Anthony Albanese's apology for his comments about Kylie Minogue is an admission he got it wrong in playing along with a social media influencer's 'shag, marry, date' question. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
Everything in Canberra is content now, from performative questions to calculated outbursts. The prime minister, appearing alongside a stuffed copy of his beloved cavoodle Toto, fell victim to an entirely avoidable and regrettable controversy when he played along with a 'shag, marry, date' game on the Bush Deep podcast hosted by comedian Nikki Osborne, who has close to half a million followers on Instagram.
It's not hard to understand why politicians agree to go on these shows: piggybacking off the popularity of a social media creator can endear them to voters who normally tune out. Albanese initially gave the right answer, saying 'I've just got married, I'm only six months in,' but after mild coaxing from Osborne ('but if [marriage] goes tits up, let's just pretend'), he answered Minogue for all three categories.
This is not uncharted territory for federal parliament. In 2007, Kevin Rudd famously answered 'my wife, Therese' when asked 'who would you turn gay for?' The Betoota Advocate photoshopped Albanese in the literal doghouse. Even Barnaby Joyce advised Albanese 'has to be a bit cleverer,' claiming he 'fell into a trap that a prime minister shouldn't fall into.'
Albanese has faced criticism before for flippant answers: in February, he described Grace Tame as 'difficult,' later claiming he meant she had a difficult life. Embracing the new media environment is a strategy Labor has increasingly deployed, but the risk comes with the reward. Osborne called the interview 'bloody hilarious' even though it was 'a massive risk for him,' and hinted at more political guests. Albanese's apology is an admission he got it wrong.