Wise saws and modern instances

Don't say it. Better still, don't even think it.

President Barack Obama learned that lesson back in April when he called Kamala Harris, California's top law officer, 'the best-looking attorney-general in the country.'

The howls of outrage did abate but only after Obama apologised for the distraction caused by his comments.

White House Spokesman Jay Carney explained that '[the President] fully recognizes the challenges women continue to face in the workplace and that they should not be judged based on appearance.'

Obama got off lightly because the media never clocked him as a sexist. Married to Michelle and with two daughters, Obama was a model citizen who had told America, 'Yes We Can.'

Things are different in Australia where much of the mainstream media decided long ago that Tony Abbott is a misogynist.

Apparently that view was confirmed when Abbott stopped by the western Sydney seat of Lindsay to boost the profile of Liberal candidate Fiona Scott. In doing so, he compared Scott to former MP Jackie Kelly.

'They're young, they're feisty, I think I can probably say have a bit of sex appeal, and they are just very very connected to the local area.'

Phwoarr! The outrage was immediate, deafening and utterly predictable.

'When he goes off script you get a glimpse into what he really thinks,' Senator Penny Wong told ABC Radio, as if she'd known this all along. And the outraged lined up to have their say on Twitter at #sexappeal.

There is no question about it: Abbott made a gaffe in Penrith. Rightly or wrongly, many are suspicious of his views about women.

He should have said nothing at all about the physical appearance of Scott who is laying siege to the seat where sitting member David Bradbury is defending a margin of just 1.1%.

But perhaps the drubbing Abbott received at the hands of the media can also be explained by the fact that his remarks fitted a narrative about him constructed long ago.

After Obama made passing reference to the physical appearance of Harris in his own moment of exuberance, the media quickly calmed down once he had apologised.

Suddenly the media seemed to agree with former Democratic governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, who thought the remark 'harmless.'

Whereas Abbott's remark provoked a frenzied response because it simply confirmed what the media had already decided: the member for Warringah is a misogynist and the comment was typical of him.

This kind of confected outrage is ignited the moment the behaviour of political leaders conforms to media preconceptions.

In Penrith this week, Abbott played his part perfectly. All the world's a stage, after all.

Peter Kurti is a Research Fellow at The Centre for Independent Studies.