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Former EWN news reader Mark Esterhuysen. Photo: Supplied
It was halfway through his 1am rant that 702 news reader Mark Esterhuysen looked up and saw the call screener glaring at him, her mouth wide open.
But there was no turning back now. He sped up.
“F*** capitalism. F*** fascism. F*** this f***ing wage-slavery graveyard s***.”
He was allowed to go on for 40 seconds before the music kicked in, cutting him off.
He removed his headphones, stood up, and gave the studio surveillance camera the finger.
As he exited the building, he left a parting word with the late-night security guard: “Tell the corporation to go f*** themselves.”
Career suicide, or the media industry’s boldest resignation letter?
By daybreak, Eyewitness News editor-in-chief Katy Katopodis had already labelled the on-air vigilante a publicity seeker, while a station press release stated politely that “Mark’s contract with EWN (Eyewitness News) has been terminated with immediate effect.”
But as clips of the tirade bounced around the internet, Esterhuysen switched off his phone and enjoyed what he described as “the best day of my life – I don’t have to go to work today”.
A Tuks FM alumnus, Esterhuysen began working for Eyewitness News in May this year. But he said four months of being a “wage slave” was enough to leave him deeply disillusioned.
“I’m all about freedom of expression,” he explained on Tuesday afternoon. “But I felt censored. I don’t appreciate the fact that a lot of corporate media organisations are slaves to capitalism. Primedia is a corporation at the end of the day. They don’t actually give a f*** about the man on the street.”
Esterhuysen said he was “paid peanuts so the head honchos could live in big houses”.
“I felt like the corporation made me a wage slave for their benefit. So I figured f*** them. I would use them as a platform for my views.” Views against police brutality and racism. Populist politicians and corporates. Civilisation and the destruction of the planet.
On his blog, Looking at the World from a Distance, Esterhuysen describes the day he decided “civilisation” was not for him:
“I thought for a second, and said: ‘Is it not obvious why I hate civilisation? Humans are unhappy, animals are unhappy, the environment is unhappy. What the f*** are we doing trying to perpetuate the misery of civilisation?’ I wanted to get away from all of the crap that had been fed to me since I was a baby. I wanted to live as the human animal has evolved to live!” - Pretoria News
What he said
Presenter: “It’s just past one o’clock.”
Cue introduction music: “This is Eyewitness News”
Mark Esterhuysen: “Good morning. *clears throat* I’m Mark Esterhuysen. F*** racism. F*** the pigs who killed Andries Tatane. F*** the AWB. F*** racism. We are all wild animals meant to live free. *speeds up* F*** capitalism. F*** fascism. F*** this f***ing wage-slavery graveyard s***. F*** domestication.
F*** Malema. F*** the state. F*** perpetual economic growth on a finite planet. This is the only f***ing planet we have. If you don’t agree with me, please see my blog: markesterhuysen.blogspot.com. Peace. Love. Respect. Anarchy. Follow me on Twitter @markesterhuysen. You can follow me on Facebook, as well. Mark Esterhuysen.”
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Anonymous, wrote
alma mater, wrote
Dear mark, I, being one of your journalism classmates, i am quite shocked at this little rant.You clearly didnt think this through.You were a TuksFM newsreader,and never had to work a graveyard shift in your life, this obiously led to the misconception that you could piss with the big dogs. This tantrum proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that you cant.I think what angers me the most is that this wasnt just career suicide, this was genocide or then journocide.YOU shat all over Tuks Journo students chances to break into the industry. You didnt find your voice, you took ours away. Bring on the graveyard shifts, bring on the minimum wage. Ego and self- entitlement, my friend, was your demise here. So in the spirit of your rant Mark, F*** YOU.F*** very much.
Anonymous, wrote
I take it after such a short period of employment his pension fund are not that lucrative... good luck to him and may he find the peace he so clearly longs for..hehehe
Ghena toontjies, wrote
I think we all feel the pinch, the youth are there to question, to get enraged about things they feel they cannot change and in their ignorance think they have the answer and can change the problems of the world. It shakes things up, makes light and perhaps show the older generation that, like they did, things can be better. I feel the rant may have been blunt but that was his ability right then, he was under a huge amount of pressure and language is one of the first things to suffer in such circumstances. He is brave as he did what he felt was right, I think more people should follow that example. And not turn a blind eye when our employers go on expensive holidays when we are the reason they can afford them. But there is no easy answer to fixing so-called Capitalist crimes with Socialist values. I say good luck to all of us, this debate shows how we cannot stand together as a nation just yet.
Anonymous, wrote
i think that this was brilliant!!!! you are brave my boy! good 4 u! that took a whole lot of guts or may be he was hig but wow, you are my hero ....lol
Anonymous, wrote
Looks like he took the Red pill :) I'm amazed at how many people are still sucking the Blue pill!!
Anonymous, wrote
"F*** Capitalism" and remember to follow me on all these profit driven websites. Hopefully I can make enough of a following to earn a living! I would have respected him more if he said: "Follow me up the Magaliesberg - I have a sharp axe for wood - if you can hunt, I'll cook your food!"
Anonymous, wrote
Anonymous, wrote
I suspect that a lot of the commenters here are the very same parasites, pigs and mindless consumers of civilisation you refer to. I hear you guy, I hear you...
RamSet, wrote
So, how did someone with such a limited vocabulary and complete lack of common sense get into the media industry in the first place? Oh, I forgot, this was at 1am, so he was still trying to work his way into the industry. Well that probably explains why he was earning at the bottom of the scale and based on this event he was most probably seriously overpaid. If he eventually gets back in touch with the reality of this century he should try for a career in horticulture, something like a gardener, which would keep him in nature.
Colin, wrote
Rooinekk, wrote
So, now you're no longer a "wage-slave". Good luck with that! Why any person in his right mind would want to 'follow' you is beyond me. However, considering the state that the world is in, there will probably be many.
Phoyisa, wrote
FreeGuy, wrote
Hear f***ing Hear!!! F*** all those who perpetuate this F***up consciously for their own gain. F**give the rest who do it with no F***ing clue. B** B** S***P! F*** me, I love this country!
Ash, wrote
Yeah, yeah. F*** everything. One problem though. Without civilization you can kiss goodbye to electricity, warm water, plumbing, heaters, comfy beds, telephones, internet, movies, television, computers, cars, medical care, food, booze, and EVERYTHING else. Sure there's a lot of crap we have to deal with in this day and age, and it bugs me every day too, but all I have to do is think of how life must have been like for those who lived a thousand years ago, or even before that, and then I remember that the world is better now than it ever was before (minus these recessions, of course). Peace.
Ilja, wrote
Enjoy your free live. Try to stay low on the twitter and facebook use, its not good for the human animal. Go outdoors, take a hike, learn to bushcraft. Good luck!
Ursula Elaine, wrote
Welcome to the land of the unemployables, you jerk. You give South african a bad name. Sies man!
Silke Kaiser, wrote
Very immature Marc. You are actually unemployable. You have to accept life on life's terms. When you were interviewed, did you show this silly, inane side of yourself? Probably not. Which makes you even worse than those you ranted against. Silke
chichi, wrote
I'm all for being subversive, and I want to applaud Mark, but there's something a bit manic, frenzied and illogical about this rant. Does he have a history of manic depression? Just wondering.
Anonymous, wrote
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