Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Only what we would expect a child to do

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  • Craig Ranapia,

    I think Craig’s implying that you’re basically saying Key looked “a bit gay, and not in a good way”.

    Not implying a damn thing, Kyle, I’m saying it.

    FCS get off that partisan horse and grow up.

    Oh I will, I’ll also get a sense of humour and stop being so hysterical and politically correct. Do hope all that heterosexual privilege works for you.

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

  • Danielle,

    Yeah, I must say the 'mincing' was pretty dogwhistley, andin. Key's enough of a huge dork for us to mock without being all homophobe-esque about it.

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

  • Steve Barnes,

    I see the "Supporters of Key" are at it again, really looking forward to that RWC.
    Waddaya mean it's only the Sevens? 15 is twice as worse and more eh?

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    But Wait.....

    The number was in addition to the 16 arrests and 76 evictions, mainly for smuggling alcohol, at the Westpac Stadium yesterday.

    Smuggling Alcohol?. That suggests, to me anyway, that there is some kind of excise avoidance going on here, well if it were truly and purely a sensible decision to only allow punters small and limited amounts of beer or a commercial one to sell concessions to the highest bidding brewery, owhy, then why are the police involved?
    Smacks of big business using the police to do their profit protection to me, You gotsta pays yo dues.
    Oh how I am looking forward to the RWC.
    NOT!!!

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Kumara Republic,

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report

  • andin, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    I think Craig’s implying that you’re basically saying Key looked “a bit gay, and not in a good way”.

    Not implying a damn thing, Kyle, I’m saying it.

    I hope you think I look bit gay, but in a good way, when I put on my mince.

    As for john key he didnt look good - my opinion - look if your gunna do it at least make it look good. And so it is like Benny Hill. And when I was a kid i loved Benny Hill. Ahh, youth, and then I found out. And cue the trombones.
    Make of that what you will. Perhaps my mind is a sewer.......

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to andin,

    As for john key he didnt look good - my opinion - look if your gunna do it at least make it look good. And so it is like Benny Hill. And when I was a kid i loved Benny Hill. Ahh, youth, and then I found out. And cue the trombones.

    My personal take on the 'celebrity crush' thing is that it's symptomatic of a mid-life crisis. I suppose the same could also be said for a certain born-again biker too. At least according to Bevan Rapson.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report

  • dyan campbell,

    I’m not offended by John Key rating the sexual value of women (or men for that matter) but his inability to tell the difference between a mistake and a violent crime is really, really offensive.

    It’s a mistake if you injure someone accidentally, though of course you can injure someone accidentally, and it’s still classified as a crime, like the fellow who shot a teacher while “hunting” illegally and dangerously – criminally stupid, but a genuine mistake, characterised by horror and remorse at the outcome.

    A violent crime is not a mistake. Tony Veitch didn’t make a “mistake” he committed a violent crime.

    John Key confuses violent crime with a mistake in The Herald

    But Mr Key did not resile from them, nor from his appearance on Veitch’s show.

    Veitch was convicted of recklessly injuring his partner after a high-profile case that cost him jobs in media.

    Other assault charges were dropped and Veitch was hired by Radio Sport.

    “[Veitch] is a guy that’s clearly made mistakes, and in the end, hopefully he’s learned his lessons,” Mr Key said.

    “I engage with a lot of journalists. Some of them have history and some of them don’t. That’s not my concern. My concern is to make sure that I represent the views I want to represent on those shows."

    I differentiate between a social association – matey joking about who’s fuckable or how desirable it would be to be compulsively and indiscriminately promiscuous like Tiger Woods – and professional association, for instance answering a relevant question posed by an journalist during an interview. Key was not providing information, he was trying to “bond” with hosts on a tacky sad tv show to pander to a deomographic group – boofheads.

    The nature of the show Key appeared on is pretty dated and repellant to begin with. Key was bonding and sniggering with his hosts, and that looks foolish if you’re leading a country, no matter who your host is. But if it’s someone with a violent criminal record – it makes their sniggering bonding guest look even more offensive, irresponsible, and potentially intimidating by association.

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 595 posts Report

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to dyan campbell,

    The message is clear. Crime pays if you're a well-heeled celebrity. But when the Jake Hekes of this world do the same thing, people will call for them to be sent to the gas chamber.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report

  • Paul Williams,

    We're hosting the RWC here this year, and we're not expecting the PM to do some mindless media opportunities on the bandwagon?

    On the list of things that I don't like about Key, the fact that he's sometimes domestically a bit dorky doesn't even make the list. I was quite glad to see him make that appearance with a couple of drag queens a few years ago. Model the RWC uniforms? Good on you.

    I agree. Helen did similar stuff, though not with rugby and I always thought it fine, actually, even good.

    Key's put on walk to emulate a model, so what, unless we're going talk about the objectivication of women generally, can't we just accept he's entering into the spirit of things which, IMHO, is exactly what the PM should do (I'll still never vote for him and still think the Liz Hurley comment was offensive).

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • dyan campbell,

    Key’s put on walk to emulate a model, so what, unless we’re going talk about the objectivication of women generally, can’t we just accept he’s entering into the spirit of things which, IMHO, is exactly what the PM should do

    As several of us have already said here the issue that is deeply offensive is the cringe-inducing willingness to bond with hosts on a tacky sad tv show to pander to a deomographic group – boofheads.

    John Key’s subsequent justification that “[Veitch] is a guy that’s clearly made mistakes, and in the end, hopefully he’s learned his lessons,” is an alarming insight into his concept of what constitutes a mistake or learning a lesson.

    Tony Veitch is not a journalist who posed questions to which Key was required to respond. He one of the hosts of a tv show that has a tacky, sadly out of date format.

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 595 posts Report

  • Danielle,

    (It's a radio show, actually.)

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

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to dyan campbell,

    Tony Veitch is not a journalist who posed questions to which Key was required to respond. He one of the hosts of a tv show that has a tacky, sadly out of date format.

    And at the risk of throwing petrol on a guttering fire, when it comes to "tacky, sadly out of date formats" I cringed a lot every time Clark demeaned herself to go for the women's magazine demographic. Which, to be fair, she's far from the first politician to go down that PR road to lady-hating hell.

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

  • Paul Williams,

    As several of us have already said here the issue that is deeply offensive is the cringe-inducing willingness to bond with hosts on a tacky sad tv show to pander to a deomographic group – boofheads.

    Dyan, I agree and I've made essentially the same comment in this thread somewhere. Perhaps we're misunderstanding each other?

    My point above, however, quoted Kyle's view that Key's appearance at the RWC event was appropriate and I agree with him.

    I cringed a lot every time Clark demeaned herself to go for the women's magazine demographic.

    I disagree to the extent that I suspect that the readership of these magazines isn't otherwise easy to reach. We all understand that politicians have to do stuff that's disagreeable, but (a) not immediately calling Paul Henry a racist and (b) agreeing to be on a stupid show with bloke who hospitalised his former partner are both examples of really bad judgment.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • dyan campbell,

    Clark demeaned herself to go for the women’s magazine demographic.

    That wouldn’t be a convincing rebuttal to my assertion even if we were discussing how much integrity or judgement a former Prime Minister had compared to the current one – and Key does not compare well to Clark in terms of an ability to honestly state his position,

    John Key claims to be unable to remember his position on the Springbok tour. I don’t think it would have been possible to live in New Zealand and not hold a position, and I don’t believe he doesn’t remember what opinion he held. If he genuinely did not have an opinion, that doesn’t indicate much character either, or at least not the kind of character you want to see in a leader. John Key’s insincerity and inability to answer difficult questions is widely mocked – ask any BFM interviewer – a difficult question invariably prompts him to run so fast for a flight he must have boarded planes while they were taxiing down the runway.

    Key’s pandering to the boof-head demographic also reminds me of the opening lines of George Eliot’s savagely satirical essay A Too Deferential Man

    A little unpremeditated insincerity must be indulged under the stress of social intercourse. The talk even of an honest man must often represent merely his wish to be inoffensive or agreeable rather than his genuine opinion or feeling on the matter in hand….

    But there are studious, deliberate forms of insincerity which it is fair
    to be impatient with

    Paul’s quote:

    Dyan, I agree and I’ve made essentially the same comment in this thread somewhere. Perhaps we’re misunderstanding each other?

    My point above, however, quoted Kyle’s view that Key’s appearance at the RWC event was appropriate and I agree with him.

    Whoops, sorry Paul, I was confused.

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 595 posts Report

  • Paul Williams, in reply to dyan campbell,

    That's fine Dyan. Incidentally, I entirely agree with you about his position on the Springbok tour. I find it unbelievable actually since he also said he was quite "political" as a young man. Those two statements must surely be contradictory.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • Kumara Republic,

    If anyone deserves the boofhead vote, it's Winston First. And Phil Goff could do worse than to take a leaf from Urban Archipelago:

    For Democrats, it's the cities, stupid--not the rural areas, not the prickly, hateful "heartland," but the sane, sensible cities--including the cities trapped in the heartland. Pandering to rural voters is a waste of time. Again, look at the second map. Look at the urban blue spots in red states like Iowa, Colorado, and New Mexico--there's almost as much blue in those states as there is in Washington, Oregon, and California. And the challenge for the Democrats is not just to organize in the blue areas but to grow them. And to do that, Democrats need to pursue policies that encourage urban growth (mass transit, affordable housing, city services), and Democrats need to openly and aggressively champion urban values. By focusing on the cities the Dems can create a tribal identity to combat the white, Christian, rural, and suburban identity that the Republicans have cornered. And it's sitting right there, on every electoral map, staring them in the face: The cities.

    The urbanites. Howard Dean had it wrong when he tried to woo the "Pickup Truck with Confederate Flag" vote. In fact, while Kerry won urban areas by a whopping 60 percent--that actually represents a 15 percent drop in urban support from 2000 when Gore won the election. The lesson? Democrats have got to tend to their urban base and grow it.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report

  • Sacha, in reply to Paul Williams,

    (b) agreeing to be on a stupid show with bloke who hospitalised his former partner

    Even if you believe in redemption you might still think that discussing shaggable celebs with him was just wrong. What's next - hard tackles?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Paul Williams, in reply to Sacha,

    I do believe in redemption and rehabilitation, though I'd not expect Vetich's rehabilitation would be an easy one, particularly because of the deception. Also, his rehabilitation should probably exclude objectivifying women for laffs. The PM does lack gravitas, I honestly believe. He's got a great easy style that works with, for lack of a better word, mainstream NZers. He's also got a sense that he's PM for everyone and I liked his apparent ease at a queer event. However, he's twice* publicly gone along with inappropriate behaviour and clearly doesn't get that it's not on.

    *I suspect I'd feel differently if he's said Hurley was attractive on RNZ to Geoff Robinson.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • andin,

    can’t we just accept he’s entering into the spirit of things which, IMHO, is exactly what the PM should do

    Bet there was plenty of "spirit" flowing as well.

    He’s got a great easy style that works with, for lack of a better word, mainstream NZers. He’s also got a sense that he’s PM for everyone

    Suppose you could say that. I prefer guileless, but not in a good way.
    OK it was last week, and I really dont give a arse what he does, really!
    Just noting a few ironies that popped up in that globule of time.
    OK moving on.

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    Study finds that TV coverage of the Sevens has one minute of booze culture promotion for every 11 minutes of rugby.

    Massey University researchers have put the Wellington tournament under the spotlight and analysed television coverage of last year's event to see how often viewers were exposed to alcohol promotions.

    Researchers measured both "non-standard" advertising, such as billboards and logos, and "indirect promotion" via camera shots of the crowd drinking. They found that, for every hour of television coverage, there were four minutes and 19.4 seconds of alcohol promotion – or nearly one minute for every 11 minutes of rugby.

    The footage analysed did not include advertising breaks, which did not feature any alcohol advertisements.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    Well, Our esteemed Prime Minister was known as "The Smiling Assassin" in his former life of a money trader, he had no apparent empathy with those that no longer were of use to him. He kept the appearance of someone that "was comfortable" and "Relaxed" about the consequences of his actions. We don't really know what goes on behind that mask, he is the kind of character that could be described as a cycle path.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

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