I have recently been castigated for not 'contributing' to OLO, so I decided to tackle some of the big issues in the world.

Lara Bingle.

Those who keep in touch ( I know I do) would know that she is 'embroiled' in a 'nude photo scandal'. Some AFL 'player' took a sneaky photo of her in the shower while he was having an affair with the model when she was 19. He passed it around to his mates, and now (many years later) it is to appear in Woman's Day.

She is now set to sue Brendan Fevola. (who? No, I don't live in Melbourne either)

This is a mult-faceted topic.

I have sympathy for her, and for any woman bullied and disrespected like this. She may be a model who shows much more in a day at work than the picture reveals, but it is a private moment, stolen, and when she gets her tits out at the Alan Border Medal, she's in control.

But I cant get a few nagging caveats out of the way, and a few dots I cant help but join.

1. She has recently bemoaned the fact her career seems to be going nowhere, just a couple of weeks before this 'nude photo scandal'.

2. She is 'rumoured' to be negotiating a deal with Woman's Day to 'tell the country how she reacted' as any celebrity with a hint of social responsibility would do. Of course, we deserve to know this, and Ms Bingle is only too happy to keep us 'up to date'. For $200,000 of course.

3. Max Markson is involved.

4. Fevola has children, and a wife, and Ms Bingle knew this while having an affair apparently, and this new scandal hurts more than Fevola, which is fine if Ms Bingle is sincerely out to seek justice about the photo. Only.

5. Ms Bingle is now suddenly in the news, with that career crisis but a distant memory.

Finally!

Forget AGW, terrorism, religion, politics, wars, pestilence and famine - we are getting around to the real issues that concern us all.

"Where-the-bloody-hell" does she buy her shoes?

The press doesn't just report the news - it creates the news.

When it comes to selling stuff, YOU are "The Product".

Dance, monkeys, dance.

Last night, or the one before, I had to change TV channels 3 times to find one that did not have this riveting story on air.

When all I found was a soap, I took my coffee up to the shed to work on my car.

To say I find the "current affairs" programs less than usefull is putting it mildly. I hope the lady found her affair more pleasurable than I do.

She must want a new Ferrari to go with her Aston Martin or whatever it is.

I've no time for tabloid journalism and no time for Lara's antics either. And make that Warnie and Markson and the rest of the media tarts.

Haha, wobbles.

'Dance, monkeys, dance.'
I'm rocking like a monkey with a miniature cymbal!

My mates and I call the NRL 'The Product' after one state of origin game had Ray Warren was raving about rugby league, and he actually called the game 'this... Product'.

'Have your say' wobbles!

I suppose the question is, at what level of 'media tart'ness does and should sympathy erode for real personal grievances.

This is why we get people writing obscene comments on dead kids facebook sites. It's the extreme, but it's the result of this game within a game, and the total prostitution of the private lives of 'celebrities' that makes them inhuman, and undeserving of empathy. The habit to cynically dismiss the grief-porn industry like on those facebook websites is a symptom of this game.

I always maintained if I were a Beaconsfield miner, I would torment the media by refusing any interview. It would be worth the money to see the disbelief on their faces. Then again it could be a real money-spinner for the first 'exclusive', but the public's attention moves quickly to other things. It would give one a huge sense of pride and dignity to forgo the money and stick your finger up at the media.

Though I'm sure they wouldn't react well, and you would turn from hero to villain very quickly while living like a prisoner in your home with a zoom lens in your face.

Ah, the hungry beast.

I think the question we all want answered is "where can I get a copy without the pixellation?".

Good luck to Lara for making the most of her no-doubt gravity-ravaged assets, even if it does mean harking back to a time before that dread force really kicked in.

The Aston must have dropped a packet in depreciation too.
I wonder how long before Clarke wants a trade in on both his old models.

Hang on, don't blame the media, for giving the public, what they
want!

Most media websites have a "most read" section and wether it be
the BBC, Fairfax or News, if there is a tits and bums story, it
is usually at the top of the list.

So there you have it, the mind of the average net user is clearly
in the gutter :)

Too true yabby. Basically, what everybody really needs and wants from the internet is titillation. It's what the internet was invented for.

Although, those popular story lists are self perpetuating too.

Yabby, speak for yourself, I am not in the gutter!

Although I do expect to get there, as soon as I have climbed another 50 rungs of the ladder.

There was a lively debate on the ABC radio morning show in WA yesterday, fueled by the likes of Bingle. A night club owner offered the opinion (when commenting on a rogues gallery on the front page of the local rag - where one was a young female). He said that young blokes have always behaved like prats, now the girls do it too. That said, I have no idea who Bingle is,nor do I care and I rarely watch TV and its the ABC if at all.

Oh! Antiseptic.
If you find out, please let me know.

It's amazing really. Or Not. This chick who models for magazines, with all that make-up and air-brushing, generally looks quite ordinary at best, sometimes even quite strange. Certainly not attractive.

But in that picture, with no make up, without any stupid pouting poses, well, she looks really nice. A very attractive girl.

Houllie

"But in that picture, with no make up, without any stupid pouting poses, well, she looks really nice. A very attractive girl."

I thought the opposite. I looked at the picture and thought "gee, there must be alot of photoshopping happening to her other pictures."

It isn't her fault that Brendan is an idiot, who has no sense of decency. It is her fault that she was in a relationship with him.

Anyone who would consider an affair with Brendon Fevola deserves all she gets.

What I don't understand is how or why attractive girls like Lara Bingle go for physically and emotionally unattractive blokes like Fevola?

Surely the muscles and money wouldn't be the only consideration for these women?

I feel sorry for them if that is all they want or expect out of life

Suze, you are making the flawed assumption that people get into
relationships for rational reasons.

I female friend once told me that women will draw up a list of
qualities that they seek in a bloke, then run off and follow their
feelings.

That can include intuition, chemistry, how the bloke smells, etc.
Why do you think that so many girls land up pregnant to horrible
guys?

Its commonly got everything to do with instinct. They have actually
done trials on this and women can pick who they are attracted to,
by smelling blokes t-shirts after they have worn them.

Suze, don't forget who you are talking about.

The pair of them both have the same two big issues/assets, large pectoral mussels. Why would you not expect them to be attracted to each other.

Driving an classy car dose not infuse class in the driver.

Yabby, you are probably right, but I just can't understand it with a bloke like Fevola. He can't smell that good that it would hide all of his other dubious charms!

Hasbeen < " The pair of them both have the same two big issues/assets, large pectoral mussels."
Lol! True I guess. However, I am guessing that celebrity and money have at least as much to do with the attraction as muscles!

*He can't smell that good that it would hide all of his other dubious charms!*

Ah Suze, its all about that chemistry for many, so they can
rationalise away just about anything. Apparently its all tied
up with differing dna and works through the olefactory system,
so part of it, people would not even be concious of.

It works for sheep too. I bring in new blood from somewhere and
the girls are all over him :)

How many times has a girlfriend told you what a bastard her boyfriend/hubby is,
next thing you suggest that she leave, so
she answers "but I love him".

Only a small part of the human brain is about rational thought.
Those emotional circuits commonly hijack any sense of reason.
Then its all explained away in a jiffy.

Despite all of the progress that Australian women have made, most of our heroes are still men. Girls quickly figure out that they are unlikely to get all of that affirmation, attention and other rewards that go to the hero.

However, there is another way, that they can get those rewards, by putting themself in the role of the victim. Any girl in any school who appears upset quickly gets surrounded by a support crew. Girls who don't join the support crew get ostracised. The same process occurs (to a smaller extent) among adult women. Many songs, tv shows, movies might also give girls the impression that being a victim is almost part of their gender role.

Ms Bingle may have learned that having a boyfriend who is ...like Mr Fevola will earn them that victimhood.

Disagree benk.

There are many female heroes in Australia especially in the sporting arena. The may not get paid as much as the male sporting stars or gain as much media coverage but there has been a positive increase even on that over the years. More men watch sport so it is natural that men will dominate re hero status.

Women have made a name for themselves in other arenas including science and medicine. Dr Fiona Wood and Professor Fiona Stanley both Australian of the Year recipients. Maggie Beer won senior Australian of the Year in 2010. Sure men still outrank but this is to be expected to some extent while women often take time out of their careers to raise children.

Victimhood is not confined to women particularly in matters to do with Family Law. The rise of men's groups and male support groups have increased over time.

Fact is the victim mentality is not gender exclusive.

Pelican

You disagree with what?

That most of our heroes are male. You'll have trouble winning that one. Despite the changes that you dicussed, most of the roles that bring attention, adulation etc are filled by men. It is unfortunate, but it is still the case. I know it. You know it. Girls figure it out very fast.

You also believe that "the victim mentality is not gender exclusive." Bulldust! There is a marked difference between how society treats different genders who have experienced misfortune. Women are showered with attention and sympathy. Men aren't generally allowed to play the victim. We are told to stop blaming others, stand up on our own two feet and to fix the problem ourselves. That is exactly what the father's groups are doing. No-one ever tells people not to criticise a man, because it is blaming the victim.