Studio 10 host Jessica Rowe has retaliated to Eddie McGuire’s offensive comment regarding journalist Caroline Wilson.
The Collingwood Football Club president made reference on Triple M radio of drowning Wilson at the Big Freeze at the G, an event where celebrities raise money by plunging into ice for motor neurone disease.
“I reckon we should start a campaign or a one-person slide next year,” he said last week.
“Caroline Wilson, I’ll put in the 10 grand straight away, make it 20, and if she stays under, 50.”
Jessica Rowe hit back on Studio 10 today, saying: “I think it is time people called him out. He is someone who I think is a protected species,” said Rowe. “He has said inappropriate things about me – which he denies saying – and he has also said inappropriate things about Adam Goodes.”
Eddie McGuire
She says that while he has said it was a joke and said in jest, “there’s nothing funny about that.”
He responded on 3AW following her comments that he donates well over that amount to the charity.
Rowe continued: “If we think this is appropriate behaviour, heaven help us. I’m really sick of these posturing blokes thinking they can get away with stuff because they think it’s funny. There are a lot of women who are sick and tired of feeling belittled and undermined.”
“He is a leader, people know who he is, and he can do a whole lot better than that.”
The Studio 10 host finished by challenging McGuire to donate $50k to White Ribbon Foundation – an organisation working to prevent male violence against women.
Watch Rowe take down Eddie below. (Story continues after video)
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan addressed the issue in a press conference, saying that attitude towards women was unacceptable.
“Casual language and jokes that are offensive to women are part of the problem.”
“We’re all learning that everyday comments cause harm and help create an environment that allows more mistreatment of women to occur without consequence.”
McLachlan says that the AFL still has a long way to go for women to feel comfortable in the sport.
“The conversation this week was a stark reminder to me of how much change is needed for women to feel truly welcome in our code, and reinforced my commitment to supporting change.”
Caroline Wilson
Caroline Wilson herself responded to the offensive comments.
“It was such a pity they needed to default to that really vicious language. I don’t accept that it was just playful banter,” Wilson told the 3AW radio Ross and John Show.
“It’s like casual racism: casual violent language might be meant as a joke but I wonder how many times we have to draw this line in the sand between what is a joke and what is completely unacceptable.
“I think he gets away with a lot because people are scared of him … I occasionally take him to task and he doesn’t like it. He has such power.”
McGuire defended himself on Triple M radio this morning, saying that it was said in “absolute fun” but he had no malice.
“Do you think it has promulgated violence toward women, sliding down into water?” McGuire asked Neil Mitchell. “I’m prepared to accept that and that’s why I’ve said this morning, from the bottom my heart, I’m so sorry those comments have resonated that way that anyone could even think that.”
VIDEO: See Jessica Rowe slam Eddie McGuire again about racist comments
