July 27, 2003
DAVE REGRETS
According to a report in today’s Sun-Herald (no link available) Media Watch host David Marr has phoned Melissa Doyle and David Koch to apologise for his bizarre insult issued last week. Doesn’t mean much unless he also apologises on his show, of course.
Posted by Tim Blair at July 27, 2003 11:40 AMIsn't it up to Melissa Doyle to decide whether it means much?
Posted by: Robert at July 27, 2003 at 07:17 PMSince Marr decided to make his comment a public issue, I think it's up to the public to decide if his apology for it means much or not.
Posted by: Indole Ring at July 27, 2003 at 07:26 PM"Isn't it up to Melissa Doyle to decide whether it means much?"
Well, if it means much to her or not - certainly. Whether Tim should care or not? I think that's still up to good ol' Timmy-Boy.
/Döbeln
Posted by: Döbeln at July 27, 2003 at 08:59 PMNot when the insult is publically delivered on the national broadcaster from their specialist media critic.
Then it is an issue for those of us who paid for it to be delivered.
Posted by: Harry Tuttle at July 27, 2003 at 11:00 PMI think the whole thing can be put down to David's clumsiness with the vernacular.
For Marr to call the Sunshine presenters fuckwits - apart from being a gross example of labelling the person, not the act - suggests he was unaware of the uglier connotations of the word.
Maybe it's because he frequents bars where they say "You've spilt beer all down my shirt you nincompoop" instead of, "You've spilt beer all down me shirt, you fuckwit. I should fucking take you outside, you cunt."
Or maybe the Macquarie definition of 'fuckwit' is too narrow. Surely fuckwit more commonly refers to someone you despise generally, not specificly a "a fool or simpleton".