Top of the weekend to you all. One of Australia’s most significant events of 2023 has finally arrived, and to everyone in Brisbane for the NRL’s Magic Round – play hard but fair.
There’s also the not insignificant matter of us officially gaining a new head of state. I know, I know – these things creep up on you when your day-to-day is completely unaffected by it. For the royal watchers among you, the Guardian has the event (and its fallout) covered. If you’re a bit “meh” about it all, read on – you’re not alone.
1. God save us all
Take it away, Stephen Marche – Canadian author and cultural commentator:
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“You might think you live in a time of truth and reconciliation, or perhaps even, if you’re feeling optimistic, progress. But this week if you’re British or a member of the 56 sovereign states that still, somehow, find themselves in the Commonwealth, you’re waking up in a country where a priest is going to smear oil – vegan oil from Jerusalem – on a rather pinkish, rather broad forehead to signify one man’s status as the Lord’s anointed.”
Marche journeyed from Toronto to London to try to make sense of the crowning of King Charles. “The man represents us,” he writes, “but it’s hard to think of anyone less representative.”
How long will it take to read: 10 minutes.
Further reading: Guardian Australia encounters a mix of apathy, indignation and enthusiasm on the streets of Melbourne and Sydney. And in England, Gaby Hinsliff was contentedly indifferent until the call to swear an oath of allegiance went out.
2. Oliver Stone on Putin, US politics and nuclear power
Oliver Stone’s filmography is all about going big: the Vietnam war, media-fuelled mass murderers, any number of US presidents (and who really killed them). Now the legendary firebrand is not only tackling the vexed issue of nuclear power but making a strong case for it in his new documentary, Nuclear Now.
Lauren Mechling caught up with Stone (and his real-time factchecker, and his “twinkly-eyed” therapist) in New York and emerged relatively unscathed.
What does he think of the Russian president? “A great leader for his country and the people love him.”
And Joe Biden? “A cold warrior in the worst sense of the word.”
How long will it take to read: Four minutes.
3. Was Michael Jordan’s career a failure?
That was the question posed by Giannis Antetokounmpo when a reporter prodded him about the early exit of his Milwaukee Bucks from the NBA playoffs. After all, Jordan won only six titles in 15 seasons – a 40% success rate. Below average, if you look just at the numbers.
Barry Glendenning writes that the NBA great in waiting’s “unique, bold take” was a breath of fresh profundity among the usual post-match platitudes.
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“Some days it is your turn, some days it’s not. That’s what sports is about. You don’t always win.” – The world according to Giannis
How long will it take to read: Three minutes.
Further reading: As the LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors again do battle in the NBA playoffs, one of LeBron James or Steph Curry will add to their legacy.
4. The dreary, seductive allure of ‘stealth wealth’
“Stealth wealth” is the name given to the clothes worn by the super-rich, writes Eva Wiseman. Defining characteristics? “Bloodless, grandly bland, dreary.” So why do so many of we mere mortals get sucked into trying to dress like the 1%?
Notable quote: “Buying into ‘stealth wealth’ feels like buying a band T-shirt, except the band are the worst people in the world, and the T-shirt costs the same as a month’s rent, and the music is them laughing as they shout ‘Eat shit’ from a car.”
How long will it take to read: Two minutes.
5. How two reporters gave voice to the victimised
Christopher Knaus reported the first clear evidence of how income averaging was being used by Centrelink to raise millions in inaccurate debts. That was early 2017, when he says covering the scheme later known as robodebt was like “bashing your head against a wall”.
Until Luke Henriques-Gomes arrived at Guardian Australia the following year. His reporting, which foregrounded the voices of welfare recipients, and Knaus’s was singled out during the royal commission at which Scott Morrison took the stand. Caitlin Cassidy interviewed Knaus and Henriques-Gomes for the first in a series marking the 10th anniversary of Guardian Australia.
How long will it take to read: Three minutes.
Further reading: Marina Hyde sounds off on a UK scandal with uncanny similarities to robodebt – and how as the chatterati get consumed by the daily outrage cycle, “iniquitous and dysfunctional systems [are] free to sail on regardless”.
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