Total Tools seeking revenge on the country’s most notorious sock jock

Probably no one was surprised to see that one of the companies removing its advertising from Alan Jones’s radio show following his comments about Jacinda Ardern and a sock was a mob called Total Tools. Mumbrella, August 19:

At least 10 brands have committed to pulling advertising from Alan Jones’ 2GB breakfast show, or confirmed their stance to continue to not advertise, in the wake of last week’s comment that Prime Minister Scott Morrison should shove a sock down New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s throat. Anytime Fitness, ME Bank, Bing Lee … Total Tools … issued statements … largely in response to a campaign by activist groups …

Now who in that lot knows anything about socks? Only one — Total Tools. And it promises the lowest ­prices and a variety of colours. Total Tools online sock section yesterday:

Rottie Workwear Socks 3PK Wool Blend Heavy Duty Asst Colours — $9.95.

Graham Richardson reckons his mate didn’t mean to say quite what he did. The Australian. August 21:

Alan Jones thinks Jacinda Ardern is a “lightweight” and should, to use a time-honoured Australian phrase, “put a sock in it”. But that’s not how it came out … I would never say what Jones said but … It seems to me far too many people in this day and age spend too much time looking for offence.

A new book, Don Dunstan: The Visionary Politician Who Changed Australia, profiles the reforming South Australian premier. The author spoke on Monday. Adelaide’s Matilda Bookshop website:

Angela Woollacott has written the first comprehensive biography of this larger-than-life figure (who) rose to high political office and went on to establish the first Aboriginal land rights, abolish the death penalty, expand women’s rights, decriminalise homosexuality …

Hold on. That bill came not from Dunstan — who described himself as ambisexual — but from the opposite benches. Dennis Altman, Dunstan Foundation lecture, Dec­ember 2012:

The first serious move to decriminalise male homosexuality came (in 1972) when a Liberal backbencher, Murray Hill, introduced a private member’s bill …

The conservative state’s more tolerant attitude to homosexuality must have come as a considerable relief to the indiscreet, risk-taking Dunstan, but was there ever that much pro­gress? ABC News March 31:

Two unsolved murder cases believed to have been the result of “gay bashings” remain open … Police said David Saint was bashed to death in Adelaide’s south parklands in April 1991, and in December 2004 the body of Robert Mark Woodland was found (in what police said was an) area known as a meeting spot for gay men.

And South Australia remains the only place in the nation where you can justify killing someone in a “gay panic”. The Advertiser, April 9:

The so-called “gay panic” defence to a murder charge will be scrapped … Attorney-General Vickie Chapman will draft laws to abolish a defence that enables accused murderers to argue for a downgrade to a manslaughter charge if they were “provoked” to kill.

South Australians — a sensitive but practical people. BBC report on the landmark 1972 killing of gay Dr ­George Duncan, November 14, 2017:

… a TV news crew arrived. Incredibly, police placed the body back in the river and dragged it out again for the camera.