New Footy Show co-host Rebecca Maddern made her debut last night, and it’s pretty clear that, despite the handwringing from the legions of fellas who whisper rude jokes about boobs into their television speakers and believe that the hosts can hear them, she’s a pretty natural fit for the blokey vibe of the show.
A woman! Blokey and matey! Inconceivable.
Her initial appearance copped it from people who thought that she had writing on her hands – presumably every rule of AFL and Grand Final winners back to the 1979 VFL Grand Final. Because she’s a woman, and this stuff is unknowable to her. Right?
Rebecca Maddern has notes written on her hand in pen??!
— Shane (@luvthelegs) April 7, 2016
The hazing reached a crux when Billy Brownless showed clips of a Salt-N-Pepa concert and told Maddern that as a matter of great seriousness she would have to twerk on the show. She politely declined.
But seriously, if Maddern’s goal here was to show her audience that she’s a serious contender and knows her footy and her footy politics, then she did well. She chatted to Collingwood forward Travis Cloke about his form and grilled St Kilda midfielder Leigh Montagna about controversies around Jake Carlisle’s drug use.
This could be a potentially masterful tactic by Nine. Not only have they thrown a spanner into the male-dominated world of footy commentary TV – giving the show’s nearly 50% female audience some representation – they’ve also possibly neutralised future controversies in the controversy-prone format.
Look, there’s always going to be some gross jokes and stunts that push the boundaries on taste and offensiveness. But having a woman on-board might prevent a few shame file entries.
Source: Channel Nine.
Image: Channel Nine.
