Indeed Not, Lara

“I’m not Einstein”, Lara Bingle responded tearfully after being mocked in a radio interview about her new reality TV show.

I think we all figured that out some time ago, love.

Actually, the interview asked her some pertinent questions, such as whether she deserved to be the subject of her own reality show. Why shouldn’t someone who has a TV show all about themselves be asked why they believe anyone should be interested in them?

The presenters then described her as "Australia's answer to a question we never asked in the first place". A fair observation, I suggest, possibly better phrased as "Some soulless commercial TV executive’s answer to a question we never asked in the first place" or "Lara Bingle’s publicist’s answer to a question we never asked in the first place".

More pertinent to some meaningful analysis of modern society is Lara Bingle’s call for the presenters to be “taken off air” because they “showed her no respect”.

Boo hoo hoo! They were mean and didn’t go along with my bullshit attempt at self promotion and earning money for doing nothing of value. I’m a celebrity trying to promote myself, so everyone should be nice to me.

No they shouldn’t. If you are a vacuous person and make yourself the subject of a therefore vacuous show, you will attract mockery. That is in part how pretty much all societies deal with self promoters whose intended public footprint vastly exceeds the value of their public contribution.

Lara Bingle's reaction to the mockery implies a genuine belief that as long as there is no intended harm, she can essentially say and do anything she likes and any negative reaction is mean, nasty, unfair and shouldn't be allowed. This really is a Gen Y attitude. So utterly coddled by a style of parenting and an education system which continually validates and affirms even the most mediocre achievements, they genuinely struggle with the concept that other people might think and even say: "That is just fucking pathetic ... you're shit". Anyone who has watched the parade of delusional people on the Australian or American Idol audition shows will know what I mean.

It's the belief that it is morally wrong to tell someone their work or effort is so far below an acceptable standard as to be complete crap that is the real generational phenomenon. I've struck it with university students genuinely believing it is unfair they have failed a course where not just the final exams, but all assessments were deliberately set at a level below the true standard of the course requirements. When you point out this reality to them, they don't believe it. Not having been genuinely exposed to the concept of failure at school, as they will in real life, they really cannot fathom the magnitude of the gulf between others' abilities and their own.

Do people really wonder why Asian societies are still increasing their standard of living so much faster than Western ones, even though many are no longer coming off a very low base?

There is no reason why people deserve respect per se. Respect is earned. It is easily lost. People don’t have to be nice to each other. People don’t have to tolerate idiots and their bullshit. Not intending any harm does not per se absolve one from satire, mockery, exclusion or any other proportionate form of censure.

What, exactly, has Lara Bingle done to earn respect? A tourism ad, followed by trying to cash in on it and making an annoying idiot of herself in the process. I’m not sure that adds up to a net positive.

The only correct statement Lara Bingle made was that the B105 crew are "try hards".

True. The evidence is that B105 later issued an apology:

"Hey guys - We didn't mean to offend Lara on the show this morning, she's welcome back anytime. Good luck with the show."

Who the fuck wrote that? Some worthless, corporate lackey. You absolute tools! If you genuinely believe in what you're doing, why the need to apologize? Just tell Lara Bingle to get fucked.

As for her call for the B105 presenters to be “taken off air”, who do you imagine would do this, you dumb bitch? The radio station’s management? The government? The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission? Are you saying mocking people should a sacking offence? Will we all live in a totalitarian state of flowers and rainbows where everyone has to “be nice” and go along with everyone else’s bullshit, so long as no-one intends to be mean, with punishment and exclusion for anyone who “isn’t being nice”?

But I wasn’t nasty to them. I was just trying to promote my TV show.

So what? Do you think that means everyone should go along with your agenda? If we’re irritated by seeing your stupid face on our TV screens, we shouldn’t ask you why you think you deserve to be there?

If you want to make a worthwhile contribution to public culture Lara, make a porno.

Here’s the question to which you are an answer:

“If your mouth is open, why isn’t there a cock in it?”