- Neil Mitchell says the Brownlow ceremony objectifies women
- Says women are judged and rated by how they look on the night
- Co-host Jacqui Felgate argues that the event celebrates women
Veteran talkback radio host Neil Mitchell has criticised the Brownlow Medal for objectifying women, but his female counterpart Jacqui Felgate has hit back with a completely different take on the AFL’s biggest awards night.
The annual ceremony shines a light on the best and fairest footy stars of the season, but it’s often the players’ glamorous wives and girlfriends who grab all the attention with their stunning appearances on the red carpet.
Mitchell said he doesn’t want to be the ‘fun police’, but insists that the women at the event are being ‘judged and rated on how they look’.
‘Why is it all year we get lectured about how it’s sexist and offensive to objectify women, and then it gets to Brownlow night and it’s, “Let’s objectify women”?’ he asked 3AM Drive host Jacqui Felgate on Tuesday.
‘You’re objectifying women.’
Felgate strongly disagreed, arguing that the event celebrates the stars’ partners instead of treating them like sex objects.
‘I don’t think the Brownlows objectify women at all,’ she explained.
‘And as somebody who has been to many, and hosted it for two years, what I would say is that I think the Brownlow has become this event that partners get to support players, and players get to support their female partners.
‘I think the men get almost as much pleasure out of seeing their partner and enjoying it.
‘And if you look on social [media], you will see to a fault every male player who went last night posting about their wife or girlfriend or partner, saying she had a ripping night, she looks fantastic.
‘I don’t think it’s objectifying women at all.’
Felgate went on to say that women are choosing to put themselves out there and players will often take their mothers onto the red carpet.
Mitchell disagreed, saying he has no problem with women who take part in the event, but he finds it ‘massively inconsistent’ with the league’s focus on women’s right.
‘I’m really disappointed that you’ve given up the principles of feminism just to support this,’ he said.
Felgate hit back: ‘A core principle of feminism is choice – and these women have made the choice to go on the red carpet.
‘If you are a private person you can go around the back and avoid being photographed.
‘They want to be there and that is great because they have been supporting their partner throughout the season – and a lot of them are mothers. They are not just 21-year-old influencers, some of them are.
‘But some of them are women who consider it to be one of the great nights of the year – and their husbands and partners are celebrating them.
‘They are not objectifying them and neither are we.’
