Karl Stefanovic with his wife, Cas
It was a weekend about bottoms really. First, the Royal Wedding scene-stealer, Pippa Middleton and then Karl Stefanovic’s wife, Cas, whose arse got a special shout-out when he accepted his Silver Logie for most popular TV presenter.
Offices and playgroups, watercoolers and dinner tables are buzzing about these two very fine arses and we are a country divided.
While I haven’t heard anyone complain about the rapture shown towards Pippa Middleton’s arse – it has its own twitter account and Facebook appreciation pages – some are upset that Karl mentioned how great his wife’s bottom is.
Amanda Meade, TV reporter for The Australian writes:
Representing the old style, typified by McGuire and The Footy Show, Karl Stefanovic may have taken home the Gold Logie, but he came away looking like a dinosaur. His crass speech accepting his first Logie displayed all the sexism of the old Channel Nine in all it’s blokey glory.
Calling fellow Gold nominee Swan “a good sort”, a compliment he also handed to his co-host, Lisa Wilkinson, Stefanovic said: “Lisa is not only a great sort, but has been a great calming effect on my life.”
Of his wife, Cas, sitting in the room, he said: “She has been a great influence on my life and has also got the best arse I have ever seen.”
Seven’s Johanna Griggs, accepting a Logie for Better Homes and Gardens, took him to task on it, and the room was with her.
“Karl, we don’t have bum and boobs jokes; it’s just nice family viewing.”
I thought it was funny and not the least bit offensive. What did you think? Karl was trying to compliment his wife, his fellow nominee and his co-host. By mentioning that they were beautiful or hot or a good sort…..is that sexist? Offensive?
The Facebook page for the Pippa Middleton Ass Appreciation Society
The first thing I said when I sat down at my table at the extraordinary Ultimate Girly High Tea yesterday (I’ll be writing more about that on Friday so check back for a full run down) was “So! How about Pippa Middleton’s arse!” and the conversation rolled from there. We had women of several different generations at the table including a 12yo girl called Abby and her mother. We were united as one in our appreciation for Pippa’s arse.
Was that sexist? Inappropriate?
When Jana Wendt came on TV last night to present a Logie for something-or-other, I tweeted: “Wow. Jana Wendt just made me feel better about growing older.” She was luminescant.
Was it sexist of me to not mention her accomplishments as a journalist? Or is it OK to sometimes just compliment people for looking beautiful? I thought the same about Best New Female Talent winner Chrissie Swan. She glowed. And it takes a lot of effort to get gussied up for one of those things – an awards ceremony, a wedding, a party…..surely compliments about the result of all that gussying are OK?
Luminous: Chrissie Swan
Sometimes, people question how we can run our red carpet frockwatch galleries here on Mamamia when we claim to be a site that cares about body image. I do often feel frustrated when women are reduced SOLELY to a description of their parts. Are compliments sexist however? I’m genuinely interested to know where you stand on this.
My belief on that subject is this: I think we should celebrate people for all kinds of things. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with saying someone wore a nice frock or discuss their choice of interesting hat.
Yes, fashion is entirely superficial. So are red carpets. That’s the point of them. Not rocket science. Not brain surgery. Not a damning indictment or raging endorsement of the kind of PERSON someone is.
I think it would be sad if we became afraid to compliment people. For all sorts of reasons, not just the way they look. I’m a big fan of the compliment – they make people feel good and can that be bad?
Obviously, Karl is a friend. I’m not hiding that. I know the incredibly high regard he has for Lisa and his wife and the other women he works with. I also know Cas and she has some pretty fantastic thoughts on that subject herself (you can read about them here).
But I’d say the same thing about anyone else in the same situation.
What do you think? Should Karl NOT have said his wife had a great arse? Is it insulting to describe someone a ‘a good sort’? And are you a facebook friend of Pippa’s arse?
To see all the red carpet looks from the 2011 Logies, you can view our gallery here
Comments
238 Comments so far
Honestly? I really don’t care. I have better things to think about.
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as he was being positive and encouraging her arse rather than putting someone elses down, i have not problem with that. plus, aren’t logie winning tv presenters supposed to be entertaining?
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Hi Mia,
Most people would be appreciating Karl as acknowledging his missus as special (a good thing), Johanna as having missed a great opportunity to acknowledge her own win and her special people (a bad thing), and Johanna’s comments got me thinking about how she’d like us talking more about her academic horse-power, but if not for her appearances from the ribs up, she wouldn’t be on TV at all. In response to you question in your blog, “yes, you can just talk about a tv person’s great looks, because there are very few with great brains, that’s why they are on telly and not performing Brain surgery.
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Who cares about the bottom joke??? All that matters is that Karl beat Kochie!!!!! hahaha oh thats right Kochie and his twit sidekick Mel weren’t even nominated!
Suck it sunrise
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Sunrise didnt push viewers to vote at all. Ch9 pounded their viewers for weeks on air and online. Surprise surprise. Karl even thanked the people who ran his campaign. Not a truly accurate reflection of popularity then. But was it ever?
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I like Karl. He always seems up for a laugh and is not afraid of sending himself up. He did a fantastic job on the wedding commentary and was hilarious with Dame Edna. Its also obvious he admires and adores his wife whenever he speaks of her publicly. Personally, I’m disappointed of his choice of language during his Logies speech, and perhaps he is too. The word he used is the last word I would use to describe a ‘behind’ (I’d hate to hear my husband or kids use that word and I’m no prude) and it certainly lowered the tone. I don’t feel he objectified her, as it was a humorous comparison to Pippa M and that his wife’s behind is the one for him, but his language made it sound crass.
It also took away from his own achievement, which should have been the topic of conversation. Bit of a Homer Simpson moment perhaps!
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Mia, I believe your friendship with Carl has influenced your story. Can you honestly tell me that if it was a footballer up there recieving an award and complimenting his wifes bottom you wouldnt be writing how he is typical sexist pig. I think you would be all over it like a cheap suit. For the record it doesnt concern me that he said it, just your obvious bias.
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If you cant compliment your wife’s behind, whose can you? I think its great, good onya Karl, she’s a fine looking woman! Oh… and I am sure she is smart, but what if she wasn’t? Seems to me you either gotta be smart or beautiful, preferrably both. God help the stupid and not so pretty…
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Shelly, not Anonymous
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I stumbled across this website. By accident. From what i read i will never return. Its seems if you cannot have a laugh and appreciate things such as Pippa Middletons arse or Karl talking up his wife then you should really just not watch the tv. I asked my female friends, work collegues and MY WIFE, and none have a problem with their husband talking about their hot ass. Grow up the lot of you.
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You can’t have read much, then Adam. As of Monday arvo there was overwhelming support for Karl, Cass (sp?) and Pippa and their respective arses!
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Oh dear, who looks like the dummy now. Dont let the door hit you on the way out.
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Mia it is luminescent not luminescant. I think Karl’s comment was undoubtedly inappropriate. I would never want my partner to talk about my body like that in front of people, let alone on television! To me it’s indelicate and cringe worthy. It’s vulgar. Not that anyone understands what that means these days! Why not just say he thinks his wife is stunning, the most beautiful woman in the world? I also think the Pippa Middleton ass/arse appreciation group on facebook is pathetic and disturbing. Doesn’t anyone have anything better to do?
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Vulgar! I haven’t heard that word in ages, but it’s an excellent description of what this is. Also crass.
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I think the article is coloured by a working relationship with the guy. I groaned when I heard the comment but also to see Mia’s Twitter about Yana W. If I was Yana I would certainly have groaned too. Just thoughtless little comments that perhaps are unnecessary.
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I’d groan more at being referred to as ‘Yana’ when my name is Jana.
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I was wondering if he mentioned his wife’s butt because everyone’s been talking about Pippa Middleton’s…so the joke was in that context…and maybe any other time it perhaps wouldn’t have been said?
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The problem with the majority of these comments is that they are coming from the view of the naive viewer.
As someone who has worked in the TV industry for decades, the problem this article is outlining is not so much what Karl said, but the sexist industry it represents.
Had he said it at his birthday party, or wedding reception etc that’s fine, he has the right to pay his wife a compliment as she is the one who can decide whether it is appropriate.
BUT like the article said, his comment represented a HUGE problem within the Australian TV industry. Where women are treated first and foremost as pieces of ass.
Mia I think it is ridiculous that you do not even acknowledge this. Surely you saw it during your brief flutter with the network?
Women in TV are constantly marginalised by the ‘boys club’ who run the network. Great thinkers, hard workers and inspired writers, producers and editors will only get a look in if they come with big boobs and a great arse.
So if everyone wants to ‘say its fine’ go ahead – support these guys who put ‘Dance Your Ass Off’ and Sam Newman on TV.
But maybe just once, have a think of the many women who have to put up with comments like this every day and try and show some respect to women in TV.
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Yes, well said. This is the same blokey culture that got rid of Mia’s show before it had a chance and gave her such a hard time when she was at Channel 9.
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Thank you both for acknowledging this.
I am constantly saddened to see many young, vibrant, talented females enter the TV industry only to be subjected to either putting up with ‘compliments’ on their ‘great arses’ or failing to break through to any role of substance because of their lack of a ‘great arse’.
This joke, whatever the intention, just served to highlight the sad plight of females in Australian TV.
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You know I really agree with your statements here Dinosaur. During the Logies I sent a text to my friend saying how I was cringing , from the very start when Shane Bourne made that silly gesture to the back of the young hostess (Tarni??) and then all the examples that have been documented here “she’s a good sort”. White middle aged men in a big boys club, that’s what the TV industry seems to me.
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Totally agree, Dinosaur. And the hostility directed at Johanna Griggs for her (incredibly mild) response to the blokiness is telling.
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Karl has a great sense of humour, that’s one of the reason I married him. Not to mention the amount of respect he has for me and women in general. If you listened to all he had to say on the night about me, the ass comment was a tiny portion of that. After 16 years together do I feel respected, absolutely. Am I chuffed that my husband also finds me attractive enough to tell the country, you betcha!
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Mia, I’m glad you and Amanda Meade can both spell arse correctly. I’m not sure the Pippa Middleton Ass Appreciation Society is meant to be a society for the appreciation of a donkey?
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Is ‘ass’ the American spelling?
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Yeah, maybe?
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I do not think it’s sexist. Karl’s speech sounds like it might have been a bit inappropriate though
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I wasn’t offended at all. Prior to mentioning his ongoing attraction to his wife he also thanked and complimented her for intelligence, support and sacrifice.
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A while ago there was a Tiffany (the jeweller) print advertisement for diamond rings and the tag line was “or just because she’s got the best legs you’ve ever seen”. Would that be deemed sexist if it involves diamonds?
For the record I didn’t watch the Logies (so appreciated MM’s red carpet gallery!) but Karl’s comment about his wife’s backside appears to have been made in fun, as was Joanna Grigg’s response.
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Urgh, what a repulsive ad. Sounds like it was written by the boys from Mad Men.
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Where has our sense of humour gone! I think it was obvious that Karl was not trying to insult or offend anyone, I think he was just on a high and was being his usual amusing self. Let the man have his moment, surely we are big enough to alllow that?
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I don’t think he meant to be offensive. But that doesn’t mean that others don’t find it that way. I suppose what matters most is his wife’s opinion. Beyond that, it appears to me that the comment reflects a general “boys club” mentality that is still very much evident in a number of industries, including television.
I don’t go much on it for a public compliment.
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I’m afraid I am one of the people you talk about in your article who thinks that this is very rich coming from someone who stands up for body image issues.
Sure you can compliment your friends.
Discussing a person’s body PART though (Pippa Middleton’s bottom), when you don’t know them, in public (i.e. this girly high tea), is akin to reducing them to a piece of meat, and is certainly not a responsible way to build healthy body image in the 12 year old girl at your table. Especially when the bottom in question looks to be approximately an Australian size 4 or 6 – hardly attainable by normal healthy living for most women.
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If it were a female up there commenting on their hubbies behind do you think Johanna would be like ‘you go girl!? Just saying.
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If Karl hadn’t grabbed his wife’s arse and mentioned how gorgeous she was he would have been in trouble when he got home. Guys understand this, it’s the law of diminishing returns. Take the punches in public but reap the benefits in private.
BTW, I never warmed to Karl until he turned up hung-over on the Today Show. Way to go, boyo, shows you have red blood flowing through your veins after all.
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Oh dear
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I think the interesting thing is the female furore over Pippa Middleton’s bum – when in fact her backside is about as minimal as a backside can possibly get.
Yet more evidence that the current “ideal” backside is to have no backside at all.
I agree that both sisters looked beautifully graceful and elegant, and there is nothing wrong with a natural and healthy slimness.
But unhealthy thinness (BMI below 19) is unhealthy thinness. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that both these slender, beautiful young women intentionally went about getting even more slender for the wedding, and I find it troubling in these times of the ultra-thin ideal. For Pippa’s extremely flat backside to be heralded as a modern wonder just seems sad. Try and make yourselves invisible, girls. Anything beyond bones is just too much you.
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I’m with you on this one WIllyWally.
Maybe the folks lauding her butt have a bit of a barely legal fetish because she certainly does not look womanly to me.
There’s nothing wrong with being thin but it’s obvious both Miss Middletons became pencil thin a few weeks prior.
As for the Carl comment, I think it’s the word “arse” that I didn’t like. Maybe just stick to “the most amazing woman I know” next time and grab her arse later mate.
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Willa Way has expressed this very well saying
“to see a slim woman lose a significant amount suddenly before a wedding is to see what the ideals are – women want to look perfect on their wedding day, and that’s the idea of perfect.”
I haven’t “followed” the Middleton’s diets. The press has shoved images into my face whether I like it or not. Both girls have lost significant weight on tiny frames. I was struck by how worn out both girls looked, despite their makeup.
Shannon, you know I was not trying to put down thin women. It concerns me that an already thin woman feels compelled to lose weight.
As for Pippa’s bottom. To me, from behind, she looks like she has the bottom of an average 14 year old. Hence my comment, hence the disturbance this creates in me that people laud this as being an ideal.
I would comment and be just as disturbed if the ideal was in the opposite direction.
Maybe I’m just getting old and all the extreme exercise and restricted eating I see in the 20-30 somethings I know is normal and I am the one with the problem.
I don’t think so. I’ve had enough body changes with birth and operations that I’m ok with myself and I like to think I genuinely care about others and our society.
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I have a BMI of 17, and several doctors have told me I’m healthy. BMI is a rough guide – it isn’t the be all and end all of health. It can’t replace an actual visit to your GP and an assessment.
So I really resent that there are lots of people harping on about “unhealthy BMI is unhealthy BMI” because while, *on average* that BMI is unhealthy, in particular individuals it is not. Individuals like me.
I don’t think it’s particularly fair to make judgments about strangers based solely on their pictures…whether they are healthy or not, I don’t know, but I will give them the benefit of the doubt the same way as I will give someone with a BMI over 24 the benefit of the doubt, as is so often demanded.
I agree that it would be very sad if they intentionally went about trying to slim down even further for the wedding and I don’t agree with the “thin ideal” that is struggling to maintain its dominance in popular culture. I firmly believe that all women deserve to feel good about themselves. But can I just be honest with you, reading your post and Flutterby’s below has made me feel like crap. Not as crap as I’ve felt other times, because yours were reasonably respectful and your hearts were in the right place, but all the same it didn’t really brighten my morning. You both say that natural thinness is okay, but my natural thinness is her thinness – and you don’t seem to think that’s natural so if you met me, you probably wouldn’t think mine is, either.
I just wish people, when making these generalisations, would spare a thought for those of us who just can’t help being very thin, who are always asked if we have an eating disorder, and being told that we aren’t “womanly”…please, please explain to me how it is fair for everyone else to feel good about themselves, but I’m allowed to be judged on appearances and told that I’m not healthy when I am and that I’m not as worthy of positive body image.
No-one defends women like me when Sami Lukis and Jason Hodges go on the Morning Show and say about thin models (and, by implication, thin women generally) “Someone give the girl a Tim Tam” and “If that were your dog, the RSPCA would accuse you of abuse”. Skinny women in an analogy with neglected dogs? I was horrified. But no-one else was, they laughed along. It wasn’t controversial. They so openly vilified skinny women. If the shoe had been on the other foot, imagine the uproar.
Now, I know that the media and the fashion industry tote the thin model as their ideal, but this ideal is not widely accepted in broader society and it is rarely accepted in the positive-body-image campaign. So when I say “why is everyone else allowed to feel good about themselves” I don’t mean that everyone does, I mean that that is what people fight for. They fight for everyone else, and in the process they marginalise, devalue and dehumanise women like me. They make gross generalisations about our health and people take it for gospel and feel like they are armed with a quasi-medical doctorate and say, “Oh, poor pet, she hasn’t eaten in days”, “Healthy women don’t look like that” etc.
When you make comments about a particular person’s (or, celebrity’s) size, whether they are indeed healthy or not, those comments resonate with every woman who considers herself similar. At the end of the day, you’re still talking about how their body looks – you can’t say, for example, “she has a flat bum and is almost invisible, it’s just not attractive or womanly” and then say to everyone who naturally looks like that, “Oh, but I didn’t mean *you*”.
Yes, you did. You may not have meant to, but you did.
Why can’t all women be celebrated and accepted, and not put under pressure to fit some ideal that nature didn’t intend for them? Why can’t we all resolve to not judge someone unless we know them and/or have a medical degree, why can’t we all resolve to say “You know what? All women deserve to feel good about themselves. I don’t want people judging me by my weight, so I won’t judge someone else by theirs”.
I’m waiting for that day. Sorry this is so long…as I’m sure you can guess, negative body image is something I’ve been dealing with for a long while. Sometimes, I just feel so forgotten and silenced because I’m part of “the problem”. I didn’t cause my body-image problem, but apparently I’m expected to “take one for the team” as a Mamamia commenter said a while back. Suck it up for the greater good? I shouldn’t have to. Nobody should.
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Shannon, I don’t think I said thin was unwomanly. I just said unhealthily thin is unhealthily thin. And it is. As a general rule, being too thin is actually worse for you than being too fat. But, like all general rules, I’m sure there are exceptions. You say your doctor says you are healthy with a BMI of 17. Yes, BMI is not a perfect measure, but few are. We have to make some generalisations in this world to say anything meaningful at all.
I calculated BMI here:
http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/
and to achieve a BMI of 17 at 165 cm I would have to weigh 46 to 47 kilos. I am happy to say that for most women that is simply underweight, and I think you should not be so offended to hear it. For most women, 70 kilos at my height would mean overweight. But a female body builder with 10kg of muscle on her thighs shouldn’t really take that generalisation to heart.
If we can’t talk about what generally makes people unwell, or less likely to have a healthy and happy older age, then how are people ever to make sense of what medical science has found out about people in the last 50-60 years?
For those of us who are a little heavier than we might be (my BMI is 22, and has at times neared 25), it is helpful to know that being fit but a bit fat is better than just being fat, but also better than being thin and not fit. So, we know we should aim to get fit, rather than just starving ourselves to try and shed some kilos and get a better BMI (meanwhile losing all our healthy muscle).
I’m glad you’re healthy, but if you are to take statistics to heart personally, it’s going to be a long life.
As for the comment about seeing a picture of the Middletons and making assumptions – it’s more than one picture – it’z zillions over nearly 10 years in which changes in appearance are pretty apparent. To just applaud how the Middletons looked in the wedding, without having any asides about not needing to have lost weight – or worse, applauding weight loss in people who obviously don’t need to do it – is to silently feed into the thin ideal that is making life a misery for many women.
I think Kate Middleton was healthily slim/thin – and a really active sporty woman – and that’s what I view as healthy, “natural” thinness. And I hope it was. I’m assuming it was. But to see a slim woman lose a significant amount suddenly before a wedding is to see what the ideals are – women want to look perfect on their wedding day, and that’s the idea of perfect. If she’d been as thin as she was on the day all along, well, fine, if that was her normal, healthy state. But I don’t think it was.
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Hey WillaWay, it was actually Flutterby who said it wasn’t womanly which is why I referred to her, too. But through most of my post I use “you” as a general collective term for people generally who aren’t me, similar idea to “one” but less formal.
So don’t take the whole post as being a dig at what you said.
But I don’t think you’ve totally understood what I was getting at. I’m saying while BMI is a general guide, we should be using that for ourselves and not others, because really how is it anybody else’s bloody business if I’m healthy or not? If someone feels something may be not quite right with their own body based on BMI, they should go to a GP. That’s what I did. Despite efforts to gain weight, my BMI remained low so I went to get checked out.
My problem is when people make assumptions about others. That if they have a low or high BMI, they *must* be unhealthy. Yes, statistically, they’re more likely to be. But is it fair for someone to see a photo of me and say, “Oh, who’s that anorexic bitch? LOL give her a burger!”? No. No more than it’s fair for someone to see a photo of a larger woman and say, “Oh, who’s that fat bitch? LOL take away her burger!”. You don’t know anything about that person. You don’t know what they eat, how they exercise…nothing.
My point is that you will never know if someone *else* is the exception, so don’t judge them without knowing, as many people do to me. And don’t encourage others to judge them based on generalisations because you can’t fairly apply generalisations to an individual. So saying that “being a size six isn’t healthy” is really unfair. Differently, saying “being a size six isn’t usually healthy” is fair. That’s true. For most women, it isn’t. But for others it is.
As far as the Middletons went, what I was getting at is that while it may be worrying that *they’ve* slimmed down somewhat from what they used to be, there are quite a few women who are that size without trying to slim down. This is all about the look. Size 6 look by diet or size 6 look by nature is still a size 6 look.
So when you say there’s something inherently unhealthy and unappealing about *the look* of that body size/shape/weight (which may be unnatural on the Middletons – I haven’t followed their diets or weights…ever. So I wouldn’t know) you are also saying it’s unappealing on women who are that way naturally. Women who you aren’t even addressing, but are comparing themselves to the person you’re talking about, realising they too look like that and wondering how those judgments apply to them. Do they look like “prepubescent boys”? Stick insects? Are the only men who would be attracted to them closet paedophiles with a “barely legal” fetish?
That’s what I’m talking about. The way judgments like that can effect the individual. The same way as many women got offended about the findings of the doctors in Bologna about plus-size models, because they felt anti-plus-size generalisations applied to them because they were similar to the models.
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Very much a belated comment, but thanks for voicing the unfairness naturally thin women face!
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I have a complaint about this article. Where is the picture of Mrs Stefanovic’s arse?
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Not offensive, but i think if my husband had an opportunity to public declare his appreciation to me… i would probably prefer he said something a little more thoughtful and endearing than i have a nice booty…
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Karl is a dickhead.
After Channel 9′s shocking coverage of the Royal Wedding Karl just added more to the mess.
Yuk.
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Karl seems like kind of a dick, I have to say. I like Lisa Wilkinson, so I gave Today a go for a while, but I couldn’t put up with him; he pissed me off too much in the early morning when I’m already grumpy.
He’s a bit of a real-life internet troll, or a TV shock jock. And he’s stupid tactics work. Once a year, people like me who don’t watch TV end up talking about him as he draws attention to himself at or after the Logies.
Well played, sir.
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Thank you! Couldn’t put it into words but you did!! I often find him so very cringeworthy. I dislike the ones on Channel 7 too!!
Why he couldn’t just be classy in his acceptance speech? Good on Johanna Griggs for saying something!
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What did Johanna Griggs say? btw she’s hot, but I wouldn’t dare grab her arse…
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Far out ! People need to chill out and stop taking everything so seriously. Go Karl ! How long have they been married and how many children do they have ? Its fabulous Karl thinks his wife has the best arse he’s ever seen ! I’d like to know which women would be complaining if their husbands got up and told the whole nation that they thought they had the best arse he’d ever seen ? Come on girls and be honest….you would love it !
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If he complimented a woman he didnt know on having a great arse, it might be sexist. His wife? Oh fer chrissakes. Some people don’t even know what the word ‘sexism’ means. It certainly doesn’t mean an innocent bit of affection for one’s partner.
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We love Karl in our house. He did a fantastic job reporting on the QLD floods, he was there in Rocky and Roma long before the floods hit Brisbane. I watched his interviews with affected families and I cheered as he held the insurance companies to task. He fully deserved that award. I imagine his comment on Cass’s ass was meant in jest as were his comments about Lisa being a good sort. I love that Karl is a bit of a larrikin I certainly don’t think his comments were sexist in any way. I also think Joanna Griggs needs to get a life.
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we all know pippa stole the show, poor kate
as for karl, well yes, no need for drama over him complementing his wife, however, maybe not in a logie acceptance speech?
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why is everything turned into a drama these days? what is wrong with a man finding his wife sexually atractive? it was a lighthearted comment that i thought showed the love they obviously still have for each other and it showed that elusive bond/ connection some couples have, even in a crowded room full of celebritys all that mattered for him right then was his wife!
i would feel awesome if my partner thought i was that hot that he wasnt ashamed to tell the whole world. isnt that the whole fantasy? to shout it from
the rooftops!!!!!!!
Love and marriage obviously goes way further than sex but damn its important!
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Some people just simply have to have something to winge about, that’s why. Once they were called wowsers or killjoys. Nowadays they are referred to as PC.
I don’t know if you have seen the English version of the “Balls of Steel” TV show. If you have, think of the “militant black guy” character. He brilliantly portrays todays PC killjoy wowser.
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I don’t really have a problem with it – I just think that there’s a time and a place for everything, and this wasn’t the right place. I’d be pissy if it was me.
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I thought he was just making the ‘ass’ comment as a joke post all the Pippa Middleton ass comments! Seriously missing what the big deal is, as I took it as a joke?! Maybe I’m missing something.
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Completely agree, I thought it was a silly play on all the Pippa comments too. And it was the Logies, so was anyone really expecting highly intellectual commentary?!?
Although on that note, I must say I really loved Laurie Oakes’ speech – a brilliant blend of a fun and slightly cheeky character while still conveying the important of political journalism.
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Hi MM team
Not sure why last name’s are showing up again? Or is it just mine?
Have a great week!
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Lighten up! I though what he said was funny – if my husband had said it about me I wouldn’t have been offended.
His wife thought it was funny and that’s all that matters.
We are becoming way too PC!
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I think its sweet! As women, we tend to worry about how appearance, and whether we’re still attractive to our long-term partners after so many years together, so if my fiance stood in front of a national audience and essentially told them i was hot i’d be wrapt!
And i’m forever telling my man how much i love his bum ( very squishable! ) so it runs both ways…
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Like everything, its all about context and nuance.
If my husband had a chance to thank me and/or honour me on national television, I’d like to think he’d come up with something better than what Karl said. (should point out, didn’t watch it so I don’t have a lot of context) If it was in a bit of banter on a radio or tv show, then no biggie. But if its supposed to be a defining comment – he showed himself up to be pretty shallow.
Same with commenting on appearance. I think again its about context and balance and nuance. I worry about people whose only source of information is red carpets and celebrity sites and who is in and who is out, who is fat and who is thin. I don’t like that my mother comments on my new clothes or whether I’ve gained/lost weight and what my skin looks like every time she sees me, but never asks about work or world events.
Its like a diet – a little from all the parts of the pyramid…
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Some people would want to argue about the exact time of the time of the day, the direction that the wind was blowing and the differences between shades of black and white. For goodness sake, can’t we have a day where some poor soul finds that they honestly have nothing better to do than attempt to incite an argument over someone’s sexist or allegedly sexist comment ?
Many thanks.
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I’ll have you know Bradley, that different shades of white are incredibly important. Recently bought a wedding dress =D !!!
My dress shade is ‘alabaster’, but I tried on white dresses that were called white, ivory, oyster, cafe, MUSHROOM (omg), champagne, pewter etc. If you don’t get the right shade of white the dress will clash with your skin tone =P
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I actually found what shane bourne (the guy from Thank God Your Here) said about his daughters conception (whilist she was in the room!) a bit muched flicked over the channel about then..
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If I was still in high school and someone told me I had a hot ass I would have been very pleased!! However, while I don’t find it offensive, I think more beautiful words could have been spoken. I wonder if that was mentioned to Karl as his second speech consisted of him talking about “beautiful souls”.
I know my husband still finds me hot (God love him) but if he mentioned this on national tv, I don’t think I would be too happy.
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No he did not get prompted for the second speech. I think you would find it very surprising if your name was read out for a logie the fist time ever… Just like the silver was for Karl. He didn’t write a speech like many others so talked on his feet as any deserving person of a best presenter award should do. Why can’t some Australians just praise a winner for what they are.. Winners!
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Cass, I actually do think Karl is a worthy winner of the award, but that is not what this post is about. I was commenting on the remark he made and whether I thought it was sexist or not.
I do think it is lovely that you are defending your husband, that is really nice to see in this day and age. Best wishes to you both.
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I don’t feel that compliments are sexist…however, something I do find offensive are those pages in newspapers and magazines where they line up photos of women (usually) and give their outfit a score out of ten. For one thing, it implies that there is a “right” and “wrong” way to dress or look- and come on, everyone’s got different tastes. Was reading that page in the Herald Sun today and I thought the people they put down looked really nice. I know it’s just personal opinion, which everyone’s entitled to, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be published in a newspaper where everyone, including that person, can see it.
If you want to publish a photo of someone looking nice, can’t you just do that without rating their appearance with a number, and without also publishing photos of “badly dressed” people just to make a point of putting them down and embarrassing them?
Would we be ok with it if a school newsletter published photos of year 10 girls at their formal and gave them scores out of ten? No. If we want girls to respect themselves, we should demonstrate that same respect for others.
Sorry to be ranty, just can’t imagine how awful it would feel to get dressed up for a special night and then later have your appearance be picked apart in public!
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I thought his referral to Chrissy Swann as a ‘good sort’ was pretty shallow until a bit after that he said the same about his mum amongst other beautiful and genuine (seeming) comments.
I don’t really know about sexist, but if it was my husband up there in front of aus and after a short string of the typical gratuities the best thing he could come up with was a comment on my behind, I’d be a little hurt, not to mention mortified that he had done so on national tv.
But on the other hand, I am sure (and hope) that his wife already knows exactly how much she means to him.
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I just saw Cas on the news saying she loved that Karl still thought so highly of her butt after 16 years together!
She seems absolutely lovely. Articulate and fun. What a nice couple.
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Pippa Middleton’s arse is like a JK Rowling book. You know Harry’s going to be in it
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thats so funny!!!
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It just depends who says it I suppose. I bet if Eddie McQuire or Tony Abbott said it there would be a different reaction from feministas everywhere
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Come on! He wasn’t trying to compliment his wife at all I don’t think! He was just trying to be cool (or something) but unfortunately it didn’t work.
What a tool.
I should clarify that I didn’t think the comment was offensive, just stupid in it’s delivery and to be honest, I think he sounded uncomfortable saying it. It didn’t just roll of the tongue like it would with some other guys… again, to me, he sounded like he was trying hard to be cool.
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I thought that he said that about his wifes bum because he had probably been talking about how good Pippas arse was and got in trouble!
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I agree Carrie, I don’t think it had anything to do with anything except the fact that that man puts his foot in his mouth regularly and no doubt was trying to make up for something he said earlier!!
He is a twit but a well loved twit and I wouldn’t bother taking anything he says in a circumstance like that too seriously. He even said himself that Lisa has been a very calming influence on him – it seems he has a terrible habit of saying what he is thinking before he filters it for political correctness – I have never heard him be awful or put people down maliciously, unlike some of the others in the Boys Club so it seems a bit out of proportion for this sort of reaction – admittedly it was obvious instantly that the comments would come back to bite him.
Karl admires women often, and I have heard him admire men too, I think he says these things to be kind so I think it is better to take him on face value and assume that he means well.
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I know Karl after meeting him through work a few years back, and like him immensely. So, what I say may be biased, but…
I think it was fine! I’d think it was fine if Kochie said it about his wife. I’d think it was fine if Julia said it about Tim’s butt (not that I’ve checked it out, but I’d hope she thought it was great). Actually, I think it’s lovely! I’m glad he still thinks she’s hot after all these years.
In my opinion, Karl genuinely loves women. For many things – their intelligence, their wit, and yes, their looks. It’s not a crime to think women are beautiful, nor to say so.
I’m so pleased he won, even if he is suffering the hangover to end all hangovers today. Ok, maybe not as bad as a couple of years ago…
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I watch the today show ever morning and love Karl. One of the things I love about him is that he is bit crass and crosses that line sometimes. But he has the utmost respect for his wife that comes across whenever he speaks about her. So if she wasn’t offended (i wouldn’t be if my husband made a comment like that) than i don’t think anyone else should be no matter what the forum for his outburst
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I would love if my (future) husband complimented my arse on national TV. Cheeky, relaxed and REAL! Exactly what Australian TV should be about.
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“cheeky”…pun intended?!
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My boyfriend says it to me, and justifies it with, “We’re essentially animals, God/nature made things for us to be attracted to in each other. I don’t say it to be sexist I say it to let you know that I find you sexually attractive – that’s a good thing”. But he also let’s me know how much he likes the way I am passionate about women’s rights, my independence, how caring I am, how smart I am etc.
I wouldn’t want him only focussing on the way I look and he doesn’t. I do the same – I’ll let him know I find him sexually attractive, but focus more often on his personality. A main part of a relationship is sexual chemistry and attraction, and I think it’s a bit silly to pretend otherwise.
So I have no problem with him commenting on my arse, but I think if he were going to compliment me in front of other people, I’d rather it be because of the sort of person I am.
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I love Johanna Griggs but cringed when she got up and made those comments in her acceptance speach about Karl. It didn’t sound to me at all that the crowd were “with her” – I didn’t hear any loud cheers or applause (but I was not there in the room) – but I am surprised to read here that the crowd agreed with her comments. I personally thought she just sounded like a bitter old woman and I thought it was very bad taste to have a dig at someone else whilst up on stage to collect her own award in front of all their peers – not the time nor the place Johanna. As I said, CRINGEWORTHY!
I thought it was so lovely that Karl is very obviously in love with his wife and has huge respect for her. He DID go on to acknolwedge what she had sacrificed herself, acknowledging that she had her own successful career going on and gave it all up for him and to raise their children. I think Karl has huge respect for women and I don’t find any of his comments at all offensive. WAY TO GO KARL!!!!! You’re a superstar and worthy winner!
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Off topic a bit, but why is it that females are the only ones to be complimented on appearances these days. It seems to be getting more and more so over the last decade, the focus is always totally on women and men seem almost invisible. Men like the odd compliment too ladies, and for the record, I thought the Princes looked hot at the wedding.
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i always compliment my husband. not just his looks but also his cooking and his humour. i try to make sure he knows im his number one fan.
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Bruce is right. Why can we freely say men look hot then get all outraged when a man says his WIFE looks smokin’?
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I think you’ll find a few compliments for Hugh Jackman further down in the comments.
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I started to notice this trend with my children. People (ok, family) would often make a big deal about how ‘pretty’ the girls looked, but never on how my son looked. In fact, my son was the one to draw it to my attention when he was about 5 (“why don’t they say I look nice?”). There’s a lot more to my children than looking nice, and we ensure that they know this. At the same time, it’s nice to have some sort of acknowledgement when you’ve made a special effort to dress for the occassion.
Rant over.
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