When Scott Morrison got sick of hanging out with blokes with a long, ugly history of rape, sexual assault, harassment, trolling and heavy drinking, at least he had his classy rugby league mates to turn to. I mean, after last week the pollies are making the scandal-ridden sexist boofheads at the NRL look positively woke.
Scotty From Marketing once again showed his genius on Saturday night — not just by attending a footy match, but by being photographed in the changing room afterwards.
What could be wrong with that, other than everything?
For a start he was celebrating with the opposing team who beat his “beloved” Sharkies. Needs must.
For another thing the winning team, the Parramatta Eels, were still reeling from their own horrendous scandal after former star player Jarryd Hayne was convicted of sexual assault. I guess they could all relate to each other about what it’s like being blamed for the disgusting behaviour of your colleagues.
Only problem was that there was a woman in the changing room — yes, they apparently occasionally let them in these days — and wouldn’t you know it but she went and ruined the photo opportunity. The picture of Eels sports scientist Tahleya Eggers standing behind the PM with her arms crossed sporting a look of pure and utter contempt went viral on Twitter after a brilliant tweet stating “she is all of us”.
And just in case there was any confusion about the picture or her reaction, Eggers put out a tweet clarifying it all.
She. Did. Not. Miss.
“Proud to claim this one,” she wrote. “I will not respond to a man who has the time to shake hands of men who have won a football match but is ‘too busy’ to attend the March For Justice.”
Eels management were unusually quick to read the room and kindly decided it would not discipline Eggers, saying she was “responding to a social media meme that was not of her making”.
Feeling incredibly generous, it added: “The club is comfortable with her clarifying her personal position and we consider the matter closed.”
Eggers’ tweet has since been deleted. Given the Eels claimed they were alright with it you can only wonder if the head guys at the NRL had anything to add.
Whatever happens, Eggers should become the new face of rebellion and the photo, as one person suggested, should be displayed in the National Portrait Gallery.
ScoMo’s spin doctors will claim he was just being a daggy dad going to his footy. What else could he have done after last week? Oh, I don’t know. Maybe try some other form of entertainment that might broaden his horizons.
That same night in Sydney was the opening of the Broadway hit Hamilton. It’s already sold more tickets than any other show in Australia and will bring millions into the ailing arts sector the Morrison government has so ignored — not to mention millions more into the economy.
It drew international attention to Australia as the only place in the world where Hamilton, or indeed any major musical theatre, is playing. Imagine if it has been a sports match like tennis or something that a PM could promote?
The PM gave his ticket to Arts Minister Paul Fletcher, a bad marketing mistake given Hamilton is a popular phenomenon and other pollies took advantage of great photo opportunities — from Anthony Albanese to Gladys Berejiklian and even Malcolm Turnbull.
The previous night another former PM was at an even more exclusive culture event, with Tony Abbott in black tie at the opening night of La Traviata at Opera on the Harbour.
Even he’s not afraid of the arts, Scotty.
“I will not respond to a man who has the time to shake hands of men who have won a football match but is ‘too busy’ to attend the March For Justice.”
Succinctly nailed it. Can’t add to that.
I don’t understand why #scottyfrommarketing rates 52% on electoral polls. Who supports him?
I can’t understand his popularity ratings, either. The man is completely out of his depth. Australia deserves better.
Maybe the decimal point is missing : should be 5.2%. Come polling day let’s plan for it to be 5.2%
are we using Dominion vote counting technology?
Yeah, a mystery that one. But then at that NRL match would it be safe to assume at least that 52% would give him a tick?
One can only wonder why the tweet got deleted.
It’s a pity it did. But I could imagine she got a lot of abuse. The fact that her account has been made private would support that suspicion.
The simple fact of the matter is that it’s not just about the appalling culture in the Parliament House or even the prevalence of all kinds of violence towards women. The problem starts much, much earlier. I’ve been in Australia for about 2 decades now and from my conversations with friends who like myself came to Australia from Europe I think that my assessment is pretty spot on. I’m not claiming that everything is perfect where I and my friends are from but when it comes to men and women and relations between them – boy, is Australia behind. Many men in Australia have no idea how to deal with women. And assertive women? Women who think they have something to say? That’s not on. To be fair, some women behave in a weird way, too. For example I talk to a woman and she looks at me, addresses me, in short – a normal conversation. The moment a man joins us I disappear. She only addresses him. WTF?
When we first arrived here at the beginning of the century we have often made the experience when shopping for fixtures, finishes, appliances etc. for our house that men would not even acknowledge that I’m there. This would start with the greeting directed only at my husband. They’d talk only to him. They’d ignore anything I said including my questions. If they’d actually ‘hear’ the question they’d still direct the answer to my husband. Men would only come and do something around the house or even discuss insurance, finances etc. only with my husband. Some wouldn’t come into the house if he wasn’t there. Male neighbours would get upset if my husband knocked at the door and talked to the wife while they were not home. “You don’t talk to my wife, you talk to me!” It wasn’t a social visit but relating to some issues between neighbouring properties and we had no way of knowing he was not home.
It’s like – what century is this?!?
And the sexist ‘jokes’…!
Quite frankly I (and my friends) think that Australian men are scared of women. And their ego is so fragile… life seems to be a constant pissing contest for them. They feel the constant need to mark their territory. And they can barely deal with a bloke who is smarter or more successful than them. A smarter woman?
Also – ignorance leads to fear. Since they don’t know anything about women (not that they’re interested, after all women are inferior) they’re scared of them. Violence is a way of putting them in their place. If not violence, we’ll, let’s at least make crude sexist jokes or call women disgusting names, or masturbate on their desks.
Right with you there, have been here forty-four years and it hasn’t got much better in all these years. Not all men are that way, but so many it makes ones skin crawl.
Sounds accurate.
There is a name for Australian men who work in furniture stores, its Bruce.
Growing up female in Australia in the 1950s & 1960s. My soul survives but the scars are deep.
Agatek, there is a deep and unfathomable dysfunction between Australian men and women, on both sides. The men, as a rule, are just hopelessly out of their depth. Many are kind hearted but dumb, but there are way too many who have deep seated antipathy including thinking it’s ok to hit women, far too many of them (more than one).
On the other hand many Australian women are hard arsed, unsympathetic, insensitive ball-breakers. Is it a response? Perhaps, but it’s a bit chicken and egg, who knows.
I’m seriously wondering if I should take my son aside and tell him not to marry an Australian women, or if he does, to make sure it is a woman who grew up in the regions/country areas. I have thought on this long and hard with no real clarity, but there is something deeply weird in the men and women of Australia. I exclude myself only due to significant exposure to women from other cultures in my 20s, and a lifelong interest in humans and a profound longing not to be like the men I have dealt with for so many years.
But the women, they have some serious issues too. It’s a freaking melting pot of dysfunctionality. As a group, we are as advanced as the average 5 year old from other cultures.
Well done Tahleya Eggers! Your expression is worth a thousand words.
Australian of the Year? Got my vote
Poor old Scotty from marketing. Can’t seem to put a foot right these days. Could this be his downfall at last? The photograph is perfect.
Bundled in to touch every time he touches the ball.
And often enough he’s bundled out of bounds without an opponent laying a hand on him!
And as usual, he has his back to the only woman in the room.