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Witch-dunking. Medieval. Misogynist.
Politicians and anti-violence advocates have condemned Eddie McGuire's "banter" about drowning footy writer Caroline Wilson, calling on sporting codes to stamp out sexism.
With one-in-three Australian women experiencing physical violence [since the age of 15], and one-in-five experiencing sexual assault, the "joke" was not funny, said deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek.
"It's medieval, in fact," Ms Plibersek told the ABC.
"It reminds me of the sort of witch-dunking that used to go on in the Middle Ages. And in that context, joking about drowning someone just doesn't cut it as humour
Opposition leader Bill Shorten similarly described the comments as "unacceptable", and said he wished people would think before they spoke.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has not made comment.
Premier Daniel Andrews said: "When you say the wrong thing you should apologise, and I understand that he has done that."
McGuire was widely condemned on social media for saying he would pay $50,000 to see Walkley-award-winning journalist Wilson stay under a pool of iced water, and charge an extra $10,000 for "everyone to stand around the outside and bomb her".
McGuire made the comments on radio station Triple M last Monday, during the "Big Freeze at the G", where celebrities slid into ice water to raise money for research into motor neurone disease.
Anti-violence advocate Rosie Batty condemned the comments at the launch of her new campaign to reform the Family Court System.
On what would have been her son Luke Batty's 14th birthday, Ms Batty said high-profile commentators had a responsibility to consider themselves as role models, and reflect this in their behaviour.
"I think we've moved past understanding racist jokes, but clearly we haven't moved past sexist jokes and banter," said Ms Batty.
"I'm sure that people will be making Eddie accountable for his comments, and I'm sure he will take it and reflect and understand ... it's not appropriate."
Newly-appointed Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, who is also a Carlton Football Club director, said she failed to see the humour when men in positions of power in the AFL laughingly suggest they could drown a female colleague for charity.
Attitudes that endorse violence against women are those that minimise, trivialise or justify it, said Ms Jenkins.
"If anything good comes of this 57-second conversation, it's that we better understand what we need to do to prevent violence against women. Attitudes matter," she said.
On Sunday McGuire declined to comment when contacted by The Age, but on Monday he made an apology on 3AW.
"I say from the bottom of my heart that I am so sorry that those comments have resonated that way, I am so sorry that anyone could even think that's what anyone was thinking," he said.
The national union for journalists, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, called on all media organisations to stamp out sexism and misogyny in their workplaces.
When one of Australia's most-decorated journalists could be the subject of "jokes", it highlighted a culture where women in the media still struggled to be treated with respect, said director Katelin McInerney.
