Europe is binning its mask mandate for flights next week. America got rid of theirs in April. Australia’s is still in place. But for how long?

After the news broke that the EU is dropping its mandate for face masks during air travel next week, Australia now finds itself lagging behind both Europe and America when it comes to stripping back COVID related public health measures.

This was a hot topic of discussion this morning on The Today Show, with the hosts speaking with two social commentators to get their opinion on whether it’s now time Australia gets rid of mask mandates too.

Both commentators appeared to support the dropping of the mandate.

Osman Faruqi, culture news editor for the Sydney Morning Herald, who is not a health expert, but who presumably has his finger on the pulse regarding what’s going on ‘culturally’ in Australia, told The Today Show he didn’t think we should have an all or nothing approach to masks.

“It’s seen as being mandated or nothing. Either it’s the law and we’ll fine you if you don’t wear a mask or we’re going to remove that and it’s a free for all. I think the best kind of public health messaging has tended to stay away from strictly enforced measures and just educated people about why in certain instances they might want to wear a mask.”

Osman Faruqi

He said that he, having had COVID, really doesn’t want to get it again. He also said he’s not keen on getting the flu either. So for that reason he would wear a mask – by choice – in high-density areas like planes or on public transport – even if it wasn’t mandated.

“Does that mean everyone who doesn’t wear a mask should be fined or not allowed to fly? I’m not convinced about that. But I think when you focus it on mandates you miss that opportunity to really educate people about their health.”

“It’s just frustrated me throughout the pandemic that it’s been this really binary enforcement or not of the way we’ve approached the issue of masks.”

Osman Faruqi

One of the show’s hosts then asked Michelle Stephenson from Nova Radio (who was also on air to comment on the mask mandate issue): “If you don’t have to wear it in the supermarket, why do you have to wear it in the airport?”

Should mask mandates be lifted at airports? #TodayExtra pic.twitter.com/cqj39QpnjS

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) May 12, 2022

“I’ve been to airports a few times over the past month and they’re not really policing it,” Michelle responded. “I can guarantee you that. It’s interesting what Os[man] was saying about making it part of your everyday health strategy – what we saw with a lot of Asian countries specifically after SARS, they made mask-wearing just part of their everyday occurrence.”

She added: “We just need to see that more and I think what we’ve done is by policing it, we’ve pushed a lot of people in the opposite camp because people all of a sudden are like: ‘Well, you can’t tell me what to do. I don’t want to be told…’ people don’t want to be told what to do. So I think what we’re going to see will be this balance… people will, you know, start making decisions for themselves.”

Not everyone is in agreement on this. Some people still support things like mask mandates in order to make daily activities like commuting (and less daily activities like travelling) safer for people who are particularly vulnerable to COVID.

The breakthrough death rates cited above are from the CDCs own data. The fact that so many ppl are still in denial abt the fact that thousands of vaxxed/boosted are still dying while millions are disabled w/ Long Covid shows how little ppl care/listen to the medically vulnerable https://t.co/vzCXLJemRl

— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) May 12, 2022

It remains to be seen if and when Australia will get rid of its mask mandates for flights.

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The post Europe Is Dropping Its Mask Mandate For Flights. When Will Australia? appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The Eurovision song contest, the international songwriting competition that takes place annually in Europe, has been going strong since 1956. The competition – that introduced the world to the iconic band ABBA – is beloved globally for featuring rather kitsch performances.

Eurovision started being broadcast in Australia in 1983 and for over thirty years Aussies have loved watching the contest – proven through the impressive viewership numbers produced each year. In fact, Australians love Eurovision so much, that in 2015 – Eurovision’s 60th anniversary – Australia was offered a special one-off chance to compete as a sort of ‘thanks for supporting us’ token of gratitude.

Guy Sebastian was chosen to represent Australia and he automatically qualified for the Grand Final as per the terms of the one-off arrangement. Sebastian ended up placing fifth with his song Tonight Again and, really, that should have been that.

However, Australia has continued to compete in Eurovision every year since 2015 (aside from 2020 when the contest was cancelled entirely because of COVID-19). Which begs the question: why? The contest is called Eurovision. It’s traditionally for European contestants, right?

Well actually, Eurovision is run by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and all member stations are entitled to compete in Eurovision. Therefore, over the years, countries like Israel and Morroco – countries that are not a part of Europe – have competed in Eurovision simply because those countries have broadcasters that are members of the EBU.

Australia, for instance, has been allowed to enter Eurovision from 2016 onwards because SBS – the broadcaster that airs Eurovision in Australia – is a member of the EBU. So, essentially we’re allowed in Eurovision because we pay the organisers a membership fee and entering Eurovision is like a benefit of said membership.

But here’s where things differ for Australia. For those unfamiliar with Eurovision, the winning country always hosts the competition the next year. As an example, this year, Eurovision is being held in Turin, Italy because the Italian band Maneskin won last year.

However, in the event that Australia wins Eurovision, the competition will not be held here the next year. Australia must choose another country that is a member of the EBU and regularly competes in Eurovision to host, and the idea is that Australia will ‘co-host’ with whatever country we choose.

This seems fair in the sense that it is a long flight from anywhere in Europe to Australia. However, it seems unfair when you consider that even if we were to win, we then don’t get to reap the benefit of proudly showing off our country the following year – or the benefit of earning a hell of a lot of tourism dollars.

This is why I’m positive that Eurovision has been rigged to make sure Australia never wins and this potential controversy never arises. Because, I’m sorry but, Dami Im and her song The Sound of Silence shouldn’t have placed second in 2016; it should have won.

Plus, I also think Australia will never win because many are of the opinion that Australia competing in Eurovision is ridiculous and these people would probably start a riot if such a thing were to happen; seriously, people get very passionate about Eurovision…

Comedian Graham Norton even told The Sun UK that Eurovision should “get rid of Australia” and went on to say that while he understands there are other competing countries who are not a part of ‘Europe’, at least they’re close by – unlike Australia.

“​​I know some countries aren’t technically in Europe but, come on; Australia is on the other side of the world. I’ve got nothing against Australia. I just think it is kind of stupid.”

Graham Norton

Of course, this is all my opinion and who knows? Perhaps Australia will win Eurovision one day. Either way, I’ll still tune in every year and watch all the incredible performances and dramatic costume reveals.

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The post Why Australia Is In Eurovision… & Why We’ll Never Win appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Sick of free-to-air television or just wondering which is the best streaming service to invest in? Netflix Australia is definitely one of the best and well worth considering. Not convinced? Here’s everything you need to know about the streaming giant, Netflix Australia.

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What is Netflix?

It almost feels as if this question is redundant now, such is Netflix’s notoriety. But, for the uninitiated, or if you just want a brief explainer, Netflix is the world’s most popular streaming service. However, it hasn’t always had its fingers in the on-demand streaming pie.

Netflix was founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. The company initially launched as a video subscription service, whereby customers could buy or rent DVDs that were delivered by mail. The company soon dropped the sales side of this model and focused solely on DVD rentals. DVD rentals were initially offered on a single basis, i.e. you could rent just one DVD at a time. However, Netflix dropped this model in favour of a monthly subscription in 2000.

It was until 2007 that Netflix dipped its toes into online video streaming and expanded into a few more countries – Canada and Latin America, for example – before diversifying itself even further by starting up its own video production business.

Netflix’s first in-house produced series, House of Cards, was launched on the Netflix streaming service in 2013.

January 2016 saw Netflix expand on a global scale, arriving in 130 countries, bringing its total number of operating countries up to 190.

Today, we imagine you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of Netflix, and in Australia, it is easily the biggest streaming service going. Netflix didn’t launch in Australia and New Zealand until 2015 and, at launch, the library of content wasn’t exactly worth shouting about. However, with the addition of Netflix Originals and securing licensing deals with movie and TV production studios, the catalogue of content is now excellent.

This is thanks in no small part to its incredible range of movies, television shows and documentaries as well as plenty of Netflix Originals; films and TV shows that are exclusive to and that are made solely for the platform.

Netflix has recently seen a decline in subscribers, however, largely due to an increase in subscription prices and the cracking down of customers who share their passwords with people outside of their own households. To help save costs, Netflix has had to start cancelling some of its Original content.

How much is Netflix in Australia?

• Monthly prices start at $10.99
• 4K streaming costs $22.99

Netflix Australia works on a subscription model; meaning you pay for it monthly. Netflix AU has three plans to choose from – Basic, Standard and Premium – and whatever plan you chose will determine your monthly fee.

• Basic costs $10.99 per month and lets you watch Netflix content on 1 screen at a time. Content can only be streamed in standard definition.
• Standard costs $16.99 per month and lets you watch Netflix content on 2 screens at the same time. You can also download content onto 2 separate phones or tablets. Content can be streamed in high-definition quality.
• Premium costs $22.99 per month and lets you watch Netflix content on up to 4 separate screens or devices at the same time. You can also download content on up to 4 separate phones or tablets and content can be streamed in ultra-high-definition quality.

Netflix Australia Features

One of the most attractive features of Netflix Australia is its ease of use when navigating the library of content, and the fact you can set up multiple profiles for everyone in your family. Having separate profiles means each user will get recommendations of what to watch, based on their individual viewing habits.

Separate profiles also mean that, if you’re several seasons into a series, but somebody else wants to start watching it from the beginning, they can do so on their own profile and not interrupt your progress.

Because there is such a vast quantity of content, navigation has to be impeccable, and fortunately, it is. Content can be viewed by movies or TV shows, and kids get their own section too. Netflix then groups content into categories, such as comedy movies, or horror shows. Some content groups are a little more obscure, such as ‘award-winning quirky TV comedies.’

What devices can I use to watch Netflix Australia?

In Australia, Netflix can be accessed on a huge range of devices, including:

• Smart TVs
• Smartphones
• Tablets
• PC
• Mac
• Media streaming devices and set-top boxes
• Games consoles
• Blu-ray players

A full list of supported devices can be found on the Netflix website.

How can I download content on Netflix?

If you know you’re heading away somewhere that doesn’t have internet, or you’re getting onto an aeroplane and want to continue watching your shows, Netflix lets you download content for offline viewing.

Content can be downloaded to smartphones, tablets and PCs running Windows 10. It’s worth noting that you can’t download everything available on Netflix, as it all depends on licensing rights. If content can be downloaded, then you will see a download button underneath the play button, when browsing on a compatible device.

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The post Netflix Australia: Price, Features & What To Watch appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

If you’re anything like us, you loved the series Money Heist and you’re still experiencing major withdrawal symptoms since it ended for good late last year. The good news is that there’s a spinoff currently in the works.

This spinoff will focus on fan-favourite character Berlin. But as the show won’t be released until at least 2023, – filming hasn’t even begun yet – there’s another simple way to get your Money Heist fix. Or should we say Berlin fix?

As aforementioned, Berlin quickly became a beloved character; so much so that despite the character dying at the end of Season 2, the creators of the show made sure that Berlin still regularly appeared throughout Seasons 3-5 in various flashbacks.

One of the main reasons Berlin became so popular is all due to the actor who plays the character – Pedro Alonso. Alonso was effortlessly charming and charismatic in the role and viewers couldn’t help but root for him.

Therefore, if you’re hankering for more Berlin but can’t wait for the spinoff to hit Netflix, we highly recommend watching The Silence of the Marsh – a Spanish film starring Alonso.

The film follows Q, (played by Alonso) a famous crime novel writer, who is well-known for his murder mystery books. However, when Q wants to write a new book, he ends up committing murder himself for ‘inspiration’.

The character Alonso plays is a tad different to Berlin, but it’s still interesting to watch Alonso onscreen – and it’s not too much of a jump to consider that Q is what Berlin might’ve been like if he were never diagnosed with a terminal illness and eventually decided to stop heisting and commit darker crimes instead.

Overall, we’re guessing if you love Money Heist, you’ll highly enjoy The Silence of the Marsh as both are crime-thrillers and have Alonso – an extremely talented actor – in the cast. Check it out on your next movie night!

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The post Money Heist Fans Need To Watch This Pedro Alonso Movie appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Apple is no longer the world’s most valuable company. Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s state-owned, publically traded oil company, is now (at the time of writing) considered the most valuable company in the world.

As energy stocks shoot skyward and tech stocks plummet downwards, Apple has been surpassed as the world’s most valuable company by Saudi Aramco.

“Apple has fallen nearly 20% since its $182.94 peak on Jan. 4,” CNBC reported yesterday.

The move shows how markets are shifting “as the global economy grapples with rising interest rates, inflation, and supply chain problems,” CNBC also reported.

Aramco stock is up 21.5% over the last 6 months, Google Finance statistics show. In March (after a big spike in its stock price), Aramco reported that its full-year profit last year increased more than two-fold due to rising oil prices.

Protocol reports that this is “a reflection of both the vagaries of the market and the weird state of the world” and that “January through March was the best quarter for the [oil, natural gas and energy] sector since 1970.”

“As the war in Ukraine sends oil and gas prices climbing. That’s translated to record profits for the industry.”

Protocol

The switch up between Apple and Saudi Aramco reflects the changing fortunes of two different industries as the global economy reacts to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. It also shows the pandemic tech boom, at least for a time, is over (although this could also be attributed to the broader market performing poorly of late).

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The post Apple Dethroned As World’s Most Valuable Company, Thanks To Putin appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Last weekend, we saw Formula 1’s very first Miami Grand Prix – an interesting new addition to the sport’s increasingly expansive calendar that produced some very fine racing indeed. But the new American race was not without its criticism.

Many fans were quick to make fun of the silly fake marina organisers had erected in the middle of the track, as well as whether or not the track going under a highway would result in commuters creating a traffic jam hoping to get a free glimpse of the race.

But it wasn’t the ‘yacht club’ or the underpass/tunnel that really detracted from the race. It was the somewhat embarrassing antics some of the teams, drivers and F1 staff got up to during the Miami Grand Prix that really had us scratching our heads.

First, in a weird sort of publicity stunt/TV tie-in, McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo were spotted entering the F1 paddock alongside TV host and comedian James Corden wearing bizarre McLaren crop-tops filming a bit for Corden’s Late Late Show. Corden was also interviewed by Sky Sports as part of the coverage of the race.

Obviously, we’ll see why the two racers wore such cringey outfits when the episode goes live, but it was definitely a head-scratching moment. Even Jeremy Clarkson weighed in, querying on Twitter, “why on earth are we listening to James Corden?”

Speaking of Sky Sports’ coverage, veteran journalist Martin Brundle had yet another gaffe-filled ‘grid walk’ at the Miami Grand Prix. Brundle’s pre-race grid walks have become a staple of the sport but there’s increasingly a feeling that the 62-year-old former F1 driver is a bit embarrassing.

Firstly, Brundle accosted Duke Blue Devils forward Paolo Banchero, thinking he was Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. To make matters worse, Brundle peeled off saying “let’s see if we can find anyone to talk to” while NBA superstar Dwayne Wade was right nearby.

Then, he tried to strike up a conversation with the Williams sisters, but he couldn’t seem to pick if he wanted to talk to Serena or Venus, leaving the sisters somewhat bamboozled. He even met our favourite Italian playboy, Gianluca Vacchi, who hilariously described himself as a “social media sensation”. So bloody awkward.

Brundle had a similarly awkward grid walk during last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, leading many fans to say he’s a bit of a dinosaur that needs to be replaced – although just as many fans love his devil-may-care, doddery old man vibe, and say that celebrities on the grid need to respect Brundle’s patch. He’s the ex-driver, after all.

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For what it’s worth, Brundle’s come out and said that he doesn’t actually enjoy doing the grid walks – which actually makes the whole situation even funnier. “There’s a reason why I’ve never watched back an F1 grid walk in a quarter of a century of doing them,” Brundle Tweeted. “You have no idea how much I dislike doing them but somehow those crazy moments have defined my professional career. Oh well, that’s the way it is.”

To top it all off, instead of the usual Pirelli cap being presented to the drivers on the podium – namely Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen – they received NFL helmets instead. Some fans loved them, some thought they looked bloody stupid. Why should F1 be promoting another sport like this?

All in all, Miami had more than a few cringey moments that have left a lot of us scratching our heads. But there’s a bigger picture here.

F1’s new owners, Liberty Media, are currently on a mission to get more Americans interested in the sport and capitalise on the huge cultural phenomenon that’s been Netflix’s Drive To Survive. That’s why Miami was added to the calendar this year and why there’ll be a Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023.

Sure, we might find all this pandering to celebrities and American culture a bit gauche, but at the end of the day, F1 will only survive as a sport if it brings in new fans. But can they do it in a slightly less cringey way, please?

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The post The Miami Grand Prix Has Us Asking: When Did Formula 1 Get So Cringey? appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

“To sell, or not to sell” – that is the question on the lips of millions of investors around the world as global markets dig deeper in the red. But when it comes to investing, you should never make spur of the moment decisions.

Things in the world of investing have definitely been better. Financial markets around the world have been dropping all year – right now the S&P 500 (SPX) is down 17% year-to-date (YTD), the ASX is faring slightly better only down 11%, while the total market value of cryptocurrency has plummeted over 37%. 

Understandably, tensions are high, with a lot of retail investors wondering whether or not they should sell their assets – especially if asset prices are set to continue dropping in the coming months. So, the question remains, “to sell or not to sell?”

To answer this, DMARGE asked eToro’s Australian market analyst, Josh Gilbert what investors should do in the face of continued market decline. 

Gilbert immediately kicked things off by saying that “panic” selling is never a good idea.

“It’s important that investors keep their emotions at bay and take a calculated approach when investing. All markets can be volatile, so it’s best to remain calm, regardless of whether the market is experiencing a bull or bear run,” Gilbert continued.

Speaking on whether or not investors should be selling with the current drawdown in prices across most markets, Gilbert made the case that these decisions depend on each investor’s long term goals.

“Unfortunately, there is no right or wrong answer to whether investors should be buying or selling, as it simply depends on an investor’s risk profile and personal strategy.”

When asked for his thoughts on cryptocurrency, Gilbert said: “It’s hard to see a future in finance without blockchain and crypto assets.”

When it comes to crypto, major players throughout the market are deploying a whole range of different strategies.

El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele doesn’t seem too concerned with the recent market insanity, buying up another US$15 million in Bitcoin while the rest of the market seemed to be panicked. 

Anthony Sassano, a popular Ethereum advocate, replied with a meme that took a slight jab at Bukele’s “buy the dip” strategy (hinting that though you might think you’re buying the dip, you could actually be just buying the first dip of many). 

Ultimately, regardless of whether you choose to “buy the dip”, or sell your assets at a loss, “panic selling” is never a good idea. Whenever an investor buys or sells an asset, whether it be in the traditional stock market or in crypto, it should never be a spur of the moment decision. 

Short-term investors could be looking for “oversold” assets that have a chance of making a solid recovery in the coming months. 

On the opposite side of the fence, long-term investors could be taking advantage of falling asset prices to grow their portfolio. After all, for 80% of all time since World War II, the American stock market has posted a positive 12-month total return.

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The post How To Know Whether You Should Panic Sell… Or Hold On & Hope For The Best appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The majestic A380, one of the most loved aircraft around the world, is experiencing a long and protracted death. This is because airlines have been shifting towards smaller, more efficient aircraft, even for long haul journeys, for some time.

Though uber comfortable, the A380 ultimately failed to fulfil the commercial vision of its designers. COVID hasn’t helped either, but production of the double-decker jet has been dwindling for years. It might eclipse the Boeing 747, even, in terms of size, but unfortunately, it just isn’t efficient enough to be profitable.

Here’s a brief history of the A380 – from its mighty beginnings to its impending death.

The Origins Of The A380

Airbus first began dreaming up a 500 seat airliner in the early 1990s. The idea was to create a competitor (or, better yet, a successor to) to Boeing’s 747.

The first A380 was shown off to the world in Toulouse in January 2005. It first flew in April 2005 (the maiden voyage lasted 3 hours and 54 minutes). This plane had Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, and flew from Toulouse with a crew of six, led by chief test pilot Jacques Rosay.

It was 239 feet long, 79 feet tall, and 262 feet from wingtip to wingtip. In other words: a bloody big bird.

According to Airbus, the A380 can carry 544 passengers, with a range of more than 9,400 miles. In a high-density configuration, the A380 is even certified to carry up to 868 passengers (538 on the main deck, 330 on the upper level).

On the 15th of October, 2007, the first Airbus A380 was delivered to Singapore Airlines. On the 25th of October 2007, the first commercial flight of the superjumbo took place (from Singapore to Sydney).

Big Promises

The A380 was called the future of aviation when it was first introduced. It delivered unprecedented luxury and comfort. It was even designed to have lower operating costs than its big boy competitors at the time. And, to be fair, it did have some advantages. The A380 was (and still is) a great choice for airlines that want to take advantage of lavish add ons like walk up bars, onboard lounges and first class bathrooms with showers.

Emirates is one such airline who uses the A380 for these purposes. As is Singapore Airlines, with its giant first class suites. And of course, Etihad with The Residence.

But despite a few big carriers still using the A380, on the whole it has fallen out of favour (and it is no longer in production, with Airbus announcing plans to stop making the jet in 2019 due to a lack of demand, and Emirates taking delivery of the world’s last new Airbus A380 last year). Money wise, it all went wrong. Why?

Other Airlines Took Deliveries Of The A380

After Singapore Airlines took delivery of the A380, other airlines like British Airways, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Thai Airways, Air France, Qatar Airways and Etihad took deliveries of their own of the A380 too. Japan’s All Nippon Airways was the last airline to introduce the A380. It did this in 2018 (for flights between Tokyo and Honolulu). Emirates is the biggest fan of the A380 though, accounting for almost half of the A380s ever ordered (123 of 274). This works well for Emirates because it is largely a long haul airline.

But few airlines are are long haul focussed as Emirates. Most struggle to pull in that many passengers, for such long flights, that regularly. Because of this, the trend in the industry is to operate direct flights on smaller long range aircraft.

As Insider notes, “Instead of Emirates’ dedicated hub-and-spoke route model, most airlines have moved towards more point-to-point flying.”

These days the Boing 777, The Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A330 dominate the skies (when it comes to long haul routes, across the board).

No Cargo Version Ever Got Off The Ground

Due to a lack of interest, a cargo version of the A380 has never got up and running.

Airlines Began Scrapping The A380

Insider also reports that in 2017, “Singapore Airlines became the first airline to retire an A380, the first of five to be taken out of service.”

“One [of these 5] has been scrapped so far, while another has entered service with leasing company Hi-Fly.”

In November 2019 Air France retired one of its A380s. During the pandemic, many airlines grounded their fleets of A380s.

RELATED: Singapore Airlines Announcement Puts Another Nail In Coffin Of Magnificent Jet

Airbus Announces The End Of The A380

Airbus announced their decision to end the A380 program in early 2019, with production to end in 2021. This came soon after a reduction in orders from Emirates which, the BBC reports, appears to have forced Airbus’ hand (in 2018, it had expected the program to last at least another ten years).

“The development cost of €25 billion ($29.7 billion) was more than twice the original development estimate. Although, one positive is that the volume was high enough that by the end, it was producing each aircraft higher than cost.”

Simple Flying

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The post Why The Airbus A380 Was A Commercial Failure appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The joke ‘that’s what she said’ has been around for years. But is the joke – made popular in recent years by Steve Carell’s character in the US sitcom The Office – funny… or offensive?

Let me paint you a picture: you’re hanging out with your mates and someone pulls an unusually large chip from a Doritos bag and exclaims “Woah, that’s so big!” and another mate instantly chimes in with, “That’s what she said.”

It’s a common joke that first gained popularity in the 1970s thanks to a Saturday Night Live sketch where Chevy Chase uttered the phrase, and then again became popular in the 2000s thanks to the US sitcom, The Office – Steve Carell’s character regularly makes the joke throughout all nine seasons.

But is ‘that’s what she said’ offensive? It’s a question that I’ve found myself wondering after a friend recently sent a gif of Carrell with the text ‘that’s what she said’ on it to someone during an Instagram exchange, and received a reply that essentially said, ‘this is offensive’.

After a bit of research, I found an essay that was published in Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, and the authors – Communication scholars Matthew R. Meier and Christopher A. Medjesky – argue that ‘that’s what she said’ is indeed offensive.

They insist that as it’s a sexually suggestive joke, ‘that’s what she said’ contributes to rape culture – society normalising and trivialising sexual assault and abuse – and even if the intentions of the person making the joke are innocent or naive, the joke is still ultimately reinforcing oppressive ideologies.

“The link between rape humour and rape in culture may seem tenuous but treating rape jokes as merely jokes…reinscribes rape culture by normalising discourses that dismiss and silence rape victims, justify violence against women, and even blame victims for having been assaulted.”

Matthew R. Meier and Christopher A. Medjesky

However, I would argue that, depending on the context, ‘that’s what she said’ isn’t a rape joke. It’s merely a joke insinuating that a woman is engaging consensually in sexual activity and is exclaiming things like ‘that’s so big’ or ‘it’s so hard’; which ultimately could be considered as sex-positive rather than oppressive.

In fact, an advocate for sex-positivity, Samantha X – a high-class escort based in Sydney and bestselling author of Hooked: The Secrets of a High Class Call Girl – doesn’t find the joke ‘that’s what she said’ offensive at all. But she doesn’t begrudge anyone who does.

“No, I don’t find it offensive, but I’m of that generation of Benny Hill and Carry On films… If people get offended, I say let them be offended. That’s their choice.”

Samantha X

However, Samantha, who in her line of work has multiple offensive comments made to her, just shakes them off, à la Taylor Swift, and doesn’t let them bother her; meaning she may be more resilient to this type of joke than others.

“As a female, and a female in the adult industry, many offensive things have been said to and about me, and it’s like water off a duck’s back.”

Samntha X

Speaking of females, while the ‘that’s what she said’ joke could be considered misogynistic, I again must argue, that the joke isn’t reserved just for ‘she’. If someone were to exclaim, “that’s so wet”, you could easily make the joke, “that’s what he said”.

I guess at the end of the day everyone is entitled to their opinion and whether you’re offended or not by ‘that’s what she said’, just be mindful and respectful of others’ standpoints. It’s not hard. (That’s what she said.)

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The post ‘That’s What She Said’… Is It Offensive? appeared first on DMARGE Australia.