Tabloid tomfoolery
It seems to happen in every election. The star of one of the campaign advertisements ends up having a wonderfully colourful private life which inevitably makes its way onto the front pages of the tabloids.
You know the sort of thing. The elderly actress who plays the lead role in a Conservative party political broadcast rubbishing the Labour Party鈥檚 national security credentials who then turns out to have been a Greenham Common peace activist who spent her formative political years clambering on top of cast-iron lions in Trafalgar Square and daubing them with anti-war slogans. Or the bloke dispatched from the casting agency who more than adequately meets the description 鈥渃antankerous old codger鈥 for a Labour Party broadcast on the perilous state of the National Health Service who then gets outed as the front man of a 鈥淔ull Monty鈥 strip troupe.
Readers, I am sorry to report that we have reached that moment in this Australian federal election.
Labor鈥檚 favourite political ad features a blue-collar mechanic, one of John Howard鈥檚 famous battlers who is now turning against him. It makes a strong political point: that the prime minister is struggling to retain the support and affection of the aspirational working class voters whose desertion from the Labor Party helped win him four terms in office.
"Last time I voted for you, I believed you when you said interest rates wouldn't go up," he says with an accusatory tone, with a good old Aussie 鈥渦te鈥 (pick-up truck) placed strategically in the background.
鈥楴ow you're retiring anyway so, what's the point? Sorry mate, not this time."
The actor in question is the fabulously-named (was he conceived after a visit to a riverside pub in Nottingham or something?).
Now it turns out that Trent Bowater is - brace yourself for this and make sure the kids are out of earshot - a Robbie Williams impersonator.
We have the to thank for this election-eve bombshell, a marvellous piece of tabloid tomfoolery.
鈥淏USTED: Labor鈥檚 blue collar 鈥榯radie鈥 is a full-time Robbie Williams impersonator,鈥 screams the front page headline. Underneath is a wonderful, side-on photograph of Trent doing his Robbie.
We learn from the Telegraph that Bowater has tripped the light fantastic at a string of glitzy venues, from the Campbelltown Catholic Club to the Rooty Hill RSL (Returned and Services League). He also apparently appeared as 鈥淗eckler 1鈥 in an episode of a show called 鈥淲ildside鈥.
Let鈥檚 hope that Mr Bowater鈥檚 very own wild side does not preclude him from further participation in this campaign - that the Labor Party will, in the words of his superstar alter ego, 鈥渓et him entertain us鈥 at the curtain comes down on this campaign.
I'm 
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What does it say about the state of Australia's journalism that this makes the front page of a magazine - whoops! I mean newspaper??
An actor/entertainer was hired as an actor!!! Shock horror!
What'll it be tomorrow? A taxpayer pays taxes!! No way! We'll have to vote for the other guy!
Totally agree Sarah. This is the 'Telegraph' after all, and we all know that this particular newspaper takes its cue from those famed British tabloids rather than with trying to convey responsible hard-news journalism.
Having said that, so what if this guy is an actor? Howard's workchoices ads purposely misguided people by having criminals portray Union officials and with THAT AD where the employer who ripped off his workers got to have the privilege of portraying himself as a 'concerned dad'.
Fact is, all ads NEED actors. Although, Labor should still pull those ads with Trent because it wouldn't have the same impact now.
It's a Murdoch paper. Suprised? Nope.
Fascinating stuff Nick. The tabloids never cease to amaze, the publicity inadvertently generated could practically bankroll Labor's campaign. Anyway, roll on the landslide. Australia is about to turn Labor with many a Coalition seat lost (some for the first time), certainly if Antony Green's House of Reps Calculator* is anything to go by. Could be timely to turn our attention to the Senate. Interesting times, eh?
*P.S. thanks for the link to the also excellent ABC website and Antony's page
In this day and age of vertiginous technological advance Politicians have never seemed to be so superfluous. Since Australia has a compulsory electoral system some effort must be made to at least make the proceedings as attractive as possible. To not attempt this would add insult to injury since few of the electors truly enjoy the onerous burden of political choice.By the very nature of the office they aspire to all Politicians are obliged to exude Seriousness and Responsibility therefore it is left up to the present day court jesters to add a modicum of jollity and fun to an otherwise grey and dreary event. This, of course, is not the intention of the various campaign managers at all.Even they ,however, are prone to human error after all. The ensuing result should be liberally enjoyed by all who partake of this free show because, unfortunately, once in power,all Politicians have a marked tendency to see any form of innocent fun as subversion and act accordingly.Perhaps this was the reasoning behind a spray painted slogan that I saw the other day -"Bring back fun".
Roll on November the twenty sixth. Pip ! Pip !
To quote a sticker I saw in the Newsagent's window:
"Is that true or did you read it in The Daily Telegraph?"
Glad JWH got his superannuation changes made last term...he is going to need them come Nov 25!