The ‘best’ sexist remarks of 2016

UPDATE! The winners of the 25th Annual Ernies Awards have been decided, with around 330 women and men arriving at NSW Parliament House Thursday evening to give their loudest cheers and jeers and award the gongs. 

The Ernies ‘celebrate’ the most sexist remarks of the year. There were 214 nominations in six categories covering media, political, judicial, industries, sport, clerical/celebrity, and a number of women nominated for ‘The Elaine’ (that’s the award for being the most anti sisterhood). 

The hot tips included: 

NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay is certainly a hot tip, for his comment to fellow MP Eleni Petinos that “Building a road is not like buying a handbag, Eleni.”

Tony Windsor, who claimed that Peta Credlin “made a very, very good cup of tea”.

And Mark Latham who again made the shortlist – multiple times — notably for his comment on US politics. “If Hillary is so fantastic, a woman deserving of loyalty and admiration, why has Bill Clinton been such a disloyal philanderer, consistently dishonouring their partnership?”

John Howard received a late nomination, for his recent comments about the Australian Liberal Party. “I’m not sure you will ever have a 50/50 thing because it’s a fact of society that…women play a significantly greater part of filling the caring role in our communities, which inevitably will place some limits on their capacity.”

And remember cricketer Chris Gayle’s ‘Blush Baby’ comments from earlier this year? He was a hot favourite in the sports category.

The women up for the ‘Elaine’ include columnist Miranda Devine, Pauline Hanson, Jacqui Lambie, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Julie Bishop, Michaelia Cash and Jerry Hall. The latter makes the list, according to the Ernies, for saying ‘I do’.     

Ernies founder Dr Meredith Burgmann said that after 24 years, she’s still surprised at just how many terrible quotes come up for awards every year. “I am overwhelmed with shocking nominations,” she said. “Not much has changed”.

So who took home the gongs? 

The Gold Ernie 

Barrister Ben Mallick (who also took out the Judicial Silver Ernie). For defending a taxi driver charged with sexual assault with, “the attack would not have happened if the woman had sat in the back seat”. 

NSW Department of Education (who also took out the Industrial Silver Ernie). For proposing that experienced School teachers who take 5 years off to have children be downgraded to beginner teacher salary when they return to work. 

Celebrity Silver Ernie

Rolf Harris. For writing a song in gaol called Gutter Girls, “Sleeping in the daytime, lying every night. She’s scheming, screaming bloody rape and she’s got you in her sight.”

Political Silver Ernie 

Mark Latham. “By attacking poverty rather than attacking men you’ll get a far better solution than the nonsense we’re hearing from Rosie Batty and the other left feminists”.

“WARNEY” For Sport 

Eddie McGuire. When discussing paying to have sports journalist Caroline Wilson ducked in cold water “I’ll put in ten grand straight away – make it twenty – and if she stays under the water, fifty.”

Media Silver Ernie 

Andrew Bolt. Remarking on the Constitutional Recognition documentary with Linda Burney, “it was tricky because she is gorgeous and she’s a woman and it’s very difficult for a white male to debate an Aboriginal woman and not be seen as a bully or mean.”

The Elaine Award (for remark least helpful to the sisterhood)

Pauline Hanson. In her inaugural speech, referring to the family court system “women make frivolous claims and believe they have the sole right to the children… until we treat mums and dads with the same courtesy and rights, we will continue to see murders due to sheer frustration and depression and mental illness caused by this unworkable system.”

The Good Ernie  (dead heat)

Bernard Keane. Commenting on Pauling Hanson’s Inaugural Speech, “I can’t recall a more sickening, more evil statement from a politician than this attempt to explain away the murder of women by ex-partners as frustration due to frivolous claims by women.

Byron Shire Council. For banning sexist graffitied Wicked Campers from the Council caravan parks.

The “Clinton” for Repeat Offender 

Mark Latham.

So what were the other nominations? 

Mike Baird for “…the thought of Bill Shorten becoming prime minister – I would rather spend more time with my mother-in-law”

NSW Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier, Ray Williams MP “…if we were to give the women in parliament any more bathrooms, then we’re never going to get anything done…we’ll never get anyone into Question Time”

Eddie McGuire when discussing paying to have sports journalist Caroline Wilson ducked in cold water “I’ll put in ten grand straight away – make it twenty…and if she stays under the water, fifty”

Shock jock Steve Price for telling fellow Q&A panelist Van Badham while discussing the Eddie McGuire incident “You are being hysterical”

Malcolm Turnbull for organizing lunch in the men’s only Athenaeum Club in Melbourne.

V8 Supercar racer Dave Reynolds, when asked about the all-female driving team at he Bathurst 1000 said “…you mean the pussy wagon”

Mark “Jacko” Jackson “I respect women but I don’t think they should be inseminated at the top level of Australian Rules football”

Channel 9 AFL Footy Show reporter Billy Brownless “We all know our rights and wrongs. You don’t touch a man’s wallet, you don’t touch his wife”

Senator David Leyonhelm for saying that “women’s sport wouldn’t need other people’s money if it were more interesting”

Bronco James Roberts on leaving his wife, while in labour to play against the Rabbitohs. “She was begging me to stay and not go but I just wanted to come up and do a job for the boys”. This beauty was nominated by Peter Fitzsimons in a stunning act of rugger bugger betrayal.

And a wonderful old favourite John Howard returns with a comment on the gender make-up of Australian Parliaments. “I’m not sure you will ever have a 50/50 thing because it’s a fact of society that…women play a significantly greater part of filling the caring role in our communities, which inevitably will place some limits on their capacity”

Sydney Councillor Edward Mandla’s comments that fellow Councillor Angela Vithoulkas was conducting networking events in an attempt to “find a husband”.

Alan Jones for continually referring to Australian Chef de Mission, Kitty Chiller as “Kitty Litter”

The Dalai Llama, who said that if a woman was to succeed him she must be “very attractive otherwise she’s not much use”

As for the ‘Good Ernie’, this year’s standouts include:

ABC cricket commentator Jim Maxwell’s comments about the Chris Gayle “blush baby” comments. “He is very lucky to have been brushed with a feather, he should have been banned”

Christopher Pyne for supporting the right of women to breastfeed in the House of Reps

The AFL chief Gillon McLachlan for breaking a 52 year tradition and withdrawing from a Grand Final week lunch at the Carbine Club because the club refused to meet an AFL imposed deadline to introduce women members.

And former ‘Warney’ recipient Warwick Capper, who objected to the predatory 360 degree views of WAG’s gowns at the Brownlow and Dally M awards. “The women feel like a piece of meat. I feel sorry for them to go through that”.