‘Q&A’ Just Sunk To A New Low With A Question From Milo Yiannopoulos
Banned from every other platform. Good enough for Our ABC.
Q&A may have just sunk to an all time low, with the ABC panel show facing a barrage of criticism for giving a platform to not one but two heroes of the alt-right, in Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson and washed-up internet loser Milo Yiannopoulos.
The national broadcaster was slammed ahead of last night’s Q&A episode for the decision to include Peterson, who has become a favourite of men’s rights activists due to his vocal attacks on feminism and so-called political correctness. But that was nothing compared to the reaction of viewers when host Tony Jones threw to a video question from Yianopoulos, who went after Peterson for not being enough of a right-wing crackpot.
“You’ve told The New York Times that you thought I might be a racist when you know I’m not,” Yiannopoulos whined. “Can you explain why, although you talk a good game about standing up against social justice warriors and the chaotic feminists, when it comes down to it you always seem to either fold, stay silent or betray your allies?”
Yiannopoulos, let’s not forget, was banned from Twitter for encouraging his followers to harass actress Leslie Jones, has equated feminism with cancer, and was fired from right-wing “news outlet” Breitbart after video surfaced in which he appeared to endorse paedophelia. But sure, invite him onto the ABC, that seems perfectly fine.
Peterson responded to Yiannopoulos’ question by saying he didn’t believe Yiannopoulos was racist and that he had simply been “caught off guard” when asked about it by The New York Times. He also denied Yiannopoulos’ assertion that he had “amassed a big army” of young men and boys, accusing the media of playing up the idea that he has “a coterie of angry young white men surrounding me”.
“I don’t see it like that at all,” Peterson said.
Milo Yiannopolous asks @jordanbpeterson why, “when it actually comes down to it, you always seem to either fold, stay silent or betray your allies?” #QandA pic.twitter.com/UYIRI7IhA0
— ABC Q&A (@QandA) February 25, 2019
The sight of Yiannopoulos on the tax-payer funded station sparked an immediate backlash on social media.
We really need to stop serving as the global junkyard for conservative grifters pic.twitter.com/qIn6C8a8hT
— Ketan Joshi (@KetanJ0) February 25, 2019
Why is a discredited jumpstart like Milo yiannopoulos getting a platform on #qanda ?
— Elise Cooper (@elisejcooper) February 25, 2019
There’s a Milo video question? Jesus. What is going on, #QandA?
— Wes Mountain (@therevmountain) February 25, 2019
There’s are many reasons Milo keeps getting banned from platforms, but you can sum it all up by saying that he’s a rolled gold piece of shit. Good enough for our ABC though
— Rob Stott (@Rob_Stott) February 25, 2019
I love the ABC and will defend it to my grave but I can not see any semblance of justification for fielding a question from Milo Yiannopolous on Q and A. How could it possibly provide any value for our political discourse.
— Rudi (@RudiEdsall) February 25, 2019
Fielding a question from Milo is an appalling decision. I know QandA is engineered for heat and not light, but this is terrible.
— Eric George (@ericpaulgeorge) February 25, 2019
Hey @QandA stop giving people like Milo Yiannopolous a platform because you clearly have an agenda based in sensationalism rather than actual genuine morals or care for the community
— Hektor (@TheBiggestT_) February 25, 2019
Prior to the broadcast, Peterson complained to The Australian that he had been “set-up” by the ABC when it was revealed he would appear on a panel that would also include transgender author, activist and cricket commentator Cate McGregor. Peterson rose to fame in 2016 for opposing a Canadian law that called for the use of gender-neutral pronouns. He has also criticised transgender women athletes for their decision to compete as women.