To Mess with, or not to mess with?

A child’s room should get messy, yes; denigrating the Australian flag and making it look like the cover for sexual activity? No.

While I am a fan of the ABC programme At Home With Julia I can hardly say that I am a fan when it comes down to taking light of national icons.

So what has got everyone riled up, which involves the fictional Gillard (Amanda Bishop) and the Australian Flag?

No, she has not forgotten how many stars are on our flag, (though, that would be a bit of a concern).

Rather she has got the dirty of with her “T-bag” and boyfriend Tim Mathieson (portrayed by Phil Lloyd) underneath the stars of the Southern Cross... of our flag.

Using it as a blanket to cover their naked bodies it begs the question, did the show just have its infamy moment, the moment it’d like to forget and the moment that when referred to, the show will be remembered not for its amusing dialogue and wit at times, but for the “one where they have sex under the flag?”

It’s a fine line to walk, to take the risk as the producers of this program have or to leave it and play by the rules.

I just don’t like the concept of the flag being used that way, and while people will comment “it’s only a show, it doesn’t matter” but alas, the connotation that will come from this will impede when we look at the Aussie flag on the telly or at school, again.

Patriotism and respect has to come from somewhere, a national emblem pointedly shows this.

So, ABC, perhaps this time the rules are better to play by.