The Age’s pretentious blog-hating blogger, Jim Schembri, has written a fawning piece about the Australian-born, Hollywood actress Radha Mitchell. Jim’s hard-hitting and critical journalism skillz have produced an article of such alarming vapidity and so lacking in substance that it’s difficult to cut-and-paste into this post. Normally I wouldn’t even bother reading this kind of article (despite The Age deeming celebrity rubbish worthy of page six) but Radha decides to give us a sanctimonious lecture on politics from a proud position of stunning ignorance.

SHE may be a citizen of the world, but Melbourne-born, Hollywood-bred, LA-based actress Radha Mitchell will have her say come election time. Provided she can work out where to send her vote.

“I’ve asked somebody to help me out with that, just to get the thing to the ballot or whatever,” the hugely talented 34-year old says with a rich Californian accent.

“Hugely talented“! It’s hard to type with one hand under the desk isn’t it, Jim?

…Mitchell spoke frankly of her voting intentions.

“Just get that guy [John Howard] out, you know?” she says, laughing. “Get rid of him. Move on. It’s not just the economy that drives the next evolution of where society should be going.”

Having lived in Los Angeles for almost a decade, Mitchell says she doesn’t read Australian newspapers to keep up with local events, relying instead on more informal sources such as TV and “my mum on the phone. ‘What’s going on? Oh, there’s a drought?”‘ She laughs again.

Hugely talented, yet celebrating the fact that she has absolutely no idea about the world outside Los Angeles.

“I don’t have a very provincial Australian point of view,” she says.

You don’t have any kind of view, Radha.

“I have more of a global point of view. I do feel like the environment is a big issue.

“And obviously we need to pay attention to the sense of impotence about global poverty, which is a little pathetic.”

You’d know all about pathetic wouldn’t you, Mitchell?

Though she is self-conscious about sounding like “I’m standing on a soapbox”, Mitchell is eager to back her words with action.

“It’s almost like we’ve reached a point where we can redesign our concept of culture, like we don’t have to just accept things the way they are.”

To that end, she’d like to set up a local office for Global Green, the environmental organisation founded and chaired by former Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev.

“I might help do that, but I’m no politician. I would just help (by being) somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody.”

Please, Radha, don’t stress yourself. You must be flat out.

“It’s an amazing profession and it’s a privilege to be able to act in movies.”

She checks herself. “God, this is so honest. You better be careful how you present me.”

Not a problem. Mitchell no longer reads her own press.

Is that the smell of burning humility? Or is it Schembri’s burning lubricant?

I’m Radha Mitchell and I’m here to help (aren’t I beautiful?)