Is it just me or does reality TV actually teach you something?

Is it just me or does reality TV actually teach you something?

Is it just me or does everyone think reality TV has never been more of a teachable tool than it was this week?

For those who refuse to engage in pop culture, TV’s latest Bachelorette is gorgeous local girl named Angie Kent.  In reality TV land she is currently holed up in a Sydney mansion, ‘dating’ 20 suitors, including 37 year old Cr Jess Glasgow.

Cr Glasgow arrived on the red carpet with a cape and a chair resembling a “throne”, and he introduced himself as “Lord Jess” before offering Angie the “key to our town” of Noosa and a key to his apartment, in an effort to win her heart.

It was awkward and slightly inappropriate but nothing compared with Thursday night, when he described Angie as ‘up for it’, tried to lick her leg, suggested a suitor should kiss Angie whether she wanted to or not and ‘apologised’ in advance for what he might do with ‘wandering fingers.’ It was awful.

Noosa Mayor Tony Wellington has asked Cr Glasgow to step down.  I think that is the only course of action available to the mayor, elected members can’t be sacked as I understand it, unless they are charged with a crime.

And being a sexist, creepy, inappropriate dinosaur isn’t a crime.

Cr Glasgow is single.  He is employed by the good people of Noosa and says he was approached by Channel Ten to be on the show.

According to his bio, Cr Glasgow’s major policy focus is trying to get Noosa’s residents to swap their cars for scooters. Jess rides a scooter himself and believes this is a simple solution to Noosa’s parking problem.

He says he took annual leave the take part in the show, he is giving the money he was paid to charity and he was genuinely looking for love.

Reality television is in the fabric of our lives now – constantly playing on our television screens, creating celebrities and even producing a US President.

Jacqui Lambie used realty TV to get re-elected in Tasmania.

No one knew who Kevin Rudd was until he was feted by Channel 7’s Sunrise and Pauline Hanson has always used TV to keep her name in the headlines.

No matter how sexist, divisive or irritating Cr Glasgow is on TV (and trust me, he is all those things,) it probably won’t hurt his chances of being re-elected.

For the record, there was a hero in the controversial episode.

Our beautiful Angie Kent, the greatest Bachelorette of all time, stood up for herself beautifully.  In my day we used to laugh that sort of behaviour off.  We rarely told people who were making us feel uncomfortable to back off.  We laughed awkwardly and hoped they would stop.

Angie was having none of it, from the first inappropriate comment she had Cr Glasgow’s measure.  When she spoke she was fair and clear.  Angie said if someone didn’t respect her, if they saw her as a piece of meat and not a person, she would rather be single for the rest of her life.

Bravo young warrior. I could not love you more.