Right: Few politicians escape satire of some kind. Here, current Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is depicted with Finance Minister Joe Hockey and Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop. Bill Leak's cartoon was created some time ago, when the PM's popularity was a little higher.
 Found a word you're not familiar with? Double-click that word to bring up a dictionary reference to it. The dictionary page includes an audio sound file with which to actually hear the word said. |
Further implications
The series, 'At Home with Julia' has now run for its full four episodes and it seems unlikely there will be a sequel. Its currency will be decided by the speed and regularity with which the ABC shows it as a re-run. However, the broader questions it raises are more important than its enduring popularity, whatever that might turn out to be.
This is the first time the supposed private life of a political figure has been treated in an Australian situation comedy. It is a significant departure from series such as the British 'Yes, Minister' because the politician treated in 'At Home with Julia' is not a generic construct like the famous Jim Hacker but a real person.
The treatment given Julia Gillard in 'At Home with Julia' is in some ways similar to the treatment received by former politicians in drama documentaries such as 'The True Believers' and 'The Dismissal' or in a doco-drama such as 'Hawke'. There are differences, however. These other treatments were not comedies and they were substantially based on actual events. Is it appropriate to treat a current political figure as a source of amusement substantially on the basis of her fictionalised private life?
There have been a number of commentators who have argued that the series is an unwarranted intrusion into Julia Gillard's private life. This is an odd statement. Some of the comments made about the series seem to confuse fiction with reality. This, indeed, is part of the issue 'At Home with Julia' raises. It needs to be stressed -
the image being presented of the Prime Minister's personal life within this series is fictional.
Normally public figures are satirised on the basis of some observed aspect of their political or personal behaviour which is then exaggerated for humorous effect. Such satire is meant to criticise these figures for weaknesses their known conduct reveals. However, the material shown in much of 'At Home with Julia' is contrived. It seems unlikely that the scriptwriter has significant firsthand knowledge of how Gillard and Mathieson interact in their personal lives. Therefore, Gillard and Mathieson are being satirised on the basis of private behaviour someone else has invented and attributed to them.
This is not to say that the series has no merit. It does present portraits of a number of contemporary political figures functioning as politicians. It also suggests some of the difficulties associated with managing a minority government. This is more conventional material for political satire and it is a matter for individual judgement how well the series succeeds on this level.
What makes it controversial is the extent to which it focuses on the imagined private life of the Prime Minister and her partner. It is difficult not to see this as stepping beyond the bounds of legitimate treatment. It is also unfortunate that this treatment has been received by Australia's first female Prime Minister because it raises the inevitable question of whether a male Prime Minister would be dealt with in the same way. Until one is, that question cannot be answered conclusively.