Hi Damo,

 

Well, firstly, I must confess that I've not a great deal of knowledge about sport or sporting media! I do, however, know of the Bulldogs image, as regardless it has made its way into mainstream non-sport media (and was even the subject of a Chaser skit, if I remember correctly). 

 

One thing I would say is that many times, when one entity generates a negative image - which, of course, can then be used to sell sensationalist news - part of the tendency to "grow the monster", is because it becomes a sort of self-perpetuating process. It creates an instant association within the public, which presents a perfect emotive tool for media. I think it's partly because this crosses over from simply sporting fans. The image of the Bulldogs is so great, I know about these incidents. I'm sure there are many others from many clubs, but I have less of a reference base to go off, and very importantly in media, no ongoing narrative. So, if I hear that some player from another club (that doesn't have a concrete image) has done something wrong, as someone who has no real interest in football, I will pay less attention to it and will approach the tale with less emotion because it is being perceived only on its own merits, and does not extend as far beyond an interest in football (not mto say I'd have no interest to hear a football player had been involved in rape, but it packs more of a punch because I have an idea of this Bulldogs "problem", because I'm not interested in football, on the whole).

 

When there's another Bulldogs story, the mere word, Bulldogs, instantly creates a very emotive response which is actually an adverse reaction to ALL the incidents piled into one feeling. It's almost a kind of transference. I'll be more angry, because it's not just a reaction to one incident with one player, it's a reaction to an entire entity that comprises a history of wrong-doing. So, more than simply the man in the current story gets blamed, it's an entire team, an entire club, an entire "way of life" or group of people (an "other" - which we all know the public like to point the finger at). So the emotion is greater - and that's what the media aims for. "The Bulldogs" is a symbol, a concept, that a single story from anothe team simply cannot compete against in terms of public reaction and emotion, and one which extends beyond the football scene and into the broader community (for example, those who despise football culture are drawn to Bulldogs stories because they represent what they despise about it, and it suggests an ongoing culture of something wrong which then validates their concerns).

 

The most important thing to remember with what constructs media representations is that they always go for EXTRA LARGE, and that everything must hopefully be tied into some broader ongoing narrative or concept. If a groupm of Asian boys raped a girl next week, I'm sure we'd hear about it; but the emotion would be less than if they were middle eastern, because we have this grand, emotive narrative going on now based around this concept of middle eastern rapists. And with Bulldogs fans being identified as middle eastern (that's the first I knew of that element, actually, from your letter - but as I said, I'm not too familiar with it all), it's just pumping it all up, even more. To relate it to BB: if we get an instance of sexual assault that may even be slightly worse than a turkey slap in this season, it probably won't create as bad a reaction as if we get an actual slap. It's because we're bringing so much to the table, to begin with - to the CONCEPT that has been generated by repeated press creating a singular idea about a singular phenomenon or entity.

 

In some ways, it works off a part of human nature - the part of us that identifies PATTERNS to constitute objective truths. If we get another turkey slap in BB, this year, then we have to say, "Look, clearly something is going on, here, this is an ongoing thing". And it identifies a culture of something negative - that something is producing something that we see repeatedly happen. So it's not just "What's wrong with this person in this particular incident?" it's "What's wrong with the context that keeps creating these things in the individuals who are a part of that culture".

 

So, it's all rather complex (and fascinating, actually, that was a great letter!). But at the end of the day, the media just want big emotion and fear, and to tap into crusades which happenj against cultures and entities more so than individuals in one off incidents. I'm sure there may be other clubs with a history of stuff, but the Bulldogs have taken the cake as being fashioned into an IMAGE that now sells papers at the drop of a hat. This is why the news stories themselves probably (I can't recall them, or have seen all of them, but ten bucks says they do) centre around "a Bulldogs player did (insert act here)" rather than simply "(insert individual's name here) did something".

 

Thanks for writing in, as always!

 

Aaron