Image: Pauline Hanson from the Anna Broinowski documentary, broadcast on SBS. She wants the ABC privatised.
On 30 May, we published an article about the latest Senate Estimates hearing, which was pretty sad and pretty childish.
Read more: Senate Estimates May 2017 – becoming a public embarrassment
The title picture was a production still for The Auntie Jack Show, which ran on the ABC in 1972 and 73, featuring Grahame Bond as the boxing panto dame, with Rory O’Donoghue, Sandra McGregor, John Derum and Garry McDonald in supporting roles. It was directed by Maurice Murphy and written by Bond, O’Donoghue and Murphy. Peter Weir worked with them at the genesis of their relationship.
In an attack of the grumps, I figured that ‘Senate Estimates is looking more and more like The Auntie Jack Show. Sam Dastyari top left, Malcolm Roberts underneath him, Scott Ludlum innocent in the middle, and Pauline Hanson as she sees herself on the right.
Dominic Case, a ScreenHub friend for over ten years, and a retired laboratory expert turned post production communicator who is now an environmental activist, was inspired by this.
‘Your piece today on the Senate Budget Estimates set me a challenge I couldn’t resist.’ he wrote, ‘So I sank an hour or so into a time pit which I will never recover – but I am quite pleased with the result. Thought you might enjoy it – so here is my realisation of your Aunty Jack metaphor.’
There they are, Sam Dastyari top left, Hansonite Malcolm Roberts bottom left, Green’s Scott Ludlum in the middle and Pauline glowering on the right.
Like most fifty year old Australian television humour, Auntie Jack has not really stood the test of time. We needed The Big Gig and a new generation of comedians to discover the value of cutting and discipline and precise eyelines. But the character had wonderful energy and the whole thing reflected that moment when Australia came home from Vietnam and discovered higher education and the power of local culture.
But I always believe that idealism never dies. Farewell, Auntie Jack, we know you’ll be back… we really need you to rip some bloody arms off.
