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A great week for women in power … and Maxine’s skirt
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The furore surrounding the publication of a demeaning, suggestive photograph of Maxine McKew on the front page of the Canberra Times underlines the embedded nature of sexist reporting of women in politics. Last week was an extraordinary one for women in Australian politics. On the one hand, Julia Gillard became the country’s first female Prime Minister - albeit in an acting capacity. But on the other hand, newly elected Labor MP, Maxine McKew - the woman who ousted former Prime Minister John Howard from his seat - was publicly humiliated by a revealing photo taken at the official Electoral Commission declaration of her victory. Taken front-on, apparently at the height of the seated McKew’s skirt (i.e. from perve’s eye-view), the photograph appeared at first glance to suggest McKew was fond of going both ‘Brazilian’ and ‘commando’, evoking comparisons with Sharon Stone’s ‘performance’ in Basic Instinct . In the face of a community backlash against the publication of the photo, the Editor, Mark Baker, was defensive and apparently unable to fathom people’s objections, telling AAP it was a “tremendous photo”. Attempting to justify his decision to his staff, he wrote in an internal memo: “It was not obscene. It was not voyeuristic. Those suggesting the picture shows more have vivid imaginations.” Publicly, he argued that he did not anticipate the photo would cause offence. However, this journalist has been told by Canberra Times staff that at least one female sub-editor complained about the use of the image before it went to print, saying she found it “offensive and wrong” but her objections were over-ruled. Other female reporters are known to have been deeply offended and embarrassed by the incident. What makes Baker’s decision to run the photo even more offensive is the fact that it undermined what should have been a story about female power - of a woman punching through the glass ceiling and claiming the most prized political scalp in the country. Instead, the focus shifted to the s-xual exploitation of women and, once again, to the dress code of women in politics. It’s the same old story - men are perceived to be the natural inheritors of power but women are treated by some in the media as a decorative novelty. Cheryl Kernot was pilloried for wearing a red dress and a feather boa in a photo shoot; Julia Gillard’s hair has been the subject of more critique than her politics; Pauline Hanson’s fashion sense was ridiculed above her policies and now, in an act that resembled a sordid locker room joke, Maxine McKew, the woman who brought down the most powerful man in the country, has been s-xualised and objectified by the National Capital’s newspaper…a publication which has broadsheet pretensions but increasingly tabloid practices. It’s time to confront s-xist media coverage of women in politics head on. Until men and women in power are represented equally, female politicians will continue to suffer the indignity of the sort of treatment meted out to Maxine McKew - even on a day when a woman is in charge of the country. Julie Posetti is a journalism lecturer at the University of Canberra. She blogs at www.j-scribe.com . |
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12 Comments
What a complete non-event. Julie Posetti is showing signs of her damage at the hands of the Catholic eduction system.
I commend Mark Baker for not backing down to the hairy chested feminists who exist in every newsroom
What a Herbert you are Kevin.
Sorry folks, but if anyone got excited about this they should consult doctors about the need for a prescription. There is definitely nothing scandalous about the photo unless your from one of the many forms of taliban around the place today.
Get over it! If Maxine McKew wants to show the world her waxed bits, that’s her choice. I had not even looked at her skirt until the feminists went up in arms - a storm in a tea cup. Thanks Ms Posetti for entertaining me, but you are a bitter clown.
A “bitter clown” Andrew? And you? Are you up to speed on your own psychic condition?
When you take people’s time with your opinion you ought to get the facts right. Far from a perve’s eye view it was obviously taken by a crouching photographer at above elbow level. Just draw the lines. And whysay nothing about Howard’s hands?
There are two issues with the photo of Maxine McKew in her VSS. First, voyeurism is a fact of life and sells newspapers (they are produced by voyeurs for voyeurs). Second, women who prefer not to expose their genitalia to public view should cover up.
The personalised, misogynistic nature of the feedback here further underlines my point about the absence of equality. I wonder if Alan Ramsay received the same sort of vitriolic response to his column on the issue which expressed a similar viewpoint?
Secondly, I see the point made about the angle of the photograph but the effect is the same: an “up-the-skirt” view for the reader. My gripe is not with the photographer but the Editor’s decision to publish the shot which I maintain was in poor taste.
Poor Julie, She’s well & truly on the back foot now. Out comes her misogynist accusations for those views she can’t comprehend…poor thing, she comes across as a ‘born too late’ feminist…she needs to travel to broaden her mind…too long in Canberra.
Dear David Sanderson, Given your various responses in defence of Julie Posetti’s increasingly hysterical rant re the ‘McKew View’, you must now declare your association with Posetti (if any).
For the record, I have no idea who David Sanderson is and I have no relationship to declare with any of the respondents. Thankfully, not all men think like you, Kevin! BTW feminism isn’t dead and no such thing as born too late to fight for social justice