Personally, I don’t think people will be responding generally to it because it is Pauline Hanson as such. I think people will respond to it because it is taking the piss out of the omnicause type of people, but also obviously focused on it from a gender identity over reach.
So, it will be seen as a ‘sticking it to the ‘woke’ ‘ song more than anything. Some people might remember in 5 years the Pauline Hansen connection.
It is ‘anti-woke’ which will always get some traction. I’d be surprised if the top of the charts will be more than a short time of people around the world watching it just to see it for themselves versus watching it and aligning with it.
I expect people will find much to identify with in the music video. It very successfully captures how many people feel about being told they must treat a male person as if they are the woman they say they are for a start. There will also be other issues there that people will appreciate being highlighted. Such as the significant over reach of the federal and state governments’ hate speech laws which covers off the situation of Kirrily Smith being fined for what she said about the footballers.
Ultimately, it looks to be a music clip to go with Hansen’s animated ‘A super progressive movie.’ Politically, her release has been well timed to capitalise on the usual discussion about Australia Day celebrations. And of course, the fall out from the Coalition of the Liberal Party and the National Party divide over the hate speech bill. I see it as her version of Trump’s ‘they/them’ ad.
There are, of course, similarities with the rise in popularity of Reform and One Nation. It is being driven by the same trend as we have seen in Europe. These parties seek to find out what the issues people want addressed are and leverage those. They used to be merely disruptor parties. But they that is not the case any more.
While Pauline Hanson undoubtedly sees the issues around gender identity and particularly the impact on women and girls and the medicalisation of children as many of us do, she also found it politically useful. Like Trump did.
Will this clip change the future for women and girls for the better? I cannot see it doing that. I doubt the music clip and the movie are aimed at convincing people who don’t know about the topics. In the current political environment in Australia, I see this clip as confirming in too many people’s minds that fighting the negative impact of gender identity is a right wing issue.
It is aimed at pulling together those who are reacting to the trend of the Australian governments’ (state and federal) introducing legislation around speech and censoring social media etc, the political climate leading up to and since the Bondi shootings, what is seen to be DEI over reach, and a slew of other issues. If Pauline Hansen can pull together those groups to vote for One Nation, she might keep them on side.
I don’t think Pauline Hansen has helped women with this clip at all. But she has lifted her profile at a time when she is apparently polling very well.