Wow. Way back in 2006, near the start of this blog, and when I was much more conservatively inclined than now, I had some posts about Alan Jones and the Chris Masters book which publicised his unacknowledged homosexuality.
This one indicates that I was very dubious of the "outing" as an unnecessary interference with privacy.
Subsequent posts over the years, though, show how Jones increasingly irritated me - and it is fair to say that I thought his behaviour and language towards Julia Gillard was absolutely appalling and transparently misogynistic in the worst possible way. It was really a disgrace that he managed to keep within the Liberal Party club - and his job.
The other thing that has changed since 2006 is the Me Too movement and the very high number of media figures in all countries who were revealed as abusing their position to sexual harass, and worse.
So, yeah, I now have no sympathy at all for Jones regarding the report this week that he has acted the same towards underlings at work. I mean, the accusations are basically being verified by other media figures: it genuinely does appear that it is a case of an "open secret" that no one talked about because of fear of professional or legal repercussion. And it makes the events noted in Masters book (especially the departure from his teaching position due to the apparent infatuation with one or more students) difficult to interpret in other than the worst way.
I bet he does not sue over this, or if it does, it will be yet another massive self own of the Ben Roberts Smith/Oscar Wilde variety.
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