stoush.net blogs

Akermanis vs Tahu

2010-07-25T17:21:58-07:00

Akermanis, a veteran Aussie Rules star, was sacked this week by his club, The Bulldogs, because he refused to be silenced, in his media jobs, from talking about whatever was on his mind. As Patrick Smith writes in The Australian today: “He was speaking openly about what the club needed to be kept inside.”
You can see what would have happened here. The club would have said something like, Jason, if you must keep these media jobs, just write and say the anodyne stuff that’s expected of you: we’re playing one match at a time, the boys will be giving 110 per cent and football will be the winner. To this, Akermanis said: No.
Good on him. And good on him for continuing to speak. I loved it when he poleaxed one of the commentators on The Footy Show by saying, simply, “At least I’ll be remembered”.
And here’s my devil’s advocate question: if Akermanis was sacked for breaching the code of the locker room, the unwritten law that what’s said there, and said on the training paddock, stays there, and if you apply this code across sport, shouldn’t it have been Timana Tahu who was sacked during the rugby league Origin series, and not Andrew Johns, notwithstanding the offensiveness of Johns’s remarks?

Gillard and cultural narrative: the bride

2010-07-16T23:12:09-07:00

It begins: the media making sense of our first female Prime Minister on the hustings, cycling through cultural narratives, understanding Gillard through particular narratives of the feminine. I remember reading at one point a series of academic articles around the narrative framing of Pauline Hanson within the context of symbols of feminine power; the idea being that at times of crisis, a strong feminine figure comes to the fore, embodying the ‘traditional’ cultural values under threat, in the manner of Boadiccea or perhaps Thatcher or Indira Ghandi or Aung Sun Suu Kyi. This figure speaks out to protect her ‘children’, the disenfranchised, in Hanson’s case the ‘Aussie Battler’ or whatever. This was a way of making sense of the transgressive female figure in the public domain; the idea that this happens only when mother-love, a force of nature not understood in the domain of men but experienced as very powerful and pure, overwhelms and the invader must be stopped. Culturally we recognise this as an appropriate narrative of feminine power.

This, though, is not that. Gillard has to some degree positioned herself within ‘traditional’ values with her reactionary comments on gay marriage and asylum seekers, but there’s no real sense that she’s more representative of the battlers than Abbott, particularly since today’s announcement that he’ll be dropping WorkChoices as a policy. There’s some value perhaps in exploring the idea that Gillard represents a kind of protestant work ethic and mainstream and Abbott a more marginalised and subversive Catholicism, echoing older debates in Australian social and political history, but by and large, that is not what I see happening here.

Instead, when I look at this photo, what I see is the unmarried older Gillard going to the altar, so to speak; Gillard as Australia’s Bride, visiting the Governor General to get permission to marry. We’re already engaged to her, but she hasn’t moved into the Lodge yet, and she’s decided that she won’t until we walk her down the aisle and go through the formalities. This is the path she must take before we can make sense of her as a wife/mother of the nation.

cross-posted at terriblefabulous

The Industrial Relations A-Team

2010-06-09T14:56:59-07:00

As any man is, who grew up in the Reagan and Thatcher eras of right-wing television, I’m guiltily enjoying my growing cultural hegemony. When I pass the billboard for the remade A-Team film on my way to the station each morning it cries to me; “the popular culture references of your age and class are the new universal by which others’ alternatives are measured”. Of course all glory is fleeting, but to have your own personal childhood’s cultural markers socially fixed as standard is a pleasant compliment.

You go, Hollywood imperialism. You keep doing it for us Anglo white collar thirty year old blokes—we can’t do it without you.

But that’s by the by. In China, they’re living the dream.

Yang Youde, 56, has twice repelled government-backed demolition crews by firing the cannon and peppering workers with fireworks.
Mr Yang manufactured his arsenal with used stove pipes and $US300 worth of fireworks, and his cannon can fire projectiles up to 100 metres.
“I’m a law-abiding citizen. I don’t believe these fireworks can kill,” Mr Yang said in an interview.

Bad-arse.

Yet More Hansard One Liners

2010-05-06T20:57:46-07:00

Mrs KARYN PALUZZANO: My question is addressed to the Premier. Will the Premier update the House on ethics courses?

Rurosexuals

2010-04-22T21:20:42-07:00

Quoted without comment.

Ms KRISTINA KENEALLY: The member for Goulburn is trying to find a rurosexual. I will give one last quote. A rurosexual knows that essence of armpit does not pull the chicks like a good dose of Calvin Klein. I cannot believe the Leader of the Opposition has allowed this member’s linguistic talents to remain hidden for so long.

That's Some Catch, That Catch-22

2010-04-08T18:31:44-07:00

[Lt. Chaurasiya’s] commander at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois… could have discharged her under the Pentagon’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Instead, he determined in February that she should remain in the Air Force because she acknowledged her sexual orientation for the purpose of “avoiding and terminating military service.”

Link.

Consumption Meet Expenditure, Blame Government

2010-03-14T17:20:29-07:00

Daily Tele:

Pricing regulator IPART proposed rises of 44-62 per cent [in energy pricing] over three years to pay for a backlog of network maintenance and the Federal Government’s proposed ETS.

The consequences:

Port Macquarie mum Cassandra O’Meara said she was looking for ways to cut use after her family’s power bill went from $500 to $1700 thanks to a new pool and plasma TV. “It’s just ridiculous,” Mrs O’Meara said of the cost jump yesterday.

Bolding mine.

With This Gutter Mind I Thee Wed

2010-02-23T17:50:43-08:00

On the NSW Government’s Relationships Register, here is everyone’s favourite upper-house Christian conservative, Gordon Moyes:

..there is already adequate protection for their rights under all the laws protecting de-facto relationship whether same-sex or different partnerships. Having the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages administer the relationship register is just an attempt to have a back door marriage.

Over to you, boys:

Heh. Back door.

Fascist Threat And Commie Lies

2010-02-14T16:34:25-08:00

Via Diddy Wah

Limned

2010-02-01T01:39:09-08:00

cross posted at Terrible Fabulous

This is what passes for political debate in Australia; I’m actually okay with that. Engaging with Tony Abbott’s policies would just give them air. So long as I don’t have to take his statements on sex and climate change seriously, I’m happy to join the rest of Australia in marvelling at the outline of his penis. Here now are some of the key political debate points pertaining to this important issue, as raised by the commenters to this article:

1. These comments clearly authored by a Liberal staffer:

Benny of Sydney Posted at 10:40 AM Today

Good on the bloke for being fit enough to wear them. Obviously he doesn’t over indulge on meals provided at the tax payer expense, unlike some larger politicians.

Sirro of Sydney Posted at 12:50 PM Today

Give the bloke a break … he is out doing some exercise on the w/e. A large part of the population wear this type of swimming costume when they go to the beach. Are the media all turning into Ruddite wowsers who frown on anything not intelligensia driven? At least Abbott is an Aussie who generally reflects the values of the majority of Australians.

2.These comments, clearly authored by one or more Labor staffers:

sean of sydney Posted at 10:39 AM Today

Im not gay but what an awesome body for his age! lets see him up against Krudd side to side

Dave of Sydney Posted at 1:57 PM Today

I’m seriously concerned that the PM is developing body image issues.

3. These viable points made by the sexually frustrated wives of plutocrats:

Maya of Kirribilli Posted at 12:59 PM Today

You have to admit, he’s hot! Mr Abbott, you have my vote!

Lyn Posted at 1:08 PM Today

This is very good media for Abbot. It makes us women see Krudd as a girl with nothing manly about him at all. He can’t even choose his shirt and tie each morning.

4. This comment, which seems to adopt Abbott’s own paradigm in confusing hardline Catholic misogyny with common decency:

Kathryn of brisbane Posted at 11:17 AM Today

he can get around wearing that but females shouldn’t have sex before marriage? TYPICAL!!!!

5. This point, fairly made, that sports do not require abrogation of public decency laws:

InSearchOfTheTruth of Sydney Posted at 11:58 AM Today

He makes me ill. Totally inappropriate, I have also done the swim and worn appropriate clothing reflecting my age and consideration of others in my immediate surrounds.

6. This, a plea for more funding for public education in remote Australia:

John of Darwin of Darwin Posted at 12:18 PM Today

Why doesnt the Media beat up on Mr Rudd for what he promised and hasnt done instead of Mr Abbots swim wear or is it the Media is not allowed to, The Media seem very quite on the Rudd Goverment.

7. And this, which is pretty much my favourite, just because I can totally see Abbott staging Putin shots, striding around with a bare chest killing and skinning kangaroos or something:

Auds of Perth Posted at 3:06 PM Today

What about the fat whales in bikinis that walk the path ways now that is gross he at least looks fit and healthy. Putin,Sarkozy,Obama,they look like strong leaders of today and so would Abbot. The wafflers Brown,Rudd look like porky’s and not leaders.They worried give them stick Abbot.

In Arrogance The Wicked Persecute The Poor

2010-01-19T18:16:35-08:00

If I were to have a scriptural quotation in a gunsight I’d want to do better than this lot.

Coded references to biblical passages are inscribed on gunsights widely used by the US and British military in Iraq and Afghanistan, it has emerged.
The markings include “2COR4:6” and “JN8:12”, relating to verses in the books of Corinthians II and John.
Trijicon, the US-based manufacturer, was founded by a devout Christian, and says it runs to “Biblical standards”.

Come on. Christ the light of the world? That’s supposed to be inspiring for the squaddies?

Manufacturer: I’ll have mine with the full text of Psalm 10 please.

Queen of Speed

2009-12-07T20:21:28-08:00

Cool.

In 1929 Hellé, driving an Omega-Six, won the Grand Prix Féminin at Montlhéry, becoming ‘the fastest woman in the world’ by lapping the steep-sided bowl at 198 kph. Her preparation for the race had been less than ideal: ‘A green-eyed boy, a friend of one of the costume makers at the casino, had stayed the night. A mixture of morphine, champagne and sex had left her wanting to crawl into a coal hole when she woke up.’

Intellectually, I support compulsory seatbelts, mandatory motorcycle helmets, drink driving laws, speed limits, automatic cameras, stringent engineering safety standards and compulsory third party insurance for all. But there’s something about the interwar motoring culture that’s just… awesome.

No, Mister Rees, I expect you to die

2009-12-06T19:22:12-08:00

In the story, Kemal Atatürk, prototypical pre-Turkish patriot and butcher, ordered the conscript troops defending Gallipoli from the invaders to die, in order that other troops might take their places.

Paul Howes, ex-Trotskyist turned Murdoch editorialist of the AWU, reads from the same songsheet.

The scorched-earth press conference of Thursday morning, when Mr Rees said any challenger would be a “puppet of Eddie Obeid and Joe Tripodi”, was condemned by AWU national secretary Paul Howes as “a great disservice to his party”.
“The good news of that press conference is it sealed his [Rees’s] fate,” he added.

We’re only beginning to see this meme; that assertiveness and honesty in defence of a Premiership is traitorous in the Left, while shadowy maneouvring is admirable and correct in the Right. It’s not a disservice to the Party, you see, while in the absence of any particular crisis or policy dispute, to do the numbers and knock off a Premier. It’s a disservice to the Party for that Premier not to be a member of the NSW Centre Unity faction.

Left of the NSW Labor Party! You are not asked to fight. You are asked to be dutifully and uncomplaningly stabbed for no particular reason in order that the Right may enjoy purposeless hegemony.

Take their names, take their names

2009-12-02T19:46:44-08:00

Andrew West quotes Evatt:

The attitude of a small minority group of Labor members, particularly in Victoria, has, since 1949, become increasingly disloyal to the Labor movement and the Labor leadership.

The Daily Telegraph lists the putschists’ puppets:

The document cited (sic) by the Daily Telegraph includes rebel MPs Paul Gibson, Nick Lalich, Noreen Hay, Eddie Obeid, John Della Bosca, Joe Tripodi, Matt Brown, Grant McBride, Cherie Burton, Ninos Khoshoba (sic), Rob Furollo (sic), Frank Terenzini, Richard Amery, Tony Stewart, Tanyia Gadiel (sic) and Diane Beamer…

What a list. These are the people I joined the Labor Party to fight.

Julie Bishop #3

2009-12-02T13:06:28-08:00

Thankyou Annabel Crabb for this article, which contains a fantastic description of Bishop frantically hunting down her supposedly secret ballot paper to prove that she didn’t vote for the man she’s now standing behind, and also this:

“People are calling her The Cockroach,” one MP told ABC Online.

“She’d survive anything.”

Mr Abbott defended his new deputy during their joint press conference on Tuesday, declaring “She’s a loyal girl!” and patting her.