Lisa Wilkinson’s perfect answer to a “threatening” passion with one The Melbourne press photographer has opened an important conversation around the basic (and very very normal) right to eat an individual alone.
Last week, The Daily Mail published images of The Project Guest dining alone in a restaurant in Melbourne accompanied by the gruesome headline: “Lisa Wilkinson slips on a margarita as she eats alone in a restaurant in Melbourne following the project’s recent panelist shake-up”
As we all know, there are two sides to every story – and the tabloid headline, a weak attempt at Clickbait at best, was completely superfluously closed as Wilkinson himself explained what happened from their perspective behind the camera.
It started as a Twitter user commented on the story: “[Lisa] was possibly aware that it was some freak who was showing too much interest in her, taking funny photos that would have ruined the experience for her.
Wilkinson replied, “I was aware of a guy. He was terribly threatened. I saw him half a dozen times, and we died. But I never saw a phone or a camera.”
She explained how much her evening was affected as a result of the intrusive enthusiasm: “I was so worried that I waited an hour, worked until I thought he had left the area. Terrible that a news organization employs such people. ”
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Lisa’s clapback received an overwhelming response from other notable television journalists who took to Twitter to share their support for Wilkinson, and to call for the investigation that others may face while they are in public.
“Incredibly creepy. For no journalistic purpose. The detail in it is what made me feel nasty. Sorry, you have to deal with it. Keep your head high.” Four corners Reporter Louise Milligan shared.
Former ABC journalist Karen Percy added: “Sorry you have to go through this Lisa. Where’s the news? Where’s the public interest? Ethics? ‘Woman enjoys a drink alone’ … hmmmmm.”
Of course, there is another element to it as well Daily Mail Headline that apparently suggests that a woman alone enjoying a drink is somehow unusual enough for a story to be valuable.
As many of us are well aware, there is absolutely nothing unusual about going to a restaurant alone – many people enjoy doing just that. What’s more, a famous person who enjoys a casual drink alone has no place in a headline – we’d call a friend who’s out for a good meal and a margarita alone in group chat? Ni. So the unfortunate sense of the right of a major news publication to make a story out of it is not only completely redundant, but a disrespect for basic human rights.
Former journalist Kate Nancarrow said it as it was through tweeting, “Some of the happiest times in my life are elsewhere, alone! To have ruined those moments of peace and freedom of a stalker father is horrible. Do better Daily Mail“.
Another Twitter user also shared her own experience on how the perception of eating alone in Australia feels different: “I found it really easy to eat alone when I lived in Asia. Much easier than [Australia]. In Aust it is easier during the day for Brekkie / lunch but evening dinners are much harder – more staring and unwanted attention. Otherwise, I really enjoy eating out alone! ”
There’s a really important point to this, and it’s really very simple: Everyone has the right time to enjoy themselves alone in a public space – damn anyone who thinks otherwise, go and enjoy the margarita.
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