‘Graceless’ attack on Jenny Morrison slammed following Liberal defeat

A prominent feminist writer who took a ‘classless’ swipe at Jenny Morrison’s dress has found herself on the end of harsh backlash.

An attack against Jenny Morrison spearheaded by a prominent feminist writer has been widely condemned after it was called out for peddling a “mean girls” narrative.

Australian-British author Kathy Lette took aim at Mrs Morrison in a tweet Sunday evening, drawing reference to her election evening gown and a fictional religious extremist character in the television series The Handmaid’s Tale.

“One for my Aussie pals. After a long awaited #Labor victory, I think we can allow ourselves little moment of light gloating!” she wrote, sharing a side-by-side image of Mrs Morrison and the character Serena Joy.

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Jenny Morrison has been attacked over her choice of dress. Picture: Jason Edwards

The fictional character was dressed in a full-length, loose-fitting navy blue gown, while Mrs Morrison wore a light blue dress by designer Carla Zampatti.

Both gowns coincidentally had a split in the sleeves, allowing the forearms to be exposed.

Lette’s image also included the text, “Gilead defeated” – comparing the Morrison Government to the series’ dystopian future totalitarian nation of Gilead, where single women are kept as baby-making slaves.

Among those to criticise the tweet was entertainment journalist Peter Ford, who called on Lette to give Mrs Morrison “a break”.

“Fair crack of the whip Kathy. It was a lovely dress and Aussie designer. It’s the ultimate ‘mean girls’ act to be picking on it,” he wrote in a reply.

“She’s a nice lady who has never craved the spotlight and she’s now left the building so give her a break.”

Lette compared Mrs Morrison with the character Serena Joy. Picture: Twitter

Kathy Lette was slammed for her take on Mrs Morrison's dress. Picture: Twitter

A prominent critic of Jenny Morrison has been blasted over her choice of words. Picture: Jason Edwards

Others agreed Lette’s take on Mrs Morrison’s was needlessly harsh.

“We are at the attacking people for what they wear stage now? Interesting,” another wrote.

“That is on really poor taste. I’m no fan of Scott Morrison but leave the partner and kids of politicians out of commentary. They may be in view but doesn’t mean they are up for criticism,” someone else wrote.

Others noted it was “ironic” of Lette to take issue with Mrs Morrison’s dress, given it was designed by the mother of independent Allegra Spender, who booted Liberal MP Dave Sharma from the eastern Sydney seat of Wentworth.

“Apart from the obvious tackiness of this tweet – it is quite ironic that you chose to pillory the dress on the left (which is chic btw), a Carla Zampatti piece (Allegra Spender’s mother) and most likely based off a (London-based) Roksanda Ilincic design,” one response read.

The tweet was also described “graceless”, “poor form” and an example of “bully” behaviour.

“Pretty low picking on someone’s spouse because you don’t like their partners politics. Glad that you are such a human rights champion,” Aboriginal leader and politician Warren Mundine AO wrote.

Kathy Lette compared Jenny Morrison to a character from The Handmaid’s Tale. Picture: Jason Edwards

The tweet was not the first time Mrs Morrison has been compared with characters from The Handmaid’s Tale.

Kath and Kim star and best-selling author Magda Szubanski not-so-subtly compared Mrs Morrison to the fictional religious extremist characters in a tweet last year.

In the story, married women are subservient and do not work, wear plain coloured clothes and serve the whims of their husbands.

Szubanski tweeted a photo of Mrs Morrison standing behind her husband as he signed a condolence book for Queen Elizabeth, following the death of her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

In the image a sombre Mrs Morrison, dressed in black and standing in the background, watched on.

The photograph was tweeted by a well-known, left-leaning feminist group, which labelled it “creepy”.

“Good morning to everyone else to whom this feels creepy, chilling, terrifying, ominous, enraging, despairing and utterly, completely f***ing depressing,” the message read.

Szubanski shared the tweet and added: “I genuinely thought this was a photoshopped Handmaid’s Tale meme. But no. It’s 21st century Aussie life.”

Interesting dress choice from Jenny https://t.co/IWjpkfQ1Pdpic.twitter.com/QDlzI8RVWU

— Melanie Tait (@MelanieTait) May 21, 2022

Mrs Morrison raised eyebrows Saturday night after stepping out in the teal-coloured dress, with many social media users quick to point out the irony.

The Liberal defeat was largely lost the election in a so-called “teal” bloodbath led by independents sporting light blue colours.

National fashion editor for Nine newspapers Melissa Singer noted that the dress was called “the celebration dress” on Carla Zampatti’s website.

Billionaire Atlassian founder Mike Cannon-Brookes took to social media to congratulate Jenny on the dress.

“(Clap) for Jenny standing up in teal – for Allegra Spender and for all the incredible women who changed Australia tonight,” he wrote.