Columnist slammed for saying footballer and model should not marry because he is mentally ill, and she will lose her commercial value
Daily Telegraph columnist Annette Sharp has been labelled as shallow and irresponsible over an article arguing that model Jesinta Campbell and mentally ill AFL player Buddy Franklin should put their wedding on hold.
Sharp’s column, published on Saturday, listed 13 reason why the couple should postpone their marriage. The reasons included the Sydney Swans player’s mental health problems and a claim that Campbell’s allure to men will be halved when she is no longer single.
In the column, Sharp called for “loved ones to stage what might be an important wedding day intervention”.
As well as claiming that a wedding might be too stressful for someone suffering from mental illness, Sharp claimed that another reason for the pair not to marry was because “mental illness can be hereditary” and Campbell would be “absorbing” this.
Sharp also wrote:
“Because Jesinta’s appeal and allure will halve when she marries, as half the consumer market – men – will rapidly lose interest in their dream girl who is no longer single.”
It emerged in recent weeks that Franklin suffers a mild form of epilepsy and is also dealing with mental health issues. Campbell, a former Miss Universe, has developed a TV career over the last two years including as a contestant on Nine’s Celebrity Apprentice.
Campbell responded to Sharp’s piece on social media, saying: ‘Today’s article was shallow and given the seriousness of Mental health challenges, in my opinion, irresponsible!”
Sharp’s comments have seen growing criticism across the web and on The Daily Telegraph’s own Facebook page.
Sharp responded via Twitter, saying critics were “leaping on the outrage bus” and that she was talking “plain good sense”.
Wow … just pathetic Annette Sharp … pathetic.
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Not her first infringement. Why does News Corp keep her employed?
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Hi Annette Sharp.
If your comments are ignorant, harmful, sad, and pathetic then people have a right to be outraged. People aren’t jumping on an outrage bus. Your comments have sincerely hurt the hearts and minds of many in the community. Why do people in positions of influence (such as yours) use their powers to create sadness and harm?
Adam
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Astoundingly inappropriate article by Sharp. The ‘mental illness can be hereditary’ line was staggeringly heartless. How many people saw this before it was published?
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As opposed to Miranda Devine’s out of touch shit about poor people and DV? This paper is appalling.
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A deluded Annette Sharp may think the rest of the world is jumping on the outrage bus but she’s managed to thrown herself under it as far as any thinking person is concerned. The sad thing is that her bosses at the Terrorgraph probably think this is somehow a superior piece of writing because it gained such a reaction but it’s simply another cynical case of toxic blabber – the ruder and louder the better – winning out over any hint of substance. Welcome to the new media where getting a reaction, any sort of reaction, rules..
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Dad said something about “burning the place down”.
Something to do with newspapers no longer being profitable. Which has created a vicous outrage circle where everyone is supposed to turn the crazy all the way up to 11.
Then keep it there until they run out of money.
But what would I know? I only hear muffled conversation therough the bedroom wall. Mum and Dad are fighting about some bloke called “termite” or “Turncoat”. Not sure what they mean by that.
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[Edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy], but surely the whole point was to stir up controversy so people would read/click on the article. Mission accomplished. Those opinion writers and shock jocks just dream up the most controversial thing then tell their advertisers – wow, look how many people are reading this…look at the influence. Sounds obvious but people seem shocked by her behaviour. It’s just one of many like that…
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Mmmm. It seems a little harsh, then again it seems like so many things. The more I think it over, and the more I look for logic, the more I see the possibility of a brilliant PR exercise. Certainly, if someone had something they wished to rant about, it would fair better for having something highly controversial to push back against. But surely not.
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Hmmmm
Quality click bait ………..er sorry………….click bait in its purest form.
Is this the beginning of the end of the Murdoch tabloid era or will they just go and reinvent a new form of cynical manipulation of the not so well read.
Im thinking the latter.
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Remember ….this is the newspaper that gave us Tony Abbott …………The PM
Just saying.
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As someone with first hand experience of mental health issues, I am offended by this article . It shows the writers ignorance and fuels negative connotations about these issues, connotations that organisations like beyond blue do incredible work to reduce in society. Annette sharp and her publisher are [Edited by Mumbrella] . Well said Jess
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Not the first time this ‘columnist’ has trolled via her column. By a long shot. So it is OK for Daily Telegraph writers to bully and slag people off via their columns while at the same time we condemn online trolls for doing the same thing. These people are paid for their words and have a much wider audience than the anonymous trolls. They are also trained journalists, or at least we assume they are. (Is she?) Rupert should think long and hard about this one. I think she is nothing more than your bog-standard keyboard warrior much like the worst of them who sit at home in the dark with their bitter and twisted views and wanting to bring others down to their own sad level.
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You have absolutely no skill or qualifications to comment on such issues.
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The fine line is being crossed regularly and is now at tipping point for the Advertising industry. This type of writing is starting to cause problems with brand alignment.
Who wants to be associated with this daily minefield of deliberate offensive commenting at the lower end of the scale? This cheap ride to the bottom is fast approaching for journalism, and pushing out the good writers. Just when you thought it couldn’t go lower… Sharp cuts the final thread.
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Wow . Annette sharpe should hang her head in shame. Speaks volumes about the type of person she is. Bereft of a moral compass. Pity people like her feel . compelled to voice their stupid ignorant opiions
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This is bread and butter for news corp. it is an entertainment business that serves up outrage to provide emotional experiences. None of the Murdoch press outlets are news services. Very sad considering the once proud traditions if the Australian which has been superseded by The Age and SMH
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Its interesting that this is exactly the type of behavior we as a nation is trying desperately to move away from.
The recent change of leadership in Canberra was a move away from hysterical fear driven government that used emotional subterfuge to drive political response to a more positive detailed well though out leadership style that wants to look at each issue on the facts and its merits before having a conversation with the constituents.
I wonder which style News Limited is in favor of and what that says about that media outlet?
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