3AW host Neil Mitchell hits out at Fairfax’s Michael Leunig Anzac Day cartoon
3AW radio host Neil Mitchell has criticised an Anzac Day cartoon, created by cartoonist and cultural commentator Michael Leunig, which appeared in The Age today, and suggested the “spectacular” misjudgement is why the paper “continues to struggle for relevance and audience”.
The image depicts war medals – which would usually be distributed to veterans for service, gallantry and bravery – which are instead decorated with words including ‘Guilt’, ‘Anger’, ‘Grief’ and ‘Homicide’.
Nothing is totally good or totally bad.
Michael Leunig as usual takes a leftist view of everything.
That’s ok he has that freedom that others provided him by their service.
Sadly he doesn’t appreciate that service.#LestWeForget pic.twitter.com/bXOjHi4Fmo— Andrew Young (@AndrewYoung_au) April 24, 2018
What do you expect from someone who was called up for Vietnam and cried “conscientious objector”
What a miserable [edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy]
I served and I simply can’t understand the need to attack and lash out against Anzac day in this childish way, year after year. Especially from people and institutions some would consider as respectably. Can’t members of the media get on with the job of reporting on news in an “unbiased” manner, that is your job allegedly. I fully support your rights to express your opinions, and your right to free speech. But stop pretending your anything other than an activist
All Australians should stop all advertising with Fairfaxs and place a band on Michael leunig for slanderous cartoon for degrading the dead and brave who made our country great
Having known Michael since his earliest days as a published cartoonist all I can say is that he is an extremely sensitive and decent man. Like me he has his reservations about Anzac Day which is one of those celebrations so peculiar to the Australian psyche. His Anzac medals cartoon is an expression of his feelings. It was his right to bring these forward … as it is the right of every Australian to hold a range of other views. It shows Mitchell’s myopia and quest for ratings and that is egregious. Did he invite Michael to explain on-air the thoughts behind his cartoon? If not why not?
Wrong. No-one denies Michael Leunig his right to his opinion, but, like everything – there’s a time and place for everything and this time Michael Leunig chose the wrong time and place.
OZwords – don’t care if you know him or not, he’s proven himself a Grade A flog so many times over now.
He’s un-Australian, and indicative of the kind of person driving this once-great country down.
What’s the problem? As the guys says “Okay, war’s not nice, and many of those emotions do spring from armed conflict.” So why kick up a fuss. Nobody speaks for ‘the people’. We all speak for ourselves
While I disagree with Michael’s sense of humour in this case, I defend his right to express his feelings. We are still a democracy aren’t we ?
No-one disputes Michael’s right to his opinion – but, simple good manners alone, would suggest that the day we remember those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice is not the best day to express it.
Like it or hate our industry holds freedom of speech at its core. Surprised to see so many on this particular thread ready to burn books. I don’t agree with “There’s a time and a place” sentiments. The perfect time for this cartoon was on ANZAC Day… like it or hate it. I ask Dear OzWords, when is Leunig “allowed” to share this message?
Michael Leunig has brilliantly recognised the motivations, experience and result of war. Every observation true. He is not attacking Anzac Day remembrance. Neil Mitchell has chosen to avoid the point presumably to arouse and maintain his audience. He may well have preferred the obverse inscriptions of ‘Glory’, ‘Brave’, ‘Adventure’, ‘Mates’, ‘No Probs’, ‘Legacy’, ‘Honor’, ‘Medals’, ‘Remembered’…
I have covered most major wars for over 20 years. Many of the emotions that Leunig has on the medals I have in my heart.
I am finding it harder and harder each year to attend Anzac Day Memorials. People like those that Catherine Deveny refers to seem to dominate the day with phony nationalism and I spy righteousness, many have no experience of what war can do to one’s soul. Grief and social displacement are hijacked by popular jingoism.
It is this jingoism that powers the hypocrisy of the killing machine, war. Anzac Day should remind us of the gut churning cost.
What people should be uncomfortable with is the reduction of Anzac Day, it being turned into another mindless celebration. On ABC News for the Sydney Anzac Day march there was a correspondent in a red dress who was covering the event like she was at a children’s birthday party. That woman typified the reason I cannot go any more. I cried inside.
Absolutely Agree.
Our grandfathers and great uncles who died or survived are all gone now. Many were young men who went off to war thinking it a great adventure and lark. They came home saddened and different, some so injured that they hardly or never spoke of their experience.
The day has been hijacked in their absence and turned into a charade.
Agree 100%. It’s just another party day at the pub, the footy or mall.
Thank you. Well said.
Soldiers receive medals for bravery.
Soldiers don’t receive medals for post traumatic stress disorder.
Former military personnel get hardly any support with PTSD and the mental trauma caused by war. That’s what this cartoon represents for me. That we need to focus on repairing the damage suffered by survivors, as well as commemorating the duty and bravery of the men and women, soldiers and civilians, who died.
I agree this is wrong but so to is the fact that yesterday almost every shop and supermarket near me in Sydney was open. Sure they were close usually until 1:00pm but do we really need to have shopping centers open on such a sober day. I also live in an area with a dozen pubs and they were busier that New Years Eve, little respect I suggest from the wider community and this needs to change. Leunig’s work was very visible, but so was the wider off-handed attitude of the wider community. We need to do better. Much better.
Isn’t Neil Mitchell being politically correct?
War is horrendous. There is a strength in remembering the sacrifices (on both sides) of war. There is also a perverseness in celebrating war – which is what Australia has sadly become.
I attended my local service, but my reflection is purely personal.
And in his own odd way, Leunig is demonstrating what the first of the four black granite pillars at Isurava is inscribed with – Courage. The courage to present the obverse side of the coin of nationalism knowing that you will be attacked.
Having worked with michael I can say honestly that his best work was whimsical. His occasional attempts at political or social commentary are tragic. He also hates criticism.
I’d also make the point that the members of my family who served in awful situations of the world wars would not be offended by his “observation”. The people who knew war despised it for the reasons Leunig hints at. But they might think him a wanker.