I’ve noticed a lot more email coming through recently. Some of it is to do with the Craft Fair, and that’s OK, but some of it’s not as welcome. Somehow, a relative of my uncle Archie has targeted me through my Facebook page and is bombarding me with invitations to join his ‘ANZ Bank pffft’ campaign or ‘I Love Drummore’ page. There’s no room in my life for those things and I don’t even know where or what Drummore is.
The other regular is Tony who is the contact for the Illawarra Poets. When I wrote my first poem, Geoff suggested I link up with his Poetry group and try out their weekly topics. I didn’t realise that Tony is a serial emailer and, when I gave him my email address, I opened the door to getting 2 or 3 emails a day from him with his thoughts (often in rhyme!) on the federal government, cures for cancer, speed cameras, same-sex marriages, etc. I’m sorry, there’s no room in my life for Tony either.
I enjoyed the program on ABC last night about Ernie Dingo. He’s always made me smile and I enjoy his zest for life. The show last night talked about his life and showed excerpts from early films and TV appearances. His first interview with Ray Martin was an eye-opener. Ernie was full of enthusiasm, and Ray was responding to that. For some reason, Ray handed Ernie a $20 note (or maybe Ernie already had it in his pocket and was flashing it around). Ernie said, ‘That’ll buy me some lunch.’ Ray interjected, ‘You won’t buy a flagon with it?’ Whoah!
If Ray Martin or somebody like him had said that today, there would have been an outcry. Ray would have lost his job and the papers would have been full of righteous indignation. But the interview was in the 80s and, apparently, racist comments like that just slipped through the net. Ray Martin is still held up as the gentleman interviewer but, even in such a controlled individual, racism wasn’t far beneath the surface.
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