Its been dubbed "Chickengate" - the video of a rubber chicken wearing a condom on its head trying to win the heart of your regular frozen chicken. Sound like a novel concept for a short film? Maybe, maybe not.
But this chicken video was produced by players at the North Melbourne Kangaroos Football Club. From what Ive seen of the video, its not altogether clever. Nor particularly funny. But i can say that about 90% of the content on youtube.
Its been called "degrading to women", which is a bit hard to understand given that it involves chickens. Unless someone thinks women are chickens, this whole thing smacks of political correctness gone crazy.
However this video has quickly become the football scandal of the year. You may find this hard to believe, but the story broke courtesy of The Age who asked questions of the club after viewing the video on youtube. By some reports, the video had been viewed by just 200 or so people. Hardly a big audience.
But The Age in their latest tabloid tradition have decided to run with this non-story, even labelling it Chickengate. I'm not sure if Caroline Wilson had a part to play in the breaking of this story. But you can bet it was inspired by her insipid, tabloid style commentary.
If you don't know Wilson, shes a nasty, scowling football "journalist" who has made her mark by commenting on anything other than what goes on during a football match. In fact, she is nothing more than a gossip columnist. And not a very good one at that.
But i digress. After all the media controversy, the Kangaroos football club has fined senior players Adam Simpson and Daniel Pratt $5000 a piece for creating the harmless video. There was even a threat that they would be dropped from the next match!
But does anyone really give a cluck? It seems that with regard to media commentary, football in Australia is reduced to gossip and the latest off field scandal. That's not restricted to AFL - the same occurs in the NRL and to a lesser extent the National Soccer League.
From the media's perspective, if there isn't a scandal, then they should create one. Seek it out. Lets face it, the players are only human. Follow them enough, keep a close eye on them and you will find something that will make front or back page news. I'm sure the players of today are no different to those of 30 or 40 years ago. In fact, they are probably much better behaved.
But its tabloid city at The Age. Ive almost given up reading the commentary. I'll watch the match and make my own commentary thanks very much. Because its the game that I'm focused on. Go the Roos.
About Just Grumpy
4 comments
Ha! bloody carolyn wilson. She makes my blood boil some of the stff she comes out with. If you never played the game how can you be a commentator on it? she doesnt know anything about footy.
I don't agree with the previous comment. There are plenty of great spot commentators that have never played the sport.
That said, this whole incident was a mole-hill. It was entirely beefed up to be a scandal. As a women, I agree that football players of different codes can have misogynistic attitudes to women but this was not one. If anything it was a parody of the attitudes of the hip-hop industry, not their own attitudes.
Caroline Wilson? Well, she's just a hack.
Ms. Wilson needs to go overboard with these stories to cover her lack of football knowledge. She must lack confidence when it comes to reporting on any actual game, so resorts to gossip column mentality to over compensate. Now Phil Cleary is getting involved. I feel for what happenned to his sister, but that doesn't mean he's the expert on domestic violence. The video was immature and foolish, but seriously, do you honestly believe that by watching this, you're more inclined to act violently towards women (or chickens)?
Miss Sam Lane was involved big Time as was Pete Hanlon.Do you think if it Happened at Collingwood there would be such a Fuss.Its something you would see on Chasers War on everything and have a Laugh.And as for Caroline Wilson,i think we are getting sick of her, as she is approaching Fifty.She in her article with Miss lane hyped up that Kangaroos would Lose their Sponser and Diehard Fans.No Decision will be made with the Sponser until the End of the year Carro head, so Shut the F##K up.And Mr Cleary is claerly using the Roos as a Political Stepladder for himself.I didn't here him comment about the Bock incident which was far worse as an Assault on a Real Woman, not a Frozen Chicken.
Post a Comment