Akmal's Open Letter To Mick Molloy

I'm Sorry, You're Not Attractive Enough


Article heading image for Akmal's Open Letter To Mick Molloy

It was reported last week that our very own Mick Molloy called former I'm A Celeb contestant Simone Holtznagel, a plus-size model.

This morning Akmal Saleh, one half of 2GO Breakfast on the Central Coast spoke out in defence of Molloy, saying 'it's sexist to go you poor thing, i'll have to defend her because she's a girl, this is a woman who's really strong, and a model. It's a tough industry where you have to audition and people look at your body, and your face and say I'm sorry, you're not attractive enough.

Hear the audio in full here

Akmal wrote an open letter to Molloy:

Mick Molloy has been contributing top-shelf comedy for more than thirty-years. From the late show to iconic Australian films like Crackerjack, to the Martin Molloy show, in my opinion the best radio drive show ever made, with another great Aussie talent Tony Martin.


Mick’s appeal has always been his irreverent, spontaneous and sometime anarchic style, which, in my opinion, is why he is so funny and memorable. This style of comedy is high risk and when you consider that for the radio show he co-hosts he is expected to produce many hours of content per week, it’s almost inevitable that he will say something offensive or inappropriate, at least to some. It’s like participating in extreme sports and not expecting to incur an injury.

Last week Molloy made a comment about a well-known celebrity, Model Simone Holtznagel saying “she looks like a plus size model”. I can understand why some may find his comment offensive, what I don’t understand is the rush of people who feel compelled to come to this “poor, vulnerable, weak damsel’s” defense - I believe that is what is sexist as she’s clearly none of these things, on the contrary.

Holtznagel presents to me as a strong woman who is confident, privileged, attractive and fully capable of defending herself. She is also obviously mentally tough: she lasted in the reality show “I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here” much longer than I did. Not only that, but she has made a successful career in one of the toughest industries there is. To get to where she is she would have experienced hundreds, if not thousands, of rejections purely based on her looks and body shape. She would’ve endured many insulting comments (not a joke) about her appearance. It is an inherently sexist industry.

Along with professional rejections, most people in the public eye today have to endure hate online, and in my experience, it is usually done by individuals who choose to remain anonymous. I was however very surprised to see a letter penned by a semi-prominent politician, the Deputy Mayor of Sydney Jess Miller, who thought it was perfectly ok to throw personal insults at Mick as if his feeling are not as valid, calling him an “idiot and dull”. She also vindictively called him OLD as if he had a choice in the matter: he could’ve stayed young but decided to get old just to annoy her.

The implication of her comment also appears to be that once someone passes a certain age they can no longer make a valid contribution. Is she not a politician representing all people, or perhaps she stops representing them once they pass the age of thirty. It would not surprise me if she tries, at some point, to introduce “the involuntary euthanasia program”!

Please keep in mind that Mick’s comments, as offensive as they may have been, were an off the cuff attempt at humor. Ms. Miller’s comments however, were calculated and designed to be hurtful. I would have thought she’d have more important things to do as Deputy Lord Mayor - surly there’s a ribbon or two to cut somewhere? Perhaps she’s lost her scissors.

If you missed Mandy and Akmal, you can catch up below!

Mandy and Akmal are back live tomorrow on 107.7 2GO.

13 March 2018




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