Australian comic Fiona O'Loughlin has caused a great deal of controversy because of her off colour, offhand remarks about Bindi Irwin. Amazingly, the story has gone global.
This ruckus is not unlike the Chaser team's sketch about kids with cancer, although not as extreme.
Events like these are quite odd. Australian comedians are characteristically nasty and abrasive. They are forever saying things that are provocative and offensive to many and this is not reported by the media. But every now and then one of these comments is deemed way beyond the pale and they are widely condemned for it.
There does seem to be a common element in both these scandals, though. The targets of the alleged comedy were kids. So, in future, comics should remember to lay off the whippersnappers.
That said, I suspect that if the child in question is the offspring of a conservative politician or public figure, they'll still be able to get away with it. (Of course, they'll still cause much offence. The media just won't pick up the scent and give the outrage oxygen.)
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