How do you pick a winner when the nominations are so awful, the contenders would probably prefer not to be up for an award in the first place?
Simple – invite around 400 women to dinner and hold a boo-off.
US researcher Auna Jornayvaz with Susie Stevens & Marie Murphy
The 22nd Annual ‘Ernie’ Awards for sexist comments were held in Sydney last night, an event “celebrating” sexist comments made by high profile Australians and organisations throughout the year.
“Who would have thought, 22 years later, we’d still be celebrating that terrible old sexist Ernie Ecob,” declared founder and event organiser Meredith Burgmann as proceedings got underway.
Ecob was a former trade union official when Burgmann was a member of NSW Parliament in the early 1990s. He famously declared that women were only interested in becoming shearers “for the sex”, prompting Burgmann and others to publicly highlight sexist comments made in the public arena.
Last night, the Federal government took home the most Ernies, with Education Minister Christopher Pyne booed in as the “winner” of the Gold Ernie for most sexist comment and Prime Minister Tony Abbott taking home “The Clinton” for repeat offender.
Meredith Burgmann & the booers dressed as suffragettes
The 400 women including NSW MP Linda Burney and well-known feminist Anne Summers booed Pyne for his comment that the rise in HECS fees would not disproportionately affect women because “they will not be able to earn the high incomes that say dentists or lawyers will earn.”
That comment also earned Pyne the Political Silver Ernie, beating out three time nominee Clive Palmer, former politician Eddie Obeid and Senator Eric Obetz for his comment linking abortion to breast cancer.
Summers said Pyne was “thoroughly deserving” of the win, but that it was a slur on the Federal government.
Proving that no matter how powerful you are you should never take on Peppa Pig, columnist Piers Akerman took out the Media Ernie for his News Limited opinion piece which claimed the popular ABC character “pushed a weird feminist line that would be closer to the hearts of Labor’s ‘Handbag Hit Squad’ than the pre-school audience it is aimed at.”
Meredith Burgmann & Anne Summers present the Gold Ernie
“The Warney” for most offensive behaviour by a sporting club or individual went to the NSW South Coast Winter Swimming Association for excluding women from competing in their championships.
The Warney
Meredith Burgmann says when the Ernies first started, judges were some of the worst offenders. The NSW judicial commission has improved things somewhat, however the Judicial Ernie went to Philip Strickland SC for insinuating at ICAC that former NSW MP Jodi McKay could not properly recall a conversation with his client, former NSW Treasurer Eric Roozendaal, because she was “in an emotional state.”
“The Fred” Ernie named after politician and Christian Minister Fred Nile is a curious award, mixing celebrity with the clerical. Kyle Sandilands and his on-air partner Jackie O received the most “boos” in this category, for questioning Channel 9 sports reporter Erin Molan about her personal life in a segment which saw the presenter quit her appearances on their radio show.
A boo-off for the Industrial Ernie saw Wicked Camper Vans narrowly beat out feminine products company Libra, for a range of slogans including “fat girls are harder to kidnap.”
“The Elaine”, named after Fred’s deceased first wife Elaine Nile, also resulted in a boo-off and a dead heat between six-time nominee columnist Miranda Devine and Liberal Senator Michaelia Cash.
“I’m so f-ing pissed off,” said former journalist Jane Singleton when announcing the winner of the Elaine. “Our table is caught between cheering (for the winners) and crying.”
However the night is not just about calling out misogyny. The “Good” Ernie for those who help the sisterhood saw a raft of nominations including bank bosses Ian Narev and Mike Smith.
Mark Lennon from Unions NSW was awarded the gong, for giving female employees 2% more super than men, to acknowledge the imbalance between gender equality and time many women have out of the workforce.
As for that repeat offender award? It was the 8th time Tony Abbott has been awarded “The Clinton.”
“My only hope is this,” said Anne Summers of the Ernies. “(That while) the number of nominations remain so great, the number of people to denounce them remains greater.”
Judging by last night’s booing, that won’t be a problem.
Here’s the full list of winners:
GOLD ERNIE and Political Silver Ernie
Christopher Pyne: for claiming that increases in uni fees won’t disproportionately affect women because – “women are well represented amongst the teaching and nursing students. They will not be able to earn the high incomes that dentists and lawyers will earn.”
Media Silver Ernie
Piers Akerman: “The ABC has tried to foist its left-wing agenda on the nation. Even the cartoon character Peppa Pig pushes a weird feminist line that would be closer to the hearts of Labor’s Handbag Hit Squad than the pre-school audience it is aimed at.”
Judicial Silver Ernie
Philip Strickland SC: for suggesting that former MP Jodie McKay’s recall of a conversation might not be accurate because she was in “an emotional state”.
Industrial Silver Ernie
Wicked Camper Vans: for slogans on their vans:
“Fat girls are harder to kidnap.”
“In every princess, there’s a little slut who wants to try it just once.”
“Life sucks if your girlfriend doesn’t.”
Sport Silver Ernie (The Warney)
South Coast Winter Swimming Association: in response to women swimmers wanting to join the club moved the following motions:
“That the name of the South Coast Winter Swimming association should be changed to the South Coast Men’s Winter Swimming Association.”
“That member affiliation of the South Coast Winter Swimming Association is limited to males.”
Clerical/Celebrity Ernie (The Fred)
Kyle and Jackie O: For their on-air questioning of Sports Journalist, Erin Molan on how many sportsmen she has had sex with, whether she has had a boob job, and whether she has ever slept with a cricketer.
The Elaine (for the remark least helpful to the sisterhood)
Dead heat between:
Michaelia Cash, Minister assisting the PM on Women
“In terms of feminism, I’ve never been someone who really associates with that movement. That movement was a set of ideologies from many, many decades ago”
Miranda Devine
“After rising to the top of her party through affirmative action, out first female prime minister cynically played the victim card. Her unscrupulous complaints about sexism and misogyny just empowered the worst kind of women to excuse their own failings, and justified every sexist stereotype.”
The Good Ernie
Mark Lennon, Secretary of Unions NSW: for giving female staff 2% more superannuation than men, to acknowledge the structural issues that lead to women having one third of the super savings of men when they retire.
The Clinton (for repeat offenders)
Tony Abbott