farmdoc's blog post number 108

In surveys of occupational prestige, politicians rate lowly scores. Nevertheless, like everyone else, they deserve courtesy and respect. Are you listening, 62-year-old ex-footballer and current media personality? Following your previous indiscretion and resultant temporary suspension by your employing TV station, and despite counselling, you have learnt nothing. On TV last week you committed another misogynistic outrage, this one directed at the Tasmanian Government’s Minister for Economic Development and Tourism – who happens to be female. Worse, no sooner had you said what you did, you denied you had said anything improper. I think it’s impossible for your words to have the innocent meaning you allegedly intended. So either your mouth’s unconnected to your brain, or your brain’s too small to control your big mouth. Even worse, your employing TV station, and the AFL, have backed you without hint of criticism. And the Minister, to her shame, is playing down the incident. My outrage is not directed at you, sir, because you are who you always have been, and who you always will be. Rather it’s directed at the TV station for not summarily ending your employment, and instead valuing its commercial interests above decency and ethics. But most of all it’s directed to the public-at-large – for its acquiescence, and also its propensity to continue tuning in to witness future outrages by the has-been (or never-was) that is you.