Australia Day: Mike Carlton slammed for tweet about Australian of the Year Taryn Brumfitt

Left-wing journalist Mike Carlton has been criticized for his “ignorance” after tweeting his low opinion that body image advocate Taryn Brumfitt was named Australian of the Year 2023.

In a tweet posted after the announcement of Ms Brumfitt as the winner of the Australia Day gong in Canberra on Wednesday night, Mr Carlton made his views of the decision known on his account with almost 194,000 followers.

‘My Australian of the year would be a doctor or nurse working nights in intensive care or the emergency department, dealing with COVID and daily death. Real compassionate work. For very little money. NOT someone who makes money by saying it’s okay to be a little fat. Good night.’

His tweet was seconded by left-wing TV reporter Paul Bongiorno, who tweeted “Certainly” below Carlton’s post.

In a tweet posted after the announcement of Ms Brumfitt as the winner of the Australia Day jackpot in Canberra on Wednesday night, veteran journalist Mike Carlton made his views of the decision known on his account with nearly 194,000 followers. .

Carlton also tweeted ‘Who? ? ?’ when news of Mrs Brumfitt’s award first broke on Wednesday night

Twitter user Sharna Bremner said Mr Carlton and fellow journalist Paul Bongiorno, who tweeted in support of him, “should be ashamed of their ignorance and s****y comments.”

Carlton also tweeted ‘Who? ? ?’ when news of Mrs Brumfitt’s award first broke on Wednesday night.

But the tweets received a fierce response from women.

Sharna Bremner, founder and director of End Rape on Campus Australia, tweeted in response: “Eating disorders are the third most common illness among young women in Australia and have the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric disorders,” she posted.

‘These two should be ashamed of their ignorance and s****y comments.’

Disgusting, ignorant old white men. F*** them,’ another person replied.

“So saddened to see this, it shows how much more education is needed on eating disorders and for men to understand the female experience of being reduced to ornamentation their entire lives,” Sonya Semmens tweeted.

The negative reaction to his tweet prompted Carlton to begin blocking those who challenged his opinion of Brumfitt’s award.

Ms. Brumfitt, 44, activist, writer, director, and public speaker on a decade-long mission to change the way we perceive ourselves.

In her award acceptance speech, Ms Brumfitt said body shaming had become a chronic national problem, with 70 per cent of schoolchildren citing it as their top concern.

He must have blocked about sixty jerks of one kind or another in the last 24 hours. But it’s a sunny day and I have better things to do,’ he posted earlier on Australia Day.

Ms. Bremner also shared a screenshot of Mr. Carlton having blocked her from her account.

Ms Brumfitt, 44, an activist, writer, director and public speaker on a decade-long mission to change the way we perceive ourselves, was crowned our Australian top in a glittering ceremony in Canberra on Wednesday for the night.

The Body Image Movement, which she founded in 2012, teaches people, particularly young women, to love and appreciate their bodies and has brought her to a global audience from her humble hometown of Adelaide.

In her award acceptance speech, Ms Brumfitt said body shaming had become a chronic national problem, with 70 per cent of schoolchildren listing it as their top concern.

“We are facing a pediatric health emergency with skyrocketing rates of suicide, depression, eating disorders, anxiety and steroid use related to body dissatisfaction,” he told the audience.

“We now know that youth with poor body image are 24 times more likely to be depressed and anxious.

‘There is so much despair in this nation for children and adults when it comes to what we think and how we feel about our bodies.

“Australia, the purpose of our life is not to be at war with our body.”

Highlights from Taryn Brumfitt’s Australia Day acceptance speech

We were not born into the world hating our bodies.

‘This is something the world has taught us.

“Body shaming is a universal problem and we have been intimidated and shamed into thinking our bodies are the problem.

‘And it’s working, because 70 per cent of Australian schoolchildren consider body image their main concern.

“We are facing a pediatric health emergency with skyrocketing rates of suicide, depression, eating disorders, anxiety and steroid use related to body dissatisfaction.

“We now know that youth with poor body image are 24 times more likely to be depressed and anxious.

‘There is so much despair in this nation for children and adults when it comes to what we think and how we feel about our bodies.

‘Australia, it is not the purpose of our life to be at war with our body.

Taryn Brumfitt receives the Australian of the Year award from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra on Wednesday.

‘It’s not our bodies that need to change; it is our perspective.

“Every adult is a role model for a child and I am not here to embarrass you or make you feel bad. I am here to ask you to change your way of thinking.

‘It’s not about promoting obesity; this is not what i do. And this problem is not simply about weight or size, it is about the way we feel about ourselves: the color of our skin, our height, our age, our gender, our unique selves, and it is learning to move. , nurture, respect and enjoy our bodies because you can’t take care of something you don’t love.

‘Australia, we have 28,000 days on the planet if we are very lucky and we are not destined to spend them at war with our bodies.

‘When you take your last breath on this earth, what thoughts will go through your mind? What are you thinking?

‘And no one has ever told me ‘the size of her butt’.

‘If we can embrace that perspective now while we are able, breathing and able, and grateful for our bodies, we can all access a happier, richer and more abundant life.

‘There is a lot of work to be done and it starts early and it starts with us being role models for our children by creating empowering environments where they can thrive.

We’re tired of just talking about it, we’re tired of the misery and pain of hating our bodies.

‘My God, Australia, we are ready for change, for ourselves and for generations to come.