the fact that Littlemore QC was “made an officer de L’Ordre du Métire by the President of France in 2002”. Wow. Well done. And so on. This much impressed Nancy. Unfortunately, the documentary did not mention Littlemore QC’s last hurrah as Media Watch presenter. Remember his (truly) stunning performance on Lateline on 11 November 1997 when – in a debate presided over by Jennifer Byrne – Littlemore (incorrectly) declared that he did the Media Watch program “for free”. Littlemore QC also declared that Media Watch had not made “any” errors in the “last three years”. This led American journalist Steve Brill to comment: “Stuart, you sound more arrogant than the most arrogant journalist I’ve ever heard.”
▪ Media Watch 20 Years spent much time on the program’s success in revealing of what was said to be the cash-for-comment arrangements of certain media presenters. But no mention was made of the fact that, when Stuart Littlemore presented Media Watch, the credits made no mention whatsoever of the fact that he was a barrister whose practice included defamation law. David Salter was Media Watch’s executive producer for much of this period.
▪ Media Watch: 20 Years did not mention how in 2006 the executive producer Peter McEvoy and then presenter Monica Attard managed to fool ABC management that their interpretation of the court judgment, involving one time Osama bin Laden admirer Jack Thomas, was correct. Despite the fact that no legally competent person inside or outside the ABC examined the matter and Media Watch was not able to support its claim with any evidence (See The Sydney Institute Quarterly, August 2008 Issue 33, pp 33-35).
▪ Also, Media Watch: 20 Years made no mention of the fact that, in 2007, Media Watch missed the biggest news story of the year. Namely, the fact that ABC1 7.30 Report presenter Michael Brissenden had broken an off-the-record/on-background agreement with Peter Costello and revealed the (alleged) details of a private conversation when he had had dinner with the then Treasurer on a date he could not remember. At the time even ABC managing director Mark Scott expressed surprise that the program had not covered the issue (See Margaret Simons in Crikey 24 August 2007).
And so on. Meanwhile MWD readers will be interested in the brilliant media career of David Salter after he departed the public broadcaster. First up, Mr Salter ran the on-line media watching The Zeitgeist Gazette, which was primarily funded by Richard Walsh. It went out of business soon after its birth. More recently, David Salter re-emerged as editor-in-chief of The Week. It is modelled on the British media magazine of the same name. Initially Mr Salter predicted sales of some 35,000 copies per week. Alas, right now, Mr Salter is giving away copies of The Week absolutely free. As in: “Buy-none; Get-one-free”. Life can be tough outside of the taxpayer funded broadcaster.
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Until next time.
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