Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Culture wars noted

*  Talk about your over-compensation.   Days after his death, News Ltd folk are still singing the praises of  the outstanding work and character of Bill Leak, and how terrible it is that some Lefties have been calling him a racist and celebrating his death.   (True, some Lefties have been behaving badly:  but I still say that News Ltd rush to praise him in every respect smacks of a guilty conscience.  I find it hard to believe that Paul Kelly, for example, wasn't cringing at some of Leak's output in the last few years.)

Coopers Beer says sorry:   I still don't really understand the connection between the brewery and the Bible Society - but the company says it didn't approve (or know about?) the video which not only seemed to associate the company with the Society and conservative views on gay marriage, but with the Liberal Party.   One comment from a pub noted the Party connection in particular - and it is a peculiar thing for a brewer to find itself apparently being aligned with a political party.

But curiously, I had noticed even before Coopers was in the news that a current ad for Bundaberg Rum on TV seemed heavy on showing support for the gay community, and (I think) gay marriage.   Bundaberg Rum - from a Queensland farming town not too far from Queensland's Bible Belt (around Gympie), an area not exactly known for its progressive attitudes.  And rum I always thought of a blokey, man's man type drink - not a spirit that would be big in gay pubs.   But, not having ventured into a gay pub recently (not that I can ever recall being in one) perhaps I'm wrong about that?  Or is it just an advertising executive's idea of how to expand its base?   Anyway, I thought it odd.

Perhaps this will all balance itself out in the alcohol drinking community as a whole - some Bundy drinkers might be a bit put off buying a "gay" drink? 

Anyway,  don't these product boycotts have a way of not working, when the conservatives/Lefties go out of their way to buy the product to annoy the SJWs/conservatives?  I wouldn't sweat about it too much if I were Coopers.

And personally, I don't mind most Cooper's beers, and gay pubs refusing to stock it is hardly going to affect my attitude to drinking it.

All this will pass...

Update:  let's go to the threadsters of Catallaxy to note their reasonable and balanced approach to the Coopers storm in a stubbie.   First, DB, who lives in New York, happily (as far as I know), with a wife who he has said works in the fashion industry and therefore knows lot of gay folk:  facts all of which, one would have thought, may have made him realise that legal gay marriage does not cause the end of civilisation.    But, here he is, commenting on the (somewhat stilted) apology video put out by Coopers:
OMG. The Coopers hostage video is unbearable to watch. I could just imagine a cage and a can of Ronson just to the side, off-camera. The Waffen-SSM is just like the Terminator, it cannot be reasoned with, but unlike the Terminator, it is a creampuff, that can be smashed if you simply stand up against it. Which is why they opposed a plebiscite that would involve organised opposition against it and a free vote of the people. And they must be smashed.
 And CL, the other uber Catholic of Catallaxy:


Not sure if he's endorsing stoning or just jail...

But I'll end with the usual disclaimer:  I actually don't support gay marriage either; it's just that I'm not going to panic about it.

11 comments:

not trampis said...

As i have said previously Leak must have known he was courting controversy with his racist cartoon. to complain about the repercussions about it is simply hypocrisy.

I have had my say on ther Coopers/Bible socviety controversy. It shows up the homosexual lobby as highly intolerant and in fact fascists.
It is an absolute disgrace.

not trampis said...

It would appear nominal catholics are like nominal muslims. to be avoided!

Steve said...

Can't quite work out who you're having a go at, there, Homer. DB and CL would, of course, call me a nominal Catholic for not getting distraught over the virtual inevitability of gay marriage being enacted here in the next few years, and you've said I'm not a "social conservative" before...

not trampis said...

not you Steve

John said...

I have had my say on ther Coopers/Bible socviety controversy. It shows up the homosexual lobby as highly intolerant and in fact fascists.
It is an absolute disgrace.

Absolutely. Just because someone disagrees with Gay marriage doesn't make that person a hater. I don't even know what the fuss is about.

BTW, I don't think one cartoon makes a person a racist. That people argue that is very much the same attitude as the gays.

not trampis said...

Indeed one cartoon does not a racist make

Steve said...

The line I'm prepared to go with on Leak and racism, based on what lots of people from the Left who knew him have said, is that he was not racist in terms of how he would personally treat people. Yet he seemed to have developed a blind spot as to how (some of) his cartoons could be taken to support racism.

As such, I also go with the line that Lefties are saying that it was up to editorial staff at The Oz to say to him something along the lines "mate, you do realise how this can be taken? We're not comfortable with using this one."

Jason Soon said...

I would say that Leak is a lot less racist than I am because he actually put his neck on the line to raise awareness of Aboriginal deaths in custody, whereas frankly I suffer from compassion fatigue on this and other issues and couldn't give a stuff so it barely registers among my policy interests

Steve said...

His most notorious cartoons of Aborigines (the ones causing the "racist" complaint) weren't about Aboriginal deaths in custody - they were about aboriginal violence within their communities. See this:

http://www.reubenbrand.com/im-not-racist-but-an-open-letter-to-bill-leak/

John said...

I would say that Leak is a lot less racist than I am because he actually put his neck on the line to raise awareness of Aboriginal deaths in custody, whereas frankly I suffer from compassion fatigue on this and other issues and couldn't give a stuff so it barely registers among my policy interests

Oh you are a pup. Jason I'm completely fed up with the way aboriginal issues are framed. I think a big part of their problem is they have appropriated Leftist moral and legal frames when they should be focusing on appropriating frames that are directly relevant to behavior modification.

I have friends who have worked directly with aborigines. For eg. one of them worked in a major regional hospital and when she first went there she spoke glowingly of the aborigines. After 12 months she hated them because she became sick to death of seeing so many aboriginal women beaten to a pulp because they didn't deliver the drugs and booze.

Jason I am a mongrel on this issue. I completely repudiate the current reference frames and demand a deep and completely re-evaluation of how we think about these issues. Of course I won't be heard, of course I will be labelled racist. I'm also dead right about this.

BTW, the same week the Leak ruckus broke out there was a segment on 7.30 about Darren Voller of Don Dale farm. They interviewed several people who dealt with Darren, from teachers to social workers with his Mum front and centre. Not a word about the father ... . Oh the irony.

Jason Soon said...

Same difference steve. If he were really racist he wouldn't have put his neck on the line on the issue. Which is more than I have done even mentally