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"What has to happen?" Kyle Sandilands' controversial take after knife attacks

Kyle Sandilands has shared his controversial opinion on arming security guards in the wake of two violent stabbing attacks in Sydney. On Saturday, six people were killed at the hands of Joel Cauchi who went on a stabbing rampage through Bondi Junction Westfield, while on Monday night, a teenage boy stabbed a bishop and a priest during a church service in western Sydney. One of Joel Cauchi's victims was Faraz Tahir, a security guard at the shopping centre, while another guard was injured during the rampage. In the days after the eastern suburbs tragedy, Kyle, who has a <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/kyle-sandilands-family-member-among-first-victims-stabbed-in-bondi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">connection</a> to one of the people injured during Cauchi's attack, launched into a tirade live on-air, calling for security guards to be given firearms. "I saw the [NSW] premier [Chris Minns] last night on TV saying firearms for security guards are not on the agenda. And I was like, 'Well, what has to happen before a security guard can actually secure the place for us?'" Sandilands raged. "Every shopping centre and every school should have armed security guards, trained specialists, not just some guy getting a little firearms licence. I mean, proper trained." Most retail security staff in NSW are unarmed, with batons classified as prohibited weapons that require special licensing and training. "There's people that work at Westfield, for example, women that work in shops that have told their husbands, 'I ain't never going back to Westfield. I'm never going back to work again'," Sandilands continued, adding that those retail workers are "traumatised forever" following Saturday's stabbings. Sandilands' opinions have been echoed by fellow controversial broadcaster Ray Hadley, who on Monday demanded on his 2GB Sydney radio show that security guards be armed across the state. "For years I've been arguing that all security guards in the state in hospitals and shopping centres should be better equipped," he said. "And these poor security guards, unarmed, unable to do what they should do - protecting the people that they are there to protect." Image credits: KIISFM

Legal

Pauline Hanson slams Woolies' controversial Anzac Day decision

Pauline Hanson has slammed Woolworths and their decision to not stock commemorative Anzac biscuit tins ahead of this year's Anzac Day. The supermarket giant has chosen not to stock the limited edition tins this year, after making the decision to stock Anzac biscuits all year round, and donating to the RSL in other various ways. In previous years, Woolies have sold the tins that feature designs commemorating different wars and conflicts and are collectable items, with a portion of the profits supporting the RSL to aid veterans and their families. The decision not to stock the tins has outraged Senator Hanson, who has decided to continue her boycott of Woolies, which began when the supermarket didn't stock Australia Day merchandise in January. “I haven’t shopped at Woolworths ever since they announced they wouldn’t be supporting Australia Day,” Senator Hanson wrote online. “Now that I have learned Woolworths has also refused to stock the RSL’s special Anzac biscuit tins, It reinforces my original decision. “If Woolworths isn’t interested in celebrating Australia and doing everything it can to support our veterans through organisations like the RSL, then I’m proud to continue to boycott Woolworths and I hope others will join me in taking their business elsewhere.” Some veterans have also shared their upset in hearing the news, as World War II veteran Jack Bartlett said he was “horrified” to hear of Woolies decision. “I collect those tins and value them greatly because of my association. I’m very, very sorry to hear that Woolworths won’t do it (sell them),” Mr Bartlett told 2GB’s Ben Fordham. “It’s such a small thing for such a big shopping conglomerate to do. I don’t think it’s very, very much to ask them to continue what they’ve done for some time." Woolworths have since responded to Senator Hanson's accusations, with a spokesperson telling <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/woolworths-responds-to-pauline-hansons-accusations-over-stocking-of-anzac-day-commemorative-tins/news-story/92d04438600a19f61837026198c81b4e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a> that the supermarket giant was selling multiple items for Anzac appeals and has raised almost $13 million for the cause over the past decade. Woolies confirmed that while it will not be stocking the limited-edition tins this year, they will be selling Anzac Appeal badges and supporting veterans and the RSL. “We are the only supermarket to be selling the badges,” Woolworths said in a statement. “We sell Bakers Finest Anzac biscuits in our stores all year round, this product is endorsed by the RSL and generates revenue for the RSL to support veterans and their families. “We’ve been proud partners of the RSL for the past 10 years, supporting the ANZAC Appeal in April and the Poppy Appeal in November. Almost $13 million has been raised at Woolworths in the past 10 years for those appeals.” "This support continues in 2024, with Woolworths once again stocking ANZAC and Poppy Appeal badges for purchase, providing direct and crucial support to the veteran community nationwide." Image credits: Getty Images / Shutterstock

Legal

Woolies store vandalised over controversial Australia Day decision

A Woolworths Metro store in Brisbane has been vandalised over the supermarket giant's controversial decision to not stock Australia Day merchandise. The Woolies in the north-east suburb of Teneriffe was hit with a flare and graffitied with the message "5 days 26 Jan Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Woolies f*** u” on the side of the building. One local shared on social media that a flare was also set off at the front entrance, setting off the fire alarm about 5am on Monday morning, shortly after staff were seen cleaning the graffiti. Queensland Fire and Emergency Services confirmed three crews “responded to an alarm activation” at the store, where firefighters found smoke at the scene and ventilated the area. They left the vandalised store at 6am, where police took over the scene. “Thankfully no team members or customers were injured as this occurred before the store opened,” a Woolworths spokesperson said in a statement. “We’re grateful to the police and fire brigade who attended." “There’s no reason for vandalism and we’ll continue to liaise with Queensland Police.” The vandalism comes just days after the supermarket giant <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/woolworths-under-fire-for-dropping-australia-day-merch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> they would not be stocking any specialised merch ahead of Australia Day. Woolworths shared that the reason for pulling Aussie decorations off the shelves was due to the “gradual decline” in demand for the merchandise over the years and “broader discussion” about the January 26th date and “what it means” to different parts of the community. “While Australian flags are sold within BIG W all year round, we don’t have any additional themed merchandise available to purchase in-store in our Supermarkets or BIG W ahead of Australia Day,” a spokesperson said. “We know many people like to use this day as a time to get together and we offer a huge variety of products to help customers mark the day as they choose.” Image credits: 7News / Shutterstock

Legal

Sydney Opera House at 50: a public appeal, a controversial build, a lavish opening – and a venue for all

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-arrow-45">Michelle Arrow</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</a> It is one of the most famous buildings in the world. It has an instantly recognisable silhouette that adorns tea towels, bottle openers and souvenir sweatshirts. Miniature versions huddle in snow domes. You can build your own from <a href="https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/sydney-opera-house-10234">Lego</a>. Bidjigal artist and elder Esme Timbery constructed a replica in her trademark <a href="https://recollections.nma.gov.au/issues/volume_7_number_2/papers/displaying_the_decorative">shell art</a>. Ken Done put it on doona covers and bikinis. If you search the hashtag on Instagram, you will see over a million posts. Fifty years ago today, after a prolonged and controversial period of construction, the Sydney Opera House was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in a lavish ceremony. Spectators carrying flasks of coffee and cushions watched from the sidelines. More than 2,000 small boats viewed the ceremony from the water. After the national anthem was played and nine F111 aircraft roared overhead, the crowd heard a didgeridoo and Aboriginal actor Ben Blakeney delivered a prologue “representing the <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110753207">spirit of Bennelong</a>”. In her speech, the Queen remarked the Opera House had “captured the imagination of the world”. The opening festivities gestured both to Australia’s deep Indigenous roots and white imperial origins. The building itself symbolised a new era of state investment in cultural infrastructure. This was a hallmark of the “new nationalism” in the 1970s: the arts were regarded as essential to Australia’s newly confident sense of national identity. Today, the Sydney Opera House reminds us Australia can value culture for its own sake. But what did the Opera House mean to Australians when it opened 50 years ago? <h2>Building the Opera House</h2> The campaign for an Opera House in Sydney was initiated by Sir Eugene Goosens, who came to Australia as conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1947. He found a sympathetic ear in Joe Cahill, the Labor premier who committed Bennelong Point to the project and launched an international competition to design the building in 1955. This part of the story is well-known (indeed, there was even an <a href="https://www.theeighthwondertheopera.com">opera</a>). Danish architect Jørn Utzon’s bold, avant garde design won the competition and construction began in 1961, funded – in a democratic touch – by the NSW government’s Opera House lottery. Construction was plagued by difficulties and expanding costs. Utzon famously resigned from the project in 1966; Australian architect Peter Hall oversaw the construction of the interior. In spite of the jokes and doubts, by the time the building was finished, Australians had embraced the Opera House as their own. The Queen tactfully acknowledged the building’s construction delays in her speech at the opening ceremony, <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110753207">suggesting</a> “every great imaginative venture has had to be tempered by the fire of controversy”. <h2>Cringe and strut</h2> As historians Richard White and Sylvia Lawson <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/35026797/version/50553486?keyword=symbols%20of%20Australia">note</a>, while the Opera House was intended for all performing arts, the centrality of opera – with its expense and small audiences – made a symbolic statement a “new, more sophisticated Australia” had arrived. As Australia sought to find an identity independent of Britain, the Opera House became a symbol of this new nationalist turn. Some fitted the Opera House into older narratives of Britishness: in his book Sydney Builds an Opera House, Oswald Zeigler remarked we needed to thank Captain Arthur Phillip “for finding the site for this symbol of the Australian cultural revolution”. <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110752757">Gough Whitlam declared</a> it was "a magnificent building, Our civilisations are known by their buildings and future generations will honour the people of this generation […] by this building." In spite of this, there was still cultural cringe. The <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110753207">Canberra Times</a> reported the British media believed the Opera House was a sign that “the country had turned a corner artistically”. It was a telling sign of cultural cringe that their opinions were sought at all. The Opera House was part of an Australian cultural renaissance in 1973. The ABC broadcast an adaptation of Ethel Turner’s beloved Seven Little Australians. The bawdy Alvin Purple was a box-office smash. Patrick White became the first (and so far, only) Australian to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. The new wave of Australian drama was in full swing, and the Opera House’s opening season included a play by new wave star David Williamson alongside Shakespeare’s Richard II. Historians have nominated many emblems for the new nationalist mood (from the new national anthem to The Adventures of Barry McKenzie) but I would suggest the Opera House embodies it best: the soaring sails, the bold, rich colours of the interiors, and John Coburn’s glorious, confident curtains for the performance venues. <h2>For the elite or for the people?</h2> There were always objections on the grounds that government investment would be better focused elsewhere, rather than on a performance venue for “elites”. These arguments are wearyingly familiar today. Premier Joe Cahill rejected this charge from the outset: in <a href="https://mhnsw.au/stories/general/sydney-opera-house-the-gold-book/">1959 he declared "</a>the average working family will be able to afford to go there […] the Opera House will, in fact, be a monument to democratic nationhood in its fullest sense." Cahill’s insistence this was a building for everyone to enjoy and be proud of has been fulfilled by its creative use ever since. School children regularly perform; new audiences have been drawn by musicians of all genres, from punk to Prince. But the Opera House has also been a place for creative experimentation and innovative performance – as it should be. Today, 50 years from its opening, the Sydney Opera House reminds us the state still has a role to play in supporting the performing and creative arts in Australia. This radiant, soaring building belongs to all of us: a great reason to celebrate its birthday.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213252/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-arrow-45">Michelle Arrow</a>, Professor of History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/sydney-opera-house-at-50-a-public-appeal-a-controversial-build-a-lavish-opening-and-a-venue-for-all-213252">original article</a>.

Domestic Travel

Sam Newman backs down on controversial Grand Final plans

Sam Newman has remarkably backed down on his plans to boo during the Welcome to Country acknowledgement at the upcoming AFL grand final. The former AFL star <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/sam-newman-encourages-aussies-to-boo-during-welcome-to-country" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made waves</a> last week as he called for footy fans to boo and drown out the traditional welcome by First Nations Australians, with many quick to call his plans "racist" and "disrespectful". Newman even seemed to <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/sam-newman-grilled-point-blank-are-you-a-racist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">double down</a> on his claims that the Welcome to Country was somehow more divisive that uniting, as some outraged Aussies even called for him to be removed from thew AFL Hall of Fame. However, the 77-year-old has now quickly back-tracked his statements, saying he will not be booing during the Welcome to Country at the AFL grand final on Saturday. "I wouldn't boo at the grand final, but it was just a flippant throw away line, I disagree with the Welcome to Country at the grand final," he said on his podcast. "My point is that every single thing you go to now, you go into a library, you go into anywhere at all, the whole thing starts with it." "The whole thing makes you feel guilty for being here." "When is it ever enough that we say 'hang on a minute, this is enough, how much further do we want to keep going?'" Newman again went on to say that he believed the Welcome to Country ceremony does not "unite us". "I said last week that we should boo the Welcome to Country, it was an extravagant statement." "(The Welcome to Country has) gone overboard and the social elites are only trying to placate their own white prejudice by feeling virtuous that they keep going on and on with this." "This is why I criticised the AFL, it's just become a minefield of nonsense, they've got to pull it back." "(It's) not uniting us, that is my point. Standing on the MCG on grand final day and saying 'you're welcome to the country and we give you permission to play on the ground', that's not uniting us." "That's showing the world that we are a divided nation, that's my point." Since Sam Newman's original statement, senator <span style="caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">Lidia Thorpe has blasted his comments, saying he is missing the point on what the Welcome to Country is about. <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">"Sam Newman, I'm not sure why he's even in the news. He's irrelevant to any debate of the time," she said on Today. <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">"It's about peace. The whole message behind it is respect." <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">Image credits: Getty Images

News

“You’re a flop!” Kyle Sandilands hits back at Dan Andrews’ controversial new policy

Kyle Sandilands has called out Dan Andrews and the Victorian government, as they move to ban all new homes in the state from using gas. The state government is dubbing the move as a measure to reduce cost of living pressures, claiming households will save up to $1,000 off their annual energy bills while reducing household emissions. Upon hearing the news of the proposal, the KIISFM radio host branded the Victorian Premier “a flop” and the policy “some bull***t.” “I’m sick and tired of everyone thinking we’re idiots,” he said on The Kyle & Jackie O Show. “These laws are for idiots. Losers are doing these jobs.” “They will be banning Bic lighters next, we will be rubbing two sticks together to get a cigarette lit.” “That government sucks ass. That wandering eyed flop down there can’t have the Commonwealth Games because he can’t budget, now he thinks ‘’Oh, I’ll get the woke losers to vote for me by getting rid of gas’. You’re a flop!” From January 1st 2024, planning permits for new homes and residential subdivisions will only connect to all electric networks. To encourage new homeowners to go all-electric and abandon gas, eligible new home builders, as well as existing homeowners and renters, can access $1,400 solar panel rebates and interest free loans of $8,800 for household batteries. All Victorian households and businesses are also eligible for gas to electric rebates to upgrade heating and cooling and hot water heaters. Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio said getting Victorians on more efficient electric appliances would lead to big savings on bills, while also helping to reduce emissions. “We know that with every bill that arrives, gas is only going to get more expensive,” she said. “That’s why we’re stepping in to help even more Victorians get the best deal on their energy bills.” “Reducing our reliance on gas is critical to meeting our ambitious emission reduction target of net zero by 2045 and getting more Victorians on more efficient electric appliances which will save them money on their bills.” Image credits: Getty Images / KIISFM

Legal

Controversial call on Ben Roberts-Smith

Following the dismissal of Ben Roberts-Smith's defamation trial, politicians and defence experts argue that his belongings should remain in the Australian War Memorial until he is criminally proven guilty. The civil case saw Australia’s most decorated living soldier lose out to Nine newspapers due to claims he had committed war crimes, including a murder while deployed in Afghanistan. Amid the findings, <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/australian-war-memorial-urged-to-remove-ben-roberts-smith-s-uniform-from-display" target="_blank" rel="noopener">many have urged</a> Roberts-Smith should be stripped of his medals, including the Victoria Cross, and to have any mention of him removed from the Australian War Memorial. However, Liberal MP and former soldier Keith Wolahan argued that Roberts-Smith should still be featured in the memorial’s commemorations of the war in Afghanistan. He told ACB TVs Q+A program, “It’s a part of our history, but I think it should acknowledge the Brereton report and perhaps this defamation trial,” The Brereton report is the official inquiry by the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force that found a culture of unlawful killings, horrid initiation rituals as well as cover-ups within the Australian military during his time in Afghanistan. Wolahan said it may not be necessary to include references to the defamation trial until criminal investigations are finalised, saying that politicians should “stay out of criminal proceedings”. “Ben Roberts-Smith still has a right to appeal and there’s a question about whether there’s a criminal charge,” Wolahan said. “He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence and due process, but I think the Brereton report belongs in the War Memorial.” Wolahan is a three-tour veteran of Afghanistan and served as an operations officer, platoon commander and deputy chief of operations. The former captain added that the Australian Army “have to hold ourselves to a higher standard”. “When you look at the Brereton report, you cannot ignore it. Yes, it’s not at the criminal standard and that defamation trial was not at the criminal standard, but you cannot ignore the findings,” he said. The Q+A panel discussed the culture within the armed forces of the West, with war correspondent Michael Ware noting that soldiers must go to a “very dark place” to face war. “It says we’ve all participated in small war crimes, I know I’ve certainly seen my share of them,” he said. “And according to the laws of war, and I have to tell you, this is a harsh reality – we in the West – we kill children. “If an eight-year-old is placing a roadside bomb, a sniper can legally shoot that child.” He then argued that despite that, there is an even worse cultural issue within the Australian Army. “All that said, there is a line you don’t cross, you've got to have a moral compass ... it does appear to me that there was a culture that developed over a period of years within the regiment where this just became a part of the way they operated and Ben Roberts-Smith is not alone.” Image credit: Getty / Instagram

Legal

Alan Joyce preparing to sell controversial $20 million mansion

Outgoing Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is saying goodbye to more than his long-time role at the airline as he prepares to sell his controversial harbourside mansion. The veteran airline boss purchased the gorgeous North Shore home for a staggering $19 million in May 2022. Soon after he was forced to launch a fierce defence of his excessive spending habits after Qantas announced a whopping $1.9 billion loss. The airline came under fire for poor customer service, extended wait times for flyers, and drama over lost bags and late flights, amid legal action over its move to lay off workers that lead to Joyce launching the defence of his own record as airline boss. He said he was tired of being forced to justify his professional and personal decisions. “Why is it relevant what I do in my private life? I’m not a public figure. People regard the CEO of Qantas as like a politician and it definitely shouldn’t be. It’s a business figure,’ Joyce told The Australian in 2022. “It’s been well reported over the years how much I get paid, so I do have the money because Qantas went to record profits and had a record share price.” According to reports, Joyce is set to sell his short-term blue chip pile in Mosman, overlooking Mosman Bay and move into a generous penthouse in The Rocks. It is understood that Joyce has undertaken some refurbishments on the Mosman home. That paired with the competitive market for prestige homes in Sydney means the home could sell for more than $20 million. The luxe home has been previously owned by former foreign exchange dealer Alison Ethell and her sister, Jane, since 1993 when it cost $1.25 million. Image credit: Getty / Realestate.com.au

Real Estate

Why Channel 10 is suing its former star host

Channel 10 is suing its former political editor, Peter van Onselen, for an alleged breach of contract after he wrote a column tearing into his former employer’s business skills. Anonymous sources told news.com.au that Mr van Onselen signed a non-disparagement clause and received a financial settlement after leaving the network. He had announced he was returning to academia, leaving his daily political news role at Ten in March 2023 after four years. It followed reports he had become tired of the commute from Sydney to Canberra. “I’ve only been doing this for four years ... We sometimes forget the sacrifices they make!” he wrote. It’s believed that the alleged breach of contract that Ten Network has initiated action over relates to that secret clause, which required him not to badmouth the network. However, it’s now the court’s decision to decide whether his column — which only referred to publicly available information about the network — constitutes a breach, or whether he should be free to make such observations in his role as commentator. In The Australian on May 25, <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Fbusiness%2Fmedia%2Fparamount-woes-raise-questions-about-the-long-term-viability-of-network-10%2Fnews-story%2Fe2dbfb95698c1eca1cb78f0dfd858c22&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=dynamic-low-control-score&V21spcbehaviour=append" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mr van Onselen wrote</a> that Ten’s parent company, Paramount, was unlikely to have a promising future. “Paramount’s share price has plummeted more than 30 per cent in the past month, down more than 50 per cent in just a year,” he wrote. “You could choose to be a little more upbeat about Paramount (and Network 10’s) future if the streaming part of the business was firing, but it’s not. “So what does all of this mean for Network 10? It could be fine, limping along with little attention paid to it by its big overseas owner … Since that time the network’s ratings have slowly ebbed lower and lower, elongating the divide between it and its more successful commercial rivals in Australia.” Mr van Onselen also revealed during his tenure that NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian criticised Scott Morrison in private text messages. Image credit: Getty

Legal

“It’s really dangerous”: Former MAFS star's jarring claims about show

A former participant of Nine’s Married At First Sight has appeared on a rival network to drop some jarring claims about the reality TV show. Tayla Winter, who was paired up with Hugo Armstrong on the series left Sunrise hosts David Kochie and Natalie Barr in disbelief with her chilling warning about how “dangerous” and “scary” the format is for the participants. Winter 27, explained how she had expected “a really fun experience” going into it. “I thought I’d meet a lot of people, we could party in Sydney – I was on a bit of a break from work – and potentially meet someone that was really nice,” she said. “For me, the worst case scenario in my head was, I still come out with a lot of friends. I could never have imagined what it was actually like.” Barr then asked her whether she’d “warn people not to go on MAFS” in the future. “I think it’s really dangerous,” Winter responded. “I know that some of my castmates are really struggling. “I’ve been struggling … I hope that people just understand what it’s really like and that’s why I’m trying to spread a bit of awareness about it because … I truly believe someone will end their life over this show one day.” Her response clearly stunned Barr, who then told her, “Oh, wow, that’s a serious claim. We’re sorry that happened to you.” Winter’s relationship with Armstrong saw some of the most dramatic scenes on the 2023 season of MAFS, with the bride storming out of a commitment ceremony and declaring she was going back to (Tasmania) after a heated conversation with her TV partner. The abrupt exit came after Armstrong allegedly called Winter the “C-word” during a vulgar spat which was overheard in an accidental “butt dial”. Winter eventually returned to the experiment to give him “a second chance,” but was rejected by Armstrong and the couple announced their split to their castmates that night. Winter told Sunrise that she was given “a bad edit” which had left her vulnerable to constant online trolling and abuse. “The way the (editing) is done is unethical,” she told the hosts. “Going into the show, I had no idea how controlled it would be. There is a lot of manipulation and coercive control and it’s pretty scary once you’re over there (on set). “You’re not in your home state, you’re surrounded by all of these camera crews, all these people you don’t know. “It’s quite intimidating and you say and do things under a really high-pressure environment. “You quickly regret those things that you do and that you said.” When Barr highlighted that reality shows are renowned for being heavily edited, Winter hit back with bold claims about producers. “You build trust and what you think is a really strong relationship with (producers) and it’s all fake,” she said. “There’s a lot of pressure to say things and do things that you don’t feel comfortable with. “I slept on the couch the entire time throughout the experiment and it wasn’t seen that Hugo had the bed. “But they needed that narrative to suit what character they wanted from me and what character they wanted from Hugo.” A spokesperson from Nine informed news.com.au that the network takes its duties concerning the “health and wellbeing” of the show’s participants “extremely seriously”. “All participants have access to the show psychologist during filming, during broadcast and once the program has ended,” they said. “Nine also have an additional service for participants should they like or need further individual and confidential psychological support. “This service gives participants access to clinicians who have been specifically engaged to support those involved in the program in relation to their experiences. This service is available to all participants for as long as they need it, it does not end. “Nine provides all participants with ongoing support for the duration of the show and we monitor all participant’s social media accounts so that we are aware of and manage any negative commentary. We are very proactive in this space, and care for the health and wellbeing of the participants. “As a result of the level of interest in the participant’s personal lives and volume of commentary on every post, Nine manages all individual MAFS social accounts with their permission, as an extra measure of protecting them from negativity.” Image credit: Instagram

Transformers trailer sparks fury online

Transformers released a string of teasers and behind-the-scenes footage ahead of the June premiere of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts - but quickly stripped a scene that appeared reminiscent of the September 11 attacks. The seventh Transformers movie in the franchise is set to hit Aussie cinemas on June 22, and Transformers shared an extended trailer that showed the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre surrounded by black smoke, according to the New York Post. The scene’s evocation of 9/11 shocked viewers and many didn’t believe the image could be affiliated with a Transformers movie. “This image certainly made me stop scrolling,” wrote Twitter user Daniel Kibblesmith, alongside the jarring screenshot from the trailer. Kibblesmith’s tweet attracted more than 2.5 million views in less than 24 hours after being posted. Transformers’ caption read, “It’s about to be epic. Go behind the scenes with our cast and crew, and meet the new characters of Transformers.” As of May 23, the post no longer appears to be on the franchise’s Twitter page. The nearly two-minute teaser features Anthony Ramos, who stars in Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts as Noah Diaz, an ex-military electronics specialist living in Brooklyn, New York. “This is about to be epic. This is about to be epically crazy,” Ramos said in the behind-the-scenes clip. The footage shows a peaceful NYC skyline with the Twin Towers before abruptly cutting to a shot of the Statue of Liberty in the foreground and the World Trade Centre covered in thick smoke in the background. Steven Caple Jr, the movie’s director clarifies in the clip that the upcoming movie is “in chronological order, is the second Transformers movie – it takes place during the ’90s”. “I didn’t think that it was possible, but here I am, even less interested than ever in seeing a Transformers movie. They’ve done it again, the mad genii,” one Twitter wrote. “This could have been easily avoided if they’d picked literally any other city besides New York,” another tweeted. “That is … an unfortunate shot,” yet another said of the upsetting image, while another said it was “too soon”. Image credit: Twitter

Movies

Madonna releases “controversial” 20 year old music video

Pop veteran Madonna has finally released the music video for her hit song American Life, 20 years after it was filmed. The video, which is arguably her most controversial yet, was originally set to come out in 2003, but was scrapped at the last minute due to overwhelming negative press. While the song itself was a wry look at Madonna’s own experiences of fame and success, the original video was instead a graphic commentary on the then-imminent American invasion of Iraq. Shot just weeks before the war began, the video shows Madonna and her posse of backup dancers all wearing army garb, preparing for a fashion show that sees soldiers walk the catwalk alongside victims of war. The “fashion” show is observed by disinterested fashion experts, who watch on with impassive faces as violence breaks out on the catwalk, with blood and guts spilling everywhere. Had it have been released at the time of growing tensions between the US and Iraq, the video would’ve been heavily censored, or even banned, due to the numerous graphic depictions of violence, with dismembered and disembowelled victims laying on the runway. In response to the outrage, Madonna said the video would never see the light of day. “I have decided not to release my new video. It was filmed before the war started and I do not believe it is appropriate to air it at this time. Due to the volatile state of the world and out of sensitivity and respect to the armed forces, who I support and pray for, I do not want to risk offending anyone who might misinterpret the meaning of this video,” she said in 2003. Now, two decades later, Madonna’s finally officially released the original music video on her official YouTube channel to mark the album’s 20th anniversary. You can watch the video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZAMiK6ROZA">here</a>, but be warned that viewer discretion is advised. Despite the backlash that occurred when the video was first filmed, many fans are glad the unseen footage has finally been released. The video has racked up hundreds of thousands of views in less than a week, and multiple comments praising the pop veteran for her bold statement. One commenter wrote, “This video is not only iconic but also a powerful and still relevant message to this day. I'm glad it finally got an official release after all these years!” Image credits: Getty Images

Music

"Too busy marching": Debate rages over fiery Anzac Day post

A man has shared a controversial claim on Twitter about Australia’s relationship to Anzac Day, sparking a fiery debate. Australians and New Zealanders gathered to commemorate the 108th anniversary of the landing of Anzac troops at Gallipoli in World War I on April 25th. Services were held all over both countries to mark the day of remembrance. On May 34th, Brad Turner, who says he is a former Navy submariner and AFP officer, took to Twitter to argue that the values of the annual celebration were “no longer reflected” by Australia. He notably called out Australia’s confrontation with China on behalf of the US. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Australia is a society that dutifully gets up early every April 25 to gather, Mach & remember our Dead. Speeches are made, politicians speak of sacrifice & honour whilst possessing or embodying neither. That same society that holds paramount ideals of egalitarianism, mateship &… <a href="https://t.co/sbHHbRiYAF">pic.twitter.com/sbHHbRiYAF</a> — Brad Turner (@tur14865416) <a href="https://twitter.com/tur14865416/status/1650394428841037826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2023</a></blockquote> “Australia is a society that dutifully gets up early every April 25 to gather, march and remember our dead,” he wrote in the post, which has been viewed more than 20,000 times. “Speeches are made, politicians speak of sacrifice and honour whilst possessing or embodying neither. That same society that holds paramount ideals of egalitarianism, mateship and sacrifice is forgotten on the other 364 days of the year. “On those days Australia marches right past veteran suicides, war crimes, illegal wars and widespread inequality and corruption. Is it really a day of remembrance? Or is it theatrics so society can pretend they care about victims of war or our conduct as a country with an aim to feel better about apathy and inaction as a nation towards these things. “We don’t notice any of these things because we are too busy marching. But this time it’s headlong into another pointless American war with China. The things we celebrate about our nation on Anzac Day are sadly no longer reflected in Australia’s actions. They have not been in some time.” Several people online took the same stance as Mr Turner. “I don’t like Anzac Day. It overlooks our follies in joining Britain and US wars. WWII was noble. The rest were con jobs to enrich the industrialists. Our people have all these solemn events only to assuage their ‘je ne c’est quoi’ because they don’t feel any guilt but should,” one wrote. “Our politicians spend more on memorial monuments and museums that they can put their name on a plaque on the wall than they do for the actual veterans who are suffering from PTSD or other ‘souvenirs’ they have brought back from their tours,” another said. “Flag waving patriotism has taken over Anzac Day. We are one step away from parades of military hardware while the populace salute. What should be a reflection on the horrors of war has become it‘s celebration. John Howard did this,” a third added. “Listening to the Labor government yesterday follow in the footsteps of the Coalition, justifying spending billions antagonising China at America’s request is not the ‘lest we forget’ I think about,” a fourth wrote. Others fired back and said Anzac Day was still important. “Mate … it’s about remembering the sacrifice and loss of our mates … lest we forget,” one wrote, adding, “I don’t worry about [politicians] anymore grandstanding on the day. It’s our day not theirs to remember our mates.” Another wrote, “It is tradition. It separates the fluff of ordinary living to reflect on sacrifice not only of the dead, of lives unlived, of the unfathomable grief but also of the living dealing with the trauma and moral injury of tooth and claw war. It is not a celebration which distracts.” “I understand this perspective, but at the same time I ask myself — is there any harm in this form national reflection? I agree there have been some military follies following the absolute necessity of WWII, but would add that there is no guarantee that the next engagement is such,” a third wrote. Image credit: Shutterstock

News

“He threw me under the bus”: Lidia Thorpe responds to Dad’s interview

Senator Lidia Thorpe has accused her father of throwing her “under the bus” following his <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/lidia-thorpe-s-dad-calls-her-racist-in-extraordinary-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TV interview</a>, where he claimed she was “very racist against white people”. Speaking to activist Tom Tanuki in an interview on Youtube, Ms Thorpe covered many of her recent controversies. “When I pay attention to the things you say, I am never left in any doubt as to exactly what your politics are. I always get an extremely firm sense of your perspective,” Mr Tanuki told the senator, who left the Greens in February 2023 following disagreements on the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament. “Your actions, even protest actions, marry up with your words. More than most politicians, let’s face it. You are ostensibly bulls*** free, in that you mean what you say and you will take actions to show that you mean it.” “And that’s always got me into trouble,” Ms Thorpe explained. “Because I’m a straight shooter, straight talker, I’ve got nothing to hide, and people struggle with that. And they want me to conform to what? What do you want me to be like? Do you want me to be like Pauline Hanson, do you want me to be like Jacinta Price? You know, what’s a good model politician that you want me to be like? “Obviously being myself is hard for people to understand. I’m a good person. I have a beautiful relationship, I have beautiful children. And my dad’s been texting me all morning, telling me he loves me, even though he threw me under the bus on Andrew Bolt. “So, you know, we all have our own lives and our own complications, but I’m a loving person, and I’m genuinely wanting to bring this country together. Working class conservatives and the left, on a journey towards peace and healing.” Roy Illingworth, Ms Thorpe’s father, took aim at her when speaking to Sky News Australia host Andrew Bolt, explaining he was “disappointed” by her abandoning her English and Irish heritage. “The way I see it, the way she is and the way she's changed over the years, she's a very racist person against white people," he said. “She doesn’t acknowledge any of her white side. I’m a bit disappointed in the way she’s been carrying on lately. “Because after all, she does have English background as well as Irish, the convict side. “She’s never, ever mentioned me in her speeches, never mentioned anything about a white father, which disappointed me a little bit.” Mr Illingowrth revealed he had fallen out with his daughter and had no contact with her children, although she did still call him for his birthday and Father’s Day. “She’s said a lot of bad and evil things to me over the years,” he said. “We still love each other and, at the end of the day, she’s still my daughter.” He claimed Ms Thorpe became politicised in her late teens and “turned racist”, though he did acknowledge her as a “strong woman”. Ms Thorpe has been at the front of several controversies, with the most recent being an intense altercation with a group of men outside a Melbourne strip club at 3am. The footage that emerged from the incident captured Ms Thorpe taunting the group of men, one of whom called her a racist dog, and saying another had a “small penis”.’ She claimed she did not instigate the exchange and was just responding to harassment. Ms Thorpe gave further insight into the altercation with Mr Tanuki. “When I said that person had a little d**k, it was for the reason that you waited for us to walk out of the door and then, you had all your mates around you, and then you had a go at me,” she said. “I mean, don’t call yourself a man or a bigshot standing outside the door if you can basically wait and plan to have a go at a black senator who was spending money in the club, but also having some really beautiful conversations and yarns. “What has been portrayed is blatantly wrong, and it’s also exemplary of how this country deals with people like me, whether I’m a senator or not. I’m a black woman, and look at how black women are treated in this country.” Mr Tanuki later asked her why she thought the “Australian political media establishment” was “so concerned with policing your rudeness?” “I think different elements of the political spectrum have different reasons,” she responded. “If you look at the right-wing media, they’re scared. They’re becoming the minority, and they’ve not had to deal with truth in the way that’s being put in their face every day. “In terms of the progressives, they’ve all got their hands on their heart and they’re feeling really good about the voice, it appeases their white guilt, makes them feel like they’ve done something for us. “Even though they won’t pay the rent, or force the government to stop deaths in custody, or stop child removal, or give us our rights.” Image credit: Getty

Family & Pets

Backlash after new docudrama casts Cleopatra as a black woman

When Netflix announced their docu-series on Queen Cleopatra VII, excitement was high among the cast and crew. As the series’ star, Adele James, put it “I don’t know if there are words powerful enough to express what I hope this will mean for young people all over the world who look like me (and who don’t!) who will now get to grow up seeing the greatest leader of all time (of the greatest ancient civilisation, no less!!) being portrayed by a black-mixed woman on one of the biggest streaming services in the world!!!!!” However, it wasn’t long before problems arose, with many voicing their opinion that Netflix was ‘blackwashing’ the show, and Egyptian experts weighing in to the mounting criticism. And now, those same people are taking steps towards making sure the show never gets the chance to hit screens in Egypt. The trailer alone, with over 2 million views on YouTube, does not allow comments in the wake of its backlash. The series, titled African Queens: Queen Cleopatra, marks 27-year-old biracial actress Adele James’ Netflix debut. It is also narrated and executive produced by Jade Pinkett Smith. And while Queen Cleopatra’s race has long been a subject of dispute, as Pinkett Smith confessed to Tudum, the decision to cast James was intended as “a nod to the centuries-long conversation about the ruler’s race. “During the time of her reign, Egypt’s population was multicultural and multiracial. Cleopatra’s race was unlikely to be documented, and the identities of her mother and paternal grandparents weren’t known. Some speculate she was a native Egyptian woman while others say she was Greek.” “I really wanted to represent Black women,” Pinkett Smith added. “We don’t often get to see or hear stories about Black queens, and that was really important for me.” The portrayal, however, has been dubbed “completely fake” by some experts. Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, who believes the late queen was Greek and definitively “not black”, has accused streaming giant Netflix of “trying to provoke confusion by spreading false and deceptive facts that the origin of the Egyptian civilization is black”. As he told the Al-Masry al-Youm newspaper, “Cleopatra was Greek, meaning that she was light-skinned, not black.” Mahmoud al-Semary, a lawyer who is of the same opinion, went so far as to file a complaint with Egypt’s public prosecutor, demanding that Netflix be blocked in Egypt for their attempts to “promote the Afrocentric thinking … which includes slogans and writings aimed at distorting and erasing the Egyptian identity.” And he wasn’t the only one to take action, with a petition circling online to “Cancel Netflix’s ‘Queen Cleopatra’”. And while a former petition calling for the same thing was removed by Change.org despite its 85,000 signatures, the second attempt has so far gathered over 4,000. Meanwhile, Egyptologist Sally-Ann Ashton - who acted as a consultant for Netflix during the series’ preparation phase - has noted that the belief Cleopatra should be depicted as entirely European is “strange”. “Cleopatra ruled in Egypt long before the Arab settlement in North Africa,” she explained. “If the maternal side of her family were indigenous women, they would’ve been African, and this should be reflected in contemporary representations of Cleopatra.” And as Adele James put it best - along with some all important advice - to the flood of criticism aimed at her, “if you don’t like the casting don’t watch the show. Or do & engage in (expert) opinion different to yours. Either way, I’M GASSED and will continue to be!” Images: Instagram

How pink became fashion’s colour of controversy: a brief history

From the blush pink of royal mistresses to the hot pink of tabloid party girls, pink has gained a reputation for being a provocative colour for those who dare to wear it. Despite its various shades and the complexities of its cultural significance, it is a colour that is often branded with the same connotations of feminine frivolity and excess – whether girlish and innocent or womanly and erotic. So much so that worshippers at a North London church were ordered to remove pink chairs after an ecclesiastical judge claimed that the choice of colour scheme could <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/church-sees-red-over-bright-pink-chairs-3trg9xpgk">“cause puzzlement”</a>. This pink panic invites the question: why is pink so controversial? A brief glimpse at its rather colourful history in the Western world reveals associations that both shape and challenge what pink means. <h2>Pink’s past</h2> According to historian <a href="https://thamesandhudson.com/pink-the-history-of-a-punk-pretty-powerful-colour-9780500022269">Valerie Steele</a>, the birth of pink in modern fashion began in the 18th century. By this period, pink had become the colour of choice among courtly elites of the Western world, including royalty and aristocrats. Developments in dye making and the French court’s penchant for cutting-edge garments provided the perfect pairing to begin pink’s success as an emerging fashion staple. Perhaps the most instrumental influence on pink’s power was Madame de Pompadour – the mistress of King Louis XV. She was often portrayed by the painter François Boucher sporting her signature pink gowns and shoes, most notably in his 1759 piece <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/sep/08/art">Madame de Pompadour</a>. In his 1758 painting, <a href="https://harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/303561">Madame de Pompadour at Her Toilette</a>, she is shown applying rouge from a box of cosmetics – the blushed cheeks implying female sexuality. For Steele, the colour pink in this period becomes attached to both the frivolity of French high fashion and the eroticising of white femininity. From the 18th century court to the 20th century home, pink gained further traction in the 1950s. As British professor of design history <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/As_Long_as_It_s_Pink.html?id=By0qAAAAYAAJ">Penny Sparke</a> writes: “Linked with the idea of female childhood, [pink] represented the emphasis on distinctive gendering that underpinned 1950s society, ensuring that women were women and men were men.” Whether <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjvufXu-vb7AhVJi1wKHY_RCrIQFnoECCYQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lofficielusa.com%2Ffashion%2Fhistory-behind-jackie-kennedy-pink-suit-chanel-jfk&usg=AOvVaw2gvTMarBjpgCPRBDcV2AwN">adorning first ladies</a>, Hollywood stars or housewives, pink in this era represented a traditional femininity grounded in fixed gender roles. Marilyn Monroe’s iconic pink gown in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045810/">Gentleman Prefer Blondes (1953)</a> paired with her <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/stars-9781838718374/">typecast “dumb blonde” film roles</a> and her <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/a-visual-history-of-marilyn-monroe-pin-up-icon_n_56ba8d67e4b0c3c5504f5ee4">pin-up past</a> work together to reinforce the star as a sex symbol to be desired by audiences. As film scholar <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Heavenly-Bodies-Film-Stars-and-Society/Dyer/p/book/9780415310277">Richard Dyer</a> argues, Monroe represented the epitome of sex in conversative 1950s American society. On the other end of the scale, the first lady of the United States Mamie Eisenhower – wife of president Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961) – cultivated an image of the ideal housewife through her famous “First Lady Pink” looks. Her stunning <a href="https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/photos/mamie-eisenhowers-inaugural-gown-1953">1953 inaugural outfit</a> was a sparkling pink gown embroidered with more than 2,000 rhinestones. She was well-known for her love of all things pink and transformed the White House with this colourful décor, so much so that the household staff called it a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/eise/Mamie/personal_interests/EISE3765_scale4.html">“Pink Palace”</a>. <h2>Punk and protest</h2> Beyond the 1950s, pink moved away from its associations of conformity and took on a new purpose: resistance. Paul Simonon, bassist for English punk band The Clash, <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2018/09/20/in-the-pink-the-fashion-history-of-a-divisive-colour">famously said</a> that “pink is the only true rock and roll colour”. We can certainly see this in the way that punk musicians reappropriate the sweet and girlish connotations of pink to create subversive performances. For her <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/arts/pictures/image/0,8543,-10704677171,00.html">1999 performance at Glastonbury</a>, Hole’s Courtney Love – notorious for her raw and raucous vocals – unexpectedly swapped her rebellious grunge girl look for a pink costume of ballet slippers and fairy wings. Pink is also the colour of feminist activism. The 2017 women’s march saw protesters taking to streets in pink “pussy hats”. They were responding to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/08/us/donald-trump-tape-transcript.html">a recording</a> of then president Donald Trump, in which he boasted about <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiO4Z7P-_b7AhVMEsAKHdtLBAgQFnoECAoQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Ffrom-chaucer-to-trump-sexist-banter-has-been-defended-as-entertainment-for-600-years-84804&usg=AOvVaw0dCQPpZyNUtNJACNJ7CANh">grabbing women “by the pussy”</a>. This explicit connection between pink, female genitalia and activism is a feminist statement that emphasises women’s lack of autonomy over their own bodies in a patriarchal society. <h2>Pink reclaimed</h2> The connotations of pink are not fixed, but malleable. Whether worn by film stars, musicians or celebrities, the colour takes on new meanings through irony and reclamation. The 2001 film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250494/">Legally Blonde</a> subverts the gendered <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Neo-Feminist-Cinema-Girly-Films-Chick-Flicks-and-Consumer-Culture/Radner/p/book/9780415877749">“dumb blonde” stereotypes </a>associated with wearing pink by following the successes of a sorority girl who goes to law school. When Madonna donned her pink Material Girl look, she positioned herself as <a href="https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-performance-identities-of-lady-gaga/">the new Marilyn Monroe</a>: a blonde bombshell for the era of Second Wave Feminism. She reworked Monroe’s tragic stardom into a narrative about female empowerment and survival. On TikTok, the <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2020/12/10217066/tiktok-bimbo-gen-z-trend">#Bimbo trend</a> involves feminine-presenting content creators finding inspiration in the once derogatory “bimbo” label. Their videos <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/23/the-bimbo-is-back-and-as-a-feminist-i-couldnt-be-more-delighted">reclaim the label</a> as a playful aesthetic and a new feminist lifestyle. Despite its longstanding associations with feminine frivolity and excess, pink consistently proves itself to be a transgressive colour. It moves with the times and does not shy away from parodying its own past. If Paris Hilton’s <a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/paris-hilton-versace-show">surprise runway appearance</a> earlier this year in sparkling pink Versace bridal wear tells us anything, it’s that pink should never be underestimated. It still has the power to shock, fascinate and make a statement. Image credits: Shutterstock This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-pink-became-fashions-colour-of-controversy-a-brief-history-196535" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Beauty & Style

Streets on fire after controversial raising of retirement age

French Emmanuel Macron has ignited a furious spark in the people of France with controversial new pension reforms - those that would see the country’s pension age raised from 62 to 64. The changes were reportedly pushed through their parliament without a proper voting process - it has been said that Macron employed “special constitutional powers” to see it through. Protesters flocked to the streets in response, with over 250 different protests organised nationwide, in a move that has been praised by union leaders. However, while hundreds of thousands of participants experienced peaceful marches through some of the country’s largest cities, tensions were high in Bordeaux, and the town hall felt the full brunt of it when it was set alight. While it is not known who was responsible for the fire, it was quickly extinguished. In Paris, where the majority took part in peaceful demonstrations, violence did rear its head, with a number of clashes between protestors and police officers breaking out - shop windows were broken, street furniture demolished, and fast food establishments attacked. It has also been reported that while police were the target of various projectiles, they made use of tear gas to push back those responsible for any rioting behaviour. And at Place de l’Opera, the location at which demonstrators concluded their march, the tear gas was back, covering a portion of the area in a haze of fumes. The official demonstration in Paris - which had drawn people from all over the French social spectrum - was not the only one to take a violent turn, with the cities of Nantes, Rennes, Lorient, and Lyon facing similar fates. The protests, coupled with strikes and industrial action across the country, disrupted transport and prompted the cancellation of flights, with airport authorities claiming roll-on effects from the chaos. Protestors also succeeded in blocking off Terminal 1 of France’s largest international airport, the Charles de Gaulle airport. As to why the French had taken this approach to fighting the reforms, one demonstrator in Nantes summed it up by declaring “the street has a legitimacy in France. “If Mr Macron can't remember this historic reality, I don't know what he is doing here.” And as another told Reuters, "I oppose this reform and I really oppose the fact that democracy no longer means anything. We're not being represented, and so we're fed up." "It is by protesting that we will be able to make ourselves heard because all the other ways ... have not allowed us to withdraw this reform," another explained to AFP. The women on the streets were furious, seeing Macron’s move as one that targeted them in particular, especially those that had been forced to step away from their careers to dedicate their time to raising their children. As one social worker told The Guardian, “everyone is angry. Everyone thinks this law is unfair, but it particularly penalises women who are expected to produce future generations of the nation, and then find they are punished for doing so.” “They want to raise it to 64 today. Will it be 66, 67, 68 tomorrow?” a teacher implored. “They tell us life expectancy is longer but are we to work until we collapse and are carted off to the crematorium?” Images: Getty

Retirement Life

"Show us your Regina" tourism campaign labelled "a failure of epic proportions"

A tourism campaign for the Canadian city of Regina has certainly gotten the world talking - just not for the right reasons. The controversial approach to promoting the area has outraged its locals, who condemned the marketing as not only “misogynistic” and also “pathetic and disgusting”. The tourism agency behind the campaign - Experience Regina - believed that “Show us your Regina” would be of benefit to the city, particularly as Regina rhymes with vagina. “The city that rhymes with fun” is another slogan they slipped into their controversial campaign, and was featured on a line of merchandise made in collaboration with 22Fresh. All posts featuring the clothing campaign have since been removed. Outrage came fast and furious, and the organisation was forced to acknowledge their mistake, taking to Twitter to share their thanks for everyone “holding them accountable”. “I want to start by apologising, on behalf of myself and our team, for the negative impact we created with elements of our recent brand launch," said Experience Regina’s Tim Reid in a statement to Twitter. He went on to note that they’d had positive feedback, but that it was “clear we fell short of what is expected from our amazing community with some of the slogans we used.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Thank you for using your voice, thank you for holding us accountable, and thank you for allowing us to be better. -Tim Reid, CEO of Experience Regina <a href="https://t.co/VdS4NyYop3">pic.twitter.com/VdS4NyYop3</a> — Experience Regina (@ExpRegina) <a href="https://twitter.com/ExpRegina/status/1637586812427468801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2023</a></blockquote> People were not thrilled with the apology, believing that it was up to the company to do more to right their wrongs, and to actually acknowledge where they had veered off course in their decision making process. “Do better. This is pathetic and disgusting,” wrote one unhappy Twitter user. “There needs to be significant changes and very public acknowledgement of the mistakes made,” said another, before allowing that “this is a start.” “Did you ask literally anyone if it was a good idea?” one asked. Someone else opted to outline exactly what the majority were trying to tell them, stating that “this is a failure of epic proportions. You not only showed complete disrespect for women in our community but also a complete disregard for the comfort and safety of women in this community. We are owed the full story about how this came to be.” The uproar was so loud that Regina City Councillor Cheryl Stadnichuk issued a statement to Facebook, declaring that she too was “incredibly disappointed and appalled … with the sexist messaging of the new Experience Regina.” She went on to explain that she hadn’t been given any advance notice regarding the campaign’s slogan, and her thoughts on them. “The slogans associated with the campaign … are misogynist and objectify women’s bodies. As one woman pointed out on social media, would we engage school children with this messaging? I also ask, do we want men harassing women in bars chanting ‘show us your Regina?’,” she wrote. “There are so many serious ramifications of these slogans. We have extremely high rates of intimate partner violence and sexual assault in our city. “As a society, we have a responsibility to teach boys and men about consent. These slogans do the opposite.” <iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3Dpfbid0B6NsGhF2GBJXi67JrVTotVSefpYn7wGqFGqcA1tMiEBXLz5habNboqp2Gt6LVMnfl%26id%3D100064052141182&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="276" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Response to her post was mostly positive - people were glad to see someone in power speaking out with them - but there were those that still wanted to hear more from the company itself. One day later, they did. Tim Reid once again took to Twitter to share what steps Experience Regina would be taking moving forward. To begin, they were removing “all content that is offensive or inappropriate”, something that many had been calling for from the beginning. They noted that they would also be “more stringent in evaluating all aspects of our brand” and that they were “committed to involving more diverse stakeholder groups in our decision making process”. That they hadn’t already in 2023 was a sore point for some, while others opted just to be glad they claimed to be “committed to making it right.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Please read for an update. <a href="https://t.co/OQTSvHuDV4">pic.twitter.com/OQTSvHuDV4</a> — Experience Regina (@ExpRegina) <a href="https://twitter.com/ExpRegina/status/1637987662882643970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2023</a></blockquote> Images: 22Fresh / Instagram

Travel Trouble

“I’ve written some real stinkers”: Billy Joel reveals controversial songs

Singer and songwriter Billy Joel has revealed two non “woke” songs that may not have been written given today’s political climate. The Piano Man singer is one of the best-selling musicians to date, but the 73-year-old admitted in an interview with the LA Times that if he were to do it all over again, he would take away “at least 25 per cent” of his songs. “I’ve written some real stinkers I wish I could take back,” he said, citing ‘When in Rome’ from his 1989 album Storm Front and ‘C’était Toi’ from 1980’s Glass Houses. “I don’t even speak French, so I don’t know what I was doing. Sometimes I’d get six or seven songs I thought were pretty damn good, then there’d be a couple of squeeze-outs at the end just to fill up the album. I realise now I shouldn’t have done that.” Joel released 12 successful pop and rock albums between 1971 and 1993 but then stopped writing new material, save for Fantasies and Delusions, his 2001 album of classical compositions. Joel also told the LA Times that he didn’t make that decision “based on whether it was right or wrong”. “It just felt like it was time for me to stop writing songs,” he said. “I didn’t have the same motivation anymore. You need inspiration to create good new music, and if you don’t have it, don’t bother. Get off the treadmill, for Christ’s sake.” He was asked whether he considered “the current cultural and political climate” when organising a setlist, Joel said that it crossed his mind with a song such as ‘Captain Jack’, which references “the junkies and the closet queens”. “You mean are they woke? It crosses my mind,” he admitted. “But ‘Captain Jack’ has gotten real boring to me. The verse is just two chords over and over again, and it’s this dreary story of some suburban kid jacking off at home. My mind starts to wander during the song, so I don’t do it even though people want to hear it.” He agreed that ‘Only the Good Die Young’ was also a tough sell by ‘modern woke standards’. The song, featured on 1977’s The Stranger, was written from the perspective of a young man determined to have sex with a Catholic girl. The song has not aged well by today’s standards, with lyrics such as, “come out Virginia, don’t let me wait, you Catholic girls start much too late” and “they say there’s a heaven for those who will wait, some say it’s better, but I say it ain’t”. “It’s occurred to me recently that I’m trying to talk some poor innocent woman into losing her virginity because of my lust,” Joel said. “It’s kind of a selfish song — like, who cares what happens to you? What about what I want? But on the other hand, it was of its time. This was written in the mid-‘70s, and I was trying to seduce girls. Why bulls**t about it?” Image credit: Getty

Music

The Project apologise after controversial religious joke

Hosts of The Project have issued a grovelling apology after a comedian shared a crude joke about religion live on air. On Tuesday night's episode, queer comedian Reuben Kaye was relaying details of the online hate he receives, particularly from the Christian community, when he made the <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/crude-religious-joke-on-the-project-sparks-wave-of-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X-rated remark</a>. "I think it's hilarious when someone messages me and says 'You have to accept Jesus' love or you will burn in hell', because I love Jesus." "I love any man who can get nailed for three days straight and come back for more,” Kaye quipped. Waleed Aly looked stunned by the joke, while co-host Sarah Harris burst into laughter. The joke prompted a wave of backlash online, with the Christian community demanding an apology from the panel show, while others called for the show to be cancelled all together. On Wednesday night's show, Waleed and Sarah spoke directly to viewers as they apologised for Kaye's joke making it to air. “During a live interview last night, our guest told a joke which we know was deeply and needlessly offensive to many of you," Waleed began. “We want to acknowledge the particular offence and hurt that it caused our Muslim and especially our Christian viewers. Obviously, I understand how profound that offence was.” Harris added, “Live TV is unpredictable. And when this happened in the last few moments of the show, it took us all by surprise, there wasn’t a lot of time to react in a considered way.” Aly then said, “We weren’t expecting a comment like that to be made and we acknowledge the offence it caused. We are sorry.” Some viewers were unhappy about the joke at the time, with one person writing on Twitter, “Absolutely disgusting comment about Jesus. He just insulted millions of people of faith.” According to the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-28/census-2021-data-shows-a-changed-australia/101177152" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 Australian census</a>, Christianity is the nation's most common religion (declared by 43.9 per cent of the population), although the results also showed that Australians are increasingly unlikely to worship a god with the number of Australians who said they had no religion rising to 38.9 per cent (from 30.1 per cent in 2016). Image credits: The Project

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