If you’ve noticed Australia turning into a leftist hellhole where people feel entitled to being able to marry the people they love regardless of their sexual orientation and public opinion and policy isn’t controlled by straight, white men, you might be Chris Mitchell.
The former editor of The Australian recently took to the opinion pages of the homegrown news outlet to bemoan what he feels is a society that’s on the cusp of being too egalitarian for its own good. And who’s to blame for all of this progress? Why, triple j.
“I blame the ABC. In my view, the ABC has been slowly taken over from the inside, culturally at least, by Triple J,” Mitchell writes. “The anti-establishment ethos of the ABC’s home of alternative music eventually infiltrated television and radio.”
“It is fascinating to see how well the Triple J crowd has done. From European correspondent Steve Cannane, to radio broadcaster Angela Catterns, science commentator Dr Karl, comedian Wil Anderson, radio duo Roy and HG, radio announcer Robbie Buck and many more.”
“There are prominent exceptions such as Leigh Sales and Chris Uhlmann but even Q&A and occasional Lateline presenter Tony Jones, admittedly not a graduate of Triple J, affects a Triple J kind of radical chic.” Yep, he really said that.
Mitchell’s argument basically boils down to the ABC being taken over by the leftist ideals of triple j (which was more of a music station than anything else last time we checked), which have subsequently infiltrated the nation’s public discourse.
“Many of the kids from Triple J grew into real talents on ABC TV and radio. Even when they annoy us we often enjoy their shows, and their values affect and increasingly reflect those of their audiences,” he writes.
“This is not a conspiracy but a worldwide phenomenon as the generation of the 60s and 70s assumes cultural hegemony. The example is replicated across new media outside the public broadcaster.” Mitchell cites The Drum, Fairfax, and The Guardian as examples of such “new media”.
He finishes his op-ed, which you can read in full via The Australian here, with a lengthy meditation on the cover of The Who’s Who’s Next, just to really cement the fact that this is yet another example of querulous Baby Boomer kvetching about today’s youth.
