Hold The Presses - Australian Sexism

[jake-the-peg]

A bit of a laugh at political opposition or an unacceptble piece of sexism?

Or both?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22852742

[Octavius]

Oh thats naughty!

[jno]

beats me how anyone thought they'd get a laugh out of that. "Gross" isn't the half of it.

On the other hand, it may have been nothing to do with the opposition at all. But they do have form with sexism:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/12/julia-gillard-sexism-australian-women

[ludwig]

Unacceptable. The person/people behind it should be ashamed, but they're obviously the kind of *** that won't be.

[Gromit]

Sounds like an attempt to be satirical. All the parties have condemned it, so it may have been quite funny in context.

[murraymints]

Quite unacceptable...but typical Australian male behaviour...in my experience..

[emmie]

unacceptable, but don't expect much from some Aussie males,

[sandyRoe]

Seems like something Sir Les Patterson would have on the menu at one of his cultural soirées

[emmie]

i dated one once, sexist, racist, you name it. He was ok apart from that. x

[jake-the-peg]

You know I do have to hang my head and admit I did laugh like a drain before thinking how really bad it was!

[jno]

you should, jake. That "joke" is nothing more than criticism of a politician via her sexual organs. Pretty creepy. I don't recall Thatcher, even at her most divisive, getting that sort of personal misogyny, though of course I didn't read every 1980s menu.

[Octavius]

Oh she did jno but they were aimed more towards her being incapable of leading whilst being a housewfie and a mother, rather than her bits and pieces.

"In her presence, you pretty quickly forget that she's a woman. She doesn't strike me as a very female type."

[AB Editor]

"You know I do have to hang my head and admit I did laugh like a drain before thinking how really bad it was!"

I think part of it is about eating your enemies in a fine dining setting - if they'd done something that wasn't just about her lady-bits then it would probably have been good fun.

[emmie]

it was stupid and sexist, but sorry to say some Aussie males are like that.

[Octavius]

Oddly enough, I read about it here first yeatserday, and heard it on Radio 4 last night. They excluded the "big red box" bit of the quote - assuming that Radio 4 listeners would clutch their chest and keel over at the mere mention I suppose.

[jno]

Octavius, I recall Julian Clary making a similar joke about (I think) Norman Lamont. I'm not sure if that was misogyny or misandry or heterophobia or what, but I didn't think much of it then.

[Ellipsis]

2.5 millions views of this gem on Youtube ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihd7ofrwQX0

[emmie]

stunning..