Tim Mathieson is branded as being many things here in Australia.
Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s partner is commonly known as the “first bloke” or sometimes labelled as being “Julia’s manbag” — merely an accessory who only appears during social functions.
And it is easy to see why Mathieson has been made a mockery of by the media and the public.
After all, he recently played the role of a tour guide, tasked with entertaining the first wives’ club — companions of prime ministers, presidents and the like — during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth recently.
Working side by side: Gillard (right) and Mathieson welcome a dignitary to the CHOGM dinner in Perth. The proverbial thorn amongst the roses, the first bloke brought the ladies sailing at Fremantle, organised a barbecue and even gave them the chance to pat some koalas.
Gillard, meanwhile, met with the husbands to discuss more serious, business-type stuff, such as trade and development, food security, climate change and the world economy.
I am not sure if this strikes you as a little bizarre. The reversal of gender roles is a paradox in itself — traditionally, we expect women to reign in the arena of all things domestic, to be mothers, to put family ahead of their careers — and if they did work, they should have “soft” jobs such as a personal assistant, a secretary, or something that has a feminine aspect attached to it.
Society has since evolved, with the advent of industrialisation during World War II, and the rise of feminism in the 1960’s. So much has changed over the last 50 years that men appear to be struggling coming to grips with the fact that taking on a conventional female role makes them appear to lose their masculinity.
And this particular fact is played up in Mathieson’s case. He has been made fun of by the Australian media quite a bit — some have referred to the CHOGM do as “the hen party that Tim Mathieson is running”, or the first bloke being “the king of WAGs”.
A quick look at Mathieson’s background doesn’t give him much to defend his manliness with either.
A hairdresser by profession, the 55-year-old lovingly takes care of Gillard by blow-drying her hair as early as 4.30am, in addition to being her personal chef.
But just what is the role of a first man anyway? Is it any different from a first lady?
Let’s take a look at the initiatives of other prominent first ladies, such as Michelle Obama, for instance.
She has carried out softer, more feminine tasks in the past — such as soup kitchens, visiting homeless shelters, helping women find that work-life balance, promoting healthy eating and fighting the case against child obesity. To top it off, she has recently launched a cook book and another about gardening.
We don’t have to look very far to note the many achievements of these first ladies. Closer to home, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has also worked together with the government to provide opportunities for women to contribute to the economy, and has, of late, launched a programme designed to care for those with learning disabilities.
But here is the crux of the issue — isn’t it ironic that when a woman of this calibre carries out these traditionally effeminate roles, that are primarily based on maternal instincts, such as nurturing, caring and protecting – no one makes a fuss? In fact, it almost seems to be the done thing. Society expects and accepts it.
So why isn’t it the case for Mathieson? Perhaps it is all a matter of perception especially when one is brought up in a patriarchal society and are conditioned to think that males should play a dominant role, and be assertive and tough.
Australians — according to sociologist Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions — are quite a masculine bunch too, and expect their men to exude typically manly characteristics, where boys are made of snakes, snails and puppy dogs’ tails.
Should people really care about the role of the first man?
At the end of the day, I believed as long as the other halves are not doing anything detrimental to society, or to their spouses for that matter, that is all that really counts.
For example, even though Sir Denis Thatcher, Britain’s “first husband”, kept a low profile, he knew his place.
He played the role of a supportive spouse well, and had once commented, “All I could produce, small as it may be, was love and loyalty.”
In that respect, Thatcher and Mathieson seem to have something in common.
The latter never appears to interfere with Gillard’s political viewpoints, while friends have said that he “fusses and dotes” on her, bringing out her “soft side”.
Gillard has mentioned in previous interviews that they like to spend their time watching movies or walking along the beach — which, Mathieson, once said, allows Gillard to “switch off” when she is at home.
Manbag or not, in my books, it seems like the first bloke is quite alright.
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