Sorry But It’s Pretty Sexist To Cheer Albo’s Beer Chugging But Slam The Finnish PM For Partying

Recently a video of Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin dancing emerged online. In short, it was a slay. It was nice to see a politician doing a regular person thing like, you know, having fun. Then our very own PM Anthony Albanese was videoed necking a beer at a Gang of Youths concert. One of these events was celebrated online. One was criticised. I’ll let you take a wild guess at which one was which!

The video of Marin was met with loads of support, but also with backlash. She ended up having to take a drug test after a politician from another party called for her to take one.

It’s undeniable that the backlash faced by Marin was steeped in sexism. The idea of a young woman having a successful career, a family and cutting shapes on a weekend? Abhorrent, apparently.

People from around the world posted videos of themselves dancing on social media in protest of Marin’s treatment.

But I — and a bunch of other people — can’t help wondering if the response to Marin’s video would’ve been different if it was a man.

Prime evidence for this? Anthony Albanese chugging a beer at a Gang of Youths concert in Sydney.

I have no beef with Albanese chugging a beer. In fact, I quite liked it — it was nice to see a Prime Minister do a normal thing without it reading as a bizarre PR stunt. He wasn’t washing some poor woman’s hair, which is already a level up from the last guy.

Personally I think politicians having interests and hobbies and yes, fun, is good. I would feel vastly more represented by a politician who enjoys a good Marian Keyes novel and a boogie with friends than one whose “to-be-read” list includes Machiavelli’s The Prince and who wouldn’t know a Britney Spears song if it smacked them in the face.

But the response to Albanese chugging a beer at a concert has been almost universally applauded.

We love it when a male politician is seen as a bit loose, as a bit of a lad. As soon as it’s a woman though, she’s forced to defend her job. I don’t see anyone demanding Albanese take a breathalyser test or imply that going to concerts and drinking makes him any less fit to be PM.

It’s clear that the standards of professionalism women are held to are far higher than those for men. It would also be incredibly remiss not to acknowledge that this burden is far, far higher for women of colour.

Controversially, I don’t really care what politicians get up to in their private life as long as it’s not harming anyone or abusing their power.

Let women have a boogie and a bevvy in peace or bring that energy for male politicians too.

Image: Getty Images / Anadolu Agency / Pool