The Claim
“Spent $3.7 million making a video to teach 16 year-olds about sexual consent without talking about sex. The video was pulled within days due to it being ineffective and poorly targeted to the late-teenage age group. The cost of the videos was more than the budget for the first Mad Max movie, or Napoleon Dynamite.”
Original Sources Provided
✅ FACTUAL VERIFICATION
The claim is substantially accurate with important clarifications about cost figures and timing precision [1][2][3].
Verified Core Facts:
Government Spending - $3.7 Million: The figure refers to the cost of "The Good Society" website developed by Liquid Interactive, confirmed via AusTender procurement records [1]. The broader "Respect Matters" program had a total budget of $7.8 million [1]. The $3.7 million figure accurately describes the website/campaign platform cost, though the total program context is worth noting.
Milkshake Metaphor for Sexual Consent: Confirmed - A video titled "Moving the Line" featured a young woman attempting to share a milkshake with her partner, and when he declined, she smeared it on his face without permission. This was intended to illustrate consent violation [1][2]
Video Did Not Use Direct Language About Sex: Confirmed - The videos deliberately avoided using words like "sex," "sexual assault," or "rape," instead using metaphors (milkshakes, tacos, pizza, sharks) to communicate consent concepts [1][3]
Video Was Pulled Rapidly: Confirmed with timing precision - The video was released on April 19, 2021 (Monday) and removed on April 20, 2021 (Tuesday). Technically this is "within a day" rather than "within days" (plural), but the removal was extraordinarily rapid [1][2]
Ineffective and Poorly Targeted: Confirmed - Multiple independent assessments support this characterization:
- ABC News teenager reviews (April 25, 2021): Teenagers aged 16-19 universally criticized the video as confusing, patronizing, and ineffective [2]
- James (19-year-old): "It is quite a confusing, almost immature video... It makes a joke of something that shouldn't be a joke" [2]
- Alexa (17-year-old): "I think they really just didn't understand what they were trying to get across" [2]
- State Education Ministers: Victoria's James Merlino called it "a big fail" and "cringeworthy"; NSW's Sarah Mitchell called it "pretty woeful" [1]
Budget Comparison to Films: Confirmed - The $3.7-3.8 million website cost significantly exceeded both:
Missing Context
What the claim omits:
Program Context: The $3.7 million was specifically for website development and content hosting for "The Good Society" platform, which was broader than just the controversial consent videos. The website included educational resources, teacher guides, and other content [1]
Cost Breakdown: More than half of the Respect Matters program budget was spent on videos and supporting materials, not all on the milkshake video specifically. Multiple videos were produced (milkshake, shark, taco, pizza metaphors) [3]
Program Intent: The "Respect Matters" program was designed to "support and promote positive attitudes, behaviours and equality in schools to help prevent domestic, family, and sexual violence" - a legitimate policy objective, even if execution failed [1]
Broader Backlash Reasons: The videos were criticized not just for being poorly targeted, but for:
Expert Opposition: Removal was pushed for by rape prevention advocates (Fair Agenda, End Rape on Campus Australia), not just public backlash [1]. Grace Tame (Australian of the Year) called the approach "insulting to the intelligence of everyone" and "problematic in so many ways" [1]
Timing Precision: "Within days" technically occurred "within one day" (April 19-20), which is faster but different from the plural phrasing
Source Credibility Assessment
Original Sources Provided:
- MTV Australia - Lifestyle/entertainment publication, secondary reporting but accurate on core facts [6]
- ABC News - Public broadcaster with strong reputation for factual accuracy; the teenager review article provides primary source perspectives [2]
- 9News - Commercial news outlet, standard reporting quality
- Band+T - Professional media publication with good track record
- Schwartz Media - Australian independent media outlet with generally reputable analysis
Primary Sources Consulted for This Analysis:
- SBS News - Public broadcaster, detailed reporting with AusTender documentation [1]
- Crikey - Investigative journalism outlet, detailed budget breakdown [3]
- News.com.au - Major newspaper, accurate citation of figures [7]
- Government sources - AusTender procurement records, Department of Education statements
- Direct teenager interviews - ABC News primary source material [2]
Credibility Assessment: The original sources are reliable, and the core claims are corroborated by mainstream media outlets and government procurement records.
Labor Comparison
Did Labor government spend comparable amounts on education campaigns with similar issues?
Finding: Different approach, but significantly higher total spending identified [8].
Labor's Approach:
- Albanese Government (2023 onwards): Committed "$77.6 million to states and territories and the non-government school sector to deliver evidenced-based, age-appropriate and expert-developed respectful relationships education" [8]
- "Consent Can't Wait" campaign: Recent Labor initiative focusing on expert-developed content
- Key difference: Explicitly "evidence-based" and "expert-developed," addressing criticisms of the Coalition's approach
Comparative Context:
- Coalition "Respect Matters" program: $7.8 million total, criticized for poor design and ineffectiveness
- Labor "Consent Can't Wait" / Respectful Relationships program: $77.6 million, explicitly framed as evidence-based
- Labor's approach appeared to learn from Coalition's failures by emphasizing expert development
- Labor committed 10x more funding but positioned it as addressing the inadequacies identified in Coalition's effort
Conclusion on Comparison: No equivalent Labor program with similar design failures found. Labor's response to the Coalition's misstep was to fund a larger, more evidence-based alternative.
Balanced Perspective
The Criticism:
The Coalition's approach to consent education was genuinely problematic. Using food and inanimate objects to teach about sexual consent trivializes a serious topic involving bodily autonomy and assault. Teenagers - the actual target audience - found it confusing and patronizing. The rapid removal after public backlash suggests the government did not test the material adequately with its intended audience before launch. The cost ($3.7-7.8 million) for such a short-lived campaign represents inefficient government spending [1][2]
The Context:
However, the intent was legitimate - providing age-appropriate education about consent and respect is a genuine government responsibility, especially given Australia's sexual assault rates and consent culture issues [8]. The failure was execution, not concept. The program was removed when problems became apparent, and Labor's subsequent approach suggests learning from the Coalition's mistakes rather than avoiding the problem entirely [8]
Expert Perspectives:
- Grace Tame and other consent advocates criticized the approach as inadequate but welcomed the intervention space [1]
- Educational experts noted the videos underestimated teenage understanding and maturity [2]
- Rape prevention organizations pushed for removal but acknowledged the need for some form of consent education [1]
Key Context: This represents a policy failure in execution rather than corrupt intent. The government attempted to address a legitimate educational need but used pedagogically inappropriate methods. The rapid course correction when problems became apparent suggests accountability mechanisms worked, though the cost and waste remain valid criticisms.
PARTIALLY TRUE
7.0
out of 10
The Coalition government did spend approximately $3.7 million on a campaign featuring a milkshake-based metaphor to teach consent to teenagers, without discussing sex explicitly. The videos were pulled within a day of release due to widespread criticism of their ineffectiveness and poor targeting. Multiple independent assessments confirm they were unsuitable for the teenage audience. The cost comparison to Mad Max and Napoleon Dynamite is factually accurate. The characterization as "ineffective and poorly targeted" is supported by teenager reviews and educational expert assessment.
Minor imprecision: "within days" technically occurred "within one day," but the substance of rapid removal is accurate. The $3.7 million refers to the website platform cost; the broader program was $7.8 million.
Final Score
7.0
OUT OF 10
PARTIALLY TRUE
The Coalition government did spend approximately $3.7 million on a campaign featuring a milkshake-based metaphor to teach consent to teenagers, without discussing sex explicitly. The videos were pulled within a day of release due to widespread criticism of their ineffectiveness and poor targeting. Multiple independent assessments confirm they were unsuitable for the teenage audience. The cost comparison to Mad Max and Napoleon Dynamite is factually accurate. The characterization as "ineffective and poorly targeted" is supported by teenager reviews and educational expert assessment.
Minor imprecision: "within days" technically occurred "within one day," but the substance of rapid removal is accurate. The $3.7 million refers to the website platform cost; the broader program was $7.8 million.
📚 SOURCES & CITATIONS (9)
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1
Government removes controversial consent videos featuring sharks and milkshakes following backlash
The video of a young woman smearing a milkshake over her partner's face without his permission is one of two videos designed to explain consent that have been pulled from 'The Good Society' website.
SBS News -
2
Teenagers review the government consent video
The milkshake video may have launched a thousand memes, but what do teenagers think of the government’s consent resources?
Abc Net -
3
Revealed: Government's milkshake consent videos
More than half of the crucial Respect Matters funding was spent on videos comparing assault to pizza and rape to tacos.
Crikey -
4
Mad Max (1979) - Film Budget
Nfsa Gov
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5
Napoleon Dynamite (2004) - Production Budget
The-numbers
Original link no longer available -
6
Australian Government Milkshake Consent Video Cost
MTV Global brings viewers the best in lifestyle and competition reality shows, plus live events featuring the biggest names in entertainment.
MTV -
7
Morrison Government's divisive sexual consent ads part of $3.7m taxpayer-funded campaign
News Com
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8
Rolling out funding to support consent and respectful relationships education in schools
Ministers Education Gov
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9
What soured the milkshake? A filmmaker's guide to avoiding international embarrassment
In this opinion piece, filmmaker and co-founder of purpose-led film production company Taste Creative and Bus Stop Films, Genevieve Clay-Smith, reflects on what the government’s Milkshake Consent Video can teach us about tackling tough social topics. The talk of the town and the overwhelming topic for opinion pieces over the last two weeks has been, […]
B&T
Rating Scale Methodology
1-3: FALSE
Factually incorrect or malicious fabrication.
4-6: PARTIAL
Some truth but context is missing or skewed.
7-9: MOSTLY TRUE
Minor technicalities or phrasing issues.
10: ACCURATE
Perfectly verified and contextually fair.
Methodology: Ratings are determined through cross-referencing official government records, independent fact-checking organizations, and primary source documents.