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Byron Shire
June 20, 2026

Dick flicks and gender benders

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The NT intervention laws that shape lives

This Sunday marks 19 years since the then Howard Government announced the Northern Territory Intervention laws – ‘The Intervention’ began with a media release by Mal Brough, Minister for Indigenous Affairs, on June 21, 2007.

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Previously I had never given much consideration to the term ‘chick flicks’, but Deborah Lilly’s recent letter got me thinking.
If we have the term ‘chick flicks’ it would stand to reason that there would be a male counterpart. But there isn’t.
Just as there’s no decent equivalent for ‘misogynistic’, such a fabulously scientific, psychologically important word, women have to resort to the pathetic ‘man-hater’.
Where’s our gutsy Latin equivalent? It seems men have written the dictionary and, oops, missed that one out.
With no genre label to indicate male’s movie preference, do we therefore assume that all the other movies include or exclude women? Looking at most of the female roles, one has to assume the latter.
With more than 50 per cent of the world’s population female, it’s high time we were treated with the respect we deserve. Remember, no-one would be here without us.
Let’s coin the term ‘dick flick’. It’s only fair.

Magenta Appel-Pye, Mullumbimby



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