Mash-ups
Exposing political lies, hypocrisies and contradictions with a dash of humour
For three years (2015–18) I presented ‘Brisbane Line’: a weekly news hour on 4zzz Radio.
Increasingly I became frustrated with the way politicians and media outlets repeated each other’s untruths as if they were somehow insightful.
In 2016 I started creating collages as a way to cut through the guff.
In 2017 ‘Brisbane Line’ won the CBAA’s national award for ‘Excellence in News & Current Affairs Broadcasting’.
April 2016 — December 2018
These pieces collate and examine the material content, structure and composition of orthodox political media analysis; interpret the mediums used to disseminate information (media coverage); and critique the mechanics of who frames and presents an argument over time. Every quote used is on the public record. The collages expose gaps in reportage; hypocrisies and contradictions in public statements — statements that may be separated by months or years; and they expose faux arguments. They ignore orthodox political rhetoric, analysis and reporting, and the PR, spin and ballyhoo that comes with public and political discussions of all stripes; and even without a ‘narrator’, they tell linear stories — each a distillation of months of disjointed media coverage formed into fast-paced sound pieces that use comedy and satire to disarm.
Pay attention to ‘political gaffs’; it’s in these weaker moments where the real politician is revealed: when they forget a microphone is on, or when they’re tired, or drunk
By distilling convoluted and contradictory reportage into succinct critiques the collages clarify political issues by showing the public the gaps, lies, conflicting stances, baseless positions and unsubstantiated attacks. The collages are accurate, concise and funny. Enjoy.
Malcolm Turnbull (then-Prime Minister) on the campaign trail
During his re-election campaign Malcolm Turnbull donned military clothing, toured a warship and spouted empty cliches.
Unrepresentative views on refugees, migrants, and, for some reason, tax
During constant, ongoing and seemingly never-ending debates about refugees, Australian politicians often repeat themselves by sending inconsistent and illogical messages.
Climate-denial politicians on rising sea levels; flooding; and, for some reason, jelly
During droning debates about climate change — which include, seemingly, every issue under the sun except for climate: e.g. energy generation, poor people in India, CPI, ‘the new normal’, the Greens party, ‘political correctness’, protecting jobs in mining over jobs in tourism, ‘clean coal’ — politicians send repeated and contradictory messages.
The scandals just keep coming for Australia’s big four banks
For months the Conservative governments of Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott resisted calls for a Banking Royal Commission. For perspective, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) broke an anti-terror law 56,000 times and Wespac broke the same law 29 million times. Australia eventually enacted a Banking Royal Commission.
Unrepresentative views on making it easier to discriminate against people
Australia’s Conservative Government attempted to significantly change a section of Australia’s Racial Discrimination Act in order to weaken protections from racial abuse.
Australia’s fake energy price debate
During a 2017 debate about the findings of the Independent Review into the Future Security of the National Electricity Market conservative politicians used fake concern about energy prices to argue that Australia needs more coal-fired power plants, despite experts saying that such infrastructure are likely to become ‘stranded assets’ sooner rather than later.
Unrepresentative views demonising people with physical and cognitive differences
In 2017 a former Australian TV star was accused of sexual assault by many women. To defend his actions he claimed to suffer from ‘undiagnosed Aspergers’. Then a slew of un-informed personalities and politicians attacked people with physical and cognitive differences, calling for them to be isolated from our community. This piece highlights everything people with physical and cognitive differences add to everyone’s daily lives: Tim Sharp (Laser Beak Man); Stella Young; Brisbane’s Voiceability Crew; Adam Hills; and The Ghost Ballerinas.
Australia’s Department of Home Affairs: a department no one wanted with a minister no one trusts — not even his colleagues
In 2017 the Australian Department of Home Affairs was formed against all expert advice and against the grain of independent reviews and security analysts. As recently as 2015 (and 2008 before that) experts advised against it. The department’s creation was about internal power plays within the Liberal Party, and designed to appease Peter Dutton.