Those scraping noises? It’s the Australian edition of Zoo magazine busy chiselling away at the bottom of the barrel.
As refugees risk their lives to travel by boat to a nation full of hostility to asylum seekers, the sport-and-tits periodical has found an opportunity for topical guffaws by asking:
ARE YOU AUSTRALIA’S HOTTEST ASYLUM SEEKER?
Are you a refugee not even the immigration minister could refuse? Then we want to see you! We’re looking for Oz’s hottest asylum seeker, so if you’ve swapped persecution for sexiness, we want to shoot you (with a camera – relax!). Send your pics and a short story about your tragic past to …[etc]
Matthew Knott at the Australian site Crikey writes:
The accompanying double-page spread — illustrated by images of Anglo-Saxon babes on luxury yachts — also offered the reader useful factoids including: “One in every 25 boat people dies making it to our shores.” In the main image, one buxom seafarer says: “We could be assets to this country.”
“Yes, big assets …” replies her pal.
A harmless bit of fun? Or a s-xist, xenophobic outrage?
h/t/ @nickyD
populuxe1 Jul 23 2012, 3:32am
Distance means you have to choose to come to Australia and New Zealand; choice is a luxury not generally afforded asylum seekers. You've got asylum as soon as you are in a country where they aren't persecuting you. I'm all for refugees enriching our country so long as they do it legally.
best-name-ever Jul 20 2012, 6:31pm
dairyflat Jul 19 2012, 2:19pm