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Margot Robbie earns more as a Barbie doll than as a woman

All the news that's fit to mint.

Jenna ClarkeEditorial Director
5 min read
7:00PMJuly 21, 2022.
Updated 6:20PMJuly 22, 2022
The Oz

All the news that's fit to mint.

What's happening in (The) Oz today:

🗃 Pack up your desk and go (work from) home

🏦 Josh Frydenberg's out of his trackies

🤰🏻One woman got angry on the internet about Medicare

💊 Pill testing is here

💸 Margot Robbie is making lots of paper out of plastic

🎥 Another Elvis film is coming, starring Dolly Parton

💳 Guard your Woolies Rewards

🧙🏻‍♀️ Quitting Quidditch

Good morning!

As Lizzo says, it's about damn time, and now it feels like all of us are pleading with someone, anyone, to make a damn call about what the go is with working from home.

The issue is like a toxic couple deciding to either give it another crack (for the 54th time) or break up forever.

There's a massive divide forming.

While some of our biggest companies are launching new pandemic measures - including reintroducing working from home and mask wearing - as they combat a fresh wave of rising Covid infections.

The lack of government-enforced mandates has sparked a split in how companies are keeping their staff safe amid rising infections.

Businesses like Telstra and Westpac are now advocating remote working where possible. Telstra are "strongly encouraging" employees to work from home, Westpac is asking workers to avoid the office.

Others, like NAB, are instead urging mask wearing indoors and social distancing to avoid the effective return of lockdowns and the gutting of CBDs (again).

Meanwhile, the unions are weighing in, pushing to have the right to WFH included in future enterprise bargaining agreements for office and white collar folk in order to protect them from Covid and saying it would also "improve wellbeing and allow more work-life balance," the Finance Sector Union spokeswoman said.

Try as we might protect ourselves but in Canberra, those older than 30 wanting to get their fourth Covid are now being told there's a months long waitlist as pharmacies can't keep up with demand.

Here he is!

Former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is back and his personal finances will also be back in black.

Since losing his job as both our top accountant and the member for Melbourne's plush electorate of Kooyong at the May election, he's got a new job at a bank.

Read more: The Liberals are having an existential crisis

Goldman Sachs has confirmed the guy once in charge of Australia's finances during the pandemic would now take up a role with it as a senior regional adviser for Asia-Pacific.

"We are fortunate to bring to Goldman Sachs a person of Josh's deep public and private sector experience, connectivity, and insight," Kevin Sneader, co-president of Goldman Sachs in Asia-Pacific ex-Japan, said in a statement.

"His significant understanding of geopolitical and economic issues will bring considerable value to our clients across the region and beyond."

I hear "banker" and see nothing but 💰 so at least he'll be able to get some mileage out of all that "back in black" Budget merch he had made all those years ago. 

Whatever you do, don't mention this phrase...

"Birthing parent". 

A media personality who copped a lot of flack for creating a women-only app has arked up online after recently having a baby and being offended when she was handed a hospital form that said “birthing parent” instead of mother.

Sall Grover said she was outraged by the Medicare form and took to Twitter – as well as several media organisations – to complain.

“It is dehumanising, ridiculous language,” she told the Today Show on Thursday.

"If the word ‘mother’ bothers you so much, motherhood is going to be quite a shock.”

Her complaints sparked immediate action from the Albanese government.

Government Services Minister Bill Shorten, who is also responsible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, has said he will scrap the gender-inclusive forms after Grover spoke to the Daily Telegraph too.

Great to see this government move so swiftly to fix issues. Do the NDIS next?

Testing, testing

Australia's first fixed-site pill testing has opened in Canberra.

The CanTEST Health and Drug Checking Service is located in Canberra's CBD and offers free, confidential testing of drugs in a bid to reduce the harm caused by drugs.

It will be a 6-month pilot and something the ACT government said is based on "evidence-based health interventions".

The ACT recorded the highest drug-induced deaths per capita in June.

Get it girl

Margot Robbie is now the highest-paid female actor in Hollywood thanks to her fat pay cheque she brokered for the upcoming Barbie live-action film by Greta Gerwig.

Variety reported the former Neighbours star is pocketing more than $18m to star alongside Ryan Gosling as Ken.

Proofing plastic is fantastic, it's quite the pay rise from her last gigs. For Birds of Prey back in 2020 she only took home $14.6m.

Read how Margot Robbie will make her Wes Anderson film debut when she's put her dolls away.

At least she practices what she preaches.

Read more: Give Margot Robbie as Barbie the Oscar

Get your popcorn ready for another Elvis movie

Sort of.

Seriously Red is a new musical comedy about Dolly Parton by Aussie production company, Dollhouse, directed by Gracie Otto, produced by Jessica Carrera and starring Rose Byrne as Elvis.

Let me explain.

In the Dollhouse Pictures film, writer Krew Boylan also stars as Red, a vivacious but occasionally misguided redhead who is fired/quits her job in real estate for a new career as a Dolly Parton impersonator.

As you do.

The cast also includes Celeste Barber, Bobby Cannavale and Daniel Webber and music from Parton, Kenny Rogers, Neil Diamond, and David Bowie.

The film was widely praised at its premiere at SXSW this year and got the tick of approval from Parton herself.

"They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I am always honoured when people want to use my music for anything. I hope everyone enjoys the movie, I know I did, "Moderna's Patron St. said at the screening.

It'll open here in November.

Read on to learn how much of the (other) Elvis movie is real

Not so Rewarding

You may want to check in on what's doing with your Woolworths Everyday Rewards as the supermarket has reported a series of "security breaches". 

Customers on Thursday reported “hacked” accounts that have been used to make unauthorised purchase while others said that Everyday Rewards dollars they had “banked” had been used by the thieves to buy groceries.

“This indicates fraudsters have likely obtained these members’ login credentials and account details from online scams or other sources,” a spokesperson said.

While encouraging members to secure their accounts.

“It’s a timely reminder of the importance of having strong unique passwords, updating them regularly, and remaining vigilant of scams,” they said.

“If ever a member believes there has been fraudulent activity on their account, we encourage them to contact us, so we can immediately secure their account and reinstate any points.”

This is a big Hermione mood

The International Quidditch Association says the sport's name will change to Quadball to cut trademark costs and distance itself from JK Rowling.

The governing body for real-life Quidditch, the game inspired by Harry Potter, made the call.

The change from Quidditch to Quadball hasn't come out of nowhere, it's just one of the final steps of the process that's been in play for months.

The change is two-for-one situation.

The IQA wants to move away from "Quidditch" in order to distance the sport that was created by Harry Potter author JK Rowling, citing that she has "increasingly come under scrutiny for her anti-trans positions".

"Quidditch" is also a trademark owned by Warner Bros - which means anyone else who wants to use it has to pay for it.

Game on.

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/the-oz/news/margot-robbie-earns-more-as-a-barbie-doll-than-as-a-woman/news-story/01d615a0b903038746c8e1c41eb42567