Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Grattan's Dark Secret

IT IS very nice and satisfying to be appreciated, so a recent invitation to contribute the odd post to Quadrant Online came as a flattering surprise. Sadly, your more professional sites have more-or-less professional editors and it seems that part of their job is to interfere with contributors' articles, especially this one. Not that the meaning has been changed or big chunks arbitrarily re-written -- no, none of that. The bone of contention is that something was cut out of the article and that missing ingredient is a bona fide scoop.

In researching Michelle Grattan's toxic uselessness (while touching on other topics) it became clear why her aged shoulder went untapped when Fairfax was handing out those redundancy cheques. Nobody else had noticed it, but the photographic evidence provides proof beyond doubt:

Michelle Grattan is really Age books editor Jason Steger, meaning Fairfax gets two employees who are invited to appear on the ABC for the cost of one. Don't believe it? Quadrant Online's editor refused to have a bar of it, but you be the judge:



 (Hint: Grattan is on top)








24 comments:

  1. Perfessor, while your return is excellent news for those of us who treasure the collision of original thought and grammatical competence in the poisonously illiterate seas of the interwebs, it is even excellenter news that your work is now being placed on a website that was actually designed by a designer! Graphic competence was not one of the qualifications for the semi-literate nerds who invented Wordpress and Blogger.com; The words clunky and ugly come to mind. In fact, the entire internet was designed by peons who could do little more than write HTML code. Do hope you absolutely love Times New Roman, but no bigger than 36 point! Thanks for the opportunity to complement you on your first foray at Quadrant and may there be more.

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  2. I enjoyed your Quadrant piece. Love the mental picture of Grattan with an ear trumpet. Quite appropriate.

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  3. Death has forgotten Ms. Grattan.

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  4. Hello Professor, wanted to extend my deepest sympathy but also to tell you how much rejoicing there's been in my little mind knowing you're back. Thank you for coming back. I think what Tom's so eloquently put.

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  5. Grattan/Steger also has a side job as Bill Collins, movie presenter extraordinaire on the Fox Classics channel.

    Capitalist.

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  6. That Michael Grattan bloke sure is one scary looking fella.

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  7. Every so often, as I turn off the lights and TV, I catch a snatch from the First Tuesday Bookclub (ABC). Frequently, yon Steger is a guest commentator.
    Does anyone know how many people actually watch that show? What its purpose may be? Is it a poor use of air-time?

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  8. Much love winging your way Professor.

    Now, to Michelle. I always thought she was more of a doppelganger for Helen Thomas.

    http://newsbusters.org/static/2007/12/2007-12-01Thomas.jpg

    Every country has one, I'm sure. Scary, isn't it!

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  9. Prof .... I wouldn't be sitting by the phone waiting for a French magazine to make a huge offer for the photo of Michelle.

    The Irish Lion

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  10. Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.September 18, 2012 at 7:00 PM

    Hearty congratulations, Prof. Your elegant phrasing and quality digging into places where lesser men tremble to venture deserves a wider audience of the good and great and anyone else interested in some pointed satire. Don't forget us on this little blog though. Feed us some crumbs. It is so good to have you back.

    As for Ms. Grattan. Age has wearied her, I fear. He looks better, and yes, there are similarities to each other. That may be as much in tone as in flesh. Neither either by their words have the spark of a burning bright light within. That is what counts, at any age.

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  11. Grattan has been in her job for 40 years. Do you think Fairfax could pay out her accumulated entitlements and remain solvent?

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  12. I saw Michelle au Gratton on "Meet the Press" on Sunday. I know her real secret- Michelle O'gratin uses shoe polish on her hair!

    (I think she may also be Roo Murdoch.)

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  13. That Jason Steger woman is one scary looking sheila.

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  14. Ha. ha ha! "Grattan is on top"
    Gee, you crack me up Prof. Ha. ha!
    . . .and of course, glad to see you back.

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  15. I quite enjoyed your Quadrant article, many more please. How did Vassilis become "Bill the Greek?"

    During your absence it was revealed, by that "bankrupt, misogynist nut-job" Larry Pickering, that Vassilis, a.k.a. Bill the Greek, was the owner of the Town Mode fashion emporium. I mention this as there was some speculation on your fine blog site in the past about that particular enterprise.

    So it would appear that Ms. Gillard's renovated wardrobe wasn't stuffed with the latest fashions from Town Mode. Instead, it appears that payments for the building renovations went through the cash register of that particular enterprise for reasons beyond my ken.

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  16. "Grattan is on top"

    Wow, that conjures up some scary images. I'll have to go wash my brain with soap and hot water.

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  17. Isn’t all the journalist mentioned in your entertaining piece linked with the unions and krudd?????
    Now that krudd is in for a comeback watch all the bulldust start to rise.

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  18. Nah! Can't be right - one of them is smiling!

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  19. Golf and Trout? If you catch Grattan, throw her back.

    Welcome back Prof and sincere condolences to both you and your family.

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  20. How lovely to read you in Quadrant now!! Thank you and welcome back!!

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  21. Your hint is misleading.

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  22. Geez Prof. I guess the only way to test your "two for one" theory would be to search out nude photos of Mick and Jase so we can check their testimonials.On second thoughts,scrub that suggestion,those photos you've already published are scary enough.

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  23. Death has not forgotten Mr. Grattan. He is she.

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