There’s (rightfully) been no shortage of public shaming around Olivia Frazer‘s fkn gross behaviour during Wednesday night’s dinner party, but why aren’t we talking about Cody Bromley?
In case you chose peace and missed last night’s MAFS episode, the dinner party centred around a NSFW picture of Domenica Calarco. Or rather, the “malicious” circulation of it by other cast members.
According to what we saw on the show, Olivia allegedly circulated a nude photo she found as part of Dom’s OnlyFans content to Selina and Tamara. Inevitably it made its way around the group and by the dinner party most of the cast had seen it, talked about it or shared it — yet no one had told Dom.
What followed was probably one of the ugliest scenes I have ever witnessed on reality TV. But despite that, I’m not here to talk about the confrontation between Dom and Olivia. I don’t mean to diminish it though — you can read our recap of Olivia’s demonic behaviour here.
No, I’m here to talk about Cody, who has gotten off way too light for his part in the shitshow last night. And also for his gross behaviour throughout the season.
I know we’re all focused on Olivia, amd deservedly so, but Cody really was a scumbag for bringing it up like that in front of everyone, let alone how he phrased it as thoigh Dom owed Jack an explanation. What a wankstain #MAFSAU #MAFS
— 🌙 (@JJdownthedrain) March 16, 2022
While Olivia is understood to be the person who circulated Dom’s pic online, it was Cody who threw the grenade and instigated the humiliation of Dom on national TV. And more than that — it was also his question that got the slutshame ball rolling.
“Jack is a good dude and he’s given everything to Dom,” he said in the piece to camera.
Not long after, he decided to publicly out Dom at the party.
“Dom, I hate to bring it up,” Cody said gleefully, seemingly unprompted.
“We’ve all seen a picture of you pretty much naked on the couch. It is an OnlyFans thing that got spread out. Does Jack know that you had an OnlyFans account?”
So, there’s a lot wrong with this.
The first is that Cody’s on-screen wife Selina already made it clear to him she wanted to talk to Dom privately. By making the conversation public, he took away an opportunity for Dom to talk about this with someone sensitive to her situation. Instead she was left exposed and vulnerable. And as we mentioned earlier, completely blindedsided too.
But worse is the way Cody phrased his question.
By centring Jack’s feelings in a conversation that should have focused on the cruelty of circulating the photo, Cody dismissed Dom’s right to be upset.
Jack’s feelings were prioritised because apparently it’s actually worse to have a girlfriend whose nudes were leaked than to be a girlfriend whose nudes were leaked. No one wants a tainted woman, amirite?
Jack was somehow framed as the victim when it was Dom’s photos that were shared without her consent. The misogyny involved is, to me, obvious.
I loathe that Cody’s take on the situation was making sure Jack knew. That is some archaic “tainted woman” bullshit right there. #MAFSAU #MAFS
— Jena Peskett (@JenaPeskett) March 16, 2022
It wasn’t even the first time in the episode that Cody implied Jack should be embarrassed or ashamed of Dom’s OnlyFans. He actually brought it up with Selina earlier, too.
Unfortunately, it’s also not the first time his treatment of women in general has been questionable.
Remember when he told Selina he found her less attractive because she isn’t white?
And who could forget the foul poster his roommates made depicting Selina’s vagina as a watermelon which he was eating a slice of? No, he did not see a problem with that. Casual objectification at its finest.
The fact that Cody didn’t take down his roommates ‘hilarious’ poster says everything your need to know about his respect for Selina#mafsau #mafs
— Rohan I (@the_impey) March 15, 2022
While I don’t want to diminish Olivia’s part in last night’s drama or her accountability, it does frustrate me that we keep letting male mediocrity slide. Men shouldn’t get to wash their hands of drama because we expect less from them than women.
Cody’s behaviour is hardly the most outrageous on the show, but it sure as hell is pervasive in Aussie communities as a whole.
His behaviour is familiar and representative of a particular subtype of problematic, casually sexist men. We shouldn’t brush it under the rug because it’s not as overtly disgusting as Olivia’s.
