The humiliations of modern journalism
Back when I worked on papers, I asked my journos to do some pretty embarrassing things.
I once made a junior reporter spend a day in a cage with the local zoo’s new lemur.
I once made somebody spend April Fool’s Day standing in a shop window pretending to be a dummy.
I once made somebody stride through a rough south London high street in a kilt to mark the release of Braveheart.
But I never made anybody do this:
Still, I’m sure the public love the work of the Sunday Telegraph’s Jonathan Moran and Elle Halliwell and their not-at-all despearate attempt to get the attention of the visiting Ellen DeGeneres.
Here’s what the somewhat harsh punters say on YouTube:
Click to enlarge (and possibly be a little shocked)
I’m forced to conclude that new editor Mick Carroll must be a thoroughly terrifying man who it is impossible to say the word no to.
Even if he is a little deluded:
No, Mick. Kids everywhere are not doing the Down Under Dance.
Tim Burrowes
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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well…humiliating is certainly the right word. And not just for the journos and outlets involved. for us all. -_-
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It’s like Rolf Harris and Aerobics OzStyle gave birth to a drag queen. Horrific.
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Finally my dancing style’s in vogue.
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I couldn’t get past 30 seconds. I feel like I may throw up.
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I’ve been doing that at weddings for years…!!!! (And by that I mean totally humiliating myself.)
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At 2min54 – “we just want joey to come out and play” – is that a euphimism?
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Worst video since this god awful shitstorm. Oddly it also features a kangaroo. Perhaps there’s a lesson to be learned…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogzjfJtg3TA
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Well if there was ever an argument for bringing back semi-automatics, there it is.
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Now this is Journalism! Good on ya Tele! We dont need no facts or news.
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1 like, 83 dislikes, sounds about right.
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Don’t drag North Bondi into this.
Gangam’s virility was in its simplicity – so this is a definite winner, oh…
And WHY does it send with a couple of bars of Auld Lang Syne?
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Arrrrrrrrrrrrr! I’m blushing, cringing and trying not to throw up my lunch watching this. Poor Ellen…
What is this desperate need to “welcome” a US talk show host in this embarrassing manner?
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And these are supposed to be journalists? Now that so many talented, seasoned writers have been made redundant is this what we’re going to be left with?
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Wow, everybody is so cynical and bitter in Australia. Why would Ellen, an openly gay woman, want to come to a country where a fun little tongue and cheek dance is greeted by a torrent of homophobic abuse that is celebrated and republished by a supposedly intelligent website like Mumbrella?
I know who the embarrassments to Australia are here, and it’s not the Daily Telegraph.
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THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! THE HORROR! Good grief!!!!!!!
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Hmmm. Constructing ‘fizz’. A bit like the kid that gives himself his own nickname.
Also, is it okay to be heterosexual these days? Just checking…
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uhhh.. they are entertainment writers. They had no credibility to begin with.
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Surely the Tele does not need to give its staff more reasons to avoid doing any journalism. I mean, if these guys are there dancing like Priscilla Queen of the Kangaroos, who’s trawling for press releases to reprint as news?
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OH. My God. This made it past a brain storm??? Too hilarious- like an episode of Lowdown.
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If news organisations want to survive, there really needs to be a line drawn once and for all between journalism and other parts of the media pie like marketing, advertising and entertainment. The hybridisation of (especially) news and entertainment isn’t working, and it’s not growing audiences – but it is resulting in a loss of credibility. No wonder audiences aren’t taking journalism seriously anymore, and no wonder many people think anyone can be a journalist. I’m all for softer news, but come on.
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Tim, did you work at The Sun or The Mirror ?
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I’m very confused. Why!!!!
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What were they thinking? Awful idea. Is bad publicity better than no publicity?
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Blew the budget on that one. I was planning to return to Oz soon. Methinks I’ll stay in ‘Merica.
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Down Under Dance.
D.U.D.
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Hi Joe,
No – various regional and local papers. Most of my tabloid behaviour was on the Crawley News.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
I’ll take the lemur thanks.
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@ Christ. If a news station we’re to show images of a crime scene, does it mean they’re celebrating the crime? or encouraging the behaviour of the individual responsible? Mumbrella put a screen grab of the comments from YouTube and warned those clicking the image to read such comments that they may be a little shocked… I’d hardly call that “celebrating” the fact and I’m sure they don’t condone some of the sentiments Youtube’s users have shared.
The most concerning element of your comment however, was the fact you described the monstrosity we’ve all just witnessed as a “a fun little tongue and cheek dance”! I’d say its more of an insult to Ellen that Tele thought she’d even consider doing the “dance” when no self-respecting person in Australia would!
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That’s not J-Mo. It’s Kim-Bo. In disguise. Just showing how different he is from Harto and Col.
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Hi no but seriously, For the record, I added the “click to enlarge” message/ warning later.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
From the ‘what was the insight that could have been the driver of this news-jacking attempt by the Daily Tele?’ part of my brain, it’s that Ellen does dance. Her shows feature dance segments with the audience, and I suspect they wanted to appeal to something she actually does.
From the ‘what the f*ck’ part of my brain, I watched the first 35 seconds. And suspect it won’t even get to her assistant let alone, Ellen. The tweet “kids everywhere doing the downunder dance” is akin to the “everyone wants to stop the trolls”. Which they claimed victory for, 2 days ago. Not sure of the validity of either?
Anyway, nice news-jacking attempt. By a news outlet.
Oh. btw DT, our roads are crumbling, kids can’t get access to mental health professionals and there are 141 fires burning around the State.
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@no but seriously.
Should YouTube (Google) have a responsibility to keep their comments threads clean? Lets face it, if a print magazine, or a tv programme was aired where every other comment was full of swear words, siting prejudices (racism, homophobia, sexism etc) surely they are allowing this content to be published on their network and therefore should be responsible for keeping it socially acceptable for the public?
How does it work? Can a magazine publisher publish a magazine in Australia that is homophobic, or would it be banned?
(Sorry a little off topic and not relating entirely to this video…..)
As for the video – how awful.
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Good point Karalee, I never even made the connection with Ellen dancing and, well, whatever the other three were doing. And poor old Elle, reinforcing that commercial radio stereotype of the gurning blonde sidekick with nothing to do except be impressed by how ‘funny’ the blokes are…
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Karalee, I think that the fires et al were in the paper that day as well…story backfired, so what…I’m sure even Tim B had some misfires in his day…
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And this is what newspaper journalism has come to in the 21st century. Roll on the demise of newspapers.
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This made me cringe so much it hurt. What were they thinking…
kudos @karalee’s comments, spot on lady!!
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This looks like a complete waste of time. I must spend the next five minutes watching it intently so i can log my opinion about this very important media event on a website.
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Speaking of uppercut, can someone give me one for watching this?
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I AM IN PAIN
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Help, give me the great Ganghan style with Psy quickly, so i can forget this Aussie disaster
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Can’t be worse journalism than running a fake ANZ press release without one checking phonecall.
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It’s disappointing to see the hateful and homophobic YouTube comments given an airing here, under the tongue-in-cheek line “somewhat harsh,” after you have railed against the misogyny on the Zoo facebook page.
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