Eddie McGuire has come under fire for making a ‘joke’ about drowning sports journalist Caroline Wilson on Triple M radio.
Caroline Wilson is The Age‘s chief football writer, and a multiple Walkley award winning journalist. McGuire and the other men on the show joked that they wanted to hold her under icy water for the Big Freeze at the MCG to raise money for the Cure for MND Foundation.
They have since faced criticism from many public figures, who think his attitudes are ‘dangerous’ and ‘sexist’.
The AFL released a statement yesterday saying that Gillon McLachlan had only just been made aware of the issue, and had this to say: “Although seeking to be light-hearted, the language and tenor of the wording could be seen to be supporting violent attitudes or actions against women, and was therefore clearly not appropriate.”
Miki Perkins, Social Affairs Reporter for The Age has also written a scathing piece, saying that ‘we can’t let the misogynistic banter of Eddie McGuire slip past’, because jokes matter, and reflect some of our society’s problem with women.
Eddie McGuire has defended the joke, claiming that it was ‘all in the spirit of the fun of the day’. However Caroline Wilson did not agree that it was just playful banter, and she has said that he ‘crossed a line’. Though people told her it sounded better spoken than written down, after listening to the segment she did not agree.
You can listen to the recording here (at around the 52 minute mark), and here’s a transcript of the jibe:
McGuire: In fact I reckon we should start the campaign for a one-person slide next year. Caroline Wilson. And I’ll put in 10 grand straight away – make it 20. [laughter] And if she stays under, 50. [laughter]
What do you reckon guys? Who else is up there? I know you’re in JB?
James Brayshaw: No, yep, Straight in.
Danny Frawley: I’ll be in amongst it Ed.
McGuire: Is Duck there?
Wayne Carey: Yes, I’m here mate.
McGuire: Duck’s in. Danny’s in – already spoken up.
Frawley: Yeah I’m in Ed.
McGuire: I could do an auction here today.
Frawley: I’ll actually jump in and make sure she doesn’t – I’ll hold her under, Ed.
McGuire: I reckon we could charge 10,000 for everyone to stand around the outside and bomb her.
Damien Barrett: I’m on Caro’s side now, Ed. I’m on Caro’s side these days, Ed.
[indecipherable]
McGuire: She’ll burn you like everyone else, mate. She’s like the black widow. She just sucks you in and gets you and you start talking to her and then bang! She gets you.
Brayshaw: If you ran that auction from down there, I reckon you’d start grabbing some bids out of the seats too. There’d be money piling in everywhere.
McGuire: It’s be magnificent. I think we should do that next year. It’s all good for footy.
Brayshaw: Bloody oath.
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