Thin-skinned Aussies snub common sense

My New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) states that to snub is to “rebuff, ignore, or spurn disdainfully” and goes on to define the noun as “an act of showing disdain or a lack of cordiality by rebuffing or ignoring someone or something”.

The same weighty tome reveals that inherent in “disdain” is an element of contempt or superiority in the mind of the person expressing disdain. All pretty clear. Not at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation which has it arse about and thinks that inherent in “disdain” is a feeling of inferiority or a perception of the snubber’s contempt in the mind of the snubbee.

Today the Motion Picture Academy snubbed Aussies. Oh My God! Some of us were snubbed! By Americans!

Turns out some Australians didn’t win a prize. Perhaps it was based on the Academy’s view of what was meritorious? Or does the ABC think so little of Australian cinema that it assumes disdain for its participants?

The Budgie, Mr Kidman and even AC/DC have already been snubbed by those awful Americans this year!

Did Lindsay Tanner really deny snubbing the Reserve Bank, as claimed by the ABC?

The Age is at it too. Some aged rockers were recently snubbed but, horror of horrors, this time we snubbed ourselves!

The capital’s organ claims Red Gillard and the Commonwealth Government snubbed the entire nation and government of Japan. Sure, Red isn’t a diplomat but, though he’d snub anyone else who went to Nambour High, Chucky Rudd was, so it seems unlikely the Commonwealth would snub its biggest trading partner. And so it turns out. It merely refused a request from Japan that a ship not be allowed to dock here.

What does this say of the opinion of the national psyche held by many in the media? By using “snub” these media outlets seek to appeal to some emotion in Australians that would make us read their publications. Inferiority.

Something is inferior - the media’s conduct, or at least its usage of the language it purports to employ.

Robbo! R-o-o-o-bo!

For the last several months there hasn’t been a lot of activity on Robbo’s parliamentary website (see adjacent Genius Thy Name is Robinson). In fact, there’s been none. But Robbos’ been sweating it out in the caravan in his singlet and undies, two finger typing an update to let us know of his elevation (that means “promotion”, Robbo) to the Ministry (that’s all those blokes and lady blokes who meet in that room with the big table).

Sadly he hasn’t been in the news much either. Probably been too busy hooking up the new gas bottles or hanging out at the shower block canvassing opinion on the wisdom of introducing soap on a rope to prisons. “Hmmm…no more bending, you say”.

He’s in the news now. Premier #!!*%!#, says Robbo can’t be expected to work in a caravan park. And he’s right. Carnies are distracting enough at the best of times, but when you’re a special Minister of State and you’ve got to do all that reading, the thunk of stubby on cranium from the next van must be intolerable.

However, it’s not the van that’s the problem, it’s the van’s location.

The solution is obvious and the parallels of history make it not only the best but the right solution at the right time.

During the last great depression the Domain was a haven for homeless men. So I say, let’s sell off the Parliamentary Annex to the developers and issue all our representatives with a nice van up on chocks in the Domain. The budget bottom line will be boosted, the pollies would be setting us an example of frugality and we’d all benefit from the resurgence of the indomitable spirit of the ‘30s.

My only question is - Why hasn’t Robbo thought of this already? He’s smart enough to think of this all on his own.