Alan Jones' latest comments on Julia Gillard are apalling but unsurprising.
Talkback radio has gone from a pre-Internet medium that allowed callers to contribute to the daily conversation on topical issues to a ghetto where the bitter and the disturbed predominate.
Radio shockjocks spend their time trying to outdo each other in their rage and willingness to be uncivil.
Leading the charge is Alan Jones. Most talkback radio hosts want to be like Alan Jones, they want to get a greater share of the audience for anger, xenophobia and mysogyny.
Jones treats Gillard as if she is not a legitimate prime minister. He is 'frustrated' because his campaigns on air and off have not been successful in removing her.
His frustration is growing by the day as the polls suggest a trend towards the Government she leads.
When he is not making deplorable, sexist comments about Gillard, he is busy whipping up anti-Chinese feeling.
Jones sees the Nationals' Barnaby Joyce and the Greens' Christine Milne as fellow travellers in the quest to stop Chinese investors buying 'prime agricultural land'. He also supports Tony Abbott enthusiastically. Some of these political leaders need to be careful. They are playing with fire.
And of course Jones has a long history of this sort of thing be it his support for Pauline Hanson, his commentary on the Cronulla riots or his more recent 'women are destroying the joint' outburst.
Jones wanted to be a prime minister. The Liberal Party, wisely, rejected his pre-selection attempts on several occasions.
For several decades, Jones behaved as if he was a political leader without a parliamentary seat.
He wielded too much power for too long.
Now the tide is running out for Jones and his reaction is to thrash about becoming weirder by the day.
But it is all more disturbing than that.
Mysogyny runs deep in our society.
It is disturbing that the Young Liberals want to listen to a 50 minute tirade from this fading, bitter old man.
It is disturbing that the Young Liberals apparently find his remarks about Gillard and chaff bags amusing enough to represent it in their auction.
More disturbing are the reminders of the deep strands of mysogyny that still run through our society in the same week that Jill Meagher was raped and murdered.
I'm not saying that there is any link between talkback radio, Jones and the fate of Jill Meagher.
I am saying that women should be able to go for a drink on a Friday night and walk home without fearing the worst.
The more we tolerate misogyny in our public forums, the harder it will be for women at all levels from Prime Minister down.
If we allow a climate of hatred and bitterness to fester and rage, we only diminish other efforts to promote equality in our society - for women, for immigrants, for indigenous people, for gay and lesbian people and for everyone else who feels and fears the taunts and stings of discrimination.
Diminishing the cause of equality diminishess us all.
We should make a stand now against Jones and his ilk.
Criticise policies, criticise politcal performance.
Do it respectfully for the offices of Governor-General, Prime Minister and Lord Mayor of Sydney.
Do it with respect for women.
Comments