Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Effectively Friday

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  • Robyn Gallagher,

    The weirdest part is hearing Titewhai Harawira giving instructions to the PM afterwards: "Stand still John -- no, no, stand still ... "

    A bit after that, I think it's Harawira who is apologising to him for the incident, and he says, "No problems, no problems."

    But, actually, being assaulted like that is a problem - it would be for anyone, but it's even more of a problem for the Prime Minister.

    Then later:

    Reporter: Not the welcome you would have been hoping for, Mr Key.
    Key: Oh, look, you know, not gonna blow it out of proportion.
    Woman It's OK. No, it's OK.

    In fact, I think you'll find that nothing actually happened. The fellow just bumped into him by accident.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report

  • dc_red,

    Ahem: ...recent suggestions to the effect that the 'brave' new PM...

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report

  • Danielle,

    a wee bit of context

    I've read all that stuff too. I'm sorry, even if the DP was being an unprofessional douche, there is absolutely no excuse for that level and length of freakout. It's not OK!

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report

  • James Green,

    Hmm. I was hoping for some free font loving.
    It amuses me that the site is mostly done out in courier. Perhaps they couldn't agree on what to use, so they went back to the fixed pitch standard.

    Heh. I do kinda like courier, but it reminds me of the American Institute of Architects Building in Washington. I guess they couldn't decide on who would do it, so they got either a Soviet draftsperson to design them a nice soul-less concrete edifice.

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    It's a relatively minor incident, for sure, but it does cast an interesting light on the Herald's recent suggestions to the the 'brave' new PM (and, indeed, the 'brave' new Leader of the Opposition) are willing to "return" to Waitangi, where Helen Clark feared to tread.

    In addition to a slightly sexist undertone, such reporting rather downplays the idea that there's only so many times someone with a bit of self-respect will be willing to put up with this kind of shit.

    Well, let's be fair here DC Red. I don't recall Jim Bolger's penis getting any kind of pass (including from then Opposition Leader Helen Clark) when he decided not to set himself up for a repeat of Waitangi Day '95.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    Coincidentally, my *current* Facebook status update is 'Danielle and Christian Bale are done, professionally'! I am the zeitgeist. Or completely unoriginal...

    You sound like the kind of person who ought to make a book of her status updates.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    I want to pay artists, not fat old white men sitting around pools in Vegas.

    To be fair, APRA does pay nearly everything it collects directly to creators. Its operating costs are pretty tight. So the Vegas thing doesn't really apply there.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • mark taslov,

    Man-Diva

    always has been,
    He's the original Russel Crowe

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report

  • simon g,

    If I were Key's spin supremo, I wouldn't be too worried about TV pics of the push and shove. He handled it OK.

    The Prime Minister getting treated like a helpless infant by Titewhai Harawira, on the other hand ... yikes. It was like grazing your knee in the playground and then your mum far outdoing the physical pain with an embarrassing cuddle in front of all your sniggering school mates.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report

  • slarty,

    To be fair, APRA does pay nearly everything it collects directly to creators. Its operating costs are pretty tight. So the Vegas thing doesn't really apply there.

    Sorry, I was directing that comment at a more philosophical level - with the exception of a few big names, the artists see stuff all of the cash handed over to download, although it is better than the good old days of physical media.

    And then there's sponsorship and franchising... most of the funds are channelled in such a way that the artist must be completely baffled about what revenue they are actually generating.

    Ultimately the funds do, in large part, end up in the coffers of large corporates, with some old names picking up some nice contract fees on the way.

    The key to any contractual system is integrity: that rests on fairness and trust. The media industry knows that it is broken - like all good conservatives, they're trying to string it out as long as they can... no different to the big-iron car industries in N America (British Leyland anyone)?

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I've read all that stuff too. I'm sorry, even if the DP was being an unprofessional douche, there is absolutely no excuse for that level and length of freakout. It's not OK!

    Certainly not, but I wonder how many of us would think it's OK to have our worse moments of completely disproportionate, inexcusably OTT work-related arse-hattery remixed and posted on line?

    Still, I've got to cherish this headline from LA Times blogger Tom O'Neil: Did Christian Bale throw away his Oscars hopes by throwing that tantrum? The funny thing is that in another post he's quite confidently predicting that the best actor Oscar is a toss up between two veteran man-divas with very serious anger management issues played out in open courts: Mickey Rourke and Sean Penn.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • andrew llewellyn,

    Go Mickey Rourke!!

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    Mmm, I think I can use that.

    No you can't

    This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Viacom International Inc..

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Joe Wylie,

    Sean Penn.

    Which, of course, brings to mind that solid-gold Christian Bale tanty-related eggcorn unearthed by Giovanni: Pre-madonna.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    Pre-madonna.

    You know, I've been thinking about it for days. Because, the way I see it, it means that people used to behave a lot more petulantly before either Ms. Ciccone or the Virgin Mary came on the scene and put a stop to that.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Stuart Coats,

    The weirdest part is hearing Titewhai Harawira giving instructions to the PM afterwards: "Stand still John -- no, no, stand still ... "

    I like the bit when she tells him that it's people who aren't from "round here" who cause the problems. That's exactly what the people of Alexandra used to say a couple of years back when they were having similar, if lesser, problems to the ones Chch are currently confronting: "it's not our boys, it's those boys who come up here from Gore."

    What isn't quite as much fun is a wee bit of context...

    Does that article suggest that the guy was shifting the light while the cameras were rolling? Because no-one would hire someone who does that. Well, except maybe James Cameron.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 192 posts Report

  • slarty,

    This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Viacom International Inc..

    Too slow Viacom, already FLAC'd :)

    How poetic.

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report

  • FletcherB,

    You know, I've been thinking about it for days. Because, the way I see it, it means that people used to behave a lot more petulantly before either Ms. Ciccone or the Virgin Mary came on the scene and put a stop to that.

    Well, It certainly applies to Sean Penn, then, doesnt it?

    West Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 893 posts Report

  • andrew llewellyn,

    I like the bit when she tells him that it's people who aren't from "round here" who cause the problems.

    She outing herself as an NZ 1st supporter? Or does she mean Kwy himself?

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report

  • andrew llewellyn,

    I mean... "Key".

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    Too slow Viacom, already FLAC'd :)

    Hah, totally FLAC'd 'em eh!!

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Katita,

    Sean Penn as Harvey Milk ... has to win an Oscar for that performance - sublime.

    ... and while Christian nuts off, let's not foget 'our' Russ and the telephone ... if only that would rule him out of any possible future Oscar nominations ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 67 posts Report

  • Paul Litterick,

    I am sure Mr Brown has never done anything with a telephone that violates either its terms of service policy or common decency.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report

  • Alan Perrott,

    just so you know: Lux Interior has died.

    sheesh.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 438 posts Report

  • Julian Melville,

    I was thinking "who the hell is Christian Bale?", so I looked him up, and now I realise he's that bloke who wasted what felt like 18 hours of my life in the Batman movie. Meh.

    But that sucks about Lux Interior. I was just at a 5th birthday party on the weekend where the Dad swapped the kiddie CD's for some Cramps and everything was improved greatly. RIP.

    Auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 200 posts Report

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