December 29, 2003
TWO NEWSPAPERS, ONE IDEA
If it weren't for the fantastic diversity provided by the Fairfax media group, our nation would collapse. Or so we're told.
Let's take a look at that diversity. Here’s John Howard the Gollum in today’s Melbourne Age:
And here’s John Howard the Gollum in today’s Sydney Morning Herald:
You can't ask for more diversity that that. Incidentally, both Fairfax newspapers regularly whine about Howard’s slavishness to the US. But where have we seen this brilliant Gollum idea before?
Posted by Tim Blair at December 29, 2003 02:31 AM
How dare that guy suggest that Nauru is closer to the source of evil than, say, Bennelong or North Sydney. What a racist!
Interestingly, Gollum is probaly the most sympathetic, well developed character in the series. He'd certainly make a better P.M than Latham, at least he has a consistent goal.
Posted by: gaz at December 29, 2003 at 07:41 AMAAAAARGH that bloody recall flash thing again - Damn you Tim, you owe me $4.00 for my breakfast (which is now all over the floor)
Posted by: Osamas Psychotic Proctologist at December 29, 2003 at 09:00 AMThat and the Flash movie made by Ariana Huffington are two of the biggests wastes of bandwidth and Flash I've ever seen. The Brothers Chaps should sue.
Posted by: Big Dog at December 29, 2003 at 09:54 AMThat's kind of odd considering that most people like Gollum. I've spent the last year hearing, "Nasty hobbitses" more that I've ever wanted to.
Posted by: Stryker at December 29, 2003 at 02:26 PMTim, the idea behind media diversity is that news outlets owned by the same person/corporation are liable to give the same message. This demonstration of similarity between fairfax papers would support their case, not weaken it. (Of course, it could be argued that some are only interested in media diversity because they like fairfax and dislike News Ltd)
As far as the cartoonists are concerned, Howard does bear some resemblance to gollum. Both are somewhat bald and both are short. At least it makes more sense than portraying him as a cyclops.
Is it me, or are idiotarian cartoonists more likely to draw negative caricatures than anti-idiotarian cartoonists?
You know things are going badly when Jimmy Marguiles says about drawing
Sharon with a hook nose: That feeds into the stereotype of all Jews having hook noses ... And in the case of Ariel Sharon it is just plain inaccurate as a way to caricature him.. Just plain inaccurate?!? Is that the strongest language he can come up with?
See, I've been thinking along the LotR metaphor lines for a bit myself, but I start from a different point.
Think real carefully now, where have we heard this line before: "Narsty, ugly, FAT hobbit wants the precious for himself!"
Hmmm...
How about this: "Gollum didn't do it! Gollum swears! Gollum would never hurt master! Lies! Lies!"
Let me give you another hint.
"Now is not the time to pin blame and point fingers"
Yeah...so if Gollum is the UN, then Frodo would be Iraq. Gollum is currently trying to convince Frodo to turn over control of the ring (Saddam, who demonstrated a surprising ability to make himself invisible for eight months) to himself, because he knows Frodo intends to destroy it. Meanwhile Gollum uses elaborate trickery and lies to drive a wedge between Frodo and Sam (the Coalition), as Sam does his damndest to see Frodo through to the end. ("I can't carry your burden, but I can carry you!")
So that would make the assault on Minis Tiryth the invasion of Kuwait, Sauron the lord of fundamentalist Islam, and Denethor the deluded and hyperventilating goverment of France (although they leave their elderly and not their children to burn) "Long has Lord Denethor forseen this doom." "Forseen...and done nothing." ....OK this is starting to get spooky.
(No, I don't grant this any actual credence, because I don't base my political beliefs on a 50-year old work of fantasy in an idealistic world. But it's still flippin' spooky.)
Posted by: MCWagner at December 30, 2003 at 08:25 AM