A reality TV show with deeper message about parenting
Come on, I do it. You do it. When it comes to reality TV - which I think Parental Guidance squeezes into - we all do it.
Here, maybe we can laugh at the strict parents, or the hippies or the body positive parents who don't think using Botox might harm that message a bit.
That sort of thing has to be there; it's hard to imagine people tuning into a show that gave parenting advice without any of this spice.
But that spice is what allows them to slip in the stronger message - in this episode it's about body image.
And the makers take it seriously, including showing heartbreaking footage of a mother trying to get her anorexic daughter to eat.
Once you see that, you tend to forget about being judged towards the parents.
When it comes to true-crime documentaries, you can pretty much guarantee the word "evil" will be uttered at least once.
Sometimes it's overstating things, sometimes it's done to add a bit of tabloid flavour to the piece.
But in this two-parter on the 2015 murder of Stephanie Scott the use of that word is all too appropriate.
A teacher, Scott was murdered in the grounds of her school, just a week before her wedding.
Her murderer was Vincent Stanford, who was sentenced to life in prison.
This two-parter follows the usual true-crime format of having the investigating detectives and journalists from whatever network is screening the show talking to the camera about the case, along with footage of police interviews.
It's those interviews that show why calling Stanford evil is perfectly apt. He admits to the crime but explains how he carried it out in such a cold, emotionless way.
We expect murderers to show remorse, or at the other end of the scale, some amount of perverse pleasure at what they've done.
But to show no emotion at all - and to suggest he killed her just because she was there - is really, really creepy.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall when the creators pitched this show to the ABC.
"Okay so let me get this straight. You want to make a show about spelling?"
"Yep, and make it go for a whole hour."
"An hour, right. And the people on the show will be comedians, who will make jokes about spelling."
"Sure. Should bring the viewers in by the truckload."
They should have been laughed out of the office. But good thing they weren't, because this show really works.
It absolutely shouldn't, because the concept sounds so uninspiring. I guess it shows that any concept can be overcome if you've got the right talent - and in this case it's Guy Montgomery and Aaron Chen.
They might have even been able to make the ABC's lame-duck series House of Games better.
Part of the appeal of this show that sets real-life people and their various parenting styles against each other is the chance to look down on someone else.
Come on, I do it. You do it. When it comes to reality TV - which I think Parental Guidance squeezes into - we all do it.
Here, maybe we can laugh at the strict parents, or the hippies or the body positive parents who don't think using Botox might harm that message a bit.
That sort of thing has to be there; it's hard to imagine people tuning into a show that gave parenting advice without any of this spice.
But that spice is what allows them to slip in the stronger message - in this episode it's about body image.
And the makers take it seriously, including showing heartbreaking footage of a mother trying to get her anorexic daughter to eat.
Once you see that, you tend to forget about being judged towards the parents.
When it comes to true-crime documentaries, you can pretty much guarantee the word "evil" will be uttered at least once.
Sometimes it's overstating things, sometimes it's done to add a bit of tabloid flavour to the piece.
But in this two-parter on the 2015 murder of Stephanie Scott the use of that word is all too appropriate.
A teacher, Scott was murdered in the grounds of her school, just a week before her wedding.
Her murderer was Vincent Stanford, who was sentenced to life in prison.
This two-parter follows the usual true-crime format of having the investigating detectives and journalists from whatever network is screening the show talking to the camera about the case, along with footage of police interviews.
It's those interviews that show why calling Stanford evil is perfectly apt. He admits to the crime but explains how he carried it out in such a cold, emotionless way.
We expect murderers to show remorse, or at the other end of the scale, some amount of perverse pleasure at what they've done.
But to show no emotion at all - and to suggest he killed her just because she was there - is really, really creepy.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall when the creators pitched this show to the ABC.
"Okay so let me get this straight. You want to make a show about spelling?"
"Yep, and make it go for a whole hour."
"An hour, right. And the people on the show will be comedians, who will make jokes about spelling."
"Sure. Should bring the viewers in by the truckload."
They should have been laughed out of the office. But good thing they weren't, because this show really works.
It absolutely shouldn't, because the concept sounds so uninspiring. I guess it shows that any concept can be overcome if you've got the right talent - and in this case it's Guy Montgomery and Aaron Chen.
They might have even been able to make the ABC's lame-duck series House of Games better.
Part of the appeal of this show that sets real-life people and their various parenting styles against each other is the chance to look down on someone else.
Come on, I do it. You do it. When it comes to reality TV - which I think Parental Guidance squeezes into - we all do it.
Here, maybe we can laugh at the strict parents, or the hippies or the body positive parents who don't think using Botox might harm that message a bit.
That sort of thing has to be there; it's hard to imagine people tuning into a show that gave parenting advice without any of this spice.
But that spice is what allows them to slip in the stronger message - in this episode it's about body image.
And the makers take it seriously, including showing heartbreaking footage of a mother trying to get her anorexic daughter to eat.
Once you see that, you tend to forget about being judged towards the parents.
When it comes to true-crime documentaries, you can pretty much guarantee the word "evil" will be uttered at least once.
Sometimes it's overstating things, sometimes it's done to add a bit of tabloid flavour to the piece.
But in this two-parter on the 2015 murder of Stephanie Scott the use of that word is all too appropriate.
A teacher, Scott was murdered in the grounds of her school, just a week before her wedding.
Her murderer was Vincent Stanford, who was sentenced to life in prison.
This two-parter follows the usual true-crime format of having the investigating detectives and journalists from whatever network is screening the show talking to the camera about the case, along with footage of police interviews.
It's those interviews that show why calling Stanford evil is perfectly apt. He admits to the crime but explains how he carried it out in such a cold, emotionless way.
We expect murderers to show remorse, or at the other end of the scale, some amount of perverse pleasure at what they've done.
But to show no emotion at all - and to suggest he killed her just because she was there - is really, really creepy.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall when the creators pitched this show to the ABC.
"Okay so let me get this straight. You want to make a show about spelling?"
"Yep, and make it go for a whole hour."
"An hour, right. And the people on the show will be comedians, who will make jokes about spelling."
"Sure. Should bring the viewers in by the truckload."
They should have been laughed out of the office. But good thing they weren't, because this show really works.
It absolutely shouldn't, because the concept sounds so uninspiring. I guess it shows that any concept can be overcome if you've got the right talent - and in this case it's Guy Montgomery and Aaron Chen.
They might have even been able to make the ABC's lame-duck series House of Games better.
Part of the appeal of this show that sets real-life people and their various parenting styles against each other is the chance to look down on someone else.
Come on, I do it. You do it. When it comes to reality TV - which I think Parental Guidance squeezes into - we all do it.
Here, maybe we can laugh at the strict parents, or the hippies or the body positive parents who don't think using Botox might harm that message a bit.
That sort of thing has to be there; it's hard to imagine people tuning into a show that gave parenting advice without any of this spice.
But that spice is what allows them to slip in the stronger message - in this episode it's about body image.
And the makers take it seriously, including showing heartbreaking footage of a mother trying to get her anorexic daughter to eat.
Once you see that, you tend to forget about being judged towards the parents.
When it comes to true-crime documentaries, you can pretty much guarantee the word "evil" will be uttered at least once.
Sometimes it's overstating things, sometimes it's done to add a bit of tabloid flavour to the piece.
But in this two-parter on the 2015 murder of Stephanie Scott the use of that word is all too appropriate.
A teacher, Scott was murdered in the grounds of her school, just a week before her wedding.
Her murderer was Vincent Stanford, who was sentenced to life in prison.
This two-parter follows the usual true-crime format of having the investigating detectives and journalists from whatever network is screening the show talking to the camera about the case, along with footage of police interviews.
It's those interviews that show why calling Stanford evil is perfectly apt. He admits to the crime but explains how he carried it out in such a cold, emotionless way.
We expect murderers to show remorse, or at the other end of the scale, some amount of perverse pleasure at what they've done.
But to show no emotion at all - and to suggest he killed her just because she was there - is really, really creepy.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall when the creators pitched this show to the ABC.
"Okay so let me get this straight. You want to make a show about spelling?"
"Yep, and make it go for a whole hour."
"An hour, right. And the people on the show will be comedians, who will make jokes about spelling."
"Sure. Should bring the viewers in by the truckload."
They should have been laughed out of the office. But good thing they weren't, because this show really works.
It absolutely shouldn't, because the concept sounds so uninspiring. I guess it shows that any concept can be overcome if you've got the right talent - and in this case it's Guy Montgomery and Aaron Chen.
They might have even been able to make the ABC's lame-duck series House of Games better.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
‘A bit of a Hogwarts special': Why society is obsessed with female killers
Erin Patterson looks much like you'd expect any middle-aged Australian woman to – brown hair, glasses, unremarkable clothes. As University of Sydney criminologist Dr Helen Easton pointed out, 'she could be your sister, your mum, your aunty, a neighbour'. At a glance, you wouldn't assume the mother-of-two to be capable of triple murder. Yet on Monday, Patterson was found guilty by a unanimous jury of killing her husband's parents and aunt, and attempting to kill his uncle, with a death cap mushroom-laced beef wellington lunch on July 29, 2023. The 50-year-old, who is yet to be sentenced, faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Patterson's case has captivated the world. Newspapers from New York to New Delhi followed every twist of the trial, nicknaming her the 'Mushroom Killer'. Podcasters, film crews and true-crime fanatics descended on the rural town of Morwell, a sedate hamlet in Victoria better known for its prize-winning roses. It's unlikely this appetite for the case will be sated any time soon, either. Following the verdict, the ABC, streaming giant Stan and multiple publishers announced a drama series, a three-part documentary and books, respectively, inspired by or about the saga, all pegged for release within the next year. The reasons behind our rabid interest in Patterson, Dr Easton told are manifold, and largely united by a common thread: 'The available data, which for crime data is very accurate, tells us that women, on the whole, tend not to kill.' 'A powerful breach of gender norms' In Australia, per the most recent Institute of Criminology statistics, the male homicide offender rate was 2.45 per 100,000 men – almost seven times the female offender rate of 0.36 per 100,000 women. Of the 314 identified homicides between 2019 and 2020, 87 per cent were committed by men. When women do kill, Dr Easton explained, 'there is usually some connection to having experienced extreme, and often continued, violence or coercive control from their victim'. In cases of infanticide, 'women most often kill in a moment of diminished responsibility or automatism, connected to post-natal psychiatric illness'. 'Patterson's actions are therefore incredibly unusual,' Dr Easton said. 'Not only are they a breach of social norms, but they are also a powerful breach of gender norms. 'Stereotypes of women, which have historic origins but continue to inform legal processes to this day, suggest women to be caring, passive, and emotional – rather than the calculated, heartless and unemotional organiser of a poisoned Sunday lunch.' Society is 'always shocked', Swinburne University's Loryn Sykes said, when it's reminded that women 'have the capacity for violence and murder, as we don't see women as a threat to our collective safety'. 'We associate violence with the realm of men (because) violence is seen as masculine behaviour,' Ms Sykes, who is hoping to complete a PhD in true-crime podcasting, told Given the perception of male killers as 'a broader threat' to the general public than their female counterparts – especially if their victims are young women or girls – their crimes can be a catalyst for mass outrage, increased concern about the level of safety in the community, and even legislative change, she said. 'Murders committed by women, on the other hand, are not seen or framed as a threat … in the same way,' Ms Sykes said. 'Instead, the focus of media and public outrage is about condemning the individual women who perpetrated these murders rather than … what the crime says about the state of the world we live in. 'I think this is the reason why the public's response to this case is more about making fun of Erin Patterson – rather than being genuinely fearful of her.' 'A bit of a Hogwarts special' Patterson's crimes evoke imagery of the Victorian era, Ms Sykes said, pointing to the cases of Christiana Edmunds, the so-called 'Chocolate Cream Killer' of 1871, and Marie-Fortunée Larfarge, who poisoned her husband with arsenic in 1840. 'Even though women killing their family members is quite rare, the narrative of women murdering via poisoning is familiar enough of a trope in true crime that news outlets can craft a story that audiences can recognise and follow along with easily,' she added. The murder weapon itself plays into this narrative, Dr Easton said. 'Mushrooms are a mysterious and magical food – growing out of decay and … a key ingredient in the potions knocked up by witches,' she said. 'It offers up another stereotype Patterson can be associated with – the ugly, middle-aged witch or hag, again confirming her as evil. The mystery and magic of mushrooms and the mundanity of a Sunday lunch create contrast and interest in the story – a bit of a Hogwarts special. 'The fact that Erin's husband – and likely his larger family – were religious and therefore 'good' people further strengthens this contrast, and we enter the familiar narrative of the battle between good and evil.' 'Without the truth, Erin seems 'mad'' Most 'intriguing' of all – at least for Dr Easton – is Patterson's lack of a motive. 'Perhaps (the crime) would be more understandable had Erin's husband had an affair and his family supported him (in his infidelity), or if there was money involved which Erin would only inherit after the deaths of her husband and relatives,' she said. 'This remains a mystery in this case – and perhaps if the truth were out there, it would be a lot less interesting. Without the truth, Erin seems 'mad' – we can't see killing people as normal behaviour.' Criminologist Dr Xanthe Mallett said on The Trial podcast earlier this week that she and renowned criminal psychologist Dr Tim Watson-Munro had 'picked apart' Patterson's personality as they observed the case, in a bid to understand what prompted her to target her extended family. 'It appears, or what I believe happened is, she has this simmering rage for Simon and perhaps felt that his family hadn't supported her,' Dr Mallett said, referring to text messages tendered as evidence during the trial that demonstrated 'some tensions within the family'. 'And therefore some of that rage is transferred to them, and she felt justified in harming them because of this … and therefore she is protecting herself.'
Sydney Morning Herald
8 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Heather Ewart won't use the word retire, but there's a reason she's leaving Back Roads
After 10 years, 234 towns, and countless beers and yarns at outback pubs, Heather Ewart is leaving Back Roads, the rural Australia showcase that sprung from her 2014 documentary, A Country Road: The Nationals, about the history of the National Party. It's a bittersweet milestone for the former ABC news journalist who won't use the word 'retire'. In truth, she was ready to keep road tripping for at least another year. But two cancer diagnoses that she has kept to herself over the past decade, and arm injuries sustained from a car crash in May outside the NSW town of Nimmitabel, have contributed to her decision. 'It was the 10th anniversary of Back Roads coming up. Timing matters. And I just always think it's good to go out on a high,' she says. 'And there's nothing more to wake you up about life than having cancer, or being hit head-on by a bloke asleep at the wheel. You think, 'Life can be short.'' Recently returned from a holiday in the Cook Islands with her husband, fellow ABC news veteran Barrie Cassidy (she was visiting there for the first time since 1980, when she covered then-opposition leader Bob Hawke's attendance at the South Pacific Forum), Ewart is pleased to be handing the Back Roads car keys to former ABC News Breakfast host Lisa Millar, who, like Ewart, grew up in the country. 'There are certain character traits that country people share, like 'no bullshit', and resilience. You never lose that,' says Ewart. ' B ack Roads has succeeded because it is about country people and not about the presenter or the scenery. You've got to be careful not to make it a travelogue. And I think country people, particularly, are really aware of that. I've known Lisa a really long time. I don't need to give her any advice.' The first episode of Ewart's final season takes her to the NSW farming township of Moree, where she meets famed wedding dressmaker Melinda O'Donoghue, who has a classic Back Roads story. 'She'll drive through floods and drought to get that wedding dress there on time,' says Ewart. O'Donoghue is likely to join the long list of friends Ewart has made on the road, many of whom attended her farewell party at the Richmond Bowling Club, in her home town of Melbourne. 'I invited some of the characters that I've interviewed, not thinking that they'd actually come,' says Ewart. 'And lo and behold, Lyn Westbury, a travelling hairdresser from Innisfail, flew down with her husband, Barry the plumber. And Gail Sharp, the baker from Birchip, came down. And a fantastic fellow, Josh Arnold, a great country singer who goes all around outback Queensland to schools, helping the kids write anthems about their schools and their towns, he flew down.
The Age
8 hours ago
- The Age
Heather Ewart won't use the word retire, but there's a reason she's leaving Back Roads
After 10 years, 234 towns, and countless beers and yarns at outback pubs, Heather Ewart is leaving Back Roads, the rural Australia showcase that sprung from her 2014 documentary, A Country Road: The Nationals, about the history of the National Party. It's a bittersweet milestone for the former ABC news journalist who won't use the word 'retire'. In truth, she was ready to keep road tripping for at least another year. But two cancer diagnoses that she has kept to herself over the past decade, and arm injuries sustained from a car crash in May outside the NSW town of Nimmitabel, have contributed to her decision. 'It was the 10th anniversary of Back Roads coming up. Timing matters. And I just always think it's good to go out on a high,' she says. 'And there's nothing more to wake you up about life than having cancer, or being hit head-on by a bloke asleep at the wheel. You think, 'Life can be short.'' Recently returned from a holiday in the Cook Islands with her husband, fellow ABC news veteran Barrie Cassidy (she was visiting there for the first time since 1980, when she covered then-opposition leader Bob Hawke's attendance at the South Pacific Forum), Ewart is pleased to be handing the Back Roads car keys to former ABC News Breakfast host Lisa Millar, who, like Ewart, grew up in the country. 'There are certain character traits that country people share, like 'no bullshit', and resilience. You never lose that,' says Ewart. ' B ack Roads has succeeded because it is about country people and not about the presenter or the scenery. You've got to be careful not to make it a travelogue. And I think country people, particularly, are really aware of that. I've known Lisa a really long time. I don't need to give her any advice.' The first episode of Ewart's final season takes her to the NSW farming township of Moree, where she meets famed wedding dressmaker Melinda O'Donoghue, who has a classic Back Roads story. 'She'll drive through floods and drought to get that wedding dress there on time,' says Ewart. O'Donoghue is likely to join the long list of friends Ewart has made on the road, many of whom attended her farewell party at the Richmond Bowling Club, in her home town of Melbourne. 'I invited some of the characters that I've interviewed, not thinking that they'd actually come,' says Ewart. 'And lo and behold, Lyn Westbury, a travelling hairdresser from Innisfail, flew down with her husband, Barry the plumber. And Gail Sharp, the baker from Birchip, came down. And a fantastic fellow, Josh Arnold, a great country singer who goes all around outback Queensland to schools, helping the kids write anthems about their schools and their towns, he flew down.
