One of the big news stories to break early in 2024– very early – was the announcement on New Year’s Day by Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II that she would be abdicating in favour of her son Prince Frederik in February after serving 52 years on the throne.
Her announcement started our MGH researchers wondering just how Australian media outlets such as News Crap Australia would treat the story of the soon-to-be King Frederik’s wife, the Tassie-born soon-to-be Queen Consort Mary.
One of them offered the prospect of News Crap Australia and others focussing on the former Mary Donaldson’s career – she had worked in advertising and real estate, and later taught English to Danes when she shifted to Denmark to be with her prince charming before they ended up marrying.
Another of our researchers suggested that perhaps the media would focus on the work she has done as Crown Princess.
She is after all patron of the United Nations’ Population Fund which promotes maternal health and safer motherhood in more than 150 developing countries.
She is also patron of the Danish Refugee Council and has taken part in programs teaching Danish to refugees.
She works through the World Health Organisation to support anti-obesity programs throughout Europe.
She has established her own Mary Foundation which works to tackle social exclusion.
And she has been outspoken in tackling oppression and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people.
Because of the time difference between here and Denmark, our MGH researchers needed to wait overnight until yesterday morning before seeing exactly which of their identified options for genuine news stories had been taken up by local media.
Excitement was at a peak on Wednesday prior to the arrival of the junior MGH staffer assigned to collect and bring to The Bug office all of the News Crap Australia newspapers from around the country.
Of course, in retrospect, all of our MGH researchers knew that the delivery of the News Crap Australia’s broadshit The Australian and all of its metro daily turdbloids would be inevitably accompanied by the junior staffer’s cry of: “Of course it’s the fucking frock!” (below)
Yes, the report in the News Crap Australia metro daily turdbloids focussed on how Princess Mary looked “stunningly regal in a maroon velvet gown” by some Danish designer, and gave details of her “sparkling and elaborate tiara”, gold chain, and brooch.
Of course, how silly of us and our MGH researchers, any reporting by News Crap Australia on any female royal is always about the frocks. And they’re not the only offenders.
Why are prominent females, not just royals, invariably presented as clothes horses when males can get away with wearing a potato sack with no questions asked.
Our MGH teams look forward to the day when such a sexist lens is banished from news coverage (especially News’s coverage) or at least equal treatment is dished out to both sexes, or all sexes if you prefer. (main picture)
***
News Crap Australia’s Hobart daily turdbloid The Mercury, unlike its sibling publications, put the royal couple on its front page with a double-page spread inside. (below)
But what else would you expect from her home-town turdbloid?
***
Our MGH researchers were pleased to note that at least one News Crap Australia turdbloid didn’t run a word of the royal couple in its Wednesday edition, let alone a picture.
Darwin’s NT News instead focussed on more local and basic issues, such as the new year resolutions made by some young Territorians’ – commitments that included their various plans to “get a missus”, “stay off the piss”, and “get off the vapes”. (below)
Our MGH teams were quite pleased that the report quoted some young female Darwin residents and didn’t once mention what they were wearing.
Want to be alerted immediately a new blog hits Australia’s longest running and most offensive satire site? Simply click on the Follow sign or the link below to be emailed new yarns the moment they are uploaded! The very second we go far too far – and trust us we will – you can then quickly unfollow via the three dots!
The Bug Online 