The AM Show host Duncan Garner has no sympathy for the Australian academic who complained about being called 'Miss' instead of 'Doctor' when boarding a flight.
"I did not spend 8 years at university to be called Miss," Dr Siobhan O'Dwyer said in a tweet last Friday that's set social media alight.
"What a precious little thing," said Garner, telling The AM Show on Friday the London-based academic is a "precious git" for making such a fuss about her title.
Co-host Mark Richardson went even further, saying the woman needs to get over herself, and that her academic achievements aren't that significant.
"I'm sorry, but eight years at university isn't that big an achievement. It's not that hard - you just learn to research stuff and then you're hired in the academic system rather than going out and making a real difference in the real world," he said.
Garner argued that eight years at university is a "reasonable effort," to which Richardson replied, "It's not that great an achievement."
Opinion is divided as to whether the incident was sexism on behalf of the Qantas flight attendant or a case of Dr Dwyer being overly "precious".
The debate heated up on Twitter when fellow academic Dr Mel Thomson said she didn't study for years to "have 'a trolley dolly' decide what she gets called", referring to flight attendants.
"What a precious git," said Garner.
The use of the term 'trolley dolly' sparked claims of discrimination against cabin crew on the part of Dr Thomson, with one flight attendant saying, "Please don't refer to us as trolley dollies".
Richardson said he's perfectly happy not being addressed with a title, telling The AM Show he'd be "quite happy if I got on the plane and the flight attendant just said "gidday mate".
"I'd be totally happy with that, in fact, I'd prefer that," he said. "To me, that's more New Zealand than "Hello Mr".
However, Richardson said Sirs and Dames should be respected, because, "If someone has been made a knight, I think we respect that. We respect it because the honour's been bestowed upon them."
Dr O'Dwyer told Newshub she's turning down all media requests for comment because "the online response has already been so vitriolic and any coverage will only incite further hatred."
Newshub.
