Jackie O enabled the misogyny of Kyle Sandilands. Inevitably, he turned on her

The 10-minute tirade that Kyle Sandilands directed at his co-host Jackie O last week made for wince-inducing and deeply nasty listening.

In other words, it was totally on-brand for the duo’s show, which has showcased vulgarity and misogyny in plain sight, on the mainstream airwaves of Sydney and, more recently, Melbourne, for the past 27 years.

Listening to the tirade, which has led to the break-up of the duo and the apparent termination of their 10-year, $200 million contract, it was impossible not to feel sorry for Jackie O, who withered under the barrage of her co-host’s bullying.

Her voice broke as she tried, unsuccessfully, to defend herself.

Sandilands wasn’t just bullying her, he was patronising her – telling her that she was terrible at her job.

It did away with any pretence that he saw her as his equal, as anything more than the blonde offsider he needs to soften his dull-yet-popular brand of aggression.

The third host tried weakly to intervene, but he was unable to stand up to Sandilands, whose pugnacious style has always defined the show.

No one, on air or off, was willing to do what decency required – to tell Sandilands to shut up and leave her alone.

She now says she “cannot continue to work with Kyle Sandilands”, and he has been given a show-cause notice by his employers for “serious misconduct”.

But it is difficult to extend any sympathy too far.

How many times has Jackie O stood by, giggling in collusion, as Sandilands has bulldozed someone else in exactly the same way?

When you take millions of dollars to contract yourself to a misogynistic bully, you’d better believe he is going to turn his powers on you at some point.

Misogynists will always use certain useful women as circumstances demand, but any woman who convinces herself that she is special, that she will be treated as an equal by them, is fooling herself.

Women and girls have always been Sandilands’ favourite targets.

His pattern couldn’t be more clear.

It is the style of misogynists the world over: make deeply personal remarks about a woman (it doesn’t really matter which one), particularly about her physical appearance, mock her as unattractive (your own levels of attractiveness are irrelevant, obviously), throw in sexual comments and snarling inquiries about her sex life, and then, if she objects, accuse her of not having a sense of humour.

Remember in 2009 when a 14-year-old girl submitted herself to a “lie detector” test on the show?

She was asked by the hosts about her sexual experiences, including whether she had been raped. She broke down and disclosed that she had been raped – when she was 12.

Doesn’t that make for great radio?

That incident led to a fine from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (it was the kind of fine that barely covered Sandilands’ lunch budget).

That same year, Sandilands launched an attack on a Daily Telegraph journalist who had delivered an unfavourable review of a Sandilands’ TV special.

This journalist was a “fat slag” and a “piece of shit”, he told listeners.

Jackie O was on hand to provide context and that all-important levity.

She laughed, saying Sandilands didn’t take criticism well, and helpfully told listeners they could see a photograph of the journalist in the article Sandilands was referring to.

“You haven’t got that much titty to be wearing that low-cut a blouse,” Sandilands continued.

Even the mother of God.

But it is not only Jackie O who has spent decades colluding and enabling this bottom-shelf vulgarian.

It is the politicians – the premiers and the prime ministers who have tugged their forelock with countless appearances on the show, a show that promotes exactly the kind of bullying targeted by federal and state programs they fund.

These are the same politicians who make speeches about compassion and civility in public life.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has more women in his caucus than ever before, but he’s still apparently comfortable enough with sexist aggression to attend Sandilands’ wedding as an honoured guest. So did NSW Premier Chris Minns.

On Wednesday, when Minns was asked, on another radio show, about the Sandilands/Jackie O split, he said it was “sad”.

The only sad thing about this is that the misogynistic aggression and coarseness of the show went on for so long, enabled by so many people in public life and in corporate boardrooms.

It was only ever about the money and the power, really. The misogyny was simply the best route to it.

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