I went to school with Joe Richards, and nothing about “menu gate” surprises me. Even at 17 he was a colourful rogue, and made a great Major General in our 1974 production of the Pirates of Penzance. He was a complete ham, who a couple of years earlier had had similar success as the Duke of Plaza Toro.
After school he went on to run a successful men’s wear business in Woolloongabba, the most unlikely of places, and was known as a bon vivant and racing identity.
He was also known as a fundraiser for various Labor Party figures. And I wonder what menus for those functions are lurking on his hard drive.
For the fact of the matter is that when it comes to sexism, racism, chauvinism, larrikinism and ribaldry, the Labor Party has it all over the Liberal Party.
While it may have some PC Green shoots, and an affirmative action policy for women, it is based on unions dominated by working class blokes.
I have been to Labor Party functions where things have been said that could never have been said at a Liberal Party function.
Liberals tend to hale from the middle classes and the aspiring lower classes, and while sexism, racism, chauvinism, larrkinism and ribaldry are not unknown, they are things you are more likely to keep to yourself.
Which is one reason why Labor is running down the wrong road on this one.
Not only is it taking senior ministers off-message, but the idea that the party of the middle class is secretly vulgar is inherently hard to sell, and the chances that something embarrassing on their side turns up is extraordinarily high.
Joe Richards – when you mentioned Woolloongabba and menswear, now I recall, boy that was a long time ago!
On the subject though, yes I fully concur, you would not see the same low depths plumbed at a Liberal Party fundraiser. It seems Labor are the experts when it comes to hypocrisy, “do as I say, not do as I do”, it’s an art form and they use it well.
Comment by Grant Griffiths — June 13, 2013 @ 4:03 pm
Nothing more can be gained by dragging this tawdry little piece of chauvinism through the media cycle!
None of those present can remember seeing it!? LOL! And nobody can prove otherwise.
A waste of time and energy, and probably becoming counter productive trying.
That said, I wonder if their isn’t a legal remedy for the PM, against the restaurateur?
Who admitted creating this document, and apparently sharing it with other staff member(s).
One of who thought it might be good material for the Internet?
Given it emanated from a particular place, that has a relatively limited staff, it ought not be too difficult to track down who promulgated this offensive material?
In which case there is likely a legal remedy?
And or, a labour/union boycott?
Alan B. Goulding.
Comment by Alan B. Goulding — June 13, 2013 @ 6:33 pm
Come on Alan, do some research for a change. We know who promulgated this offensive material. He was sacked by the restaurant months before the function and he hates (I suspect not too strong a word) Tony Abbott. I can give you some help with Google if you like, but here is a link to him being interviewed about it http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/restaurant-owners-menu-joke-explanation-a-little-odd-says-labor-ministers/story-fn59niix-1226662973104
I will admit it could be hard to find seeing it is on a niche publication called The Australian!
Comment by Graham — June 13, 2013 @ 7:26 pm
Thanks Graham. It’s a pity this extremely juvenile unsavoury humour, apparently emanating from your fiend Joe Richards, hadn’t remained in house.
People remain free to conduct themselves as they so chose, in their purely private domains! Be they misogynist chauvinistic dodos or dinosaurs, or prepubescent juveniles.
Almost to a man, the coalition has condemned or disowned it!
Even so, the person who allegedly promulgated it, may still have an extremely expensive civil action case to answer?
And perhaps could be made a very public example of, if only to underline acceptable community standards and values?
It’s not just a woman under unacceptable attack here mate, but the office of the Prime Minister of the country! Politics and traditional loyalties aside, I wouldn’t accept it for my daughters! Would you?
Cheers, Alan.
Comment by Alan B. Goulding — June 14, 2013 @ 11:15 am
[…] A bit of background on the man behind the menu. […]
Pingback by Rafe’s Roundup 14 June | Catallaxy Files — June 14, 2013 @ 6:55 pm
You made some great points here.
My video on Menugate pointed to Gillard’s Feminist idol, Germaine Greer’s comments about Julia’s huge ass, and how they were cheerfully accepted by Q&A’s Leftist audience. Imagine their reaction had Abbott made the same comments.
http://youtu.be/ymFFAGQ_csg
As an aside, ‘sexism’ is defined as ‘discrimination on the basis of sex’. The menu joke would have been made whether Gillard was male or female, since it was ‘discrimination on the basis of politics’. Instead of a ‘big red box’ the menu would have said ‘big red donger’. Since it was not sexually inspired it cannot be ‘sexism’. According to Gillard any man who dislikes a female politician for political reasons is a Sexist. Out in the real world we know that real men and women like a good joke.
Comment by Winston Ryder — June 15, 2013 @ 12:00 am