New Idea Counts The Cost Of Kicking Goals In Journalism; Shit Happens When You Party Naked

It’s shaping up to be a red letter year for Australia’s favourite emergency toilet paper substitute women’s magazine, New Idea.

First they blew Prince Harry’s cover in Afghanistan, then they claimed they had no idea (ho ho) that there was an embargo on the Prince’s service (which suggested it was possible New Idea had contacted neither the Army nor the Palace to confirm or deny their leads), then they put Wayne Carey on the cover amid a storm of criticism that by paying him a rumoured $180,000, they were in essence supporting violence against women.

Well, said criticism has reached fever pitch as it is beginning to emerge that New Idea’s advertisers are pulling lucrative contracts left, right and centre so as not to be seen to be ’supporting’ Carey’s alleged assault of girlfriend Kate Neilson by way of providing, in essence, the money the magazine – allegedly – used to lure the Fallen AFL Superstar™ to spill his guts.

The image of anti-female violence could repel women, according to SCA Hygiene, which pulled a two-page advertisement from New Idea because of the Carey interview.

The company markets tampons and incontinence pads under the Libra and Tena brands.

Brenda Mitchell, the company’s head of personal care marketing, said the decision was made because the magazine had reportedly paid a man with a history of bad behaviour towards women.

“We don’t want to be associated with anything that’s consistent with violence towards women,” she said. It was crucial the company was not associated with a magazine that degraded women, she said.

“We don’t want to portray anything that’s derogatory or harmful.”

A spokeswoman for beauty products company Clinique, Therese Waters, said the company would review its contract at the end of June. She said while Clinique was not upset by the magazine’s alleged decision to pay for the Carey article, it could affect future advertising.

We’re inclined to agree with the advertisers – even if Carey was paid for the interview, which is more or less par for the course in tabloid magazine publishing, they could have made it clear – for example – that Carey was donating his fee, say, to the Domestic Violence Crisis Centre, or give a full-page ad to the Australia Says No campaign.

Carey is a public figure experiencing a very public meltdown, so it figures that he will be given a go in the spotlight – when many would argue that alcoholism, violence against women and drug abuse deserve no publicity – what’s important is what he, and the media outlets, do with it. Simply airing his dirty laundry and saying he’s sorry isn’t enough; what comes next is the important bit.

Even the tampon people can see that.