GERARD HENDERSON’S MEDIA WATCH DOG – ISSUE NO. 12
29 MAY 2009
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NANCY’S PICK OF THE WEEK
Michael Brissenden’s Take On Demography
Nancy is somewhat bored with Budget related comment right now – except when such leads to a fresh insight into the human condition in this vale of tears. This sometimes occurs during the daily political talk between Deborah Cameron (the ABC’s leading eco-catastrophist) and 7.30 Report political editor Michael Brissenden each morning on Radio 702 in Sydney. Last Wednesday, for example, when the two were discussing the Rudd Government’s proposal to lift the retirement age to 67 years. Mr Brissenden reflected to the luvvie Cameron: “A lot of us are getting older”.
Quite right. Indeed some would say that all of us are getting older – but this overlooks 7.30 Report presenter Kerry O’Brien, whose date of birth appears to be something of a state secret [What about the ABC’s commitment to the right-to-know? Ed]. In the absence of new information, Nancy is prepared to accept that Red Kerry is as old – or as young as – he ever was. Which makes Michael Brissenden’s reflection quite perceptive when you come to think of it. If you come to think of it.
BARING WITNESS – LIBERAL PARTY STYLE
MWD recalls the days of not so long ago when a Liberal Party intellectual was someone – anyone – who had read up to three books in a lifetime. This was around the time when the late Jim (Call me “Sir James”) Killen was regarded as the leading Liberal Party intellectual of his day. He invariably impressed with his ability to quote at will from the likes of Edmund Burke, John Stuart Mill and the like. MWD visited Mr (as he then was) Killen’s Parliament House Office when he was Defence Minister circa 1976. Sure enough, his office library consisted of three books – of the quotable quotes genre.
It seems that Killen’s intellectual tradition is alive and well in the Australian Liberal Students Federation. Last Friday, News Limited’s Simon Benson broke the story that a former ALSF president had placed photographs of scantily clad young Liberal Party-inclined sheilas on the organisation’s website. The lure was as follows: “We have all the hot girls. Judge for yourself. I present you the conservative and libertarian girls of Australia.”
The Benson story was illustrated in the Daily Telegraph with some 13 photos. However, the only large pic was of a demurely dressed female political adviser to Liberal Party leader Malcolm Turnbull. The Herald-Sun focused on two middle sized photos of two young liberal [or it is Liberal? Ed] ladies in bikinis reading a book apiece. The ABC1 Insiders ran the same photos on Sunday 24 May – only in colour. This increased ratings.
What intrigued MWD was not the attire worn – or unworn – but, rather, the books read. Or, rather the book read. You see, both women were posing with Ayn Rand’s libertarian tract Atlas Shrugged. It looks as if the ALSF has just one book which it passes around to anyone who wants to get their gear off and pose for a camera. Which reminds MWD of the story about the ALSF member’s 21st birthday present. Asked if he/she would like a book for his/her birthday – the reply was: “No thanks; I’ve already got a book.”
SPARE A DIME FOR THE MONTHLY EDITOR?
For eons now, MWD has been campaigning for The Monthly (publisher Morry Schwartz, editorial chairman Robert Manne) to run a letters page in its print edition. The Monthly’s current policy means that it is possible for contributions to the magazine, including Professor Manne, to criticise their opponents while denying those whom they criticise any right to respond or even to correct errors of fact in the print edition.
Morry Schwartz and Robert Manne have just appointed 23 year old Ben Naparstek to the editor’s chair – following Schwartz’s sacking of Sally Warhaft (see Issues 8 and 9) which, in turn, followed Schwartz’s sacking of The Monthly’s inaugural editor Chris Ryan. [Does unfair dismissal legislation apply to workplaces run by Comrade Schwartz and Comrade Manne? – Ed]
Interviewed by The Age’s Gabriella Coslovich on 27 May 2009, Mr Naparstek came up with two ideas about changes he wants to make to The Monthly. The first is to make available back copies of the magazine online for free [Isn’t this already the case? – Ed]. And the second is to introduce a letters-to-the-editor page in the print version of The Monthly. What a you-beaut idea – except that it’s not Mr Naparstek’s idea. In fact this decision represents a victory for MWD’s long campaign for The Monthly to become accountable to – and interested – in the opinions of its readers by providing a letters-to-the-editor page in its print edition.
In his interview with The Age, Mr Naparstek spent a lot of time trying to downplay the media’s interest in his age: “I’m old enough to be well used to people telling me I’m young.” Fair enough. But he was young enough to forward to Caroline Overington details of his (impressive) Year 12 results. Really. See The Australian, 27 May 2009.
Still, youth may be a blessing for an editor of The Monthly. Morry Schwartz is a multi-millionaire leftist capitalist. Yes. And the born-yet-again leftist Robert Manne was known to criticise John Howard for presiding over a government which was too tough on workers’ rights. You remember. Yet, according to The Age’s “Diary” section, the editor of The Monthly is paid as little as $55,000 a year. How about that? Come to think of it, Ben Naparstek would be better off working for a multi-millionaire right-wing capitalist or a right-of-centre think tank which pays fair wages.
THE CHASER BOYS TAKE THE BREAST CANCER/LYNCHING DOUBLE
The Chaser team (average age 35) returned to the taxpayer funded ABC 1 on Wednesday night with the commencement of the third series of The Chaser’s War on Everything. Well, almost everything. Or certainly “The Chaser’s War on Somethings”. Once again Catholics and Jews were targeted but not, of course, Muslims. The group of middle class privately educated Sydney based lads does not want to go to war with militant Islamists. They’re not that committed to their art. And they’re quite committed to their throats.
For a while it seems that the group of 30 plus somethings whom ABC management refer to as “The Boys” – were channeling the female section of the Australian Student Liberals Federation. While on his taxpayer subsidised trip to the US, Chas Licciardello dressed up in a bra and panties. [This DVD will sell well in the ABC Shop at Ultimo – Ed]. Also, two of The Boys bared their bums for Aunty’s camera. [Are they planning a float for the 2010 Mardi Gras? – Ed].
However, for the most part, The Chaser Boys were up to their old tricks of putting on stunts aimed at receptionists, janitors, shop assistants, waiters, the disabled in wheelchairs, storemen at loading docks and so on. Few, if any, of the above were educated at the likes of Sydney Grammar and Sydney University. Mocking the less educated is one form of intellectual bullying which is approved by the ABC Legal Services department.
The essential art of comedy is that it does not go on for too long. This is especially the case when humour is primarily based on stunts. At the start of the first episode of the third series of The Chaser’s War on Everything, Chris Taylor told viewers that it was “the same old shite from here on in”. How right he was. By the way, The Boy Taylor also told viewers that he used to attend Sydney Church of England Grammar School – or Shore. Well done.
MWD was most impressed with the following Chaser gags last Wednesday – all of which were apparently approved in advance by the boffins in the ABC’s Legal Services department:
▪ The joke about alleged child sexual abuse at Knox Grammar in Sydney was a real hoot. Especially the delivery, by Craig Reucassel, of a receptacle with the sign “Naked Boys Inside”. So much so that the gag alone justified a re-run which took the form of a taxpayer supported trip for executive producer Julian Morrow and The Boy Reucassel to Rome for a similar gag. They flew a blimp, with the wording “Young Boys Inside: Pull Down If You Want One”, in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City. The closest they got to the Pope or his advisers was the Vatican City’s Swiss Guard.
▪ What could be funnier than breast cancer? Plus a lynching? Last Wednesday The Boys provided the double. Did you hear the one about the Ku Klux Klansman who wore a pink sheet because his wife washed his normal white kit with his red jumper before he went out to dance around the traditional KKK burning cross? And what about the celebrities who wear “pink burning-cross stick pins” in support of breast cancer victims? Just how funny is that? Talk about LOL (as the saying goes). And to top it off, the pink clad KKK members saw the need to lynch an African American breast cancer victim. Laugh; the audience laughed until the fictional victims died.
What will The Boys do next? Here’s hoping they will take MWD’s advice. The first episode in the new series depicted Christ being taken by a shark off a Sydney beach. For the second edition, why not do the same stunt with a representation of, say, The Prophet at Melbourne’s Phillip Bay? And then try flying a blimp with the wording “Many Wives Inside: Open Up If You Want Another One” over the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. All this should keep the ABC Legal Services busy for a while and provide a worthwhile fiscal stimulus for the local funeral industry.
STOP PRESS
It was great to see Q&A executive producer Peter McEvoy and presenter Tony Jones on the job last night. Just when you thought that the current affairs program might be distracted by such events as North Korea’s detonation of a nuclear weapon and its junking of the 1953 United Nations sanctioned cease fire, or the rise of the Taliban in Pakistan, or the aftermath of the dreadful civil war in Sri Lanka – Messers McEvoy and Jones kept the focus where it should be. Namely, home – with the typical panel of one left-of-centre politician assisted by two leftists plus one right-of-centre politician assisted by just one conservative.
Sure, North Korea and Pakistan and Sri Lanka got ignored. But the really big issues for the week were covered. Including the 3 am King Cross false-rant-to-camera by Clare Werbeloff of “Chhuck, Chhuck Boom” fame. And actor William McInness really stole the show. He got in the first (long) word. It was a plug for the Museum of Australian Democracy which he chairs. And he got the last word in when he told the audience that they should see “my wife’s film, My Year Without Sex”. [What a good idea, my wife reckons Sarah Watt’s film is just great – Ed]. As they say, it pays to advertise – especially when it’s free on the ABC.
Until next time.