Thursday 23 April 2015

Amanda Bailey is a legend, or victim-blaming, protector of the powerful

John Key needs a way to stop this story of creepy harassment, now.  It's become a big deal, with even the usually friendly reporters finding his behaviour unacceptable.  The National Council of Women and the Human Rights Commission agree this is plain sexism.  He's even become the source of a "weirdest moments" story in the Guardian.

But what to do?  There are other photos of him touching women and girl's hair.  Many National Party men, and friends of National Party men, also seem to have problems with sexual harassment.  Is this a big enough deal to seriously undermine John and the National Party?

But phew, rape culture.  It's easy.  You just blame the victim.

It's been working for years.  It will not only discredit this particular woman, but it will make sure any other women are less likely to come forward.  Makes the abusing of the power - in all kinds of ways - so much easier.

But how?  If he tells the media who the young woman is, says she's just trying to make a name for herself, makes her out to be exaggerating or lying, he might look even more like a bully.  Hell, he's already tried pretending it's not a big deal by calling it "horsing around" and no one seems to buy it.

But phew, he's got close friends to do it for him.  Time to give Herald reporter Rachel and David a call, and see what they can do. Luckily, he has their numbers on speed dial.  Rachel's been a good friend over the years, and a few discreet tips about the pesky waitress should sort this out.

David Farrar and Rachel Glucina.
Today, in the nick of time, Rachel Glucina has her story up.  Makes Amanda Bailey sound a little grasping, out to get John Key.  Names her, gives details, shows her picture, says where she works.  Opens it up nicely to the threat of more intrusion in her life if she doesn't go away.

But Ms Bailey doesn't go away.  She comes out swinging, dammit, and tells the world, again, her side of things.  She says Rachel Glucina lied to get the story.  Didn't give her name or her occupation.  That, interestingly, breaks the journalist code of ethics, which might just be sackable.  Is it just me, or does victim blaming get harder, the more we hear from victims?

Make no mistake, this little attempt to make John Key's creepy harassment go away is just as revolting as any kind of victim blaming, with a huge dose of power thrown in.  How many people have their own personal reporter set to do their bidding immediately a negative story about them comes out?

It's going to backfire, because those of us who don't think touching people when they don't want to be touched is a joke are going to keep saying so.  It's going to backfire, because the work of Nicky Hager has exposed the way this entitled, abusive National government operates, playing fast and loose with the media.

It's going to backfire, because Amanda Bailey is a legend. 

6 comments:

Rachel said...

Rachel: The big problem with Amanda is that she's a Bradbury fan... whch kindof tends to make it all look a bit suspicious... http://truebluenz.com/2015/04/23/amanda-bailey-personal-details-on-facebook-page-suggest-her-politics-are-hard-left/#comments

LudditeJourno said...

What's suspicious? JK doesn't dispute the unwanted touching, he even tried to buy her off. Are you saying women who have political views different from JK have to put up with him touching them? That's terrifying.

Anonymous said...

If this is all the Labour Party can dredge up, then they've got problems because, do you know what, the whole story made me feel sorry for John Key and I never thought I'd ever feel that in a million years. This is just going to build up his popularity - watch - this is going to backfire in a big way because it such a load of garbage. There is much more that could be dredged up than this ...

LudditeJourno said...

Hey Anon, please use a handle if you want to comment again as per our comments policy. Odd interpretation and horrible lack of care for someone at work being touched without their consent though. Feeling sorry for JK on this occasion requires an awful empathy fail I think.

Anonymous said...

I am a woman and I was bullied myself. When I was. I wanted solution. I talked to the boss and the hr but I did not go around telling people in the hope of shaming my bully. But this drama... amanda has become the bully. She certainly is. She knows she will have the sympathy of nz. She did not want a solution. If she did, she could have raised it with her boss first. The media should look into her real intentions.

Anonymous said...

And by the way, the bullying I went through was worse than this. He was never in a jovial mood- no he wasnt horsing around and he had really intended to control me and my prospects at work.