opinion

"Last night, I saw the most offensive moment in My Kitchen Rules history play out."

I’ve met blokes like Matt before. He’s not necessarily a bad person.

He’s just a bit of a dick.

And last night on My Kitchen Rules he landed the lowest of blows. In fact, as a long-time fan of the show, I’m calling it as a new MKR record.

He landed the lowest blow in MKR history.

He announced to rival contestant Amy, in front of everyone, that she’s punching above her weight in her relationship with Josh.

It was during a conversation about Josh’s modelling work that Matt said it. He began by lightly mocking Josh for being a model and then he said:

“Does anyone know what the term ‘batting Merrins” means?”

“Nup,” most of his fellow contestants answered.

“Anyone who’s with someone who’s better looking is ‘batting Merrins’.”

And despite the mortified look on his girlfriend Alyse’s face, he explained, “Anyone that’s with someone that’s better looking or whatever, they say batting Merrins.”

And then, just in case he hadn’t made his offensive comment clear enough, he clearly stated, “Amy is batting Merrins.”

Amy’s boyfriend Josh looked distressed and turned to his girlfriend Amy who took a few moments to twig, only because she couldn’t believe someone had just said something so cruel about her, on national TV.

Josh and Amy react to Matt's mean comment. Image: MKR, Channel 7
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Everyone on the table, including his own girlfriend, turned on him and even then he still continued to justify his mean and classless comment.

"No, no, no, I'm just saying, hey..."

Thankfully everyone at the table drowned him out.

"Come on!"

"What because Amy's not a model?"

"That wasn't very nice, Matt."

And then, intent on continuing to dig the hole he was already standing in he added, "Oh, it's only a bit of fun."

Yep, that old clanger. The disclaimer those who should know better, who belatedly realise what they've said is mean and stupid and offensive, always say.

Amy reacts to Matt's comment. Image: MKR, Channel 7
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Matt's fellow contestants continued to try and repair the damage he'd done.

"I think you're beautiful."

"Yeah."

And then my new hero, Duncan, said, "We will not have this. We will not stand for it."

Someone off camera added, "No, I won't stand for it either."

Amy later said to camera in an interview, "I didn't really appreciate that comment at all," showing she is all class. "Saying that I was punching above my weight, I was like, seething."

"That really showed Matt's true colours," boyfriend Josh added.

Matt's girlfriend Alyse was directing death stares Matt's way and as Amy tried to keep her chin up in front of him she said, "That's okay, I don't have any plans to be a model," proving she is all class and then said a beeped out swear word which I am really hoping was, "You're a dick Matt."

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To which Matt says, "Nah, it doesn't matter."

Thanks Matt, for showing how superficial and mean someone can be. Image: MKR, Channel 7

Someone then said, "Stop it," because he still wasn't shutting the hell up.

And then, with without apologising, he said to camera during an interview: "There's too many feminists at this table. I think they need to be just a little more light-hearted."

Light-hearted?

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At one point during the altercation girlfriend Alyse even said, "Matthew, shhhhhh.....".

I mean, how cruel, mean, classless and horrible of him to say. Who the hell does he think he is?

It was incredibly difficult to watch, and disappointing.

People's worth is still being measured by how they look and it's got to stop. There's more to an individual than the looks with which they were born.

If I were Matt I'd take a long, hard look at myself and reconsider some of the ridiculousness that falls out of my mouth, seemingly with no attempt to consider the feelings of others for even a second.

Too. Many. Feminists.

If feminist means someone who believes in equality, who stands up for victims of verbal bullying like they were forced to last night, then I'm sorry to inform Matt that he was the only non-feminist on the table last night.

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I've met so many guys like Matt. Too many. Now I am raising two boys and I'll be doing everything in my power to ensure they don't turn out anything like that.

Matt appeared to have forgotten he's on a cooking show, not a beauty pageant. His apparent high rating of his own looks and bulging muscles seemed to leave him feeling superior to others.

But looking good on the outside means nothing if on the inside you are the ugliest person of all; with ugly words ready to spew out at a moment's notice to people who did nothing to deserve them.