Sexism and Gillard. In the now burgeoning field of competitors for ‘dumbest article evah on the Rudd/Gillard changeover’ we have a winner — and one whose record will not be easily challenged. Step forward Bettina Arndt with ‘Shacking up is hard to do’, in which the veteran sexologist suggests the new PM will be a bad influence on women because she’s in a de-facto relationship, and these have a higher break-up rate than marriages.

Everything about it is hilarious, from the six layers of twisted logic to picturing the Sydney Morning Herald op-ed editors sitting around discussing what title they’ll give an article that, in 2010, suggests an unmarried female PM may lead women astray. And it indicates the Right’s desperation: Bettina is the daughter of the late Heinz Arndt, a veteran cold warrior (yes, and first rate scholar) and keen quad-ranter herself.

The old cold warrior always knows to get the propaganda out, no matter how ridiculous it makes you look. Clearly Bettina decided to take one for the team — as she used to so often advise women to do in the days when she edited Forum in the freewheeling 70s. — Guy Rundle

ABC draws Rage. In a move that has irked some of the program’s most avid viewers, ABC1’s Rage has been plastered over with the corporation’s watermark during the iconic program. A grassroots audience campaign has pushed for the removal of the logo with complaints that it interferes with the viewing of the show’s video clips. On the show’s message board, a moderator has tried to quell the anger saying:

“It’s [the watermark’s] original inclusion was an error resulting in a change of transmission procedure, but there has since been a decision by Television to include it permanently, as it is with all other ABC programs to maintain consistency across the network. We have noted your objections, and there are lots of discussions happening now regarding watermarking. We’ll keep you posted on our progress.”

Rage, rage, rage…r-r-r-r-r-r-r raaaaaaaaaaaage! — Crikey intern Michael Carter

Technical difficulties at Aunty. A great review of the ABC’s response to the events last Wednesday on Media Watch last night, pointing out (in part) how poorly the new ABC/WIN Media Hub operation had performed. However it was rather ironic that viewers missed the section of the show where the ABC claimed that “as a facility of MediaHub’s complexity is bedded down and operations refined, such glitches will become less frequent” due to Media Hub transmitting part of the Q&A rehearsal at that time! An incredulous Jonathan Holmes took to Twitter to confirm the balls-up: “In case there was any doubt the Q&A insert was a genuine stuff up by MediaHub! Bizarre!” A red Q&A placeholder inserted for a split second after the credits rolled was also apparently due to Gremlins in the system.  — a Crikey reader

Trouble in paradise

“News Limited has expressed outrage at the Fiji government’s decree to force media organisations to be 90 per cent locally-owned in three months.” — The Australian

Watermark gate

“There’s a heart-warming tale currently running on smh.com.au about a bunch of (presumably) hard-up actors who’ve hit the YouTube jackpot. So it’s a shame that Fairfax appears to be stealing from them.” — mUmBrella

Le Monde bought by porn billionaire

“A French internet billionaire, a patron of the arts and a flamboyant banker won control of Le Monde newspaper on Monday despite President Nicolas Sarkozy’s bid to stop them. The trio includes Xavier Niel, an internet entrepreneur who first made his money from sex chat services and later shook up the French internet market with cheap connection packages.” — iwantmedia

Rolling Stone gathers goss

“Rolling Stone’s explosive piece ‘The Runaway General’, which last week brought a disgraceful end to Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal’s career, was just the latest in a string of articles resonating in the nation’s corridors of power.” — New York Times