sam newman

Sam Newman Gives Us Hope For The Future Of Mankind

3:51PM Clem Bastow | Yeah, I know: that title sounds a bit far-fetched, sort of like saying “Collingwood will win the flag this year” or “Cheeseburger with 0g of fat invented”. But it’s true – in a round-about way, while musing about life and work during an appearance at a football club’s luncheon in Perth (for which he was no doubt paid with sacks of used bank notes and gold bullion, because the world is fair like that), Sam Newman has suggested his role on The Footy Show may not be long for this world. Hallelujah glory be, sting like a butterfly, float like a bee! “Everyone of these (appearances) could be the last time I appear in public because one day the station…will say: ‘Now mate, this is enough, we’ve had enough of this, you’ve got to wind it up’. And that will be it. That’s life. “I’m just filling in time until I’ll be sacked…which won’t take long.” How can we guarantee that it really won’t take long? Can we get every person in Australia to donate $1 to the Sam Newman retirement fund, and then give him a shipping container full of coins and a block in Caroline Springs for him to see out his days on? Send your spare change to the usual address! More »

Sam Newman-gate: More Calls For Sacking, No More Coming On

9:50AM Clem Bastow | After “accidentally” saying a female MP was “worthy of coming on” on last week’s edition of The Footy Show, the calls for Sam Newman to take a permanent holiday from the AFL chat show are growing louder. I think we can safely say, however, that the surprise in this instance is not that such words could accidentally tumble out of Newman’s mouth, but more that he is still on-air in the first place! Federal Minister for the Status of Women Tanya Plibersek said Newman’s comments were offensive to women. “No matter what women achieve, some people apparently still see them as sex objects,” she said. “The public response to Sam Newman’s latest outburst shows that most people appreciate how stupid and shallow his comments are.” And Victorian Workforce Participation Minister Jacinta Allan called on the network to take Newman off air. She said: “Sam operates outside the boundary of good taste. Like most people I find the comments highly inappropriate.” Public Transport Minister and Western Bulldogs’ No.1 woman ticketholder Lynne Kosky said she had stopped watching The Footy Show because of Newman’s behaviour. Ms Wriedt was a personal friend, she said. “Paula’s a fantastic person and she just doesn’t deserve it,” she said. Melbourne Demons board member Karen Hayes said people would hold Newman accountable based on his track record. “It’s not funny any more,” she said. While I’m inclined to believe that Newman didn’t actually mean to say he wanted to give Wriedt a pearl necklace, there is such a thing as a Freudian slip and the fact that a) Newman said it and b) his co-panelists heard what they wanted to in what he said suggests that the climate at the Footy Show studios isn’t exactly reconstructed. More »

Sam Newman Surprised To Find Saying Woman Is ‘Worthy Of Coming On’ Could Be Misconstrued

2:40PM Clem Bastow | Oh Sam Newman, you incorrigible rogue, you! The beleaguered Footy Show star has stepped in it again, though this time he claims he had no idea he’d said something naff. And not only that, but he was “horrified” to think that anyone could’ve misinterpreted what he’d said about Tasmanian MP Paula Wriedt. [T]he controversial Newman asked: “We couldn’t get her on, could we?” The remark sparked a raucous reaction from the audience and panel, before Newman continued: “Worthy of coming on, her.” The comments immediately drew the ire of co-host James Brayshaw, who berated Newman telling him: “Sam you cannot say that.” [...] After Newman’s aside co-host James Brayshaw was clearly upset and took the former Geelong star player to task several times. Newman then became defensive and said it was a genuine slip of the tongue. Co-host Garry Lyon sided with Newman, but news reporter Craig Hutchison appeared unhappy with the comments, saying “that’s disgraceful”. Newman accused his co-hosts of misinterpreting his meaning. Well, at least this time the co-hosts called him out. Perhaps this is like that horror movie where the person gets a hand transplant, and they’re evil hands, and they kill people against the body’s will? Maybe Sammy got a sexist scalpel left inside him when he had surgery, and it’s making him say bad things. Is that right, Sam? More »

Sam Newman-gate: Advertiser Boycott Encouraged

9:25AM Clem Bastow | The fallout from Sam Newman’s hilarious mannequin stunt on the Footy Show continues to ripple through the industry, with word that other major advertisers could join ANZ in pulling their funds from the Show’s ad breaks. Women’s Forum Australia, a national lobby group, is – understandably – pressuring major advertisers to take a stand against the Footy Show’s dark ages sexual politics. The director of Women’s Forum Australia, Melinda Tankard Reist, said a wider boycott would have broad support. “This is definitely worth us doing,” she said. “The program has caused a great deal of hurt to a lot of women and if The Footy Show can’t respond in a proper manner, then maybe they will respond when they start losing money.” The group, led by a Canberra-based board of female academics, doctors and welfare experts, will consider the issue at a board meeting next week. Advertisers or sponsors on the show include Nissan, Mitre 10, Safeway, Mazda, Arnotts, Telstra and Toyota. Current advertisers McDonald’s, Foxtel and adidas ruled out a boycott. Apparently a show staffer has quit over the kerfuffle as well, though he a) requested anonymity and b) issued a “no comment” as to his exact reasons for leaving the gig. Basically whatever happens through all this, it would just be nice to have it end with Sam Newman eating shit his words and being made to make a formal apology – on the day The Footy Show is cancelled for being irrelevant and is replaced by Straughnie. More »

Sam Newman-gate: Anz Withdraws ‘Footy Show’ Ads

9:42AM Clem Bastow | No doubt the cro magnon men at the Footy Show continue to scratch their heads at the fallout from Sam “Gloria Steinem” Newman’s stapling of a photo of Caroline Wilson’s face to a lingerie-clad mannequin (”What? You mean women don’t like this shit? That’s un-Australian!”). After digging themselves ever deeper into the hole they’d started, the Footy clowns will no doubt be amazed to hear that ANZ has withdrawn their advertising from the show, with most media commentators taking that as a statement against being associated with Newman et al’s boof-headed sexual politics. The bank last night confirmed it had deliberately dissociated itself from one of Australia’s highest rating sports shows. In what is a largely symbolic demand, rather than a costly one for Channel Nine, the ANZ will continue its current commercial agreement with the network but has directed that its ads not be aired during the program. “We are not currently running adverts on The Footy Show. It was a commercial decision, as The Footy Show in its current format does not allow us to connect well with the customer base,” an ANZ spokeswoman told The Age. What really amazed me through all this was Newman’s confident ranting about women’s lack of a place in AFL. You know, apart from all the nurses, managers, press agents, mums who cut up the oranges at VicKick games and drive the boys to footy at the arse crack of every Saturday morning, not to mention the women’s League and all the girls playing VicKick and in high schools everywhere. More »

Female Afl Boardmembers Request Gender Relations Counselling For Sam Newman; Have They Got A Spare Decade?

10:13AM Clem Bastow | We told you yesterday about Sam Newman’s latest “hilarious” stunt on The Footy Show. Well, in news that will likely surprise no one but Sam “It Was Funny” Newman himself, the AFL’s most senior female figures have contacted Channel Nine requesting that, at the very least, Newman receive counselling about appropriate behaviour towards women. Signatory Dr Susan Alberti, a prominent businesswoman and Western Bulldogs board member, said his behaviour was out of line. “It’s just smutty and crass. He needs to be brought into line to respect women for the positions they hold in the community.” “You have to earn respect and he’s not doing that. Women will get sick of it and turn off,” she said. “Women are being degraded on television and enough is enough.” Other signatories included AFL club board members Sally Capp (Collingwood), Beverly Knight (Essendon) and Peggy Haines (Richmond). Wilson described the stunt as degrading, humiliating and insulting. Can you see what is wrong with this picture? Year after year, we keep being told about efforts to “educate” young footy players – and in this case, not so young footy players – about how best to treat women. You know, like, has she had a few drinks? Probably best not to rape her, then, son! Is she wearing a short skirt? It doesn’t mean you can put your hand up it, toodle pip! What sort of monster has the AFL created where such basic human decency no-brainers even need to be put on the curriculum? We’re inclined to think a better idea in this instance, at least, is to put Sam Newman in a cell and let Bev Knight play bad cop/bad cop with him and a rolling pin. More »