Too frequently, women aspiring to public office suffer from PMS: Patriarchy. Misogyny. Sexism.
– Dr Caroline Ford
It is all too common to find immature knuckle-dragging misogynist creeps strutting their stuff on Facebook and Twitter, pushing their unwanted fear and hatred of women. We shouldn’t have to be dealing with them in the 21st Century but so far evolution has failed to keep up with the modern world.
It is more unusual to find them harassing journalists and commentators from the offices of Parliamentarians, particularly when these staffers are old enough to know better.
That didn’t stop one of Queensland Senator Ian McDonald’s staffers from attacking Dr Caroline Ford, who mildly criticised the lack of women in Queensland Premier Campbell Newman’s ministry in an op ed
Crikey managed to obtain the full text of the e mail which we have reproduced below
Note the hectoring tone we so often hear from 14 year old dateless wankers on Facebook. You’d think someone who had actually been the editor of a newspaper would know better.
Then Tomlinson goes on to boast how he has managed to keep his own “little woman” in the kitchen having babies for many years.
And here is the Courier-Mail article which so upset Tomlinson’s delicate sensibilities.
A puzzled Ford herself was quoted thus in the Courier-Mail
Dr Ford said she had been married for 43 years and had three children and in her first lecture she talked about the work women did “both paid and unpaid” and was a supporter of stay-at-home mothers.
So not exactly the stereotypical feminist of Tomlinson’s wild imaginings.
Tomlinson has a Facebook page. Let him know what you think.
you said it... 
He must be such a hit at those cocktail parties.
He is the very embodiment of the misogynistic creature that he claims does not exist. Sexist and proud of it. Peddling personal opinions as “the truth”, peddling constant sacrifice as something to aspire to (but only for women, never for manly, daring, adventurous men), undermining the work of millions of women who have contributed to society as more than just mothers. There are many of us who have succeeded in juggling a career with raising great kids – the catch being that our partners contribute too, and aren’t bound by stupid Victorian era beliefs on gender.
If he thinks men are innately more “determined” than women, perhaps he should travel to the poorer parts of Africa and Asia and see for himself the kind of inhuman willpower that women show, just to protect their kids, their families and themselves from starvation and death. I have seen it, I have even tried to alleviate it in my own humble way and it is truly overwhelming.
Here he stands, this privileged socialite, talking down in his snotty, condescending way to the very people he helps oppress.
Thank you, Max. Thanks for more reasons to not vote Liberal.
There are no female explorers? Lol! I guess he has never adventured further than the Herald Sun when it comes to enlightening himself with regards to the role women have played in shaping our history and society. I guess he doesn’t know of Annie Smith Peck, who, way back in 1909, was conquering mountains before Max had even started a career as a keyboard warrior. Ironically, back when Peck was the first person to climb Mount Coropuna in Peru, she planted a flag on the summit which read ‘Votes for women!’ And I guess he has never heard of Nellie Bly, who undertook a challenge to make a trip around the world in a time faster than Phileas Fogg’s eighty days. She set out with a special passport signed by the Secretary of State, on November 14, 1889. She had her doubters too – (in France, she met Jules Verne, who thought she might manage the trip in 79 days, but never the 75 she hoped). But, after having steamed across seas, gone through the Suez Canal, seen Colombo and Aden, visited a Chinese leper colony and bought a monkey, Bly made it back to New York in a time of 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes. But of course, like most women, she probably didn’t possess the necessary drive, determination and decisiveness that men innately possess to get there.
Female warriors? Heck – there is even a mediocre B grade series about one; haven’t you ever watched “Xena Princess Warrior”, Max? Have you never heard of Joan of Arc; who led the French to victory against the English – after being sent to the seige of Orleans, she was able to lift the siege in only nine days and is the only person ever recorded to have commanded the entire army of a nation at the age of seventeen. That’s right – 17! I’m sure she’d kick your butt in a sword (read “penis”) fight, Max; your testosterone wouldn’t save you there.
Female mountaineers? Well, Max – while the glass ceiling may well be held in place by small minded sexist pigs such as yourself, you might be surprised to learn that there are women out there who have scaled summits that are larger than even your own ego. For example, there’s a photograph of Fanny Bullock Workman taken in the Himalayas in 1912, that you should really check out. In the photo, she stands on the Siachen glacier at an altitude of about 6,400m – and she’s holding a newspaper with the words “Votes for Women” clearly visible.
And I wouldn’t want to give you the impression that I was inventing things, but as for female inventors – you have a large choice to choose from. How about Margaret Knight, for example, who is remembered as “the female Edison,” after receiving 26 patents for inventions such as a window frame, machinery for cutting shoe soles, and who also patented important improvements to internal combustion engines. Of course, men much like yourself often refused her advice when first installing her equipment because, “after all, what does a woman know about machines?” Or even Bette Graham – the inventor of liquid paper. In fact, you really should have sought her help before sending out that message to Dr. Ford – it could have maybe saved your career.
I’m surprised at your comment on women chefs, however. I mean – after all – are you not advocating the fact that women should stay chained to the oven and in the kitchen where they belong? Well, it may surprise you, but even in this domain – women hold their own. You may have heard of Cristeta Comerford, who is another great example of women who have “made it”, moving from the Philippines to the United States at just 23, and who, in 2005, became the first female executive chef of the White House, a position she has held during both the Bush and Obama administrations.
So maybe, now that you have a bit of time on your hands, following your “forced resignation” – you could spend a bit of it doing a little reasearch, Max. While you suggest that others should “get a life“ – it appears you know absolutely nothing about it.
You said it – MindMadeUp – what a sexist dickbrain.
Wordwitter,
People like Max Tomlinson have no use for rational debate.
His message to women is clear – stay in your place and don’t try to challenge the status quo.
He claims to believe that ability is not measured by chromosomes and in the very next paragraph, states unequivocally that men are innately superior to women, as a part of nature’s “grand design”.
Dickbrain he is, but he is worse than sexist. He is positively misogynistic.
And the irony is, he was “pushed” into resigning by Tony Abbot – who is no better – in fact, he has said pretty much the same things in the past.
Mr Abbott said a lot of people in the community would agree with the sentiment that women were “life givers not death dealers”.
“I’m a pretty traditional, pretty conservative bloke and I can understand the traditional feeling that the horrors of war should be shielded from half the population (editors note: aka women) at least up to a point,”
“The physical strength and the physical endurance required of ground combat forces is great and I can’t imagine that any time soon we’re going to have infantry battalions that are composed largely of women, I just don’t think its going to happen.”
And even further:
“I think it would be folly to expect that women will ever dominate or even approach equal representation in a large number of areas, simply because their aptitudes, abilities and interests are different for psychological reasons”.
“What the housewives of Australia need to understand as they do the ironing is that if they get it done commercially, its going to go up in price and their own power bills too when they switch the iron on are going to go up.”
“Why isn’t the fact that 100,000 women choose to end their pregnancies regarded as a national tragedy approaching the scale, say, of Aboriginal life expectancy being 20 years less than that of the general community?”
And this one (the last, as it even makes my eyes roll) a womans’ virginity is a “gift and not to be given lightly”.
Can we request that the whole f*cking Liberal party resign?
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
Makes you wonder why these guys are so anti-sharia after all. They’d probably feel pretty comfortable in that kind of a society!
Ironing? What’s that? No one irons at our place.
I know, right? I don’t even do laundry, let alone iron.
When I’m finished with my bras, underwear, etc, I just burn them. Much easier. 😉
That is.. one hell of a moustache..
Maybe if he grows it a bit longer, it will grow over his mouth, forcing him to close it permanently. Now there’d be a good thing.
Newish to this blog, but if wordwitter keeps this up I’m coming back again and again.
haha!
Very good. I’m addint a link to your article on my article. 😆 You are a little stronger, I think!
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What’s that he’s holding in the Courier Mail photo?
A glass of something fizzy?
Pfft! What a fag.
Add to that his handlebar moustache and (cough, cough) ‘Bearish’ appearences and he wouldn’t look out of place in a Paddington bathouse.
******************
There you go Mr. Tomlinson. How did that feel?
You’re not the only one who can play the stereotype game.
Isn’t that fun?
Cheers.
Oh dear!
I dropped an “Aitch” in Bathhouse.
Sorry,
Cheers
Max Tomlinson has been a pompus, overblown and overweight dick for years. In my journalism cadetship in the 90s, Mr Tomlinson – acting in the capacity of relieving editor – started to add made-up quotations to one of my front-page stories to make it longer. When I objected, saying quotes must be verbatim from the source, he told me to stop living in an ivory tower and that I would never make it as a journalist. Over the years I watched this unethical excuse for a human rise to become the head of North Queensland Newspapers. I smiled with glee to hear he had been sacked from the Murdoch empire while heading the Perth masthead. I could not believe his audacity to then feature in a bleeding-heart piece in the Townsville Bulletin about his battle with depression following his career demise. Give up Max, you are a sad fossil.
Good to hear there are still ethical journo’s around – don’t ever give up that fight, EJ. In a world full of misinformation and bending the truth – we are depending on you.
I enjoyed what you wrote and the insight you provided. Even more reason to celebrate his demise!
Dear Adrian (aka ETHICAL JOURNALIST), one of my many failings in life was my inability to turn you into a half-decent journo in the Burdekin. You ignored my mantra that there were only three fundamentals in journalism – accuracy, accuracy and accuracy. If you had listened to me rather than the crap your uni lecturer dribbled in your direction, you may have made it in mainstream journalism instead of stumbling around on the fringes of academe. Sadly, you will end your working life having left no dent in the mattress of life.. I’m sorry to have to “out” you publicly, but I want to edit/correct your nasty post. Here are some FACTS: I have never worked in WA; I was not sacked from News Ltd; I am not unethical (au contraire – look it up); and depression is not to be ridiculed (I hope you never suffer the malady). Calling yourself an “ethical journalist” is at best delusionary egomania. I repeat the advice that I proffered to Dr Forde, get a life. It’s so easy to hide away on this blog . . . step out into the real world, young man, and accept the consequences of your embarrassing ignorance, rudeness and factual errors. Despite my best efforts, you are a second-rater.
Took your time didn’t you?
EJ is a commenter not a regular contributor. His opinion is welcome.
So Max, are you still a fossilised misogynist?
Isn’t it interesting that the main criticism, that Mr Tomlinson placed false quotations in an article to pad out its length, are not challenged, or even addressed?
And apparently, despite being encouraged to resign by Tony Abbot, not exactly a man hating lesbian feminist stereotype by any means, Mr Tomlinson has yet to learn from his actions.