Albo’s Spicks and Specks spot struck the right note, but won’t change the tune

The prime minister of Australia deftly flicked the switch to vaudeville on Sunday night.

Appearing on the ABC music panel show, Spicks and Specks, Anthony Albanese continued the long and sometimes embarrassing tradition of political leaders freeing themselves from the shackles of serious interviews and jumping into mainstream culture – all in the pursuit of popularity.

Myf Warhurst, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Ben Lee on Spicks and Specks.

The timing of his appearance was interesting, to say the least. He was lucky no one mentioned the cost of living or the Middle East crisis.

But in choosing this program above others, Albo’s intention was clear. After years of telling voters he’s a loud and proud music nerd, he showed them. Nothing says, “I am who I say I am”, quite like confidently answering questions on a national music quiz show to prove your chops.

Mercifully, his appearance was nowhere near as toe-curling as then-treasurer Peter Costello stumbling his way through the macarena with Kerri-Anne Kennerley on The Midday Show. In fact, it was a far more natural fit for Albanese than inquisitions on 7.30 or Q&A.

At one point, a clearly excited but nervous PM told his fellow panellists: “It’s a risky enough proposition being here at all.”

But Spicks and Specks is not really much of a risk. It is arguably the nicest half-hour of Australian TV, and Sunday night was tame stuff. The prime minister correctly answered questions about Ratcat, Elton John and The Sunnyboys. The only potentially awkward moment of the evening came when rapper Cardi B’s X-rated song, WAP, was played but even then, producers resisted the temptation to cut to the PM for his reaction.

Politicians stepping out of their normal media rounds is nothing new. As Paul Keating once famously said: “Every now and then, you have to flick the switch to vaudeville.” But doing so tends to amplify what we already feel about them. At the time, Keating was bragging about his ability to show voters he could be more than just a stern trustee of the national finances. But his attempt to reinvent himself as a Collingwood fan to broaden his appeal was laughable.

Flicking the switch is also becoming more common in the US election, where Kamala Harris has clung to talk shows like The View, and Donald Trump to the breezy Fox and Friends. In Australia, though, there are fewer local media options. The Midday Show is long gone, and audiences continue to turn away from local TV and film.

Thus, Bob Hawke’s 1986 appearance on A Country Practice, when he gave a speech at a rock concert in support of the kids of Burrigan High who were taking a stand against nuclear bases, will never be repeated.

Nor will Gough Whitlam’s commandeering the 1974 coarse yobbo comedy, Barry McKenzie Holds His Own, where the PM appears in the final scene to make Edna Everage a dame. He was promoting the Australian film industry, you see. Can you imagine the backlash today?

You would have to have a heart of concrete to deny Albo his fun, but some voters are genuinely miffed at a time when he is becoming increasingly unpopular. According to Monday’s The Australian Financial Review/ Freshwater Strategy Poll, despite being the preferred prime minister ahead of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, he leads by just one point (44 per cent to Dutton’s 43). Spicks and Specks is unlikely to shift that dial.

Since taking office, Albanese has often taken the soft option. So much so that this masthead dubbed him the FM PM, noting that in his first year in office, he notched up 172 press conferences, 89 television interviews and 128 radio appearances – he has even been on Hot Tomato FM where he fielded questions about why Taylor Swift didn’t perform in Queensland.

Voters can resist attempts to humanise politicians, but Sunday’s effort worked. Albo had fun, viewers had fun, he got a few questions right, he was able to show a genuine side of himself and – crucially – his team won, even if the result did feel as contrived as a preselection ballot from his old days as a factional brawler (the final question related to a song by Ben Lee, who coincidentally happened to be on the PM’s team).

If nothing else, it was just nice to see a political leader on prime-time television enthusing about something other than sport.

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