Hopefully someone is putting together a supercut of Donald Trump’s flacks appearing on cable TV, trying to defend the Donald as multiple accusations of sexual assault come out, hot on the heels of Trump’s confessions of such. Crucial to their defence has been a right-wing Christian one of making no distinction between raw language and the absence of consent. (“When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ’em by the pussy.”)
Guess who doesn’t get the distinction in Australia? No, not Piers, amazingly. It’s Gollum Henderson! Here’s the sex advice column from last week’s MWD, on our Derryn:
“… on Sunrise last Monday. Senator Hanson rationalised Donald Trump’s latest sexist tape on the basis that all men go into such, er, locker room discussions. Senator Hinch was having none of this … Here, and subsequently in his Crikey column on Wednesday, your man Hinch stood up for respecting women …
“Really. Is this the very same Derryn Hinch who appeared, photographed in bed, with a topless young sheila* not so many years ago** — while revealing none of his very own significant private bits? Sure is. And now The Human Mumble has decided to lecture-at-large about how to treat a lady and all that stuff. Can you bear it?”
This is desperate stuff, and one suspects Gollum knows it — but he has a go anyway. And thus shows he makes no distinction between a consensual photo shoot in the ’70s (ah, the ’70s), and the programmatic sexual assault that Trump has confessed to, and that more than a dozen women have now accused him of (with corroboration). Why didn’t they see the disaster Trump would be? Gollum’s archaic attitude tells you all you need to know.
*actually an actor, Alyson Best, best known for her role in Paul Cox’s Man of Flowers (1983)
**it was 37 years ago, but Gollum is several thousand years old. — Guy Rundle
On the positive side, Gerard managed a couple of smiles and an occasional nice word about Labor on Insiders yesterday…I was stunned.
Maybe a leopard can change it’s spots…..
Not that particular leopard Leon, no no,not at all. No offense intended but Insiders is on kinda early on a Sunday morn, are you sure that you saw a smile and not a smirk ? A big Saturday night can make for a foggy Sunday morning . You say you were stunned … I’m thinking not quite sober !
I saw that movement of the mouth line and also thought, in total shock & amazement,that it really was a smile.
On Gerontius though it made me wish that he hadn’t. Like a dog walking on their hind legs, possible – kinda sorts – but not worth the pain & effort.
The ** note has me giggling real hard
Equally amazing was Henderson’s complaint on Insiders yesterday that the ratio of anti to pro Trump articles appearing in the New York Times early last week was 23:1.
But the best bit of Insiders yesterday did not feature poor Gerard. It featured the Deputy PM trying to remember some occasions when he had supported and encouraged women. It’s right at the end and worth watching – if you can cope with explanations in Tangletongue.