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Charlotte Dawson protests over social media remark

Australia's Next Top Model judge Charlotte Dawson writes to Flight Centre after an employee left a derogatory social media comment.

2013-07-17_0042Australia’s Next Top Model judge Charlotte Dawson is back in the spotlight today with reports that she wrote to Flight Centre after one of their employees criticised her and co-judge Alex Perry.

The man wrote on Facebook, “Judges Charlotte Dawson, and Alex Perry Jeesus (sic) Christchurch guys lay off the botox and fillers!!!

“You two need help.”

News Corp reports Dawson complained to Flight Centre that, “While we anticipate some people are going to have opinions about the show and even express their distaste for the appearance of participants and judges, Alex and I feel that posts of this nature do not reflect well on Flight Centre.

“I am a 47-year-old woman who has Botox.

“I don’t have fillers.

“Whilst Andrew has every right to express his disgust at the condition of our faces, I don’t believe our choices should be slammed by a Flight Centre employee.”

But Flight Centre said the comment was made on the man’s personal account in his own time and declined to comment.

The man has also written a personal apology.

The incident follows Dawson contacting an employee of Monash University last year after repeated trolling. But there is no suggestion so far that the latest social media remark was a case of trolling.

Dawson, who has previously stated she is used to being “slagged” off, is also appearing in a series that takes a critical eye to physical appearances. While that’s done with both context and collusion, it’s not unusual for audience members to adopt a similar line on social media. Reality shows compel us to cheer its heroes and hiss its villains and ANTM has a checkered history when it comes to bullying amongst its cast.

When social media goes too far with genuine bullying there may be cause for an assertive response.

But if it’s just a lone comment in the plethora of noisy social media, one really has to ask if contacting an employer is the best way to address it. Indeed should one of Dawson’s trademark barbs in return have been a better way of handling things? As past experience shows us, “Feeding the trolls” did not end particularly well last time.

11 Responses

  1. This woman clearly has far too much time on her hands. What would she have done if this employee had a wife and 3 young kids, and was then fired for those remarks, and then had no income, a mortgage and mouths he could not feed?? Would she have been satisfied with that??

    Or imagine if the employee then took his own life?

    She really needs to think about her actions.

  2. Didn’t she announce awhile ago she was quitting Twitter and Facebook ?
    Must’ve been one of those times when she was looking for some publicity,like with this story.

    1. No law against changing your mind. Audience will make up their own mind about what’s genuine and whether they enjoy the show. Charlotte has always struck me as being forthright and plays her role on the show well. Seems a better fit than social media.

  3. Contacting an employer about a personal opinion posted by one of their employees is way out of line.

    If anyone is guilty of bullying it is Dawson for trying to get them fired by their employer for making a perfectly acceptable comment.

    You’d think that given she is proud of her botoxing she would have thicker skin.

  4. The guy’s comment was very soft, so to even do anything about it, let alone bring his totally unrelated employer into it is insane.

    I used to like Charlotte before all this bullying crap from her. She’s ever worse than the 13yos who ‘attack’ her.

  5. What right does she have to bring this person’s employer into a personal beef? She can approach it with the individual and go to town on them if she so chooses. This looks to me like she has tried to use her influence to impact on this person’s employment. And she’s anti-bullying?

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