Occasionally you get a journalist, who is “out there’. And i mean this in the nicest possible way. Sam de Brito was one of those. He antagonised so many people with his confronting, forthright ‘in your face style’, that it’s sad to see such an outspoken (but not incoherent) individual dead. Sadder still at the young age of 46.
The incomprehensible thing is that Sam existed at all, and was given a voice by the mainstream media. But then, that was the charm of de Brito, he’d make his voice heard no matter what. He died at home last week. He was in an interesting phase of this life, a self confessed, narcissist, and inventor of what louis Nowra described as “Dick Lit”, de Brito found a softness against all the hard words, ( if the obituaries are correct) in a love for his daughter. A hard angry man finding an inner peace. His last piece; “Why parents should share a bed with their children”, expressed a basic truth about relationships and family that no one else would feel comfortable with.
I think that’s what marks de Brito out. When the world is awash with those trying to ask us “how we feel’, and bookshops are still nauseatingly full of self help books designed to articulate the “reason why” to the unconstructed, dull and needy, de Brito just came out with his own version of reality. There was no ‘how do you feel?’, just the confrontational; ‘ This is how it is, and if you can’t accept that reality go and take a good hard look at yourself’. His direction was singular and acute. de Brito had a specialist skill in peeling back the layers. As a self confessed ‘outsider’ being bullied at school for being the ‘token wog” his anger gave special direction to the good natured Eddie Maguire type racism. Which in turn made those accused a little uncomfortable and just a little bit angry themselves.
Perhaps to some, the thinking person’s Andrew Bolt. (Apologies to Sam).
His take on the Adam Goodes “King Kong” episode, as pure and simple racism prepared us for the ‘boo-fest’ when Goodes, Australian of the year, complained about the mob behaviour that followed. de Brito the provocateur, went to the unpleasant truths about ourselves. His provocative view of feminism as distinct from sexism, enraged many, and he was always there to up the ante on the cherished prejudices we all grow up with. His most strident attacks being directed against the ingrained racism of aboriginal jokes, and the baggage of presumptions and prejudice that go with it. A strange and rare beast, confronting, angry, (often) and pleading for all of us to take a different perspective. Often, an uncomfortable perspective searingly blunt with the hope that by confrontation we may perhaps see a bit of ourselves. As outsiders rather than the insiders we’d rather be.
de Brito was not into self censorship. His was a flame that burnt brightly. His loss will be felt by many. And we hope that his spirit lives on.