Executive editor Michelle Pini discusses shock jock Alan Jones' latest angry, misogynistic tirade.
SHOCK JOCK ALAN JONES added to his long list of sexist tirades recently, this time unleashing the following comments against New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern:
This lightweight New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is challenging Scott Morrison over climate change. Now I hope Scott Morrison gets tough here with a few backhanders … hasn’t got a clue this woman …
…She’s a clown, Jacinda Ardern — a complete clown…
I just wonder whether Scott Morrison is going to be fully briefed to shove a sock down her throat.
This morning, Sky News featured self-declared expert on women-haters Peta Credlin denying that Alan Jones was a misogynist and pronouncing that he has, in fact, “been nothing but amazing to me [sic]”.
As well, Pauline Hanson piped up with this little gem:
‘[Alan Jones] said nothing wrong, Jacinda Ardern was rightfully put in her place! Only mistake Jones made was apologising to a fake outrage mob! PM’s response was disappointing, should have supported free speech.’
Case closed. Got that, you leftie, man-hating, socialist whingers?
Credlin and Hanson, of course, should know a misogynist when they see one.
Hanson, in fact, collects them. Jones is among the many to have made her A-list, which includes Mark Latham, who thinks domestic violence is “a coping mechanism for men”.
Peta Credlin’s claim to fame is as chief of staff for, arguably, Australia’s chief misogynist, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott. The poster boy for misogynists everywhere, Abbott – apart from declaring himself Minister for Women before systematically ensuring any progressive policy on gender equality or domestic violence never saw the light of day – also starred in former Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s world-famous misogyny speech.
SPREADING BILE AND HATRED
This is only the latest in a long line of attacks against women by the serial offender, Alan Jones.
In a vicious 2012 rant, Jones said that Australia’s first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard should be “put in a chaff bag and thrown out to sea”.
He followed those choice words with actions to demonstrate his commitment, by presenting a craft project at a Liberal Party dinner featuring a signed jacket made out of chaff bags, which was auctioned at the event.
Later that night, Jones addressed the group and declared Ms Gillard’s recently deceased father had “died of shame”.
What was the reaction of Jones’ employers at the time, Macquarie Radio Network, owners of 2GB? Well, Jones apologised, sort of, so, of course, the show must go on.
But it must’ve been a difficult time for Jones. Not only did Macquarie Radio Network continue Jones’ show, they later suspended all advertising for his program. Was this as a lesson to Jones? As a statement of protest, perhaps? No, it was to protect advertisers from pressure being applied through social media activism.
ABC’s AM radio program reported at the time:
“The Alan Jones program on 2GB went to air this morning without ads and Mr Jones says that was a result of what he believes is cyber bullying against companies that advertise on the station which he partly owns.”
Macquarie’s executive chairman Russell Tate, in fact, labelled the advertising boycotts due to Jones’ remarks as “censorship”:
“What we are seeing here is 21st-Century censorship, via cyber-bullying.”
Yep, that “cyberbullying” will getcha every time — if you’re a hate-filled, misogynistic, racist shock jock spreading the language of violence.
In 2017, Jones told NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian that her head was "in a noose" over the State’s mining policy.
On another occasion, Jones reacted to the Gillard Government’s leadership programs for women in Pacific Island nations with:
"She [Gillard] said that we know societies only reach their full potential if women are politically participating. Women are destroying the joint — Christine Nixon in Melbourne, Clover Moore here. Honestly."
Give a woman a go and it’s the end of life as we know it, apparently.
It seems such “cyberbullying” has been effective this time around, as well. Spurred on by social media activists Sleeping Giants and Mad Fucking Witches, advertisers have been deserting Jones’ program in droves.
This time, Russell Tate said in a statement:
‘I have today discussed the matter with Alan and advised him that any recurrence of commentary of this nature will result in the termination of his contract.’
THE LIBERAL PARTY WAY
But it is not only hard-right female “freedom of speech” crusaders and revenue-hungry employers that have enabled Jones on his merry, free (hate) speech career. There is also, of course, the Liberal Party.
While PM Scott Morrison did at least denounce Jones’ words, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said:
"Those comments were clearly inappropriate … but I do want to acknowledge Alan Jones is also a mainstay of our media."
What he meant, though, is that Jones is a mainstay of the Liberal Party. Jones has himself run for election as a Liberal, twice. He ran for preselection a third time. Jones is the Liberal Party’s number one cheerleader and most enthusiastic mouthpiece.
Like Jones, former Liberal Party MP Steve Ciobo claimed during an interview on ABC’s Lateline, that given the opportunity, Labor politicians would be lining up to “slit Julia Gillard’s throat”.
Former Liberal Party strategist Grahame Morris said about Gillard that Australians "ought to be kicking her to death".
The words of Jones and Ciobo and Morris are not simply “inappropriate”, and Macquarie’s slap over the hand was no metaphorical backhand for Jones, who will, as he arrogantly stated, replace the lost advertisers with others.
THE LANGUAGE OF VIOLENCE
There is clearly a systemic pattern within the Liberal Party. The Party that happens to be in Government. Language of the type Jones uses on a regular basis towards women, although played down by the likes of Frydenberg, is not only objectionable, it assists in legitimising violence against women.
Currently, on average, one woman a week is murdered by her current or former male partner.
With a domestic violence epidemic of such proportions, there is no place for an angry misogynist such as Alan Jones on the air. The fact the Liberal Party continues to stand steadfastly behind him suggests they see no problem with violence against women.
You can sign the Change.org online petition to get Jones off the air HERE. Also, some people are mailing socks to 2GB and Nine with notes expressing the same sentiment; you can find 2GB’s mailing address HERE and Nine Entertainment's HERE.
This is only half the story! The other part of this editorial may be read in the IA members-only area. It takes less a minute to subscribe to IA and costs as little as $5 a month, or $50 a year — a small sum for superb journalism and lots of extras.
You can follow executive editor Michelle Pini on Twitter @vmp9. Follow Independent Australia on Twitter at @independentaus and on Facebook HERE.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia License
Support independent journalism Subscribe to IA.
