“I regret the comments I made about Caitlyn Jenner. What I said was not appropriate and I’m sorry to anyone offended.”
Another week. Another Sam Newman apology.
This time it was in relation to a gag that went horribly wrong on the AFL Footy Show last week.
In their game against North Melbourne a couple of weeks ago, the St Kilda cheer squad unveiled a banner which read: “Saints R On A Roll, Believe The Hype, Last Week Wasn’t Pretty, Like This Kardashian Lookalike”. At the bottom of the banner was a photo of Caitlyn Jenner.
The AFL Footy Show decided it was an opportune moment to target a marginalised group in Australia and make them the butt of one of their ridiculous jokes.
The ‘joke’ was clearly a set-up. Co-host Billy Brownless asked Sam Newman if he knew who Caitlyn Jenner was. His response?
“I know who he… it is… Oh well, what is she? Is it a he or a she? … Is it transgender, is it?”
There are so many things wrong with this comment. A lack of thought. A lack of consideration for other people and clearly a failure to understand how damaging comments like this can be to people who identify as transgender.
But what was most disappointing about this comment was that I no longer continue to be surprised that Sam Newman says things that are deeply offensive to people. He has history and this history is not confined to just one kind of offensive comment.
I’ve seen his genitals on television. I’ve seen him wear blackface. I’ve seen him shame respected journalist Caroline Wilson several times, including after she stood up and made it very clear that Eddie McGuire’s joke about drowning her was not appropriate.
But I’m not angry at Newman anymore. Any person that thinks it’s appropriate to use marginalised groups to get a cheap laugh is not a person whose opinion I’m interested in.
Instead, I’m angry at the network that continues to give him a platform to air his views on television to millions of people. I’m also angry at the co-hosts who sat through the skit, chuckled uncomfortably and didn’t say anything.
The fact that this ‘joke’ went ahead says plenty about the type of group think that can go on at major networks.
We’ve been through this before. Newman says something stupid. Newman is forced to apologise. The network continues to condone his behaviour by giving him chance after chance to offend on national television.
(AAP Image/Joe Castro)
These apologies no longer mean anything and won’t until he is taken off the air.
If you are an AFL fan and passionate about diversity, then I don’t expect you to be someone who watches the AFL Footy Show in the first place (you probably watch Marngrook instead).
But dwindling ratings don’t seem to be enough to force this show off the air.
I encourage you to use your voices. Tell your footy clubs that you don’t like the sort of pranks pulled on the show and that you no longer want the players that represent your club to appear on the show.
The hosts of The Outer Sanctum podcast last week rightly called out that “the standard you walk past is the standard you accept”. If a player from your team appears on the show and one of these ‘gags’ is made, are you comfortable that your club is associated with that episode?
Are you comfortable with putting your player in a position where they are forced to either be part of gags like this or speak out in a difficult environment?
I’m certainly not, which is why I wrote to the GWS Giants about it this week and I sincerely hope action is taken.
If our sports truly are to be inclusive for everyone, then people like Sam Newman should no longer have a place in the conversation, and initiatives like ‘Rainbow Round’, ‘Indigenous Round’ and ‘Pride Games’ need more support and celebration around them.
Coincidentally, Newman’s comments last week came ahead of the news that a transgender woman is making preparations to try out for the second season of the AFLW. At the moment, this woman has decided to remain anonymous.
Can you blame her? Apart from wanting her football to do the talking, it’s clear that there is still plenty of work to be done to make our sports truly inclusive.
With the support of the AFL and the AFL Player’s Union, she will be trying out at several Victorian clubs.
She has been approved by the International Olympic Committee as a transgender woman so this will not be a barrier to her playing AFL. What may be a barrier is her talent or whether a club is willing to take on someone that doesn’t fit a traditional mould.
The AFLW broke ground for so many wonderful reasons last year – for improved ratings, the amount of interest, the quality of talent and above all, the celebration of diversity.
After all the ground AFLW broke earlier this year, I’m confident the AFL is progressive enough to be able to give this woman an opportunity.
Nobody tell Sam Newman though.
Bert
Guest
Sam Newman is yesterday's man
GJ
Guest
inclusion
Boban Fett
Guest
Feel free to call me a Nazi but I think Sam has a point. Before his untimely death I used to listen to legendary broadcaster George Grljusich all the time, and he'd always say, "The game has been hijacked!" As in, there's too much commercialism in the game. Indigenous Round, Women's Round, those ideas have merit, but Gay Pride Round? What's that got to do with a game of footy???
Republican
Guest
........shows i.e. these are an unnecessary narcissistic distraction.........
Jon boy
Guest
Dangerfield having a crack at Old men and telling Sam to take his hand off it hypocrite ! I am a Old man like Sam too, Patrick just because you won a Brownlow does not mean you are a GOOD BLOKE I will not print what i think you are but you have lost me .as a Fan I did watch the show for Years but not that much lately,,,,,,,But after all the news this week i watched last night and it was absolutely great loved the Quiz boys and interview Brett and Barry Great stuff Barry,,,,,,,
MickyC
Guest
I agree with Me and BigJ, the majority is with them. It's not that we bear any ill will to these people, we just don't feel the need to kowtow to the victimhood narrative. I hope any one with a mental illness can get the help they need.
Shane
Guest
Don't know how to change a channel? Probably shouldn't have a TV, then. Or kids, if you can't manage either their exposure to uncomfortable topics, or their questions about them. A tone of unfounded angst in your comments.
BigJ
Roar Guru
No, no one makes watches those sh#t shows but when im watchinhg a different shows on the same channel the ads for that other show gets cramped down your throat. Example everytime i watching tge footy the on channel nine you get about ten ads for that the glorofied karaoke competition the Voice. They even have the gall to promote this crap show while commentarying. Its garabe. Its the same when im watching fox 8 watch the Kardashians brush thier teeth on channel E or what crap channel they are on at 830 tonight. I do not have to watch the show to know everything that is going on. See the point
Roberto
Guest
Sam Newman you bloody legend, hilarious as ever.
Agent11
Guest
"If Science allows us to do it, then its right"... wow this is a scary way of thinking right here. Humans need to protect themselves (and the planet) from themselves.
Larry1950
Guest
The fact that this article has drawn 270 + comments (and rising) indicates there's some interest in the subject. I'm an old white male, but don't identify with idiots like Sam Newman. If the clubs cut the footy show off for a few weeks, no players appearing, no interviews, zero cooperation, then channel nine would act quickly. Don't give me the tripe about sponsors getting airplay, they generally wouldn't want to be associated with that rubbish. Jenner's not my cup of tea BigJ, mainly because I abhor reality shows and self promotion like the Kardashians thrive on, but nobody makes you tune into garbage shows, that's why we have a remote!
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
Argument for what? I'm not the one campaigning for people to be banned or silenced.
Nostradamus
Guest
Im a League fan but I know who Sam Newman is. You know the old say any publicity is good publicity. Perhaps he does it on purpose to offend and get notoriety. Live and let live I say.
BigJ
Roar Guru
Thank you kent Brockman
Olivia Watts
Roar Guru
BIgJ, there are names often used for people like you whom express views such as yours. Many, many names. I will remain polite, however, and not use any of them against you, unlike Mr Newman's choice to use denigrating language against a societal grouping he apparently takes personal umbrage against It would serve no purpose. I would lower myself by using them and you would not care what I thought, so why bother? Whatever you may wish to believe and no matter what your Holy Book exhorts you to believe, repeated scientific studies have indicated that transgenderism - known historically by many names - has existed in some form in every racial grouping since the onset of modern man. It may not be to your liking, and that is your privilege, but it exists as a verifiable subset of society in every society. It is a minority condition, to be sure, but so is breast cancer, colour blindness and every other genetically induced human variance. That doesn't make it abnormal and neither does your religiously inspired objection to it. My family were raised to show politeness and tolerance to all people of diversity. What we believed was ours to believe but we recognised we had no right to inflict that belief on others, whereas tolerance and fairness were essential for us to show at all times. As a parent, I prefer our way to yours and have raised my own children that way, but will not say you are wrong to do as you have done. Only you can decide that. I have my own opinion but, in fairness to you, I keep that opinion to myself. In fairness to those for whom your comments may have been upsetting and unnecessary, perhaps you might consider the same approach in future.
Paul W
Guest
Will the footy please hurry up so this will stop ?
BigJ
Roar Guru
Speaking of top ten, cat do you read my Geelong top ten lists??? Just curiuos of your thougts. I know i left off Polly Farmer and i can rightly given myself an uppercut, but i think the rest of the list is pretty fair.
BigJ
Roar Guru
Thanks cat, Paul that list is pretty much what i have, excellent list. I get to work on it shortly. Thanks mate.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Oh, that would make more sense actually Michael Voss Simon Black Jonathan Brown Jason Akermanis Justin Leppitsch Alistair Lynch Nigel Lappin Chris Johnson Daniel Bradshaw Luke Power
Steve Mcglashan
Guest
No mary I live in a world where I don't get offended over nonsense haven't you heard the old sticks and stones saying? And as for your other article I called out Caroline Wilson can fire the gun and target people but can't take it when it's fired back