Eddie In The Hot Seat

EDDIE IN THE HOT SEAT.  

How Precious Have We Become?

By Mark Humphrey

Collingwood President Eddie McGuire has landed himself in hot water with a comic remark about getting Adam Goodes to promote the new musical King Kong. In what was no more than an attempt to provide some comical relief on his morning breakfast show, McGuire has been hammered from pillar to post by the ensuing media throng with calls by some that he should be stood down from his position.

This now has become typical of the hysteria generated by the media when racial comments are blown out of all proportion by wrongful reporting. The fact of the matter is that these issues on racial vilification are only headlined by the media conglomerates as they sell news. If Australians grew a tolerance to the lop sided reporting of racial issues then the newspapers would drop the subject like a hot scone. If this was to happen then the Indigenous population would be the biggest losers which I thought by now they would have realised.

Today Adam Goodes was faced by a situation where it was reported that he may have been vilified by Eddie McGuire. From what I understand a simple phone call from McGuire to Goodes apologising for the remark was accepted by Goodes with Goodes making the twitter comment that he is moving on. Fantastic and any misunderstanding between the two of them had been sorted out. Well that’s what you would have expected.

10 hours later and it’s the lead in story for the television news stations with some suggesting that McGuire should be stood down or even worse sacked. When are we going to get it that these issues are being reported for the wrong reasons?

What was wrong with the simple conversation and apology acceptance between the two parties concerned which would have taken no more than 10 minutes? Issue finished with!

Why didn’t the exact same situation take place on Friday night with Goodes? Unfortunately Goodes fell for the exposure trick rather than simply arranging to talk to the 13 year old girl outside of the prying media. For Goodes to put that girl through the rollercoaster ride that pursued, he obviously did so without taking into account the emotional wellbeing of a 13 year old girl.

Even league chief Demetriou seems to differ on his opinion with regards to racial comments and from whom they come from. Remember that Demetriou went on record last year for saying that he supported the Adelaide Crows for terminating the services of Matt Rendell after Rendell made comments in regards to scouting Indigenous players. Earlier today Demetriou said that McGuire had made a mistake and apologised for it and that he thought McGuire was genuine in his remorse. So Rendell wasn’t?

As of this evening Demetriou has announced that McGuire will face section 30 of the AFL Players Act which addresses Racial and Religious Vilification. Why the change from the the lunchtime opinion?

You have to ask yourself why Demetriou would take such a different stance on the two comments. How is it that suggesting that Goodes should promote King Kong is not 10 fold more racially vilifying (given the Friday night incident) than the recruiting statement made by Rendell?  Why is Demetriou standing idle on this latest situation? Unfortunately it’s all about exposure and more over the timing of exposure.

I listen to McGuire’s breakfast show most mornings and the comment made today by McGuire with regards to the King Kong promotion was seen as nothing more than a joke. At no time did I think there was any Sinicism with the skit. It may have been a bit left of centre but that’s it. No malice what soever. Only after the media had picked it up and run with the story did the situation start to gather momentum for the wrong reason. The triple m breakfast show has a girl working in the background named Rosie. I wonder what the reaction would have been if Rosie inadvertently voiced the throw away remark?

You can work that one out for yourself which is further testament to my belief that people and organisations push this vilification issue for the wrong reasons which unfortunately may not benefit the Indigenous Community in the long run.

Just a note to finish on. Collingwood player Harry O’Brien has jumped on the self-interest band wagon which comes as no surprise. Here is a guy who if you listen to some, has not got the courage to stand up to his own wrong doings. It was widely recognised that O’Brien had made a homophobic remark to Geelong forward Tom Hawkins on the ¾ time break during the recent Collingwood V Geelong AFL match. O’Brien was on the end of a homophobic remark by a St Kilda player last season and voiced his disgust at the comment. People suggested at the time of the Hawkins incident that O’Brien was seen clearly voicing the prohibited remark. O’Brien immediately put out a statement saying that he didn’t call Hawkins the name as suggested instead saying that he called him a fat c@#$.

So now we have O’Brien putting out a twitter statement basically condemning McGuire for suggesting Goodes promote King Kong yet there has been no apology coming from O’Brien for the discriminative remark with regards to peoples weight.

If I walked into the top end of Collins St in Melbourne and discriminated against an individual due to their weight you can guarantee that I would be in court facing charges.

So why does O’Brien think that McGuire has something to answer to yet he doesn’t?

No doubt O’Brien has put his 20 cents worth in for his own self-promotion! Why doesn’t O’Brien get his own backyard in order first and stand up to his own convictions?

My hope is that one day there will be no discrimination against any individuals or communities be it Indigenous or not, but until we change the way we use and report on discrimination I can’t see it.

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