THE WORM TURNS

A strange thing has happened in the past twenty four hours. It concerns Schapelle Corby and it has reminded me of the David Hookes case.

Back then, when I broke the news that there was a media cover-up – including people at radio station 3AW – and announced that, despite appearances, Hookes and his wife were separated at the time of his tragic death.

The initial reaction to me was savage. Several executives at 3AW insisted that I be fired but, thankfully, senior management supported me. I stayed on air and eventually was vindicated with his girlfriend – or one of them -- going on television this week to detail their liaison.

The attacks from the public and other media people mellowed and supporters of my decision to tell the truth started to come to the fore.

The Corby case seems similar. As I mentioned on 3AW yesterday I received thousands of e-mails calling me a sexist and a racist and a Nazi and telling me to “stick my head up a dead man’s bum”.

Overnight things have changed. E-mails of support have started coming in even though, supposedly, only 8 per cent of Australians think that Corby is guilty. I should clarify that. Because nobody else has. Ninety-eight per cent of people who watched the Nine Network programme think she is not guilty. (Millions of Australians did not watch it or tuned in, thought it was a beat-up, thought it was rubbish and turned off. I mean, Liz Hayes looked like she did not want to be there. Even veteran Mike Munro seemed like an uncomfortable tap dancer talking to body language experts etc.

Seeing that I quoted heaps of abusive e-mails on the programme yesterday and posted many of them on hinch.net I am entitled to pass on some from people who don’t believe the emotional hype.

And I stand by my claim that Schapelle Corby is only getting this attention because she is young, white, pretty and has big boobs.

As I said yesterday we haven’t seen too many prime time TV programmes about a Vietnamese-Australian scrawny male on Death Row in Singapore.

Some of the doubting e-mails about Schapelle Corby go like this:

From Jeanette:

I have been a fan of yours for a very long time. I was listening to you on the Schapelle Corby show and I agree with every word you said. Don't let the other e-mails get to you as you are entitled to have your say on what you think. Keep up the good work.

From Chris Howden:

All you said about Corby could have been a recording of what we have been saying for months. It's about time we had a few people who called a spade a spade. Good on you. Oh and by the way if you are going to do any more dancing, don't give up your day job.

And a final one… although, encouragingly there have been hundreds:

WOW. All this controversy. It seems like people think YOU are keeping
her in an Indonesian prison. Doesn't make much sense. While I do
think/hope Shapelle is innocent your comments are 100% correct. It IS
the only reason we are hearing about it and the simple truth to back up
your statements is that others in similar situations get no media time.

It seems so logical.

And the Seven Network has announced they will be running the verdict and sentence (if any) on Schapelle Corby live next week without commercial breaks. When did an alleged drug runner, in this country or abroad, get such treatment.

I rest my case. Young, pretty, white, big eyes, big boobs. Good for newspapers. Good for telly.

Friday, May 20, 2005

©Copyright Derryn Hinch 2005