Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Health , University of Newcastle
Disclosure statement
Richard Fletcher does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The attempt to rein in offensive “shock jock” style radio commentary received mixed reaction in the media, but the notion of banning words that might demean a particular group opens up an enticing possibility.
Many of us can imagine the satisfaction of being the media regulator for a day, cutting out the terms for putting down groups that include ourselves and our loved ones. In my case, negative terms for academics and column writers come to mind.
But for my money, if I were the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) czar for a day, I’d ban the use of the word “macho” – although, maybe not every use of the term needs to be banned. After all, I bop along to the Village People’s hit “Macho Macho Man” at the time.
And there are products now that may come in handy, such as Machismo Pills – the all-natural erection enhancers that last for five days and guarantee multiple orgasms. Or the distinctive Macho underwear – “designed in Spain and manufactured in Columbia”.