Mark Nicholson, co-founder of the studio that makes One Nation's Please Explain cartoons, has refused to apologise to Senator Jacqui Lambie. The cartoon, which mocked Lambie's vaginal prolapse, has since been taken down. Nicholson, who is also running for One Nation in Victoria's upper house, said public figures should expect parody. Lambie said he was not fit for parliament. Pauline Hanson earlier defended the cartoon before apologising, and Lambie said Hanson had not personally apologised to her.
Pauline Hanson says her Please Explain cartoons will stay on air, rejecting calls to pull them as federal MPs prepared to honour independent MP Helen Haines after an attack on her. Hanson accused Labor and the Coalition of using the tragedy to silence critics, arguing free speech and satire must be protected. The cartoons have drawn criticism for repeatedly labelling Liberal MP Andrew Hastie a traitor and mocking Senator Jacqui Lambie's health. Separately, donations to Save the Children in Dr Haines's honour have passed $919,000, and some MPs are signing a voluntary civility pledge.
Greek author and playwright Thomas Sitaras has published a new book, And No Worse, drawing on 330 stories, clippings and cartoons from Greek newspapers of past decades. The collection includes a candidate who blamed an amulet seller for failing entrance exams, and a 1906 newspaper report of shopkeepers in Athens offering free goods to a prospective Marathon winner. Sitaras said the newspapers gave equal attention to everyday oddities and political events. He drew on digitised newspapers held by the Library of Parliament, and said he hopes the book will bring back a sense of laughter from that era.
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Film critics have panned Digger, a new satire directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and starring Tom Cruise, calling it an insufferable slog and a misfire. However, audience scores on aggregator sites like Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes are significantly higher than critic scores, with many viewers defending the film. Academics suggest the negative reviews may be driven by a desire to see the film fail, as well as a trend of criticising high-budget Hollywood films. Some celebrities, including Ben Affleck and Anne Hathaway, have publicly defended the film, warning that its rejection could lead to less risk-taking by studios.
Pauline Hanson has apologised for a One Nation cartoon that mocked independent senator Jacqui Lambie's vaginal prolapse, and said the video will be changed. Hanson said the video was posted without her seeing it and was not tastefully done. Earlier, she had said the video was satire and that Lambie should get over it. Senators and ministers across parties, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, criticised the cartoon and backed Lambie. Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie called for it to be removed.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has told Senator Jacqui Lambie to lighten up after a party cartoon mocked her prolapse. Lambie had revealed in August that she had the condition, which she linked to her military service, and that it required surgery and five months of leave. Labor frontbencher Tim Ayres and independent MP Monique Ryan, a medical doctor, joined Lambie in condemning the video. Hanson said it was satirical and that it had raised awareness of the condition, which affects one in 12 women.
Independent senator Jacqui Lambie has criticised a One Nation cartoon that uses her vaginal prolapse as a punchline. Lambie disclosed the condition in an emotional Senate speech in August, saying it required surgery and five months of leave. She said she would not demand the video's removal but urged Pauline Hanson's team, especially the men, to take it down. Other politicians, including independent MP Monique Ryan and Queensland Labor MP Kara Cook, have condemned the cartoon. Labor's Tim Ayres called it cheap and nasty political propaganda.
One Nation has released a new Please Explain cartoon that mocks Senator Jacqui Lambie's health condition. The clip targets the government's Digital Duty of Care bill, which aims to regulate online safety, algorithms and digital platforms. In it, an animated Lambie refers to her prolapsed vagina while reacting to the bill. The cartoon also pokes fun at veteran Andrew Hastie, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Comments on the video were largely positive. Lambie was not available for comment, and NewsWire cannot verify whether negative comments were removed.
Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has unveiled a new character, Katie Zacharia, a fictional White House Press Secretary. Cohen reportedly developed the character after months of watching American political television. Zacharia is described as a conservative commentator who is appointed to the role despite lacking public speaking skills and political knowledge. A clip released this week, believed to promote an upcoming feature film, has drawn strong reactions. Some critics say the character is over the top and not believable.
Physical comedy has become a rare art form, but The Portrait revives it through the humour of a look or a gesture. Emilie Bloom and Tim Sneddon play two attendants guarding a room before a portrait unveiling. As the crowd approaches, their quirks grow more pronounced while they struggle to keep their dignity and grow irritated with each other. Creator and director Claire Bartholomew builds the piece to a climax, with a near disaster averted before the unveiling. Beneath the slapstick sits a satire of human pretension and prejudice.
The film Digger, starring Tom Cruise, has underperformed at the box office. The movie is a satire about an oil tycoon whose actions threaten Europe, with a plot that recontextualises key moments. It features a star-studded cast and surreal set designs, but its heavy-handed satire and layered narrative make it difficult to market or review without spoilers. The film critiques modern politics and the role of technology in culture, with a dystopian ending that underscores its themes.
