You’d have to be living under a rock or enjoying an internet free rural paradise (my internet’s been out again) not to have noted the furore caused by the bumbling oafishness of David Koch, the Business journalist turned morning show host on the nation’s leading Breakfast variety show.
He’s generally an affable bloke, outside of his area of expertise (finance) he’s a bit of a soft touch, sort of what you’d require in a morning show host.
If you can forgive him the collection of groan worthy jokes he puts out and the fact that he’s chairman of Port Adelaide Football club. He’s not too bad, like an affable uncle who thinks he’s still funny.
Relatively harmless.
But he chose to weigh in on the issue of breastfeeding, was criticised for it and was unrepentant.
He clarified his position such that he believes women have a right to breastfeed in public (actually it’s the law, regardless of what he thinks), but that he thinks they should be discreet about it, classy even.
Perfectly reasonable one might say. Except of course that I’d be hard pressed to think of a time that I have seen women breastfeeding indiscreetly (and I come across a few in running the Mums and Babes session in my Library work).
In reality it’s not really a problem is it - the majority of Australians are not assaulted by the sight of milk laden mammaries to the point of revulsion.
Bikini covered bosoms on Sunrise are another matter entirely though eh?
Yet here we have a high profile media figure expressing an opinion on it, letting women know (ever so affably) what he thinks they should do.
Everyone has a right to an opinion, to express it, is his view.
Yes, everyone can have an opinion they’re as common as the aperture that I’d suggest Koch has his head in inserted in.
The trouble is not everyone has a platform to send that opinion nationwide.
One could argue that to broadcast your opinion widely, it had better be an informed one. Because for all the unthinking oafs on television, there are hundreds of unthinking viewers out there willing to take their opinion as gospel.
I suspect Koch is adamant that he won’t back down because, he’s been caught out being an oaf, expressing an opinion on something he has no experience or knowledge of and he’s so used to being in a position of power and knowledge, so used to being perceived and perceiving himself as the nice guy, that he can’t cope with the challenging reaction. He’s not a bad guy, he’s not a misogynist, he must think.
No he’s just an old white guy letting the girls know how they should behave. Reinforcing cultural myths surrounding women. Contributing to that cultural bias that means we have discussions about breastfeeding, or how women who get raped should have been dressed more discreetly.
Standing steadfastly by an opinion is not a good thing when that opinion is opposed by well argued points of view. The bigger person has the courage to reflect, see that they were wrong and admit it.
It gets harder to do the older we get, the less challenged we are in our spheres of influence.
And Koch is a privileged old man, atop the celebrity talk show pile.
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Kylie Scott · 633 weeks ago
SB Wright 110p · 633 weeks ago
My recent post Still an old white man telling women how to behave
1girl2manybooks 43p · 633 weeks ago
SB Wright 110p · 633 weeks ago
But I really appreciate your comments and that it has touched you in some way.
Maybe I can convince some unthinking Everyman out there that, old unchallenged concepts about women, espoused by men should be challenged and thought about.
My recent post Still an old white man telling women how to behave
1girl2manybooks 43p · 633 weeks ago
raventracks 46p · 633 weeks ago
My recent post I Dare You By Aleesah Darlison. Sydney, Walker Books, 2012. Series:Lightning Strikes
marymtf 4p · 632 weeks ago
This old white broad who breastfed two children wants to point out that there are electric pumps making it easy to either freeze bottles for two months at a time or keep in the fridge for a week for when you go out.
SB Wright 110p · 632 weeks ago
Yes it appears mild and I am sure Koch didn't even think about it too hard when he let it bumble out. But hidden in all sorts of mild statements like... she shouldn't have been out that late, maybe she should wear less revealing clothes, maybe she should just be polite are all sorts of messages that serve to keep women in their place, to shape our culture.
As for gender well there's a multitude of genders, I think you mean sexes.
He's entitled to an opinion if he can defend it adequately, and he can't. In my opinion.
Kochie wasn't at the pool, so h's rights can't be infringed. We don't have a right not to be offended. I don't like One direction, think they are hacks they offend me. I don't listen to them. Just as Kochie or anyone else who is offended by a breast feeding babe can look away.
And as for pumps, great, that may suit some women. The "old white comment" is meant to underline the fact that Kochie is a member of the most privileged segment of our society, white, upper middle class men.
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marymtf 4p · 632 weeks ago
It’s not breast feeding that’s discourteous it is doing it without regard to how other people might feel about it, that is discourteous. Koch doesn’t have to be at the pool to have an opinion on the issue. I mean, you weren’t at the pool, were you? It didn’t stop you from slagging old white men or having an opinion on the matter. You’re entitled to dislike, be offended by and not listen to One Direction, but not entitled to badger them into submission and make them toe the politically correct line. I don’t think it’s the same as turning your head.
SB Wright 110p · 631 weeks ago
On discourtesy that's a tricky path to tread. Does this mother have to consider every person who attends that pool. The pool users may have a wide variety of opinions in relation to breast feeding at the pool, from the carefree liberal right up to the ultra conservative that might consider it a travesty that a nursing mother should appear in public.
If we take the law as a societal agreement then as a society we have largely decided that breastfeeding in public is a good thing, something nursing mothers have a right to do for the good of children.
I never said he had to be at the pool to have an opinion. He had to have been at the pool to potentially have his rights infringed which is what I took you to mean when you asked where his rights were in all this.
In relation to the incident at the pool the only rights that come under consideration were those of the people who were there. The only person's rights that were infringed were the woman who had her legal entitlement to breastfeed denied. You, me and Kochie have exercised our implied right to free speech in commenting on it. Others have exercised their right to freely speak and criticise him.
I think it might be going to far to suggest that Kochie has been badgered into submission, he still sticks by his opinion as unsupported in law as it is. I have an implied right to free speech. As long as I don't slander or incite hatred then yes I am entitled to get up every morning and point out in excruciating detail how unoriginal and vapid One Direction are or how silly Kochie is being. In general though I don't as I have more important things to do.
I abhor the use of the term politically correct, it's a shield behind which those with untenable positions, unsubstantiated biases tend to hide ( I am not accusing you of this). It's not being politically correct to pointedly argue that Kochie's opinion has no basis in law, that he should as a journalist have thought to actually check the facts before giving an opinion.
My recent post Book Release - The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth
SB Wright 110p · 631 weeks ago
The title is Still an old white man telling women how to behave which is, as I said mean to underline that fact that though he seems harmless and reasonable its still a white, middle to upper-class man, with education and a platform telling women what they should do. This sort of opinion is dangerous, it seems reasonable but every unthinking listener internalises that belief, which forms part of the large cultural bias against women.
For much of the past century this is how its been, white, well off men espousing their opinion to the populace through one way media. The public never get to hear the counterpoints. What has changed is social media and the speed at which antiquated or unjust opinion can be challenged
My recent post Book Release - The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth
marymtf 4p · 632 weeks ago
The aim, I know, is to normalise breast feeding in public. I’m sure it will come to pass. I just don’t like the way it’s happening.
I wouldn’t worry too much about ‘the most privileged segment of our society’, Sean.’ Those men are dying out. It’s only the thrashing of the dinosaur’s tail that’s left, just keep out of its way for a little while. The new breed of male is obviously in. It’s either self-interest or self-preservation that keeps them quiet.
SB Wright 110p · 631 weeks ago
I do challenge your second point though, I have taught too many kids that echo the sexist and racist attitudes of their parents and the wider community. I think it's something that needs to be continually worked on. Old cuddly bears like Kochie need to be told firmly when their opinions lack merit, when they are expressing (perhaps unknowingly) sexist opinions.
In the seventies "Religion" was dead and we saw the rise and rise of the religious right, to the point where special interest groups of minority conservatives have the ear of government.
My recent post Book Release - The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth
Kaz Augustin · 631 weeks ago
For seconds (he he), breastfeeding is not as natural as one might think. It requires negotiation between mother and child and the last thing a hungry child (and conscientous mother) needs is some old white male fart talking about modesty. I'm sure Koch hasn't said boo about the notorious Page 3 girls, but (as @raventracks points out) lookee how fast he puts fingers to keyboard when he actually sees (or even hears about) human mammaries being used for the purpose for which it was intended! Forgive me for being less than sanguine about such sentiments.
Yes, of course, the one overriding aim of breastfeeding mothers EVERYWHERE is to turn up at some venue where they can have a modicum of fun and flagrantly expose their milk-soaked bajumbahs and fifty-cent sized nipples for the SOLE purpose of turning off innocent white men over 50 who (obviously) have the grace and modesty of Victorian-era virgins.
"Mature" white males are entitled? You think? Or maybe WE should lock THEM away before they swoon into their pint of lagers and drown, the poor darlings....
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