I don’t normally find Sam Newman funny (probably because I
finished puberty some time ago) but he pulled out some of his best comedy last
week.
As part of a humorous monologue where he lambasted AFL players for wanting to use their status to promote progressive issues such as inclusion, he kept a perfectly straight face as he said, “I am a white, Anglo Saxon, male, Protestant, heterosexual and I am waiting for my day to come, and when it does I will be first in line to say how stupid is this?”
Then someone told me it wasn’t a joke and it became much less humorous. Actually it was sad.
Ranting indignantly from his life of privilege, Sam will get kudos from his outburst for, ‘telling it like it is’ and not being afraid of political correctness. But that will be misplaced because he is, ‘telling it like it isn’t’.
In this case, I presume Sam wants to speak to those in society who feel minorities are given too much recognition at the expense of them (he would be well-received at a Reclaim Australia rally). I was half-surprised Sam didn’t have Shannon Noll singing “What about me?” in the background as he blustered. I will state from the outset I do believe some forms of positive discrimination are both ineffective and inappropriate, but that is a bigger issue to discuss. This wasn’t even a case of positive discrimination that would cost anyone anything. It was just a gesture of solidarity around an issue that AFL footballers are making a strong stand on.
I share many of Sam Newman’s demographic traits (apart from his wealth, unfortunately), but I am far from waiting for my turn. I have my turn every day. I am not the recipient of any positive discrimination because I AM ALREADY SIGNIFICANTLY ADVANTAGED WITHIN AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY. I’m OK without any more free kicks. I’m certainly not threatened by people’s efforts to promote understanding of other groups within society.
When I was a kid, I used to wonder why there was a Mother’s Day and a Father’s Day and no Kids’ Day. I had to grow up a little and get a bit of perspective before I realised that EVERY DAY was Kids’ Day, because I was the one who got the best deal out of the family dynamic. My parents looked after me at home and then went out and worked hard to earn money to ensure they I could enjoy my childhood and get an education. Much of their hard work and struggles were hidden from me as, I grew up in a protected bubble. It seems some people have never outgrown this kind of thinking.
To Sam Newman and any other white, heterosexual, English-speaking male who is feeling oppressed, take a breath. Without delving into the parts of our colonial past that seems to make some proud Australians uncomfortable, consider these questions?
Chill out Sam, every round is our round.
As part of a humorous monologue where he lambasted AFL players for wanting to use their status to promote progressive issues such as inclusion, he kept a perfectly straight face as he said, “I am a white, Anglo Saxon, male, Protestant, heterosexual and I am waiting for my day to come, and when it does I will be first in line to say how stupid is this?”
Then someone told me it wasn’t a joke and it became much less humorous. Actually it was sad.
Ranting indignantly from his life of privilege, Sam will get kudos from his outburst for, ‘telling it like it is’ and not being afraid of political correctness. But that will be misplaced because he is, ‘telling it like it isn’t’.
In this case, I presume Sam wants to speak to those in society who feel minorities are given too much recognition at the expense of them (he would be well-received at a Reclaim Australia rally). I was half-surprised Sam didn’t have Shannon Noll singing “What about me?” in the background as he blustered. I will state from the outset I do believe some forms of positive discrimination are both ineffective and inappropriate, but that is a bigger issue to discuss. This wasn’t even a case of positive discrimination that would cost anyone anything. It was just a gesture of solidarity around an issue that AFL footballers are making a strong stand on.
I share many of Sam Newman’s demographic traits (apart from his wealth, unfortunately), but I am far from waiting for my turn. I have my turn every day. I am not the recipient of any positive discrimination because I AM ALREADY SIGNIFICANTLY ADVANTAGED WITHIN AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY. I’m OK without any more free kicks. I’m certainly not threatened by people’s efforts to promote understanding of other groups within society.
When I was a kid, I used to wonder why there was a Mother’s Day and a Father’s Day and no Kids’ Day. I had to grow up a little and get a bit of perspective before I realised that EVERY DAY was Kids’ Day, because I was the one who got the best deal out of the family dynamic. My parents looked after me at home and then went out and worked hard to earn money to ensure they I could enjoy my childhood and get an education. Much of their hard work and struggles were hidden from me as, I grew up in a protected bubble. It seems some people have never outgrown this kind of thinking.
To Sam Newman and any other white, heterosexual, English-speaking male who is feeling oppressed, take a breath. Without delving into the parts of our colonial past that seems to make some proud Australians uncomfortable, consider these questions?
- Does your gender make you more likely to be a victim of domestic violence and sexual assault?
- Have you had to grow up in countries that do not provide government funded education and welfare?
- Is your religion the subject of frequent unbalanced criticism in the media and on social media?
- Are you likened to a terrorist due to your complexion, dress or religion?
- Have you been disadvantaged by not speaking English as your primary language and missed out on employment opportunities or had difficulty accessing government support?
- Is your race, sexuality or gender the subject of numerous jokes that you find distasteful?
- Are people of your ethnicity over-represented in Australian jails by a factor of 10 and will you live on average 10 years less than other Australians?
Chill out Sam, every round is our round.