The truth about Pauline Pantsdown
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Iconic character … Pauline Pantsdown was the popular parody of Pauline Hanson, who had a hit single and even ran for the Senate.
Source: News Corp Australia
FOR a brief moment in the late 1990s, a Sydney man dressed in drag who mimed about a dislike of coloured blood, mourned her murdered shopping trolley and declared a love of Neil Diamond was the biggest thing in Australian music.
Pauline Pantsdown represented a very colourful protest of firebrand politician and One National founder Pauline Hanson, whose views on immigration and indigenous rights were labelled racist and hurtful.
Hanson’s career eventually came to an end, she briefly went to jail, went on to launch several failed bids to re-enter politics and even starred in a few reality shows.
But what happened to Pauline Pantsdown?
For Simon Hunt, the creation of his iconic parody character and the hit single that followed happened almost by accident.
As Hanson’s career took off, so did Hunt’s dislike of her policies and views on immigration and indigenous rights, which many considered were racist.
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“I made a song called Backdoor Man to perform at this underground gay party in Sydney, and someone approached Triple J to promote the event,” Hunt, now 53, explained.
“They heard the song, began playing it and it just went crazy from there. Suddenly this character was in the limelight and the track was the station’s number one request.”
Parody protest … Simon Hunt says he created Pauline Pantsdown to speak out against Hanson’s policies and views.
Source: News Corp Australia
Hanson was not amused and sued the ABC, claiming the song implied she was both homosexual and a transvestite. She eventually won and the song wasn’t played again.
But if the politician hoped that was the end of Pauline Pantsdown, she was to be sorely disappointed. By the time the legal action came to an end, Hunt was bigger than ever.
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It took hundreds of hours of editing to put together I Don’t Like It, using now outdated technology and careful cutting to craft the song’s memorable lines.
Firebrand politician … Pauline Hanson divided popular opinion with her views on immigration and indigenous rights.
Source: News Corp Australia
“I recorded her news appearances and interviews to VHS tape, transcribed it, digitised it all and then cut it together in an editing program.
“I had to have ‘San Francisco’ because it rhymed with ‘disco’, but she’d never actually said that so I cut bits and pieces of other words to make it work. It took six hours just for that.”
I Don’t Like It was released in 1998 and became an instant hit, rocketing up the ARIA charts and earning mainstream radio play.
Defamation lawsuit … Pauline Hanson leaving court after winning an injunction against Triple J for playing Backdoor Man.
Source: News Corp Australia
The self-funded project also made Hunt a tidy sum from sales of the single, as well as its inclusion on a handful of compilation albums.
But it wasn’t until months after I Don’t Like It was a hit that Hunt was outed, by notorious paparazzo Jamie Fawcett.
“He jumped me at work one morning after ringing me on my mobile and saying there was a delivery at the gate. When I came out, he leapt from the bushes and took a photo.”
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His cover was blown, but Hunt was sure there would be no legal risk — a team of seven lawyers had carefully examined the track.
“Also, my father was a supreme court judge and pretty well regarded as an expert on defamation. He was helpful. He didn’t sing along to it though.”
Commercial success … I Don’t Like It was a top 10 song on the ARIA charts and was played widely on mainstream radio.
Source: News Corp Australia
The success of the single was helped along by Hunt’s partnership with a distributor who had an advantage, being the seller of plastic security cases that wrapped around CDs.
“They trucked those cases all over the country and with them, a box of my singles. It worked.”
He called in favours from other creative types and mates to help put the video clip together, which was shot upstairs at Oxford Street nightclub the Midnight Shift.
Another stroke of good fortune came with picking Pauline Pantsdown’s outfits, which Hunt said had to be as synthetic and boxy looking as possible.
New tilt … Pauline Hanson at her home in Coleyville today after announcing her latest bid to re-enter politics. Picture: Annette Dew
Source: News Corp Australia
One afternoon, he headed to the garment district in Surry Hills to find a suitable option and stumbled into a store where a grumpy old Italian woman demanded to know why he wished to try something on.
“I told her I was going to a costume party as Pauline Hanson and she said ‘Oh, she was in here last week and bought four outfits!’ I couldn’t believe. I had her show me the ones she’d bought and got them too.”
Pauline Pantsdown made a string of appearances, including at the Homebake music festival where the crowd pelted the performer with bottles and hurled abuse.
Hunt even legally changed his name and ran as a candidate for the Senate as Pauline Pantsdown.
“It was a pretty crazy time but overall the experience was immensely satisfying. I self-funded the single and had no idea if it was going to work, and then it was a success. It was exciting.”
Political candidate … Simon Hunt legally changed his name to run for the Senate as Pauline Pantsdown.
Source: News Corp Australia
Hanson may have just launched her latest attempt to re-enter Parliament, but don’t expect a similar re-emergence from Pauline Pantsdown.
The polyester suit, curly red wig and chunky purse are in permanent retirement these days. Hunt has made three appearances as the character in the past decade.
“All joking aside, I did this project out of concern for the political climate. I think we forget that she actually did hurt people with her views. Now she’s just a joke.
“Anything I do with Pauline Pantsdown will give her oxygen. If I did a new song, it’d keep Hanson in the limelight.”
Behind the music … Simon Hunt, pictured here in 2006, is the creator of memorable character Pauline Pantsdown. Picture: Melanie Russell
Source: News Corp Australia
These days, Hunt says he has “a real job” as a media arts university lecturer but still makes music on the side, including television soundtracks.
In his view, Hanson should follow suit and find a more enduring professional endeavour.
“I’m wondering if (her latest attempt) is a demand of her Centrelink case officer, given she hasn’t had a real job for 16 years now.”
