If you haven’t read about Hillary Clinton’s “alternate-nostril breathing” technique, do it. Now. Quickly. Because you’re going to need its anxiety-busting powers to make it through this catalogue of rage-inducing sexism.
Yes, ladies and gents, it’s that time of year again. The Ernie Awards have been held, and in the words of award-founder Dr Meredith Burgmann, the winners for the most sexist remarks of 2017 were “depressingly excellent”.
Among them, a judge, a couple of journalists, car dealers, a community leader, and yes, a familiar face or two.
Ready? Deep breath.
SILVER ERNIE (MEDIA): Andrew Bolt
Remarking on a Human Rights Commission Report that found that 51 per cent of students were sexually harassed last year, the conservative social and political commentator wrote, “Yes, we should be shocked and visibly upset…that the Commission perpetrated such a hoax. We should be shocked and upset that not one university boss had the guts to call out this fraud of a study.”
SILVER ERNIE (JUDICIAL): Christopher Ryan
You may have blocked this from your mind, but last November the County Court judge was reprimanded by the Victorian Court of Appeal for referring to a 14-year-old sexual assault victim as “nubile” and “a very worldly young woman”. He also described the offender’s decision to have sex with her as “readily understandable”. Yep.
SILVER ERNIE (INDUSTRIAL): Ford dealers
When the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission launched an investigation into transmission fault that affected 70,000 Ford cars, it heard from multiple women who said dealers had dismissed their complaints as being an issue with “their driving style”.
Top Comments
How did Sam Newman escape a Dishonourable mention?
Two of my favourite people on that list - Andrew Bolt and Mark Latham.
Honestly looking at this country and telling it like it is.
And Latham is right about the firefighting situation! A friend in that department said that of the 60 jobs that needed to be filled, 50 of the positions were ear marked to be women ( some for indigenous people as well, which would mean a few more men I think)! Absolutely ridiculous- who cares if they might be incompetent or poorly trained or not even strong enough for the job, let's just fill that quota. Such garbage... isn't hiring someone solely on the basis of their gender sexist...? Oh wait, that's only if you prefer to hire men
Yes, like it is if you are a white, CIS, high profile, conservative, wealthy man with privilege and power, never having ever experienced discrimination or disadvantage or being the "other"
It is of course possible that there are many, many women interested in working in the industry that meet all of the standards required, but feel put off because women are scarce in the field. Mark Latham's opinion fails to take into account that some women are very, very strong, with tall, muscly builds, that would have no trouble lifting people and carrying them out. We're not all twiggy supermodels.
Mark Latham is right about everything that's wrong in/with this country.