Cashing in on the Shapelle Corby Circus

The Shapelle Corby circus continues to roll on here in Australia tonight with the screening of a prime time TV special on Channel Nine.  (If you have no idea who Shapelle Corby is, check here).  The program will apparently tell the "untold story" and  a live audience that will offer their verdit at the completion of the show. Like lots of people at the moment, Nine will cash in tonight by pulling a big audience.  What'll it do with the advertising revenue?  How much did it pay the people who will appear in the show?

Who knows, but it is all getting a bit.  Whether Shapelle is some sort of Marijuana Queen or not, I dunno, but  between the swarming mass of reporters, dozing judiciary members, colourful lawyers and the ever expanding number of assorted hangers-on basking in the limelight and baking in the Balinese sun, it's often forgotten that in the middle of all of this is a girl who's life is at stake. It's bloody crazy, and I don't get it.

Let's just imagine the outcry in Australia if the Indonesian government, president and media interests took a such a massive interest in a case of an Indonesian citizen on trial in this country. There'd be a huge outcry of "bugger off" if  was taken up at the highest levels of our Government and our legal systems and processes, with TV crews and the media nosing about, day after day.

I don't think that we are a racist country- far from it, but the fact that many Australians think they can comment on Indonesian justice and legal system without real understanding or concern does smack of racism.

And whilst I have no real personal concern for any of them , I reckon some people would do well to remember that our government wrongly jailed an Australian resident, Cornelia Rau, and wrongly deported another, Vivian Alvarez Solon. But where's the outpouring of concern for the horrible experiences of these women?  Or what if the person on trial  was not a, young, slim, firm bodied, Australian girl, but was some short, fat, plain faced immigrant with an Asian name?

Would we care as much? Would the Nine Network run a prime time special on their experiences?

Doubt it.

At the end of the day, Shapelle Corby strikes me as being quite intelligent, confident and in control of herself.  She knows that she won't spend the rest of her lif in jail.  One way or another whe will come home, and she will be rich and famous for the rest of her life.

(UPDATE:  My take on the whinging following the Corby verdict here)

Comments

[Tony Goodson]

Some great points. I'm not sure that she believes she's coming home rich, but the rest of what you say is spot on.

[Kate]

Im sure at the moment Shapelle doesnt care about the fame and fortune linked to the possibility of her future appeal overturning todays judgment - Lets just hope she CAN come home! Freedom and seeing her family would be the only thing on her mind now. Too many Aussies are bagging our Government. They are doing everything in their power - without stepping over the line - to help her. We DO need to respect the judicial and political systems of foreign countries though, just as THOSE countries should respect OURS.

[Daryl]

I don't think critisizing any justice system that let's such important issues such as the bag the drug was in not being fingerprinted is racist. You don't need to be too smart to realize how ridiculous the Indonesian Justice system is, you don't have to be racist to realize that either.

[Daryl]

And another thing or two....
You can't guarantee Shapelle will come home. You say that as though it's fact when she may indeed have to stay where she is for twenty years...fat lot of good fame and fortune is if you are stuck in a filthy rotten jail for twenty years.

[JEFF]

Where is George Bush when you need him!

[JEFF]

Kate, if she is innocent we dont have to respect any such thing! The Bali judges found her guilty-we know she is innocent-respect for what!
The right thing to do is get her out-and live with the cost-a big decision-too big for our politicians and diplomats they have their jobs to protect

[JEFF]

Kate, if she is innocent we dont have to respect any such thing! The Bali judges found her guilty-we know she is innocent-respect for what!
The right thing to do is get her out-and live with the cost-a big decision-too big for our politicians and diplomats they have their jobs to protect

[Gaz Hayes]

PROTEST!!!!!!
Where: Sydney Town Hall
When: Sunday, 5th of June, 12 Noon.
Bring signs, bring a voice, and help our Shapelle!!!
Questions to [email protected]

Writing stuff on forums and blogs won't really help, lets get out there, and lets help our Shapelle!!!

Show the government what we think of their layed back relaxed no approach attitude!!!!!!!! and lets send thos crazed monkeys in Bali to BURN IN HELL!!!!!!!!

[Shapelle's supporter]

Shapelle is INNOCENT!!!!

[AmericanLady]

I think the Indonesian government set Shapelle up. I regret sending aid for tsunami victims (we know some of the officials pocketed that anyway). I am joining a boycott of Indonesian goods.

[AmericanLady]

I have written to the Australian Prime Minister that many of us, in the USA, hope he will join us in boycotting Indonesian goods. Sooner or later, with many of us boycotting them, they will get the message.

[meg]

Are those protesting her innocence really sure she is... Im not privy to any such information, i can bet heads or tails like the rest of you... i think shes not telling all, and some people know more than you think.

[jeff koelewyn]

schapelle couldnt prove she was innocent but more importantly they couldnt conclusively prove she was guilty im certainly not going to bali any more this can happen to anyone

[Val]

It seems that in Indonesia it is less of an offence to be related to the killing of hundreds of people as with the cleric who was associated with the Bali bombings and received a sentence of 2and a half years.What a farce was the sentence handed to Schapelle. Send her home now!!!

[alex]

For all those australians that won't go to Bali anymore, come to sunny South Africa! We speak english, weather same as yours, no death sentence, officials easily bribed, and marijuana (here called Dagga) freely available. What more can you ask for?

[Pollyfodder]

The Australian Government could have provided Legal representation long befor the FINAL VERDICT esspecially since it knew about the security breaches at the Sydney and Melbourne airposts for over 6 months!

See my archive for more Aussie reaction:
http://www.photoduck.com/pollyfodder

Go to the NEWS section

[Cathy]

It amazes me that some of you are so sure of her innocence. How can you be so sure?
Corby was lucky that she did not receive death sentence.
There is a Japanese man in Philippine who has received death sentence for the similar case.
Corby should be grateful.
Boycotting will not help her. It only has negative effect. Silly idea.

[Amita]

Why do you all hate Indonesians?

Really, I don't understand it. Of course it is sad that she has been sentenced to 20 years but come on guys, it's the law of the land and at the end of the day, it must be abided by.

Sure the penalty is more harsh than what would be given here in similar circumstances, but it comes down to the way the country and their people perceive the issue. In the Middle East, having a child out of wed-lock is deemed a crime and can result in the death penalty. You can't disrespect different legal systems because they are different from ours - maybe they believe that ours is wrong. It's all a matter of values!!

And what is really shitting me are these people that are going on about how Australia helped in the tsunami and with Timor. That has absolutely nothing to do with this case and if it were to be taken into consideration, it is a serious miscarriage of justice, considering that the judgment is not based on the facts!!!

It's like if an American, who Australia has good relations with, comes here and kills someone. We can't say "Oh, we have great trade arrangements with America, maybe we should be leniant!". How mortified would the public be????

And if people do believe her case was treated on bad evidence - which I will agre, was organised horribly - this is something that her defence team had to deal with. Obviously, her defence wasn't good enough to prove all this beyond reasonable doubt.

What will boycotting travel to Bali, diminishing their tourism industry and sending chemicals to their Embassy achieve? ABSOLUTELY JACK ALL!!

Think about it - all your judgments have been made by what you've seen in the media and the way that they have portrayed it. Please think twice before jumping to assumptions - that's all I believe is necessary. Hating a country is going to achive crap.

And please please please - please keep an open mind!

[michelle]

Lets all rmember one thing in all this, Shapelle was caught in Indonesia with drugs in her bag. I do not, for one, believe that the drugs were hers, BUT, as she was caught in Indonesia, she is accountable to their justice system. The laws there differ from ours, thats the way it is. I believe the judges were on a bit of an ego trip, and for that Shapelle is paying, but with all the resulting hysteria, all Australia is going to do is protest her right to the firing squad. Let her lawyers do what they can with the appeals. But, while we are madly protesting here, the judicial system over there is going to get mighty pissed off, and will have to do something to save face. It's their way. If that happens, Australia would do well to hang it's head in shame, and shoulder the responsibility for her death. Staying away from Bali, refusing aid, and condemning the average Balinese will do no good to anyone, and will seriously hurt a lot od good and innocent people. We say the Indonesians are a cruel and inhumane race....lets take a look at ourselves in the last few weeks!! I will still holiday in Bali, will still help the Balinese people in anyway that I can, and while I am there, will visit Shapelle, take her fresh food, toiletries, and offer her money to help make it a bit easier in that jail. Isn' t this way better than screaming, protesting, boycotting and, in effect, doing nothing at all to help?

[lisa]

well my heart goes out to shapelle she has turned so fragile i do belive she is innocent & if you did watch the live verdick on channel nine or seven in the court room 50% were indonesians & they were protesting againting shapelle & the other 50% were on our side bail can stick to there own county because they will never see me all my family there again!!! i think all australian should stick together & support shapelle & her family once this is over & boycott bail show them were better them where better. after helping & supporting them all these years this all they can do is throw one of our australians in jail for 20 years.

[meg]

Just like to thank all those indonesians that clapped like moronic monkeys.

did you really know what you were clapping 4

[JV]

I love all these people that say she is innocent without showing any evidence. Her legal team had a chance to prove her innocence in which they failed because they had no EVIDENCE.

And to those idiots who say we gave aid to the Boxing day victims I thought that was to help them after a disaster that wiped out many poor not for the purpose of letting Australians committing a crime in the country to go free.

90% of Australains think she is innocent which arsehole did you pull that figure out of. Well many Germans thought Hitler was good to were they right?

I wish you "jump on the bandwagon Shapelle is innocent" show some evidence. Not hearsay, not some FBI expert who spent 1 hour talking to her is not evidence, Not a prisoner here in Australia who says he knows someone who has a friend who knows someone else who planted it in her bag. That is Hearsay. Nothing more. The Judges like all Judges have to have facts something which her legal team had little of.

Now some of you say lets bycott Bali but I doubt many of the morons who say that travel very much outside their country.

Some of you say John Howard has not done enough. Are you really that dumb what is he meant to do tell the Indonesian Government to let her go or we will give them no money? That is CORRUPTION.

Instead of ranting and yelling she is innocent I suggest you look past the media circus of channel 9.

If she was a little fat bald Aussie I wonder how many of you would be fighting for her.

JV

JV

[Erin]

If there is not any evidence that someone is innocent, it doesn't automatically make them guilty. Imagine yourself in a scenario where you APPEAR guilty but you are definitely innocent, are you suppose to be happy to accept it or like one person said, be "grateful" if you don't receive the death penalty? Who in their right mind would be grateful to be locked up just because the alternative is death? For example, I was once stopped by a sniffer dog here in Sydney and when they searched me they found nothing, yet the police and the crowd around me assumed I must be guilty and treated me as such because the "evidence" made it appear I was. Unfortunately for Shappelle she appears guilty because having marijuana in her bag makes people assume she is, without considering reasonable doubt.

[Retro Jordans]

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