Insider’s host baffled after Bill Shorten uses the word “simp” during interview

David Speers is one of Australia’s top political journos but he was left baffled after a comment during an interview with Bill Shorten.

Insiders host David Speers is one of Australia’s top political journos but even his deep knowledge didn’t save him from having to ask about a piece of internet slang on Sunday’s show.

“Explain simp?” Mr Speers was forced to ask former opposition leader Bill Shorten following his latest warning to Prime Minister Scott Morrison about ongoing negotiations regarding the freedom of an Afghan man who killed three Australian soldiers.

“Well, soft,” Mr Shorten said explaining his use of the word “simp”: short for “simple”.

A “simp” is a person – usually a man but not always – who tries to attract women by acting subservient and submissive, or “simple”.

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Bill Shorten told Insiders host David Speers Prime Minister Scott Morrison can't afford to look like a "simp".

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Mr Shorten’s comment came after Mr Morrison has expressed concern to US President Donald Trump over the possible release of rogue Afghan soldier Hekmatullah, as part of peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

The US and Taliban signed a peace deal at the end of February, which the Afghan government was not part of.

Hekmatullah murdered Lance Corporal 'Rick' Milosevic, Sapper James Martin and Private Robbie Poate as they were relaxing on a remote patrol base in Uruzgan province in late August 2012. Picture: Four Corners

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Mr Shorten said it was “a terrible story” and that Mr Morrison needed to stand up to Mr Trump, while praising former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

“Even though I disagreed with him on a lot, certainly I thought he did a better job standing up to Donald Trump,” Mr Shorten said of Mr Turnbull.

“I think that the families of Australian Diggers murdered in cold blood should know what the government is doing, we all should.

“I don’t think that our closest ally, militarily, should be releasing a Taliban gunman who killed three of ours.

“If I can put it in really plain English, Mr Morrison needs to make sure that he doesn’t look like he’s just a simp to Donald Trump.”

The interaction quickly started going viral on social media, which some suggested was part of the plan.

“Explain simp” surely joins “please explain” in the pantheon of iconic questions in Australian politics

— Naaman Zhou (@naamanzhou) August 16, 2020

[Bill Shorten] How did I do?
[19yo media advisor] Epic work sir, very based

— Ben (@Ben_Mc1) August 16, 2020

Shorten after using the word simp on Insiders pic.twitter.com/jhi6Uzh2Q1

— Dylan Storer (@StorerDylan) August 16, 2020

On Monday morning the hashtag #ScottyTheSimp was trending on Twitter (although trends should be taken with a grain of salt as the metric is very easy to manipulate).

It’s not the first time Mr Shorten has appeared to try and attract social media attention.

Prior to last year’s election and following a suggestion from SBS comedy current affairs show The Feed, Mr Shorten went mildly viral jogging in a shirt telling Australians to “Vote 1 Chloe Shorten’s Husband” (they did not).

Time for change. Let’s do this! pic.twitter.com/gD9gZwTBvA

— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) May 17, 2019

Before that he hit a “dab” following a rap battle with Sydney shock jock Ray Hadley in which there were no winners.

Bill Shorten hits a "dab", a popular dance move that emerged from the Atlanta hip-hop scene and became a worldwide viral phenomenon in the mid-2010s.

But the use of the word “simp” could potentially backfire on Mr Shorten with criticism of his use of the controversial term.

Calling someone a simp is like saying they’re ‘pussy whipped’. It’s sexist and wildly offensive. https://t.co/vLMK74PJsu

— Dr Liz Allen (@DrDemography) August 16, 2020

The relatively new term has been rising in popularity as a sort of update to classics like “nice guys” who are usually anything but and “reply guys” who consistently respond to a woman’s tweets with overly familiar or suggestive comments.

The label is still relatively new and people are yet to decide whether “simp” is a fitting insult for guys who think they’re entitled to attention from women as a result of basic decency or politeness, or a misogynistic term to shame men who treat women with respect, or “just not like trash”, as described by online men’s magazine Mel.

The term “simp” can be traced back through a long history in rap music and on to social media, gaining prominence on TikTok.

In March the term gained prominence after “simps” were mocked for quickly developing crushes on a Twitch streamer whose video went viral, before abandoning her when they learned she had a boyfriend.

The New York Times “cancelled” the term as a sexist insult used to demean men who are nice to women last month, though the use of “simp” as an insult similarly targets the expectation something will be received in exchange for nice behaviour rather than the behaviour itself.