Left wing commentator Mike Carlton has been slammed for his ‘ignorance’ after tweeting his low opinion of body image campaigner Taryn Brumfitt being made the 2023 Australian of the Year.
In a tweet posted after the announcement of Ms Brumfitt as the winner of the top Australia Day gong in Canberra on Wednesday night, Mr Carlton made his view of the decision known on his account with nearly 194,000 followers.
‘My Australian of the Year would be a doctor or nurse working nights in intensive care or the ED, dealing with COVID and daily death. Real, compassionate work. For very little money. NOT someone who makes a buck out of saying it’s ok to be a bit fat. Good night.’
His tweet was supported by left-wing former Channel 10 television reporter, Paul Bongiorno, who tweeted ‘Indeed’ underneath Mr Carlton’s post.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese presents the award for 2023 Australian of the Year to body-image activist Taryn Brumfitt at the 2023 Australian of the Year Awards in Canberra
![In a tweet posted after the announcement of Ms Brumfitt as the winner of the top Australia Day gong in Canberra on Wednesday night, veteran journalist Mike Carlton made his view of the decision known on his account with nearly 194,000 followers](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/01/26/00/66978053-11677495-image-a-16_1674691566548.jpg)
In a tweet posted after the announcement of Ms Brumfitt as the winner of the top Australia Day gong in Canberra on Wednesday night, veteran journalist Mike Carlton made his view of the decision known on his account with nearly 194,000 followers
![Mr Carlton also tweeted 'Who ? ? ?' when news of Ms Brumfitt's award first broke on Wednesday night](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/01/26/00/66978057-11677495-image-a-17_1674691573617.jpg)
Mr Carlton also tweeted ‘Who ? ? ?’ when news of Ms Brumfitt’s award first broke on Wednesday night
![Twitter user Sharna Bremner said Mr Carlton and fellow journalist Paul Bongiorno, who tweeted in support of him, 'should be ashamed of their ignorance & s****y remarks'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/01/26/00/66978345-11677495-image-a-19_1674691656762.jpg)
Twitter user Sharna Bremner said Mr Carlton and fellow journalist Paul Bongiorno, who tweeted in support of him, ‘should be ashamed of their ignorance & s****y remarks’
Carlton also tweeted ‘Who ? ? ?’ when news of Ms Brumfitt’s award first broke on Wednesday night.
But the tweets were met with a fierce response from women.
Sharna Bremner, the founder and director of End Rape on Campus Australia, tweeted in response: ‘Eating disorders are the third most common illness among young women in Australia & have the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric disorders,’ she posted.
‘These two should be ashamed of their ignorance & s****y remarks.’
‘Disgusting, ignorant old white men. F*** them,’ another person responded.
‘I’m really sad to see this, it shows how much more education is needed around eating disorders, and for men to understand the female experience of being reduced to ornamentation our whole lives,’ tweeted Sonya Semmens.
The negative reaction to his tweet caused Mr Carlton to begin blocking those who objected to his view of Ms Brumfitt’s award.
‘Must have blocked around sixty morons of one sort or another in the last 24 hours. But it’s a sunny day and I have better things to do,’ he posted early on Australia Day.
Ms Bremner also shared a screenshot in which Mr Carlton had blocked her from his account.
Ms Brumfitt, 44, an activist, writer, director and public speaker on a decade-long mission to change how we perceive ourselves, was crowned our top Aussie at a glittering ceremony in Canberra on Wednesday night.
The Body Image Movement, which she founded in 2012, teaches people – young women in particular – to love and appreciate their bodies and has taken her to a global audience from her humble hometown of Adelaide.
![Ms Brumfitt, 44, an activist, writer, director and public speaker on a decade-long mission to change how we perceive ourselves](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/01/26/00/66978575-11677495-image-a-34_1674692312479.jpg)
Ms Brumfitt, 44, an activist, writer, director and public speaker on a decade-long mission to change how we perceive ourselves
![In her speech accepting the award, Ms Brumfitt said body shaming had become a chronic national problem, with 70 per cent of schoolchildren citing it as their number one concern](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/01/26/00/66973091-11677495-image-a-22_1674691675249.jpg)
In her speech accepting the award, Ms Brumfitt said body shaming had become a chronic national problem, with 70 per cent of schoolchildren citing it as their number one concern
In her speech accepting the award, Ms Brumfitt said body shaming had become a chronic national problem, with 70 per cent of schoolchildren citing it as their number one concern.
‘We’re facing a paediatric health emergency with rates of suicide, depression, eating disorders, anxiety and steroid use related to body dissatisfaction soaring,’ she told the audience.
‘We now know that young people with poor body image are 24 times more likely to be depressed and suffer from anxiety.
‘There is so much despair in this nation for children and adults when it comes to what we think and how we feel about our bodies.
‘Australia, it is not our life’s purpose to be at war with our body.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Brumfitt and the National Australia Day Council for comment.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk