Cornering the mainstream
Short of any new policies to examine, the media have been scratching around for things to write about the National Party conference at the weekend. John Armstrong’s pick of the crumbs was to analyse National’s coining of the phrase “mainstream New Zealand”. Writes Armstrong:
On the evidence at its weekend conference, National’s campaign will be an emotionally manipulative but shrewd play for control of the political centre. It is designed to drive a wedge between Labour and what National calls “mainstream” New Zealand.
Problem is that Don Brash cannot offer a convincing explanation of what a “mainstream New Zealander” is. Writes Tracy Watkins in the Dominion Post:
Dr Brash struggled to define a mainstream New Zealander when pressed, but by definition - and even by his own words - it excludes minority and special interest groups.
Sean Plunket skewered Dr Brash on this point on Morning Report. A key exchange went roughly as follows:
Plunket: So, you’re saying you don’t consider gays part of mainstream New Zealand?
Brash: No, clearly they’re not.
Hmm, okay. Gays aren’t mainstream New Zealanders? That sounds extraordinarily intolerant (yes, homophobic) from a man hoping to lead 21st Century New Zealand. You’re gay? Nah, we don’t want to represent you, because you’re not “mainstream” enough for us. You’re far, far too marginal and radical because you’re attracted to people of the same gender. Go find another party!
One could defend Brash by saying that all he meant was that gays aren’t in the majority in New Zealand, so don’t form part of “mainstream New Zealand”. But, if that’s all you mean when you say “mainstream New Zealand” - people who don’t form part of a numerical minority - then you will quickly end up with nothing left.
The elderly? Gone, because they don’t make up a majority of New Zealanders. Young people? Gone, for the same reason. Maori? Gone! Asians? Gone! Teachers? Public servants? Australians? Aucklanders? South Islanders? Gone! Gone! Gone!
It’s like that horrific TV1 show Are You Normal?, in which audience members are whittled down one-by-one for not being statistically normal enough until you have only one typical New Zealander left.
So, if “mainstream New Zealand” simply means all those people living here who are not excluded because they form part of a minority, then it’s an absolute nonsense. On the other hand, if Dr Brash is serious that certain minorities - Maori and gays were two he identified on Morning Report - then he’s offering a seriously bigoted vision of New Zealand
So, mainstream New Zealand? A nice catchphrase, but an eerily hollow and intellectually bankrupt one.
June 27th, 2005 at 11:41 am
Hm-m-m-m. Perhaps Dr Don’s “mainstream NZ” is 2005-speak for “Rob’s mob”!
June 27th, 2005 at 12:42 pm
“Problem is that Don Brash cannot offer a convincing explanation of what a “mainstream New Zealanderâ€? is.”
Well what is your convincing explanation of what a”mainstream New Zealander” is??
June 27th, 2005 at 1:16 pm
Well said. I was about to say that we’re all mainstream in some ways, and all minorities in others. As that show illustrates, there is no real normal anyway. Though I wholeheartedly don’t support National, and I’ll be praying they lose the election, I think this is a bit mean.
Given this country’s image as clean, green, social & environmental leaders & so on (snort) wouldn’t it be nice if these people (us!) were the mainstream
June 27th, 2005 at 1:41 pm
You’re pedantic to the point of making your observations “eerily hollow and intellectually bankrupt.” If You take the average person and see how they spend their life, then several key themes emerge. Heterosexual, probably get married, and will grow old. Mainstream New Zealand is not some average of everything. It is rather a continuum of those things. So statistically elderly may not be a minority, but they form part of the mainstream in that a significant amount of others will soon be elderly, and the elderly were once like those others.
It’s meant to polarise and divide. It’s politics.
June 27th, 2005 at 2:06 pm
I think what is intended by “mainsteam” is the values system. There’s no such thing as a mainstream New Zealander as has been pointed out, but i think there are commonly held values by the majority of New Zealand.
There is a problem when a democratic government is hijacked by groups whos values are different from that of the majority. Then the Base values of society can be moved away from that of the majority.
With the issue regarding gays… Whether you are for or against them… you must agree that they are a minority the majority of New Zealander are not Gay… and as a minority their values are increadibly accepted in our society. I would say this is due to them having influence ingovernment which is greater than they should have as they are a minority.
June 27th, 2005 at 2:15 pm
I’d probably have to agree with you there Jono.
And sorry I’m not into labelling people as homophobic for saying the Gays aren’t mainstream! Why is that intolerant? Why is it homophobic? You give no reasons for these labels.
June 27th, 2005 at 2:21 pm
Nice post Frog. I’m angry as can be about this kind of comment.
June 27th, 2005 at 4:41 pm
I think that when speakers say “mainstream NZ”, or “average NZers” or “midle of the road” that it becomes a question of perception. It means whatever the listener wants it to mean.
I applaud a governemnt, this government for example, who does appear to try and accomodate the human rights issues for minority groups. Be they issues around gender, race, religion or rather “the religion of no church”, disability, infertility, you name it, we all will have minority issues in our lives. I am an older or maybe you would even call me an elderly NZer of Celtic ancestry. I live and work on a farm so that makes makes me a minority.
June 27th, 2005 at 5:09 pm
There’s nothing mainstream about being gay. A solid 95% or so of New Zealanders aren’t. Heaven forbid Brash would accuse the Pope of being Catholic. This is a beatup, although I guess I’d expect no less from a Green Party blog.
June 27th, 2005 at 7:02 pm
fwwog .. think you just see start of it .. ” race based funding” seems now a main stream talking point fwwog .. Bwash inventing expwessions and the peoples using them, and invents meaning as they goes along you know things evolving well amphibian .. sun out again today fwog .. it nice
further right wing conspiwacy fwwog .. Peter Dunne and Winston both tonight confirmed against sending $2000 per taxpayer to Wussia