Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Friday Gold: An email exchange with Michael Laws

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  • Sam F,

    Now that's satire. Can you see the difference?

    Sorry for the late edit!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Yeah, the same ones that voted for legalised child abuse recently. Not to mention voting for "change" last year.

    A post in the style of Lhaws?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    Doesn't he have a comms manager? Or a PR advisor?

    Can't you see the scene at the recruitment agency with the gathered pool of redundant PR hacks?

    "We're looking for volunteers for a suicide mission. Those in, take one step forward."

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    Giovanni, I'm not sure our beloved correspondent was ever aiming for satire. Seems like a regular bloke who wanted to put his view to a political figure - which he did with a pretty balanced mix of emotion and fact.
    I don't think we can blame his eventual response when it so quickly descended into what Laws did there. Sure, a subtle riposte to make Monty Python proud would have been lovely but he never set out for that and I imagine ended up being pretty shocked and offended.

    I don't think it's HIS standards of response that are really in question here

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Sam F,

    Can't you see the scene at the recruitment agency with the gathered pool of redundant PR hacks?

    "We're looking for volunteers for a suicide mission. Those in, take one step forward."

    Y'know, we could spin the suggested Downfall: Laws Edition right out to film length with that one...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report Reply

  • FletcherB,

    'll put about that there's a secret PAS forum where the secret cabal of Politically Correct meet to plan our agenda...

    Ahem, thats actually true.... it seems like we forgot to let you in on the approved list? We'll have a discussion in private to see if you're approved. Please await further contact....

    West Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 893 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    I don't think it's HIS standards of response that are really in question here

    Actually, not to belabour the point, but I kind of think it is. If the guy set out to make Laws look bad to people who didn't already think he was a wanker, I think it was a massive fail. And he didn't come out of it in particular bright colours either. But clearly that's just me.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    Giovani, do you agree that if just teh first 4 exchanges were printed Laws would come out like the dick?
    It's the subsequent race around the gutter that does nobody any favours?

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    Just so it's on both threads:
    DPF's Khiwiblog

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    Can't you see the scene at the recruitment agency with the gathered pool of redundant PR hacks?

    "We're looking for volunteers for a suicide mission. Those in, take one step forward."

    Y'know, we could spin the suggested Downfall: Laws Edition right out to film length with that one...

    Or some kind of The Apprentice v Fear Factor mash-up reality show?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    I want to agree (again) with Giovanni.

    New Zealand is often conservative and reactionary. But the solution to this isn't to retreat into reactionary bashing of the people who hold those positions. This plays into their hands, and it is this kind of cultural politics that has kept power in the hands of extremists in the United States for decades. Without conceding to Phil Goff's declaration on the weekend that non-economic battles is a "distraction", I think there is a lot to be said for Scott's argument at Reading the Maps that there is legitimate grievance, and that such a vein of politics taps it deeply. To throw epithets at the residents of W(h)anganui is to deepen this.

    Interestingly, and on this subject, think about the portrayal of the"yokels" on The Simpsons, and how if any other cultural group was portrayed in this way it would almost certainly be condemned. Prejudice against the rural poor is legitimate in our society, and it's not something I think we should be proud of.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Actually, not to belabour the point, but I kind of think it is. If the guy set out to make Laws look bad to people who didn't already think he was a wanker, I think it was a massive fail. And he didn't come out of it in particular bright colours either. But clearly that's just me.

    I don't think he set out to provoke Laws into a correspondence that he would get published on the internet, but yes, he was certainly winding up Laws as the correspondence grew.

    But the point, surely, is that Laws, who recently browbeat some children about the tone of their written communications to him, immediately pressed the "puerile abuse" button when he received a critical letter on his official email address.

    He deserves to be laughed at at least as much as North Shore mayor Andrew Williams, whose late-night emails have been quite widely reported this year.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Giovani, do you agree that if just teh first 4 exchanges were printed Laws would come out like the dick?

    Yes, but so what? He has made a profession of being dickish on our ariwaves, it's really hard to see how this would hurt him in any way. Which is not to say it's impossible to make him look bad - the Otaki kids did a splendid job there.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Kerry Weston,

    As someone upthread noted, there wasn't exactly massive choice when it came to appointing a new mayor in 2004. Chas Poynter had been mayor since 1989, an old-school small businessman and I guess Whanganui-ites voted for change, relative youth and a high profile. My impression is that the citizenry is somewhat divided - but, hey, Aucklanders voted in John Banks, what does that say about them?

    Manawatu • Since Jan 2008 • 494 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    He has made a profession of being dickish on our ariwaves, it's really hard to see how this would hurt him in any way

    But you’d expect Laws the mayor, replying to an e-mail to act differently to Laws the talkback host.

    Well OK you wouldn’t, but you know what I mean.

    But hell; he sure psyched himself up for that Campbell interview.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    He deserves to be laughed at at least as much as North Shore mayor Andrew Williams, whose late-night emails have been quite widely reported this year.

    Laugh all you want, it won't make the slightest difference to him or his level of public support, is all I'm saying. In that maybe the Williams story was a little different.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    But you’d expect Laws the mayor, replying to an e-mail to act differently to Laws the talkback host.

    Well OK you wouldn’t, but you know what I mean.

    Just goes to show he's a straight shooter, no? And he replies to his emails, so he's a hard worker to boot.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Sam F,

    Just so it's on both threads:
    DPF's Khiwiblog

    Just a pity the racists come out to play consequence-free, as usual. Here's the case in point:

    Johnboy Says:

    What gets me about this whole (sorry fole) load of crap concerning Mhaori getting septic about how us honkys pronounce their near unintelligible babble is that we are speaking english when we talk of places in NZ not speaking mhaori.

    If I am speaking in english re places in France I don’t break into the local lingo ie Paree not Paris. Likewise if I am speaking of Russian cities in english I don’t suddenly say Mockba in psuedo russian I say our pronounciation of it–Moscow. As for Chinese placenames dont even ask.

    It seems to me we have pandered too long to this PC crap. If you are speaking in mhaori fine, pronounce the names in mhaori. If you are speaking english then use the english pronounciation. No wh’s that sound like f’s in english to my knowledge.

    When I get to hear all the cuzzies in Neuiw Zeeland using perfect english pronounciation when they are not using their native tongue then I might take them seriously and try to do the same with mhaori place names. Till then I will just laugh out loud when I read all the precious crap they spout about Te Reo.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    If you are speaking english then use the english pronounciation.

    Now *that* would be Poe-worthy. Sadly, it's probably serious.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • andin,

    Laugh all you want,

    All it makes me do is feel sick to the pit of my stomach.

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report Reply

  • Don Christie,

    giovanni

    All very nice to be very nice. But let's not forget, Laws was lecturing Maori children on their stupidity, anger management and ignorance.

    All this episode has done is highlight the fact that age is no barrier to the condition he objects to.

    QED.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report Reply

  • FletcherB,

    As for Chinese placenames dont even ask.

    Ah, you mean like how Peking is now Beijing? Doesnt that seem like an international attempt to use something (approximately) closer to the local pronunciation?

    West Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 893 posts Report Reply

  • Bruce Thorpe,

    Laws is a "shock jock".

    They get high on the role of potty mouth.

    It makes a lot of money, creates a very big personality cult and creates voting blocs.

    When does megalomania become pedagoguery ?

    Hokianga • Since May 2007 • 52 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    Likewise if I am speaking of Russian cities in english I don’t suddenly say Mockba

    My nurse was complaining that my blood pressure was too low. I think that's done the trick nicely.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Sam F,

    Ah, you mean like how Peking is now Beijing? Doesnt that seem like an international attempt to use something (approximately) closer to the local pronunciation?

    Let me channel Redbaiter for a moment here: Peking was the good, upstanding colonial European name - not like that filthy socialist name that the Chinese apply to their own capital. When you conform to pinyin, you're conforming to communism !

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report Reply

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