Malta Musulmana

Published: October 6, 2008 at 10:08pm

I’ve just been watching the electric debate on BondiPlus. It looked like an escape party from a mosque: a lot of grim, loud men talking over each other and not a woman to be seen. I know it’s difficult finding women to go out and make themselves heard in public, but for heaven’s sake, it’s not impossible. It should be done even for the sake of avoiding that ‘we’ve just come from the mosque’ feel of a show. The thing is, we’re so used to seeing penils tad-diskussjoni that consist only of men that to us it’s normal. It’s only when I’ve been away from Maltese television and public life quite a lot that I’m taken aback by the weirdness of all-male discussion panels, all-male conferences and all-male seminars. It’s easy to keep falling back into that trap, but we really have to avoid it from now on. It’s become totally ridiculous – and boy, does it look ugly.




37 Comments Comment

  1. Uncle Fester says:

    I’ve always wondered why you are not in regular demand as a talking head on these discussion programs on T.V. You seem to have well thought out views and can be counted on to get those ratings up by saying something provocative to boot.

    [Daphne – I am in regular demand. I get a call every two weeks at least.]

  2. Uncle Fester says:

    So why don’t you take them up on the offer? If its because you fear being unable to be spontaneous in Maltese, the TV stations will be able to dredge someone up to do a voiceover. You may end up with your own discussion show where you get to put the politicos, businessmen and showpersons on the spot with some pointed questioning. I’m thinking Malta’s answer to Barbara Walters or Larry King. They may even pair you up with someone like Toni Abela to get two sides of the political coin. A sort of Hannity and Colmes of TVM.

    [Daphne – I’ll tell you what I tell the people who ask: I have nothing to sell, nothing to publicise, my profile is high enough and there are plenty of over-exposed people in this country without adding to them, and most important of all, I don’t see why I should spend hours of my virtually non-existent free time debating on a show without payment. Guests on Maltese discussion shows don’t get paid – they don’t even get a car to pick them up and take them to the studios. Can you believe it? All those people turn up just to be seen on television, or because they have an agenda to push. If I ask someone to work on something for a magazine, I pay them. I don’t expect them to do it for the sheer pleasure of seeing their name in print.]

  3. Shannon Andrews says:

    With the low visibility of women in Political, economic and social life in Malta, we will never even hope to reach the Lisbon Targets let alone emulate Finland which has been named the paradise of equality. After the Parliamentary elections last March they have a new government made up of 20 ministers: 12 women and 8 men! Men should be grateful to the quota system of 40-60: they just made it.

    [Daphne – Yes, but you know, you can’t always blame the men. A couple of weeks ago on this blog there was a discussion going on about how women in small societies police other women and get them to stay in line, usually by bitching and criticising. You have to have a really thick skin to ignore it and still press on with what you do. When I assess the horrible back-biting I’ve received over the years, I can see clearly that it’s come from one of two types of people: insecure women and nondescript – and therefore threatened – men. A couple of years ago, when we were talking about life and work, a woman I’d known since childhood told me, ‘Well, Daphne, you always were an individual.’ And I thought, what? Do you have to be ‘an individual’ to do what you want to do if you’re a woman in Malta? Apparently, yes. There are too many social pressures to be resisted. Curiously, Style magazine, which came with The Sunday Times (London) last Sunday carries an article called ‘Why do we hate these women?’. It was about the way British women love to bitch about certain women in public life, how they love to hate them – the women mentioned were all actors and singers. This is the concluding paragraph: “There is no credible defence for the way we dislike. Even (the publicist) Max Clifford – a man rarely surprised by anything – is ‘astonished’ by how the female mind works, and never more so than during the Beckham-Loos affair, back in 2004: “I thought, for once, Victoria Beckham would get sympathy. But what actually happened was nobody criticised David, everyone criticised Rebecca, and it was Victoria who ultimately got the blame. It was all her fault: if she had been over there, looking after him, it wouldn’t have happened. I think that typifies how women are.”]

  4. tony pace says:

    What a shame YOU ain’t EVER asked, Uncle Fester. We would have loved to watch you ”contribute” to a discussion :) :) :)

  5. Luca says:

    Then why don’t you go, Daphne?? Come on… maybe you can inspire some of the Maltese women. Maybe one day, and just maybe, we will start having more females speaking their mind and not just listen to the pompous asses we get to see many a time on these panels.

    In Italy it’s totally the opposite then though; on a panel you get some 6 females and 4 males. – which isn’t bad, as generally those women do their homework much better than the males.

    [Daphne – I’ve already replied to Uncle Fester about this, but I forgot to add one thing: I resent being classified as a token woman.]

  6. Corinne Vella says:

    I don’t know about the all-men business. It’s their inability to actually debate that’s most irritating – or amusing.

    [Daphne – And did you notice how at least two of them said they had promised their families – for which read the women in their lives – that they would not interrupt others?]

  7. Xaghra says:

    Last night’s Bondi+ was so pathetic it was sad. Here we had ‘l-imsiehba socjali kollha’ discussing a single point – why they were not ‘consulted’. Whislt conceding that Austin Gatt needs major help with his PR and attitude the only issue they were shouting about is lack of consultation. I Guarantee that if Austin Gatt went to the ‘imsiehba socjali’ and declared that they were going to look at the costings etc etc they would have told him to return when the exercise was concluded but before a decision was taken.

    Are you any wiser after our imsiehba socjali debated last night? Was there any conclusion?

    On another note it was good to see Gejtu Vella have a go at Austin Gatt … can you imagine Tony ‘time to go on a diet’ Zarb having a go at an MLP minister if and when Labour get into Govt?

  8. Gerald says:

    The debate, if you can call it one, was a disgraceful shouting match with the presenter completely losing it. I also detected a slight bias in favour of the Tom Watson of local politics whose statements at times bordered on the incredible – mhux problema’, ‘minuta biss ghandi bzonn’ etc. The only two pople who I thought came out rather well in the programme where MEA President, Pierre Fava and MHRA President Kevin Decesare who sounded calm, polite and reasonable.

    [Daphne – And I suppose you refuse to make the connection between the conduct of the two men you mention and the fact that they are quintessentially tal-pepe. All three of us grew up within metres of each other’s homes.]

  9. Sigmund says:

    @ Daphne on men and women and the island of Malta…

    Let’s face it folks. Maltese society is one large bitchfest. That’s the way it works. If you have a particular type of thick skin to forge ahead regardless of the pettiness, you’ll make it. If not, you can choose to do your own little thing away from the limelight while disengaging completely. Many, many decent people who could have made a positive impact on society have chosen this path. They’ll tell you “It’s not worth the anguish”. It’s their choice, of course, they shouldn’t recriminate. But we shouldn’t be too surprised that we’re constantly in a state of tension if the main quality required to forge ahead is the killer instinct coupled with a MASSIVE EGO. The tough cookies? Joseph Muscat, Daphne, Austin Gatt… Kollha jigu ala bieb z*bbhom x’jghid haddiehor…

    [Daphne – Excuse me, but some of us have brains and talent as well as a killer instinct and a massive ego.]

  10. Tony Borg says:

    I’m glad I watched the Chanel biography on Rai Uno which was aired at the same time as Bondi . She was a woman of substance who caused a revolution by liberating women from their bulky dresses.

  11. Sybil says:

    [Daphne – And I suppose you refuse to make the connection between the conduct of the two men you mention and the fact that they are quintessentially tal-pepe. All three of us grew up within metres of each other’s homes.]

    That the Favas and Decesares are well-bred can be seen from a mile off. Bona-fide persone per bene do not need to resort to low-class tac-criecer tactics to make a point.

    [Daphne – There’s a difference between being well-bred and well-brought-up, but I’ve noticed that many don’t know this. You can be well-bred and behave like an animal, and there are plenty of people who aren’t well-bred but who are very well-brought-up.]

  12. Uncle Fester says:

    I don’t think guests on overseas discussion shows get paid either unless they are the host of the show but I am sure they get pampered – car service, free meal etc. These talk show guests are sought out or in most cases have agents to do the seeking for them. They all seek the “oxygen of publicity”. I am sure you have read about the making of the film “Borat” and saw the scene where he was interviewed live on T.V. According to the blogs he just got an agent who found some station that had a spot to fill and didn’t mind filling it with an unknown like Borat. Shame, I think you would liven things up a la Arianna Huffington. At least you would verbally emasculate some of your more pretentious guests which would make them think twice before they opened their loud mouths.

    [Daphne – Of course guests are paid. What do you imagine? That they give up their time for free? Honestly. The only ones who don’t get paid are those who get something else out of it, like the chance to promote their book, their film, their CD, their new idea….]

  13. H.P. Baxxter says:

    No way Tony. That was Yves Saint Laurent. The Great YSL.

    [Daphne – I’ll break up this incipient row. They both did. Chanel was the first woman to wear trousers without being thought a dyke or actually being one. She trimmed off the unnecessary upholstery in women’s clothes and single-handedly changed European perception of tanned skin. Yves Saint Laurent persuaded more and more women to wear trousers. My mother, a big trouser-fan in the 1950s – my father had a motorbike – used to say that this way of dressing was met with pursed lips.]

  14. Uncle Fester says:

    @Tony Pace. I have appeared on T.V. discussing legal issues but as Daphne says it is all unpaid and did not translate into business. (Daph: Would that be an unconscious Protestant work/business ethic?) The worst part was having to wait three hours while everyone else – fortune teller, wellness person, hairdresser to the “stars” and plastic surgeon got on first because they were much more interesting than a boring lawyer talking about tax issues!

    @Daphne – I don’t think anyone would make the mistake of classifying as a “token” anything.

    @Sigmund – you are totally correct. Many people approached by political parties to run for public office or to serve as judges/magistrates turn down the offer. Plus unless you come from serious family money who can afford to actually live on the salaries they pay our MPs and judiciary.

  15. Corinne Vella says:

    Uncle Fester: Yes, guests and participants are routinely paid. It is part of the cost of production. It doesn’t happen here because 1. the culture of getting something for nothing is entrenched and 2. production budgets are nowhere near as high as some green-eyed monsters imagine.

    I share your view that Arianna Huffington livens up a debate. The bit you didn’t mention is that she is intelligent and well informed, qualities that are not shared by many of the people who give up their time for free for the gratification of the masses.

  16. Uncle Fester says:

    @Daphne – Hate to contradict you but most guests on TV “talking head” shows are not paid because most of them are either promoting a political issue or candidate, movie, book or another T.V. show. Do you think Larry King pays Arianna Huffington to come on the show to thrash McCain? Does Bay Buchanan get paid to stick it to Obama? Does Oprah pay her guests? Most of them would kill to get on the show. I don’t know about Jerry Springer but if he pays his guests I can understand why.

    [Daphne – You’re testing my patience. Read what I wrote, again: that elsewhere, guests are paid UNLESS THEY ARE GETTING SOMETHING ELSE OUT OF IT LIKE PROMOTING THEIR BOOK, CD, FILM, ETC. I have nothing to sell or promote, am not seeking election and don’t need a higher profile than I have already, so I would fully expect to be paid for my time and my in-put. Otherwise, I am not interested. If I am going to give up free time for no financial reward, it will be to help a deserving cause, not a production company.]

  17. Corinne Vella says:

    Uncle Fester: If it was such a waste of time (and surely you could have foreseen that), then why did you do it?

  18. Uncle Fester says:

    @Daphne. At the cost of testing your patience even further pray mention the name of a political commentator/columnist who is paid to be a guest (not a host) on a foreign current affairs program?

    [Daphne – I suggest you call all the leading European broadcasters and ask about their policy. I do not provide this service. They are paid on the same principle that speakers at dinners and at public events are paid: it’s a professional service. Tony Blair spoke for free on television debates when he was party leader and prime minister – the reasons why should be obvious. Now that he is no longer prime minister, he expects to be paid, and is. His wife, on the other hand, has been paid from day one. Do you know that, in Malta, there are actually people who write opinion pieces for the newspapers for free, just to see their name in print?]

  19. Uncle Fester says:

    @Corinne Vella. I know I have heard Larry King say once or twice on his show that he does not pay his guests although he does make donations to charity in the case of celebrities asked to come onto the show. Say Clinton, Carter etc. Where are you getting your information that political commentator “guests” (not hosts) are paid? I am willing to stand corrected if shown the evidence. I talk from experience because I have a friend who produces a Spanish language talk show for the U.S. market and know for a fact that he does not pay his guests. They line up to come on for whatever reason. And yes I agree that Arianna Huffington is intelligent, sharp and entertaining, that is why I compared your sister to her. She has the same qualities. And the reason I was suggesting that your sister take the plunge is because I believe she would raise the level of political commentary on T.V. The only female commentator on Maltese T.V. that is worth listening to is Anna Mallia. Can you think of anyone else/

  20. Uncle Fester says:

    @Corinne Vella. I guess my ego interfered with my better judgment. The reason I did it was that I have a colleague that has a legal talk show on radio who has made a ton of money but then he has a very compelling life story and a target audience. I don’t regret the experience and still enjoy accompanying a beautiful dyke “celebrity” sociologist to promo parties when asked. It’s a peek into a world that I don’t inhabit in my humdrum let’s file the next lawsuit existence.

  21. Uncle Fester says:

    @Daphne. I don’t have the time to do that but I will take your word for it. I do find it surprising though.

  22. Sybil says:

    [Daphne – Do you know that, in Malta, there are actually people who write opinion pieces for the newspapers for free, just to see their name in print?]

    Others give sex for free. Shock Horror!

    [Daphne – Are you serious? You mean to say that you wouldn’t have sex with a man (or woman, given that I don’t know who you are) unless he pays you? Or buys you something? What are you – some kind of whore?]

  23. Sigmund Bonello says:

    That you’re talented and intelligent is beyond doubt, Daphne. But the thing you’ve got in common with Muscat and Gatt (and not, say, with Kenneth Wain or Mario Tabone – two intelligent and talented men) is a certain arrogant swagger which tells the world “I’m the best and I’ll shove my superiority down your miserable little throats.” Malta has always fascinated me for the sheer amount of MASSIVE EGOs it manages to fit onto its miniscule corner of the globe. PS: Not that you’ll give a toss (!) – but in a contest between yourself and Muscat, I’d choose you any day on a number of counts. Above all for your intellectual honesty on most matters.

    [Daphne – Oh sweetheart, you really don’t know me if you think I have an arrogant swagger. I am very quiet and reserved. My presence in a room is as far removed from Austin Gatt’s and Muscat’s as possible. If I weren’t tall, you wouldn’t even notice I was there. And I usually make a point of wearing flip-flops so as not to tower over others and intimidate them. It is possible to be quiet and self-confident, you know. Self-confidence doesn’t always manifest itself in loud brashness and look-at-me behaviour.]

  24. Sigmund Bonello says:

    Oh and about those talk shows. Bruno Vespa invites lots of women onto his shows. 7 times out of 10, they’ve got never-ending legs and plenty of cleavage on offer. Those bloody Italians! Sanno vivere…

    [Daphne – Yes, the last place in Europe where broadcasters have a 1950s attitude towards women, while outside the broadcasting station, the women are anything but. Italian women all work, no matter how loaded their husbands are. Or at least they pretend to work. I was once at a dinner party, some years ago, and overheard an Italian woman married to a highly acclaimed designer ask a Maltese woman married to one of Malta’s best-known businessmen: ‘You mean you do nothing?’ And the Maltese woman answered: ‘I travel a lot. My children are at school in England.’ I noticed the Italian woman turn to her husband and raise a quizzical eyebrow. This must be the last place on earth, apart from Sarah Palin’s Alaska, where women born after 1955 are still PROUD of the fact that they ‘don’t work because they don’t need to.’]

  25. Corinne Vella says:

    Uncle Fester: I did not say that political commentator ‘guests’ are paid in cash. I said that people who participate in debates are paid – that includes people who are NOT political commentators and includes rewards that are not measured in cash.

    Larry King has leverage – he can offer the kind of visibility that people would pay to get. If a lesser known host wanted to entice someone onto his/her programme, some sort of reward has to be offered and that sometimes means cash.

    There is no reason that anyone would spend their time doing something that didn’t get them anything in return, even if that something is a donation to a third party of their choice or the mere gratification of having been seen.

    Participating in a debate and giving an interview are two entirely different formats. If you give an interview (without being paid by the interviewer or producer), it is because you are publicly accountable for your actions or because visibility reaps dividends which, yes, do sometimes include cash, albeit not necessarily paid by the interviewer or the producer of the interviewer’s programme. Political commentators make their money by … commenting on politics. If they are not paid by one medium, they certainly are paid by another, so the former helps boost interest in the latter and thereby increases their income indirectly.

    As you point out, the financial rewards of participation are not necessarily paid to the interviewee. Larry King’s donation to charity when interviewing Carter or Clinton is an example of that kind of transaction. Would Carter or Clinton accept an invitation from Larry King without payment to themselves or to a third party? Yes, if they have a message to ‘sell’ – a spot on Larry King’s programme guarantees a wide audience and sets tongues wagging.

    Where am I getting my information? Maybe my years of working in and around the media here and elsewhere might have taught me how things work.

  26. Sigmund Bonello says:

    Your journalist persona has an arrogant swagger about it, Daphne. Big time. But in many ways, you’ve earned it courageoulsy – so kudos to you. And do keep on pricking Guzeppi’s Big Ego. He deserves every last arrow.

  27. Sybil says:

    [Daphne – Are you serious? You mean to say that you wouldn’t have sex with a man (or woman, given that I don’t know who you are) unless he pays you? Or buys you something? What are you – some kind of whore?]

    Where has your famous sense of the ironical gone?

    :P

  28. Corinne Vella says:

    Uncle Fester: Here’s another thought to mull over: why would Larry King make a point of saying he doesn’t pay his interviewees if that weren’t common practice elsewhere?

  29. Sigmund Bonello says:

    The women on Italian talk-shows earn shed-loads of cash. They are mainly actresses, models, veline, TV presenters, parliamentarians. Generally, long-legged and with a penchant for high heels. But all independent women who’ve made it big.

    [Daphne – And who portray women in a very bad light.]

  30. Gerald says:

    From experience, Daphne is very reserved and quiet as she says. I’ll agree on that :)

  31. Gerald says:

    Daphne, one of them happens to be married to my cousin. So I’m not so ‘marmalja’ after all :)

    [Daphne – Nobody ever said you were.]

  32. Sybil says:

    “Independent” women? Ghandek cans.

  33. Tony Borg says:

    @Daphne. no incipient row at all. Baxxter is right too. But considering that the subject was the absence of women on Bondi and incidentally I was watching Chanel’s biography on Rai 1 at the same time, I just thought the context was right to point out Chanel’s contribution to society.

    @Daphne. I wouldn’t say that certain columnists write for free. If the writer has something to sell (as in the case of a politician for instance)they would have to pay circa 800 euros for a half-page in The Times. Their piece is is advertorial and if they had to pay for the advert it would be much more than if they got paid for their writing. So they are actually paid much more than a normal columnist who actually gets a cheque for his/her piece.

  34. Gerald says:

    Just a light joke to calm down the banter :) I happen to be from Sliema on both sides of the family too.

    [Daphne – That’s a joke? It’s a fact.]

  35. David Tabone says:

    “- and boy, does it look ugly”
    Is this the reason why you want women on the panel, because they make the panel more attractive? Not all intelligent women are good-looking.

    [Daphne – No, it looks ugly because an all-male environment looks dull, monotonous and monotone. If you want to know exactly what I mean, try sitting in a conference hall packed with 400 men all wearing the same grey suit.]

  36. Graham Crocker says:

    What about your own TV show?

    [Daphne – You must be joking. Why on earth would I want to do that?]

  37. A Camilleri says:

    “… packed with 400 men all wearing the same grey suit.” Maybe that’s why Jason loves his white trousers.

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