Girly man? Banter from current crop of politicians is sadly lacking

Girly man? Banter from current crop of politicians is sadly lacking
Date
October 20, 2014 – 1:02PM
Category
Opinion
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Tony Wright
Tony Wright
National affairs editor of The Age
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Mathias Cormann goes meta
Is his “girlie man” sledge a nod towards a Mathias Cormann parody on ABC TV? Or a homage to Arnold Schwarzenegger, who ripped the line off an SNL sketch parodying his Austrian accent?

Professor Barry Spur suspended by University after racist emails

Professor Barry Spurr suspended by University of Sydney after racist emails

The Sydney Morning Herald, October 17, 2014

Amy McNeilage Reporter

The University of Sydney has suspended Barry Spurr after the professor was exposed for referring to people as “abos”, “bogans”, “fatsoes”, “Mussies” and “Chinky-Poos” in a series of leaked emails.
The university released a statement on Friday saying he was suspended, effective immediately, “from teaching and engaging in any other University business and is precluded from attending any University campus, while the matter is investigated”.

Feisty, founce and bossy: the words used to put women down

Feisty, flounce and bossy: the words used to put women down
Do you ever hear men described as ‘hysterical’? Do people say they ‘whine’ or ‘nag’? Thought not. Here are eight sexist words we’d like to never hear from again

The Executive editor on the word ‘Torture’

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The Executive Editor on the Word ‘Torture’
By DEAN BAQUET AUGUST 7, 2014 5:08 PMAugust 7, 2014 10:18 pm 85 Comments

Credit Gretchen Ertl for The New York Times
Dean Baquet is the executive editor of The Times.

Over the past few months, reporters and editors of The Times have debated a subject that has come up regularly ever since the world learned of the C.I.A.’s brutal questioning of terrorism suspects: whether to call the practices torture.

Mach and mascarpone: testing how vocabulary is gendered

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Mach and mascarpone: testing how vocabulary is gendered
A survey has shown an ‘awesomely sexist’ discrepancy between the English words understood by different genders

A little old-fashioned … a survey has found men’s and women’s vocabulary is strikingly stereotypical.

So Do Only Poofs Do That?

SO DO ONLY POOFS DO THAT?
By Jane Waterhouse General, Hullabaloo, Must see July 21, 2014 1 7 3
I’m confused.
Last Sunday we saw the announcement that Ian Thorpe was gay which Wendy Harmer thought was really no one else’s business. It seemed the nation felt differently.

How to take a woman down in one word

Date
July 14, 2014 – 11:47AM
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Harris O’Malley

A thought experiment: Imagine how people might react if Taylor Swift released an album made up entirely of songs about wishing she could get back together with one of her exes.

We’d hear things like: “She can’t let go. She’s clingy. She’s irrational. She’s crazy.” Men would have a field day comparing her to their own “crazy” exes.

Yet when Robin Thicke released “Paula” – a plea for reconciliation with his ex-wife Paula Patton disguised as an LP — he was called incoherent,obsessed, heartfelt and, in particular, creepy.

Despite Ian Thorpe’s announcement, ‘poofter’ remark from commentator shows how far we have to go

Despite Ian Thorpe’s announcement, ‘poofter’ remark from commentator shows how far we have to go
Date
July 13, 2014
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Eryk Bagshaw
Eryk Bagshaw
Journalist
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As Geelong AFL player Harry Taylor was carried on the shoulders of his teammates for his 150th game on Saturday night, he farewelled the crowd with a royal wave.

“I am up here getting ready for the game and I’ve just seen that crap from Harry – he’s a big poofter,” Channel Seven commentator Brian Taylor said.

It was a remark displaying the casual homophobia that still permeates some living rooms, offices, bars and stadiums around the country, only this time it was heard on national TV.

You’re probably more racist than you think

Date
June 16, 2014 – 9:03AM
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Ruby Hamad
Ruby Hamad
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Last week SMH journalist Mark Sawyer decided that racism no longer exists in Australia. It’s just that nowadays, people make “stupid comments.” Setting aside the fact that it is perfectly possible to be both stupid and racist, only someone who hasn’t personally experienced it has the privilege to claim racism doesn’t exist.

Media tells only what they think we can handle

Media tell only what they think we can handle
Date
March 5, 2014
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Sally Young
It is remarkable how the reporting of events blows with the winds of change.

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Wendi Deng
Wendi Deng Photo: AP
The relationship between the media and power is wonderfully encapsulated by the front-page headlines that appeared in Le Moniteur, the official French government daily, in the month of March 1815. During that month, Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from his exile on the island of Elba and launched an extraordinary campaign that began with recapturing France, and ended on the battlefield at Waterloo.

March 10, Dateline Elba

The Beast Has Escaped Its Lair

March 15

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The Rebel Bonaparte Evades Arrest

By Loyal Troops, Heads North

March 19

The Emperor At The Gates Of Paris

March 20

His Imperial Majesty To Enter

The City Today

These headlines show the athletic flexibility of media reporting as it responds to shifts in power.

In that case, Napoleon was being elevated as his power increased, but, of course, it also goes the other way as we regularly witness the downfall of previously powerful individuals.

Most vulnerable of all are the women who are powerful by association because they are in a relationship with a powerful man. If they separate from him or – even worse – leave him, their shift from protected species to fair game can be dizzyingly abrupt.