06.15.07 (3:34 pm) [
edit]
Australia says no but I don't remember the referendum
This is a quick post inspired by Audrey's most recent post on the treatment of rich chicks having too much fun. In it she talks about the culture of slagging off the Paris Hiltons of the world for partying like the well-funded young things they are. She also (briefly) mentions that while the Bad Girlz get painted as hateful sluts who no one can decide whether to be sorry for or jealous of, the Bad Boyz of the world don't rate a mention. Observe the media coverage of Matthew Newton's trial for hitting his girlfriend, one of Oztraya's (other) favourite young actors, Brooke Satchwell. It cost him a highly-paid job and that was that. No one was outraged. Who magazine didn't give him a fluoro splash. I'd forgotten about him until Audrey brought it up.
The reason for the media (non)reaction surrounding Mattie Newton is the reason we still have domestic violence: no one speaks out about it. Even when it's painfully painfully obvious we still um and ah and jump for the only reaction we are taught as people and therefore a society to have: excuses and reasons.
"He was emotional/in a bad place/a weak-as-piss coward that week"
We react in the same way towards Matthew Newton as we would if we found out an acquaintence had punched his girlfriend. With more surprise than anger. Everyone is eager to put the bad business behind them and hope that the poor fellow can move on with his life, now that he's been punished enough. Do you feel like the middle bit has been missed out? Where was the punishment? Where were the red red headlines screaming "Mattie Hits Girls!!" The grainy photos of him breaking down at the media coverage showing him as a monster? Where was his grovelling apology and offer to work for domestic violence campaigns?
None of that. Just let him sort his life out in private and let's get back to rubbing our hands together in shadenfreude while some other naughty girl behaves naughtily and did see what she's wearing?!?
posted by:
Jonathan (
reply)
post date:
06.14.07 (9:53 pm)
Excellent post, franzy. I particularly like the headline. I'm reasonably sure the referendum would be won at the ballot box; just when we're voting with our feet we don't shape up so well.
posted by:
franzy (
reply)
post date:
06.14.07 (11:24 pm)
Jono - I do believe we're haunting the same blogs today!
I was really just drawing attention to what I believe is a stupid slogan for a worthy campaign. "Violence Against Women: Australia Says No" implies that there was ever a choice to be made. That we COULD have gone with violence against women, but after discussion and debate we decided against it.
I think the slogan should be more along the lines of: "Violence Against Women is Terrorism You Cowardly Little Bastard"
posted by:
Nai (
reply)
post date:
06.15.07 (9:47 am)
First, "Violence Against Women is Terrorism You Cowardly Little Bastard" has my vote for blog-phrase of the decade (at least 'til we get a decent violence against women policy enacted).
Second - Perhaps we would have been braying for his blood had Mattie been wearing a pair of holey Levis with his outlandishly hued budgie-pouch poking through a week before he belted Brooke Satchwell? Maybe then we would have hated and and squealed as much as we have over Paris? Or not.
Upon hearing of the charges against Newton, and reading in some rag or another that Satchwell's make-up artist on 'Dangerous' had quite a job making her presentable for the camera after the assault, I was somewhat dismayed. And not only because Mattie was one of my fave Thank God You're Here people. I assumed that Australia, and certainly the media industry, would not give a fuck. Oh, and also because 'domestic violence' still amounts to bashing another human being, even if you do add the comforting word 'domestic' to the charge. But while Australia as a whole seems not to care, I am a little (a tad) impressed by the response by Nova and Channel 10 (the agencies Newton was linked to) for dumping the weak-arsed, coward's contracts into the gutter. Sure, it may be cynically motivated, but it's far more than Channel 9 did in the 60s when another Mr Newton was 'cautioned' by police for beating then girlfriend Patti McGrath (this crime is 'allegedly' well known among the Melbourne TV circles of a certain vintage. My Ma is privy to that vintage).
Excellent post Franzy!
posted by:
franzy (
reply)
post date:
06.15.07 (8:22 pm)
On the dumping of his contracts: you're absolutely right - no one in the media gave a fuck. There's basically a list of stuff that the public will and won't forgive their celebrities for and Nova and Ten know that along with cheating on your wife with a man, selling drugs, being engaged in terrorism and killing someone on purpose (while drink-driving is a grey area), punching your girlfriend in the face and ADMITTING IT IN COURT is a sure ratings loser. No one gave a stuff - they only dumped him because domestic violence jokes aren't funny and Brooke Satchwell had the nerve to shop him to the cops.
If he'd punched a bloke in the face, even if that bloke turned out to be his physically weaker gay homosexual lover boyfriend who then shopped him to the cops, we would be able to tune to Nova right now and hear Master Newton chattering away after being introduced by the "round one" ding-ding of a boxing ring bell. Australia loves it when gay dudes get beat up.
If he wanted to save his career, and perhaps his dignity, he would have gone straight to the domestic violence commission and offered himself as an emerging media personality to do a series of contrite and serious ads, urging men not to hit their partners and apologising to Brooke and everybody else in that order.
Or drink himself into shame and oblivion on Dad's dollar. Whichever.
posted by:
audrey (
reply)
post date:
06.18.07 (2:38 am)
Excellent points Franzy. The Matty Newton stuff really bothers me precisely because no one gives a shit. Using emotional distress as an excuse for beating up anyone physically weaker than you, let alone your partner is absolutely disgusting.
It's also well known that there was a much more confronting DV campaign ready to launch in conjunction with Cosmopolitan magazine, but Howard decided in his wisdom to postpone it and soften it. That's why we get these piss weak still shots of actors talking about giving or receiving violence.
To Violence Against Women: Australia says it's okay as long as you're sorry.
Consider this: the ads warning people not to step in front of trams and trains are more confronting than the Violence Against Women campaign. God forbid we actually moving footage of this shit happening. That might be upsetting for people.
