The Corruption of the Cutie: Is Turnbull Now a Mean Girl?
Is Turnbull just a Mean Girl, or is he a Heisenberg or possibly a Trumbleberg? What has he become? The once suave leather jacket wearing moderate has transformed into the incarnation of Abbott with his sycophant speech. A man full of angry personally abusive ranting and zero policy.
The media seem to really get their rocks off on this type of abusive ranting politician. They love it. They channel Highlander with “There can be only One!” in their writing. They wallow unashamedly in it. As they did with Abbott. For this reason, vulnerable people will always be doomed.
The media (except VanBadham) have missed the mark. The only thing that will be immortalised about the Turnbull Speech is how the media got this wrong. Except Van Badham. Trust Van to be head and shoulders above the rest, standing against the grain.
The media have compared the sycophant speech with Gillard’s misogyny speech. There is no comparison. Where can Turnbull go from here?
The Corruption of the Cutie
A common trope in movies is the ‘corruption of the cutie’. That is, the ‘nice guy or girl turned villain.’ When Turnbull became leader he was seen as the ‘unbeatable good guy’ with 60% plus in the polls. A wide appeal. The nice guy next door.
How Turnbull has transitioned since he stole leadership from Tony Abbott is in line with this trope of corruption of the cutie – it is a slow progression of nastiness, until the transformation is complete and *BAM*! The lead good guy is now the lead bastard and he is a bastard in spades.
This is epitomised in Mean Girls when the good girl character Cady, becomes a mean girl herself.
Walter White, calm, nerdy, good, family loving chemistry teacher, turning into Heisenberg, self obsessed, greedy drug lord, “I am the one who knocks” in Breaking Bad, is another example.
For some, they will be torn between the good guy who they believe is still deep inside, and will be loyal to him, waiting for his return. This is how I was with Walter White. I never got my wish.
I failed to realise the good guy is either dead, or never was. People will realise the same with Turnbull.
The Bullied who Fight Back – Right vs Might
The corruption of the cutie, is the role Turnbull played the other day. This is in stark contrast to the trope of the bullied character, who stands up in the end, in the case of Gillard. The character who is the butt of jokes, picked on, ridiculed by bullies. However, has the personal resilience to stand strong in the face of adversity. Always determined to rise up with a right versus might speech.
Gillard’s speech was about right versus might. It was Gillard insisting that the right of women to enjoy life free from sexism is paramount above the might of the misogynists.
Turnbull’s response to Shorten’s objection to cuts to family payments by calling him a sycophant and a parasite, was all about might versus right. This was Turnbull insisting that the might of the rich and powerful always is paramount above the poor, the worker, the downtrodden who fight against them.
A stark contrast indeed. The media have this, very, very wrong.
Turnbull – Bringing Back the Ugly
Indeed, Turnbull will think people love him for being a bully. His inner circle will tell him so. It worked for Abbott after all. His party members have felt so adrift with not being able to express their true ugliness. They are excited now they can clap and cheer at bullying in all it’s glory, like they did with Abbott on a day-to-day basis. Now again in love with Turnbull because he is bringing back the ugly.
They had no choice but to get rid of Biff from Back to the Future…
But Now they have Steff – the ultimate rich mean boy
Now they can clap and cheer because they have the actual God of all mean rich boys. All the rich kids love this guy. They love him because he is rich, he decides the pecking order, he decides who gets to go to the best parties. He reassures them all daily that they are superior and the poor kids are just scum. That makes them feel so much better. By their clapping and a cheering you can see the meaning of the message. The message is the LNP thrive on ugly politics.
They love Steff-like characters because he is real true arsehole. He picks on the poor kids. They get behind him and stand tall, staking their ‘rightful place’. Feeling strong by the jollies they get from humiliating ‘the working class trash’. They all play a part in reminding them, that even if you turn up to the rich kids party, you will never be one of them. You. Do. Not. Belong.
In 16 Candles, Steff, made sure he let Andie know she did not belong. Just like Malcolm made sure he told Bill that he does not belong at the same table as rich men.
Well I guess we should have seen that coming…….
No Comparison to Gillard
Misogyny Speech
Gillard’s Misogyny speech was a rousing speech. It can be encapsulated as the determination trope. This is brought on through the determination that is required to face daily, sexist slurs and pointed sexist ridicule. It is the determination that is required to get up every morning and face a narrative that talks women down, while she was determined to always talk women up.
Gillard’s message was to everyone – I am a leader. Follow me and say no to sexism and misogyny and make the world a much better place for women.
Sycophant Speech
Turnbull’s sycophant speech can be encapsulated as the evil gloating trope. It is what mean people do. They gloat. It is brought on by a born to rule mentality. A mentality that aims to bring the good guy down. It is brought about when the popular kid or the rich kid sees their perfect world threatened by the inclusion of an outsider. An outsider they consider who does not belong. The threat that ‘the lower class’ may just make it to the place they see as rightfully theirs. A right they inherited, and did not have to *yuk* ‘earn’.
Turnbull’s message was really to his party. As a leader, follow me and I will teach you how to keep the worker trash out of our posh parties and I will make the world a much better place for the deservedly wealthy.
The message to everyone else was – I am a leader, follow me and I will make sure if you ever actually ‘make it’ I will be here to put you back in your place and remind you where you truly belong – with the other working class trash.
Where to From Here?
The media has played this up for all it is worth. However, deep inside so many Australians is the love for the Aussie Battler. Shorten will continue to stand up for the little guy, the worker and the poor.
Turnbull it seems will continue his Shorten bashing from a place of ‘you don’t deserve to be here’.
If Turnbull continues these mean girl rants, he will realise that even those who were once loyal will turn on him. When you become an Mean Girl, not everyone will love you.
He may realise that even though his internal party members love him for being the meanest, nastiest, rich-boy bully; those on the outside, especially those suffering under his cuts to family payment, will not feel the same way.
Stop the Bus!
Now he has started on this trajectory, is there a way back for Turnbull? To get out of this dilemma, and claw his way back to any semblance of decency; he may need to pray that the leader of the right-wing instructing his every move, is taken out by a bus.
(Don’t worry, she doesn’t die….)
Originally published on The Red Window Blog
31 comments
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Harquebus
Return to home pageAdd envious. PM and many others see Shorten as nothing. A man they can get rid of anytime with the allegations they have planted. Worked for Howard and Abbott against Refugees, Keating, Rudd and Gillard. Truth doesn’t matter.
What we heard this week from the mob are not new. Planned by Abbott when he set up his two RC. What is true, it ain’t working.
They govern by smear. Must not trust their own ability to be the best.
When it comes to energy security and man made climate change, too many chickens coming home to roost. It is no longer going to be but is.
Their biggest mistake was to believe their own spin when it came to Shorten. They badly underestimated a man that if they took time to look, is a quiet achiever over thirty years. A man who doesn’t appear to need cameras covering his every mood. A doer not a talker.
A man that has been sitting at their tables since childhood. Even married in to their mob. He knows how they think and operate. Knows how they real world works as well.
His achievement as Minister was NDIS.
Does anyone REALLY know for sure for sure that Billy Shortarse, (and the other day, for ME he earned the same Capitals I give J Gillard)
truly expects to be Prime Minister when the next election comes around?
There is not a pollie in Canberra who doesn’t secretly harbour the ambition, but let’s get real. How many of them currently there could possibly attain the dealers seat? For REAL?
When you look at the bunch of morons with the collective IQ of 3 in the picture next to the screenshot from BTTF above, who would Australia accept as PM ? Not f*cking one of them. Not no way. Not no how!
Will trumbles still be even in the screenshot? Eff knows, eff cares.
Back to our man Shortarse. Would he do a bad job? Maybe, if voldemurdoch’s rags give him half a chance, to begin with.
He’s obviously spent a lot of time living with ”Money” people. That probably helps.
Personally, I’m not sure that he has the persona to be PM, but maybe that’s a light he is hiding, while his increasingly more desperate foe disintegrate across the chamber before him. Maybe he’s taking the heat for Dreyfus, burke, bowen, albanese, or Wong? I don’t know.
Time will tell.
Firstly, let’s not sanctify a snivelling little rich-bitch frontbum in every sense of the word for one totally out of control outburst that should have been reined in by the Speaker and made to answer the question asked, and
Secondly, as anyone in High Politics knows anyway, if you are going to get ”personal”, TWEET. Dumbass.
Trish, I very much like the way you have boiled down the essential significance of the two speeches to ‘Right Against Might’ and ‘Might Against Right’.
It is Trumble’s narcissism and vanity to be the big boy in charge in Aus politics outweighing his self loathing at having to surrender any values and virtues previously held and having to enter into a hire purchase or lease plan for PM to the tune of $1.75M to date, which has forced him to put away his mirror, dump, not on himself (altho we know different), but on his sworn enemy (the fact that Labor is merely the opposition representing half Australia’s population, escapes him) the edifice of which conveniently happens to be young Bill sitting opposite in the office within spitting distance.
True Trumble style – demonstrating to privileged school children how it is done and effing over, in just mere several minutes, all the patient, dedicated anti-bulling work being done in our public schools – great role model to aspire to for us mere peasants – as ma pappy used to say, “shit always floats to the surface”.
He needs help as do his loyal supporters – I’ll give him a 9 on the Trumpscale.
Great article Trish! One of your best!
As always spot on Trish..Do we have to read that Gangey foul language..it sounds like a Murdoch News Corpse bogan.
Of course not, Mischelle, you could always attempt to use your freedom of choice and choose not to read, view, watch anything that offends your sensibilities.
This idiotic vicious childish brain explosion will see the political destruction of President Trumble,and the once soaring superstar of Australian politics will crash back to earth in a screaming heap.
If i hear another sycophantic so called ”” journalist”” compare that petty born to rule despots speech to Gillards misogyny speech i will bloody scream, and these same journos and Lib pollies who are comparing Trumbles rant to Gillards speech are the same idiots who lambasted Julias speech and called it every filthy name under the sun, ….. Does no one see the hypocrisy and irony in that? Strewth, gimme a break from these morons………………………
Being a relative of Malcolm’s, I know the bloodline. Unfortunately his greatest impediment is worse than some of my brothers because he is an only child. These days, a man of his age, who hasn’t had siblings and not learnt how to fight appropriately, is seriously disadvantaged. There is a big world out there which is not only designed for those who know self interest.
Let’s not fall into the trap of calling Turnbull’s vicious attacking rant, a speech. It was not. I was impressed with Shorten’s calm response on 7.30 that night, to the effect that he felt rsther sorry forTurnbull. This of course enraged the bully even further so he next spat out the now infamous line sbout how he looks billionaires in the eye etc. Shorten also commented “I think he was looking in the mirror”. So true, it was Turnbull accusing/abusing another of his own character flaws! Women with abusive husbands (and vice versa) will describe exacyly the same phenomonen from their partners. In psychology its known as “projection”. Might have amused the “coal kids” on his side of the house, but as to the voters? Even the ABC breakfast show couldnt find one positive response to Turnbull’s performance,
Photoshot this article and plant it on Twitter addressed to the brainless MSM sycophants, who compared Muck’s nasty tirade to Gillard’s historic Equality and anti-misogyny speech. (‘Sycophant’ is my word and Trumble is not going to steal it.)
I totally agree brickbob, I could never reconcile the media wanting to sink so low as to compare this brain explosion to Julia’s remarks. Second thoughts why wouldn’t they. They have learnt nothing from having been criticized, nor has the party the media are so keen to exonerate. Oh and Malcolm.
I just saw another article has the same cover photo, so I’ve updated. A bit more apt now. I’m not that great at photoshop, but it will do.
The worst of it was that he had notes. It wasn’t off the cuff, it was already prepared. And totally agree – the MSM, including very disappointingly (though no longer unexpectedly) the ABC, largely got off on it too (VB delightfully excepted). And the Coalition supporters seemed to love it too. “Bring back the biffo” etc
Unfortunately Turnbull has done what no good poker player would ever do – totally revealed his true self. Now we know how thin skinned he is, much like his trans-Pacific partner. The fearful seem to love this big bully type approach, but unfortunately all it does is lose friends rather than make them, and when you are relying on a cross-bench to pass your legislation (much like Trump is relying on the judiciary not to call him out on his stupidity), then being seen as a vindictive (and petty) bully isn’t going to get the support you really need.
And what else is left in his armoury? Nothing. The cupboard is now bare. You can only play that trick once, so it really needs to count. The more he plays it now, the more ridiculous he will seem, particularly when they play back the reels of his previous soundbites about respectful politics.
Gillard seemed strangely conservative on some subjects.Yet in her misogyny speech she was on solid ground.
When the great respond to adversity they truly shine which reveals their truth and grounding.When Malcolm Turnbull came up against adversity via the press,Labor and the social media he showed his true colors.
He,s a win at all cost’s man regardless of what he’d stated before on policy.
His life at the top is more important that any false nice sounding mantra that he once totted; he will say; this is now.” I’m different now because things are tougher”.
In other words he tells the people what he thinks they want to hear in the good times.And he will say and do anything in the bad times.
OH YES . In other words a COWARD . No siblings is having a deleterious affect on this person
Very Incitefull Pat ;
Labor should be rejoicing, given Turnbull’s attack. PMs who let Opposition leaders ‘get under their skin’ display terminal weakness. Confident PMs treat Oppositions with disdain. Never rising to the bait. Never appearing to be threatened. Always in command of themselves – and situations. Forever the lord and master. Never playing the role of the vanquished. Not so Turnbull. He is on the way out. Already a lame duck
Turnbull is also coming apart at the seems. Here we have someone who paid $1.75 million to buy influence, yet he can’t get that party to action any of the policies he historically championed. He’s been ripped off. And he knows it.
Labor should be dancing in the streets. But wait. The dark clouds of ‘hansonism’ are gathering.
The MSM BIASED and POSIITIVE spin on Turnbull’s speech showed what is clear for a long while – The MSM are anti-Labor,anti-Shorten and are trying to polish another Libs turd.
As pointed out in this article,compare the MSM’s treat of Gillard’s speech.
The MSM long ago destroyed our former democracy.
The Australian Mediaocracy continues on…
Steve I think Turnbull is Arrogant also.
As Mr Laing pointed out;
“The worst of it was that he had notes. It wasn’t off the cuff, it was already prepared.”
The irony in all this is the juxtaposition of the MSM response.
By way of recollection, Gillard was making notes, while tiny ranted. She then let loose. My recollection is that the MSM ignored it. In particular, the bastards (my bad) bastions of political accountability, the ‘press gallery’, didn’t write one single article until at least two days after the speech. The articles, at that time, were speculating as to why her speech had gone ‘globally viral’ with, literally, millions of hits, when they hadn’t seen fit to publish a word about it. There have been at least two ‘media lecturers’ I’ve heard talking about how they now incorporate that media response as a massive fail when they teach future journalists.
Compare and contrast that with MSM, and those bastards (my bad), bastions of political accountability, the ‘press gallery’, who took a rant from a git, preaching solely to his own back bench, and promoted it immediately as something careful (?), thoughtful (?), incisive (?), a game changer (?). Without ever questioning why the slimy git had failed to address one single solitary point in the question he was addressing.
Apparently newscorpse had a bad day in the markets. Nobody is buying their crap any more. One of the best quips I’ve seen was a consumer, after being offered a complimentary newscorpse rag replied with “No thanks. Times are tough, but we still use Sorbent.”.
Look on the bright side. Gillard made a difference, in a good way, for the most part. talcum? Who?
Thank you, Ms Corry, and commenters. Take care
Well so Turnbull had notes. So down and down he goes, How much further can he go?
Gillard’ rant was in defence of her protectorate of “mussel meat” Slipper, who she needed to maintain her hold on government. She had notes( thank you Tiernan), & was utterly hypocritical. Turnbull called out Shorten for what he is. Private schoolboy who married up… and up. Turnbull was right to call him out on his character.
Louise, How do you explain the fact that Julia’s ‘rant’ went viral world-wide? Was that because she had notes? Was it because she was defending the Speaker? Was it because she was ‘hypocritical’? Or was it because she spoke so eloquently from the heart on behalf of women everywhere, including you and me.
And as for Bill marrying ‘up… and up’, it seems to me that Bill, as Opposition leader in this great country of ours, would be quite a catch for any woman, no matter how ‘up’ she might be?
Gillard’ rant was in defence of her protectorate of “mussel meat” Slipper, who she needed to maintain her hold on government.
That’s crap Louise Black and straight out of the Liberal’s and right wing media response at the time.
Gillard made no secret she made hand written notes of the speech. http://www.businessinsider.com.au/julia-gillard-still-has-handwritten-notes-from-her-famous-misogyny-speech-2013-9
As for Turnbull calling out Shorten’s character, even more crap. But nobody has to call out Turnbull’s failed and weak character, not only did he display it in his speech, he has displayed it in spades with every capitulation to the right of his self espoused core beliefs.
At least Shorten is Shorten, good and bad. As many commentators have pointed out, including right wing ones, Turnbull is now Abbott, all bad.
Julia Gillard’s so called “misogyny speech” was an unrelated response to a question that she did not answer. I don’t think that it was that great and that it was just a ploy to evade a question.
Cheers.
No Harquebus, it was in response to Abbot sexist barbs just about every time she got up to talk. He did it quietly enough so the mic didn’t pick it up but if you watch footage of question time from then you can see Abbott making remarks at Gillard whenever she’s speaking.
On the other hand Turnbull’s rant was to avoid a question he’s still to answer.
Harquebus. So now your agenda is showing it’s grubby petticoat. Julia had been subjected to the most appalling misogynistic campaign from within the Parliament and frothed up into a frenzy by the Murdoch press. You don’t think that her speech was ‘all that great’, but millions of women all over the world, and even some men, did think it was ‘all that great’.
Not only Abbott. The younger Bishop led with assistance of Mirabella. Most beyond the pale, especially the lovely Julie who made cat claws throughout QT every day. Dutton and co not backward. Witch and bitch was among milder words used. Slipper’s comment was mild in comparison.
It is time speaker repeated phrases when they are ask to withdraw. Should be recorded for all to read.
Wong received the same in senate.
If I was in Gillard’s place I would have been dreaming of making the speech for years. Rehearsing it over and over. It at the time would have been little more than wishful thinking. Abbott just went to far. Comments about crossbows and spot in he forehead among Abbott’s abuse.
I wish someone would do list of words and phrases used by Abbott and his ilk.
On queue the trolls come out and defend their pathetic, spineless, inept, mr barbourside mansion mal trumble! Like trumble your comments are a joke. Bill Shorten has more composure and class in his little ordinary finger nail than the entire coalition of liars, corruption and criminality self serving sycophants and pathetic neanderthals unfortunately in government.
My apologies. If one is believe wikipedia, the speech was a response to a motion to remove Peter Slipper for sexists remarks.
Kate Ahearne
The speech was just another attack from another failing Prime Minister and nothing in my opinion to be proud of. Julia Gillard is just another failed because they didn’t have a clue prime minister.
A few women that I do admire; Rosalind Franklin, Ada Lovelace, Grace Hopper and Sidney Jones are just a few of the top of my head. There are many and Julia Gillard is not one of them.