Get back to the real, laid back Australia say our most prominent people after all the outrage over Turnbull’s footy photo
SOME of our most prominent Aussies have pleaded for the nation to return to its laid back nature after all that outrage over a picture of the PM.
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THE nation’s most iconic Australians are pleading for us to reclaim our laid back nature after an online outrage over Malcolm Turnbull posting a photo with his granddaughter at the footy while holding a beer.
Social media went into meltdown on Saturday when the Prime Minister posted a candid snap cradling his one-year-old granddaughter Alice at the AFL elimination final between Swans and Bombers at the SCG while holding a beer in the other hand.
In the picture the PM was kissing Alice on the head and captioned it “multi-tasking at the footy”.
The post garnered over 1100 comments with some users questioning Mr Turnbull’s ability to responsibly care for the child.
“Does any1 c anything irresponsible with an adult hold a baby and juggling a beer.and when was drinking while holding a child OK. I find it disgusting to see people breathing grog all over baby’s but sadly I’m not surprised by Malcolm doing it,” one posted.
Others expressed concern that some users could not see the sweet snap for what it was.
It paints a window into a tense Australia where many have lost touch with our traditional values.
Some of the most prominent Australians yesterday went in to bat for Mr Turnbull and said the outrage reflected a sorry state of affairs for the nation.
Entrepreneur Dick Smith said anyone who could not appreciate the truly iconic moment should go and live elsewhere.
“Australians need to get back to being Australian,” Mr Smith said.
“People on social media can be so pathetic. This kind of outrage is so un Australian. Go and live somewhere else if you don’t like this.”
Veteran journalist and former Australian of The Year Ita Buttrose said the anger was “just too silly for words”.
“People need to get a life and stop worrying about things that are just too silly for words,” Ms Buttrose said yesterday.
“His granddaughter is far too young to know what the PM is drinking so I don’t think it will have a negative influence on her.
“There are just a whole stack of people who are wasting their time on social media ranting and raving about things they shouldn’t be wasting their time on. They need to go and read a book.”
Social researcher Mark McCrindle said Australia had “become a nation of judgers”.
“It is regrettable that it has gotten to this point. This is the land of fair dinkum, no worries, she’ll be right and where has that sentiment gone,” Mr McCrindle said.
“It’s absurd but that is the cocktail that the entitlement of social media and cynicism towards politicians has created.”
Assistant Minister for Industry Craig Laundy said the online fury was “political correctness gone mad”.
“Hopefully most sensible Australians will see this for what it is — a doting grandfather getting in well in advance to teach his granddaughter the value of footy,” Mr Laundy said.
“I’m sure (Alice’s) parents were nearby. And this was a grandfather giving his daughter a break from holding her baby.”
Demographer Bernard Salt said that Australians nowadays held politicians and people in positions of power to a higher standard.
“It is simply part of the life of any Prime Minister or any person in authority these days that we hold them to an exceptionally high standard,” Mr Salt said.
David Chalke from Australia Scan said Australia was now a changed place and our notions of a iconic Australia with sausages on the BBQ and beers in hand had changed considerably.
“The Australia of Paul Hogan has not changed to a politically correct arena where everyone thinks they can say whatever they like on social media,” he said.
The Prime Minister’s Office said Mr Turnbull had nothing to add on the matter.
A spokeswoman said Mr Turnbull had spent several days abroad and was enjoying some quality time with his family at the footy.
I've found something Malcolm & I can agree on. This is rubbish. Let him be a grandpa. https://t.co/gzF7plgBdw
— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) 10 September 2017
Cabinet Minister Christopher Pyne said the outrage over Mr Turnbull’s picture was ridiculous and didn’t reflect the Australia we wanted to be.
“The kind of person that could be outraged about that photo is the kind of person that would report Mother Teresa for jaywalking,” Mr Pyne said.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous and anyone who can manage to puff themselves up to that level of outrage over a grandfather holding his granddaughter at the football is clearly a person with no sense of perspective and that is not the Australia that most people australia really want us to be.”
lanai.scarr@news.com.au
@pollietracker
Originally published as Get back to the real, laid back Australia say our most prominent people after all the outrage over Turnbull’s footy photo
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