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The Forum > Article Comments > Peddling outrage and disgust > Comments

Peddling outrage and disgust : Comments

By Michael Visontay, published 9/6/2009

The Matthew Johns-Sharks affair is a story about the power of broadcast media, rather than about the morality of footballer culture.

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Sarah Ferguson and her Four Corners team put forward half a story. That was sloppy research or spin. While one might surmise why they did that, it confirmed the popular view that the ABC is not always as impartial as a public broadcaster should be. Auntie is nothing if not politically correct.

Tracey Grimshaw and A Current Affair did their usual tired old sensationalism and dumbing down of their audience. They were later to boast about the ratings. I suspect the same thinking is behind the on-air stoush that is being promoted between channel 9's 'girl' and that nasty chef who was mean to her. The chef is 'mean' to everyone, that is his media persona but don't you worry about that.

This article should be about the parlous lack of investigative journalism, the abuse by the media of its privileged position through conducting of witch hunts, abusing individual's rights and generally acting in the many shoddy ways that we have come to expect of a media where the ownership is in too few hands and the overarching aim is even higher profits.

If the author wants to perform a service, why not talk about the grinding down of good journalists and the favouring of hacks who will churn out the same old, same old clap-trap featuring the same old stereotyped villains of politically correct Oz?

What about just one decent article on immigration for goodness sakes, or something even mildly better than superficial on the effect of political parties on democracy?

To be truthful, it is not only the gutter-dwellng TV current affairs shows who know it is easier and cheaper make news than find it - budget-conscious editors and lazy journalists know that! I wonder what the next 'take' will be on that publicity seeking chef, who according to one comic, insulted 'our' girl Tracey by calling her a journalist. Let's hear it for the light-hearted ribbing about the facial mole that shouldn't have been broadcast but was and started the faux war to give cheap publicity to both.
Posted by Cornflower, Tuesday, 9 June 2009 1:36:52 PM
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'Does the public really find group sex unacceptable? Does the community genuinely feel offend'

Most don't care unfortunately, however then many children become fatherless and abused because relationships are destroyed through this sort of perversion. No matter what the rhetoric from the pornographers and feminist is most men don't want to marry or commit to a girl who whores herself around like an animal. Most woman don't want a guy who can't be trusted and risks spreading diseases to anyone willing to receive. The media promotes this sort of culture everywhere and is then disgusted when their own perverse morals are offended. Feminist want woman to have the right to spread their legs to whoever they please and then scream blue murder when that person claims to be a victim. This whole sick mess is a direct result of our secular values. Secularist have succeeded in reducing peoples behaviour to animals.
Posted by runner, Tuesday, 9 June 2009 1:53:07 PM
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Is this what passes as investigative journalism in Australia in 2009?
Sarah Supernanny Ferguson tut-tutting about the sleaze of a football
side several years ago?
Where is the morality in the national broadcaster studiously ignoring
the way our governments lie to us, waste out money and block scrutiny
of their activities and intentions?
Re Clare: Its absurd to claim that because Clare was distressed, others are inevitably to blame.
I hope anyone who thinks so skips jury duty. Her counselling has obviously been abysmal if she still wants to shoot people.
The unfortunate reality is that she initially got involved in something she later regretted.
The police investigated and were apparently sympathetic.
The only "service" Four Corners performed was outing lower class males with dodgy sexual practices and distracting us from more important issues.
Posted by RingoTheDingo, Wednesday, 10 June 2009 1:19:19 AM
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The media is mainly concerned with tapping into emotions - primarily anger and disgust because these are the easiest to provoke.

Once they get your attention, they can sell stuff to you more easily.

Many people also seem to have some sort of addiction to rage as can be heard on talk-back radio and in forums such as this.
Posted by wobbles, Wednesday, 10 June 2009 2:25:39 AM
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It just proves that many NRL players are grubs.
Posted by beaumonde, Wednesday, 10 June 2009 7:00:39 AM
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Good article. I think that if people heard stories like Claire's more often that they would be compelled to consider the damage that is done and to take a moral stand.

Runner - I agree with what you say in general. However, the basic point, and a fair one I think, that feminism has made is that women shouldn't be the ones who have to be responsible for men's sexual sobriety.

Think back - like we see the honour killings and stonings in other countries of girls who have entered into disapproved relationships or even been gang raped; so it has been here. Even nowdays, metaphorically speaking, the notion still exists (perhaps still prevails; I'm not sure) that men just can't help themselves and so are absolved from responsibility - that there is some sort of evolutionary imperative that they must pursue sex - with lies, deceit, force if necessary. The woman is persuaded that she is valued or loved, is then abandoned or derided as cheap and easy and it's her fault for being gullible or slutty.

Feminist analysis has exposed that double standard (and other injustices); insists that women define their own sexuality (yes, some choose to define themselves as hotter than firecrackers - but at least it's their choice and doing and not just that of a dominant brand of masculine culture) and offers compassion to anyone (male, female, child) exploited or abused by others.

Feminism isn't about promoting immorality; it's about social justice, with individuals choosing to be moral or not (however we regard morality) in accordance with whatever belief system they hold; rather than being blamed for the depradations of others. (My belief system is Christian btw).
Posted by Pynchme, Thursday, 11 June 2009 9:37:55 AM
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It doesn't take much for Pynchme to drop back into the familiar groove of her Seventies style lesbian-feminist rants about horrible disgusting men. It is no wonder that young women run screaming from the feminists.

The Four Corners treatment of the 'Clare' story did miss important facts that were essential to the audience's understanding of events and would have given some semblance of balance to the otherwise slanted version of it. The ABC has been careful not to say if Four Corners simply told 'Clare' and Johns it was doing the story. Given the way some journalists work, it wouldn't be surprising if both parties had been surprised by a phone call and dragooned into taking part. There has been nothing to say that 'Clare' approached Four Corners. The ABC's Media Watch further exploited all of the parties, avoiding criticism of Four Corners' sloppy journalism and probable ethical deficiencies by masking it all with nanny-style moralising.

A very obvious example of bias in reporting is the kid gloves treatment accorded to HOME And Away starlet Jodi Gordon. Had she been an AFL or NRL footballer certain sections of the media (and Pynchme) would have been calling for her shaming and immediate trashing of her employment contract. As it is, the media is happy to report how Jodi is doing a bit of 'retail therapy' in shops to overcome her 'distress'. Ben Cousins should have been so lucky.

Regarding group sex and other adventurous (for want of a better word) sexual practices, there is plenty of evidence in art and literature of such goings on over the centuries and at all levels of society (especially the upper classes who had the time and money for such entertainment). It might not be my cup of tea but like many others I am wondering why only sportsMEN are under the spotlight when when it is very likely that their 'betters' in society, including women (but of course) might dabble somewhat in sexual athleticism themselves.

It is a strange morality that only judges (sports)men.
Posted by Cornflower, Friday, 12 June 2009 10:12:36 AM
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