Thrown shoes, sabotaged launches and exposed affairs: the drama of Australian political publishing
How did our politics become so personal? Performance Politics considers 70 years of books and documentaries, from the Whitlam era to now.
The book "Performance Politics" by Joshua Black explores the rise of performative politics in Australia over the past 70 years. Black argues that the term "performance" is used so broadly that it loses its meaning, but his analysis is still valuable for its insights into the role of publishing in shaping political personas.
One striking example of performative politics is a 2010 incident during an ABC show Q&A, where an audience member threw a shoe at former Prime Minister John Howard, echoing a similar incident involving an Iraqi journalist and then-US President George W. Bush. Howard, who was promoting his memoir "Lazarus Rising," laughed off the incident.
Black traces the use of books as a form of self-validation by politicians to the 1975 dismissal of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam by Governor General Sir John Kerr. Whitlam's "The Truth of the Matter" sold better than Kerr's "Matters for Judgement," marking a more emotionally charged public culture.
Louise Adler, the publisher at Melbourne University Press, played a significant role in promoting political autobiographies and memoirs in the 2000s and 2010s. Her support for politicians like Bob Hawke and Tony Abbott led to the publication of best-selling memoirs, including "Lazarus Rising" by Howard, which sold over 100,000 copies.
While Black's book is informative, the title "Performance Politics" may be misleading, as many of the examples discussed are not primarily performative. However, the book offers a thorough account of the role of publishing and leadership in shaping political personas, providing valuable insights into the evolution of Australian politics.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
