Saturday night rant

[Sneha R]

Warning, this is self indulgent drivel, I have a more interesting post coming up...

OK, I've spent the last couple of days at the Brisbane Writers Festival, and picked up an issue of 'Scribble' which is the festival newsletter, just this morning. Reviewont page article is on Andrew Stmpford and his (really brilliant) book on local music, 'Pig City'.

Well, it seems that journalists (or would-be journos in this case) just can't help getting context buggered up. Here's the paragraph on the whole Fitzgerald era including the sex industry:

'The press wasn't originally interested in pursuing accusations of corruption. In fact, Stmpford recalls a time when The Courier Mail took advertisements for escort services in its classified section. "This stuff wasn't supposed to happen in Queensland, but happen it did. It was this utter hypocrisy" '

Which makes Stmpford sound like a Family First candidate. In fact, what he was referring to (remember, unlike the writer of the article, I've actually read the book!) was how the Nationals claimed there were no brothels and yet there were escort ads in the papers. Underlining that the Nationals and police were involved. And as everyne on this site would know, those ads are still there. Which gets disgusting when the same paper outs a working lady or prints some ill-informed garbage, but that's another thread. THIS article makes it sound like "Oh my God! Did YOU know once there were actually (gasp) ads for PROSTITUTES in the Courier Mail???"

(I could also point out the higher rates for advertising demanded, but that's another thread...)

Anyway, check out my other thred, it;s much more interesting.