Partysan is a little known Sydney street mag. It’s readership consists of people trying to look busy while waiting for their coffee, wannabe clubbers and 2 year old boys. The last because the mags are usually the only thing within the reach of a 2 year old in the cafes and clothes shops in and around Darlinghurst.
While my little bloke’s interest faded beyond the front cover mine didn’t really kick in until the last page. Everything in the middle was just purposeless fluff desperately trying to justify its existence.
On the last page however, an editorial (for want of a better name), that really didn’t have anything to do with what the rest of the mag was trying to say, started with the catchy line, “I knocked a cyclist off his bike this morning. It was actually quite enjoyable – I’d recommend it to anyone as a means of relaxation….”.
Unfortunately for the magazine I had just taken up being being a born-again social crusader a bit shy on causes. Being an avid peddler myself however, this was just the ticket. After loading myself up to the eyeballs with argument it was time to ping the editor.
To the editor’s credit, the change of mind was remarkable. Not entirely surprising when you highlight a preparedness to approach every advertiser, its distribution network, its printers, the police (the author did after all admit to a hit and run), Sydney City Council, lobbey groups such as Bicycle NSW and Bike Sydney as well as mentioning sedition laws in passing and Alan Jones’ recent guilty finding in court for inciting violence in relation to the Cronulla riots.
This will be my first retraction and apology in the print media…What crusade my little bloke comes up with next is anyone guess. Maybe Amway…or Mel Gibson.
