by SIMONE McDONNEL

STOP THE PRESS!

Alan Jones (2GB Sydney, radio presenter) has made *yet another* highly intellectual and well researched contribution to the Australian Media. Yesterday, he informed his listeners:

“She (the Prime Minister) said that we know societies only reach their full potential if women are politically participating.

Women are destroying the joint – Christine Nixon in Melbourne, Clover Moore here. Honestly.”

Upon hearing Jones’s remarks, I realised I had two options I could:

(a) promptly quit my job and forget about my career, find a husband who can think for me and never aspire to participate in the political process;

or

(b) JOIN THE DESTRUCTION TRAIN!

Naturally, I chose (b) and started by smashing my radio against a wall.

Now, I will be the first to admit that I am not the greatest poster girl for feminism. I confess I make the odd joke about sandwiches, I’m terrible at reading maps and I’m useless at popping the lids of salsa jars.

But when I hear Alan Jones say that women are destroying our country, I get angry. ‘How angry?’ I hear you ask? Very angry. ‘I AM WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR’ angry!

The reason why I get angry is because for all the policy mistakes, errors of judgement and blatant stuff ups by the many males who had lead this country before us, never, has it been so much as whispered that men don’t deserve to participate in the democratic system. There has never been a suggestion that men, as a whole, have destroyed the country.

Women, on the other hand have obviously singlehandedly ruined everything. They are the reason men can no longer have nice things. How dare Julia Gillard, Clover Moore, Christine Nixon, or any other female for that matter, (because remember- it is us as a collective, ladies!) leave the kitchen, let alone choose to actively participate in our democratic system.

I don’t normally get fired up over mindless dribble from Jones, who I might add, is one of the most ignorant, irrelevant and out of touch members of the Australian Media (I would call him a media personality but that would imply he has one).

Normally, I’d let it go through to the keeper. But what Jones has done is round out an incredibly backwards week, where a female Journalist was called a ‘cow’ and an apparent ‘feminist’ again took it upon herself to comment on the Prime Minister’s figure.

For me, this week will be remembered as the week I beat my head (and threw my radio) against the wall wondering why this issue never seems to just go away. Why certain members of the Australian media can’t grow up and move on past what sex a person is, I don’t know.

Until these issues are resolved, I make this promise to Jones and to all of his chauvinistic mates: I’ll continue to wear pants, vote, have a career and destroy the joint.

Simone hails from country SA and is the Australian Young Labor National Women’s Officer. A self-confessed bogan and political junkie, Simone needs feminism because she’s a hopeless cook..

What did you think of Jones’ comments?