Why The “No” Campaign Is Just One Long Slippery Slope
Not exactly your typical marketing/media piece, but here playwright Ron Elisha (pictured below) explains the damage done by the “No” campaign and the now infamous skywriting on a recent blue-sky Sydney Sunday…
My daughter is crying.
It’s not that she’s fallen over and barked her knee. Nor is it the trauma of immunization, or the disappointment of an ice-cream accidentally fallen into the dirt. If only it were that easily remediable.
She doesn’t cry all that readily. My memory is tested to recall the previous occasion upon which tears rolled down those normally untroubled cheeks.
With the exception of her first two hours outside the womb (when she roared with a ferocity normally reserved for footballers), her face has habitually been wreathed in smiles. A happy, contented, uncannily warm and affectionate child (coming in at a whopping 8 lb 11 oz), she smiled on the day she was born and, despite such smiles being dismissed by nursing staff as ‘wind’, has continued to smile from that day forward.
Until today.
Lest you form the wrong impression, let me reassure you that hers is not the smile of the feeble-minded, uncritical in their appraisal of the world and its woes. Behind those smiling eyes is a profound sensitivity, a deep well of feeling for her fellow beings and a laser-sharp sensibility.
She understands how the world works – has done, somehow, almost since the day she could speak – and her quips at its foibles, though merciless, are always irresistibly funny. She takes that humour with her into the world of social work, where she dearly hopes that she can lessen the burden of misery with which so many of our disenfranchised are afflicted.
But today there is no mirth.
Today she is being accused of being a deviant. A monster. A depraved creature, not to be trusted in the company of children. An alien. An ‘other’ to the community’s ‘self’. A being unworthy of the basic human rights extended to her fellows.
Today the word ‘No’ is being writ large in the clear blue sky over our city – as if by the hand of God – slowly dissipating into the air around it, polluting its clarity and besmirching its blueness.
And, indeed, it is the hand of God at work here. Through the Church.
The institution that has done more to foster paedophilia than any other on the face of the Earth throughout the centuries has the temerity to accuse my daughter of being an unfit parent. My daughter. The very epitome of kindness, who has never intentionally harmed another human being, has studied hard, worked hard, paid her taxes and, in short, done everything that ever could have been asked of a model citizen.
We are told that the Church is defending the sanctity of marriage.
What nefarious calumny has not been visited upon the human species in the name of ‘sanctity’?
In Australia, as in most countries, the law provides for a separation between Church and State. Marriage equality is not a religious matter – it is a legal matter. A matter of basic human rights under the law.
It’s time that the Church stopped sticking its Papal nose where it doesn’t belong.
For nigh on two millennia, the Church has waged a doomed rearguard action against the forces of truth and of knowledge and of freedom and of enlightenment.
It fought Galileo. And lost.
It fought Darwin. And lost.
It fought contraception. And lost.
It continues to fight homosexuality, abortion, stem cell research and euthanasia. It will lose each and every one of these battles.
And yet it continues to fight us, tooth and nail, at every step of the journey towards true human dignity.
Must we do this? Must we pass through this endless purgatory every time decent human beings attempt to push back the boundaries of human ignorance and suffering?
The Church speaks of the sanctity of human life. Yet it had not the slightest hesitation in denouncing Galileo, in burning innocent women at the stake for fear of witchcraft, in carrying out a pitiless Inquisition, in quoting scripture in defence of black slavery, in persecuting Jews and homosexuals, in sanctioned molestation of children entrusted to its care, in getting into bed with Adolf Hitler, in denying the equality of women, and in systematically commandeering the rights of decent human beings to exercise a measure of control over their own destinies.
Must we do this, over and over and over again? Can we not simply live and let live? Can the Church not, for once in its deeply chequered history, let us get on with our lives, and our deaths, without assuming the God-given right to interfere?
We are being asked to vote Yes or No. But this is the coward’s way out. This evades the true issue at stake here. Which is equality. The boxes on that form should read ‘Equality’ and ‘Inequality’. The word up in the sky, so blithely traced out by that feckless pilot, should read ‘Inequality’.
Would that make its supporters proud? To see the word inequality writ large in the heavens, as if it were something to which to aspire? At least call a spade a spade, and have the guts to own your bigotry.
Again and again, we hear the specious argument of ‘the slippery slope’. Today it’s gay marriage, tomorrow people will be marrying animals. (If that’s the case – though there’s precious little evidence to suggest it – then so be it. Who am I to deny Fido marital bliss?)
But what about that other slippery slope? The slope that says: Today you deny the LGBT community the right to marriage, tomorrow you deny them the right to life. Because that’s the logical conclusion of what’s being said. These human beings aren’t equal. They don’t deserve equal rights. Just as the Africans in America didn’t. Just as the Jews in Germany didn’t. And we saw how that ended.
That’s what you call a slippery slope.
Latest News
Sydney Comedy Festival: Taking The City & Social Media By Storm
Sydney Comedy Festival 2024 is live and ready to rumble, showing the best of international and homegrown talent at a host of venues around town. As usual, it’s hot on the heels of its big sister, the giant that is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, picking up some acts as they continue on their own […]
Global Marketers Descend For AANA’s RESET For Growth
The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has announced the final epic lineup of local and global marketing powerhouses for RESET for Growth 2024. Lead image: Josh Faulks, chief executive officer, AANA Back in 2000, a woman with no business experience opened her first juice bar in Adelaide. The idea was brilliantly simple: make healthy […]
Is Meta’s New AI Chatbot Too Left-Wing?
Meta's chatbot accused of being left-wing after being caught wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt & listening to Billy Bragg.
TV Ratings (23/04/2024): Why Did No One Tell Angela That Farmer Wants A Wife Is Set On A Farm?
As wonderful as this headline is, let's face it, we all know an 'Angela', don't we?
PubMatic Unveils New AI Partnership To Turn Social Posts Into Ads For Any Digital Channel
Here's some nifty tech for turning social posts into ads. Assuming said posts aren't one-star character assassinations.
Intuit Mailchimp Makes A Splash With Its First Australian Brand Campaign
Ever laugh along at a gag you didn't get so as not to appear dumb? Get ready for more feigning with this new work.
GumGum’s Rob Hall: Advertisers Can No Longer “Rely On Binary Descriptions” Of Consumers
If anyone's got their finger on adtech's pulse, it's Rob Hall. He also avoids using the good paper in the office printer
Mastercard Nabs Florencia Aimo From Marriott International
Marriott International's Florencia Aimo jumps from the hotel business to the exploitative credit card one.
Bastion Agency Appoints Cheuk Chiang As New ANZ CEO
Cheuk Chiang takes the reins over at Bastion Agency. But not the rains down in Africa.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Major Sponsorship Wins After A Disappointing Week In Sport
B&T continuing our deep dive into local sport sponsorships & that's despite not a single offer of a free ticket as yet.
Macca’s Marketing Director, Samantha McLeod On Big Mac Chant: “What Was Once Old Is Now Cool Again”
Macca's using the power of nostalgia in latest Big Mac campaign. Well, only for those who've ever eaten one sober.
World Premiere Of Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line To Open Sydney Film Festival 2024
Oil's biopic to open Sydney Film Festival. Here's hoping Molly Meldrum will take his pants down at the premiere.
Entries Are Now Open For The 2024 Brandies, IntelligenceBank’s Annual Brand Marketing Awards
The Brandies are, of course, a prestigious marketing gong and not the mystery tipple favoured by nannas everywhere.
The Fred Hollows Foundation Appoints Ardent For PR
Yes, we all like to have a joke at PR's expense. But sometimes it does important work, like this.
AI, eCommerce & Marketing Specialists Are In Increased Demand By Businesses, New Data From Fiverr Shows
Has your philosophy & anthropology degree left you with nothing but a huge HECS debt? Here's what you should've studied.
Perth’s First 3D Anamorphic Billboard Arrives Courtesy Of oOh!media
Do you love a buzzword? Now you can add anamorphic to the list as it relates to billboards, not a colleague's ears.
MasterChef Australia & Crown Resorts Launch Unique Dining Experience With ALUMNI
A pop-up restaurant staffed by MasterChef contestants! That's fine dining prices for first-year apprentice chef cuisine!
Amanda Laing Announces Resignation From Foxtel Group
Foxtel's chief commercial & content officer heads for the exits. Read nice things the bosses said about her right here.
The Lost Letters From Our Diggers: News Corp Unveils ANZAC Day Special
It's nice when brands respectfully acknowledge ANZAC Day.
Howatson+Company Acquires Akkomplice
Large indie acquires a slightly smaller indie. Much like a shark eating a tuna, just with less thrashing and blood.
Google Delays Third-Party Cookie Deprecation Again
In good news for the sale of picture library biscuit photos, Google continues to tease over the end of cookies.
Education A Low Priority For Aussies More Concerned With Cost Of Living Forethought Study Reveals
Study finds Aussies cutting back on education due to cost of living. Booze & Uber Eats sales remain largely unaffected.
“I’m Still The Same Person That I Was”: Rikki Stern Says “Fucc It” To Cancer Stereotypes
B&T always happy to promote the anti-cancer cause. Even brands that massively overdo it with the hot pink.
The Unapproved Climate Certification Allegedly Causing Mass Greenwashing
Are you left flummoxed in the canned tuna & free range eggs aisle? Just wait till this green certification gets up.
TV Ratings (22/04/2024): Fans Mock “Over The Top” Reaction To New MasterChef Judges
MasterChef returns for its 2024 season. B&T stands by putting peppercorns in Gravox & no one will be any the wiser.
Dentsu Restructure: Muddle, Harvey & Johnston Take Leadership Baton As Bass & Yurisich Exit
A large broom has swept through Dentsu's local ops this morning, taking with it some big names & the air con's cobwebs.
Industry Shares Trends Shaping The Industry This International Creators Day
B&T's asking adland creators to reveal their top trends. And it's not good news for your Jenny Kee cardigan collection.
Mable Extends HOYTS Sensory Screenings Partnership
Mable has extended its HOYTS sensory screening partnership. Vigorously defends its two-star Oppenheimer review.
Orphan Launches ‘They Need Our Help. We Need Yours’ For Children’s Cancer Institute
Anything to do with childhood cancers has B&T's 110% support. That said, we do ignore the red meat & alcohol warnings.
Smile Team Orthodontics & Keep Left Collaborate On Smile-Inducing Campaign
As parents would attest, given the cost of orthodontics you'd expect this campaign to be a lavish production indeed.
Opinion: How Video Calls Neglect Learning Diversity
Need an excuse to duck out of a video call this arvo? Show this to your boss.
DoubleVerify Achieves First-Of-Its-Kind Responsible AI Certification From TrustArc
DoubleVerify receives responsible AI certification. However, not its robotic vacuum that's been seen menacing the cat.
Smile For A Good Cause: The Social Media Campaign Giving Back To The Community
Are you known as the office Austin Powers? More for you teeth than shagability? Get snappy new fangs with this news.
Elon Musk Mocks Albo After ESafety Wins Court Injunction Against X
Albo's 2024 from hell continues - Rabbitohs in crisis, down in the polls and now feuding with world's richest man.
Real Estate Developer In Hot Water Over “Sexually Exploitative” OOH Campaign
Real estate agents again tops in the 'least trusted profession' polls, nudging used car salesmen & ad creatives.
Epsilon’s Shane Hanby: Post-Cookie Era Relies On “Teamwork” Between Brands, Marketers & Tech
This pro predicts more "teamwork" in a post-cookie era. Which spells bad news for the uncooperative or plain stubborn.