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OK kids, here’s today’s quiz: What’s an appropriate joke to make about a critically injured teenager who has just lost most of her immediate family in a brutal attack in their home?
a) None. Have you lost your mind?
b) Make a pun on the murder weapon, saying that you would like to "axe" her out but not "X" her.
I’m going to hope that most people would choose option (a). Unfortunately, one of the folks who went for option (b) chose to do so on national radio.
Yes, 5FM's DJ Sol Phenduka used the "Fresh or Vrot" segment yesterday morning to suggest that the 16-year-old girl is "fresh" for being the only person who can identify the murderer. He went on to say that the teenager, whose jugular had been severed when she was attacked with an axe, is "gorgeous".
Now, it appears that radio has a patron saint, so I’m going to ask you, Sol Phenduka, what in the name of the Archangel Gabriel were you thinking?
I won’t bother to explain why the joke itself was inappropriate, because if you need that explained, I’m afraid I can’t help you.
What particularly bothered me, however, was that referring to the victim of a horrific crime as "gorgeous" was disturbingly reminiscent of the regular publication of bikini pictures of Reeva Steenkamp after she had been killed: Even in death, her most lauded attribute was that she was hot.
This gives a serious undertone of sexism, if not outright misogyny, to what would otherwise have been merely a tasteless joke. This casual sexism has become worryingly regular on 5FM: On DJ Roger Goode’s show a few weeks ago, some men expressed their disgust at women breastfeeding in public (boobies used to titillate men – hot; boobies used to feed babies – ew).
In October, pick-up artist tactics were punted (if you want to know what the problem with PUA tactics is, read about Julien Blanc), while in August, the use of the word "ho" was defended because it supposedly now only refers to women.
As a woman who would be deeply offended to be called a ho (not because of its meaning but because I consider it a sexist slur), I beg to differ.
I should note that I did not hear any of these comments personally, since I stopped listening to 5FM a few years ago when I couldn't stand the casual propagation of sexism anymore. The fact that other listeners are still complaining just confirms my decision.
5FM positions itself as a station aimed at a younger, cooler, and presumably "edgier" market. For some reason, edginess is associated with non-PC language, when in fact the opposite is true, as Rebecca Davis explained in a brilliant 2013 column: "'Non-PC' language is pretty much the norm. … Those who ride bravely out to defend rape metaphors, sexist jokes and the like are not fighting some lonely, righteous crusade. They are staunchly upholding a very old, very tired status quo."
After a number of people expressed their anger, Phenduka tweeted what was essentially a non- apology, saying that he would like to apologise to "listeners who took offense" and that "[the] intention wasn't to offend". (He later apologised again several times, and acknowledged that his comment was "inappropriate and irresponsible".)
The station itself later announced that two members of the team had been suspended, acknowledged that the segment had been "in utterly poor taste" and apologised "unreservedly".
It is heartening that 5FM took this seriously, but I hope that the station will also address the apparent culture of casual sexism among its employees.
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