In news that should surprise absolutely no one except perhaps the parents of X Factor Australia contestants, the battle of the Monday night ratings between A Current Affair and X Factor was won by Grimshaw & Co.

Well, it wasn't between the two shows, since they're in different time-slots, but overall, in Monday night terms, ACA rated its tits off, with 1.74 million people glued to the Newton saga, and "only" 1.18m wondering what happened to that nice bloke who was supposed to host X Factor.

I watched ACA, because I've keenly followed the Matt Newton downfall - though not because I'm particularly interested in him, but rather the Australian media's rather alarming game of apologism that has played out since it was reported that Newton had assaulted girlfriend (or fiancee, if you believe Patti) Rachael Taylor in Rome.

His behaviour has been chalked up to - and, thus, excused on account of - everything from "demons" to alcoholism to, recently, "schizophrenia-like symptoms".

Fortunately there has been scant mention of Taylor's part in it all (it appears Australia has finally matured enough to understand that no woman asks or deserves to be abused, so that's a plus).

The media itself has been extremely slow to address one of the core problems at hand: that Matt Newton appears to be a repeat offender when it comes to beating his partners, and that no amount of "demons", drugs, bad childhood experiences or dud jobs are ever an excuse for domestic abuse.

Indeed, it's been the typically deranged news.com.au commenters who have stopped me from spinning into a frothing rage while watching the Newton coverage; while articles laugh him off as a "rogue" and a "bad boy", I am left to rely on the sage wisdom of 'Ron of Packenham' types who are apparently the only people prepared to say "that's not on, mate, you never hit a woman."

So, I was intrigued to see what angle ACA took - after all, Tracy Grimshaw was admirably tough with another of Australian television's "bad boys", Matthew Johns, and the promos didn't disappoint:

Patti: He's lost the girl of his dreams.
Grimshaw: Well, he didn't lose her, he beat her up.

The interview itself was another matter.

In the end, it came across as an odd sort of bloodletting for the Newton clan (it's worth remembering that Bert is contracted to Channel Nine), and queasy timing considering that - as they themselves mentioned - Matt Newton is apparently on suicide-watch in a rehab facility.

But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

Here is a family that has existed solely in the glare of the spotlight; they are the number one ticket-holders of the society of the spectacle.

There was great irony to be found in their talk of privacy while ACA scrolled through women's magazine photos of Patti with Matt as a baby (etc).

After all, this is a family that invited MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC to rock up to Lauren's wedding to Matt Welsh (Bert: "There's room at the back of the church and we'd love to have you."). Here's Patti looking restrained on the day:



And Lauren looks really happy about the media fracas:



And here, a few years later, is the shy, retiring family presenting the latest addition to some close personal friends (i.e. the media):



And again:



In other words, putting aside the motivations of A Current Affair in booking the interview (see opening paragraph), Bert and Patti's "decision" to talk to Grimshaw about Matt's state wasn't surprising at all.

The family has lived its life in our living rooms - or, perhaps more correctly, and this is where I think the interview shifts from gross ratings fodder to something deeper, the living rooms of people who take their cues from people like Tracy Grimshaw and the Newton family.

Bert and Patti intimated as much during the interview - that they hoped their coming out and speaking about it might help other families in turmoil, and I think that's a point that much of the Twitter chatter missed.

It's very easy for "us" to say "Get some therapy, Matt", but the people who might have packed the back rows at Lauren Newton's wedding on Bert's invitation aren't necessarily so up-to-date on what to do when someone you love turns out to be unhinged or violent.

Whatever Bert and Patti's motivation was for doing the interview, and putting aside their rather poignant inability to seem to accept the reality of the situation, if just a handful of those 1.74 million viewers came away from ACA last night and were moved to seek help, then perhaps ratings-grubbing can have a silver lining.