OnPoint by Keith Ng

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OnPoint: On Freedom of Speech

326 Responses

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  • Joe Wylie,

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • sally jones,

    No miss-tique and not a Ms in sight (or a Mrs, for that matter)

    Auckland • Since Sep 2010 • 179 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    Keeping it "Indian":

    I recently watched Chris Rock's documentary 'Good Hair'. While the whole thing was pretty jaw-dropping, the sequences on hair weaves were something else....

    In short, lots of Indian Hindu women shave their heads as a sign of devotion, and the hair is then sold to the US to make hair weaves for black women, at around $4,000 a pop. From this article:

    Human hair is India’s No. 1 export; thieves cut off the hair of unsuspecting women and sell it on the black market.

    Dunno about 'no. 1 export', but still.

    Anyhoo, as you were.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • uroskin,

    And Miss Underestimated

    Waiheke Island • Since Feb 2007 • 178 posts Report Reply

  • uroskin,

    Aljazeera had a documentary about Indian hair exports earlier this year.

    Waiheke Island • Since Feb 2007 • 178 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    Now you have the Daily Telegraph in Britain declaring New Zealand at centre of another race row

    Well, the Daily Telegraph can STFU and put it's own house in order before pointing the finger.

    When I was over in the UK in July, they ran an unpleasant anti-gypsy story which they spun out over several days, including an editorial in support of the free speech of a man who thought it was perfectly acceptable to write to his local council asking for 'those dirty gyppo scum' to be moved off land near his house.

    Now, defending free speech is one thing, but writing an editorial badly stating that he was a victim and that there was nothing wrong with what he said is quite another.

    Can't find the article online, but the results of this google search are quite depressingly informative of The Telegraphs mentaility.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Jacqui Dunn,

    Wot? No Miss Quoted?

    Deepest, darkest Avondale… • Since Jul 2010 • 585 posts Report Reply

  • Ben Gracewood,

    But has Ben congratulated Liu Xiaobo yet? I don't see evidence of it on his blog. How long must we be kept waiting?

    I've finally had time to be briefed by my media relations team, and have decided that going forward there will be synergies I can leverage from being associated with Liu Xiaobo.

    So: congratulations to Noble Award Winner Liu Xiaobo.

    Orkland • Since Nov 2006 • 168 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Eade,

    Actually, there's a whole motherload of touchy ethnic issues skimming under the surface there

    Absolutely.There is no Miss Perfect skin.

    auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 1112 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Eade,

    and talking of chaps speaking freely, from the herald.

    "Bolger: Telecom sale a mistake "

    Jesus, Roger Douglas screwed up.

    auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 1112 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Yes, a textbook case of the pot calling the kettle stupid.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Miss India NZ reminds me of a mate who went on an American Field Scholarship as a 16 year old. He's part Maori, and said so in his application. The family that opted to take him on were African American. Apparently, the mother was super bitter when he got there, because he didn't look Maori enough (although any NZer would be able to see the Maori features, he just has pale skin is all), and routinely accused him of lying on his application, and was just generally quite a bitch the whole time he was with them.

    She was the only one - the father and the rest of the family had no problem with him.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Keir Leslie,

    You know, I think that saying that Paul Henry is a cunt is an entirely respectable product in the marketplace of ideas. After all, he is, and given that he sells himself on his personality, it's a perfectly fair retort.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report Reply

  • Jacqui Dunn,

    I actually think it's a pity to use that part of a woman's anatomy to describe a man/child who can't behave properly...it lessens the word.

    Remember being shocked whenever I came across it in D H Lawrence's work, but there was a wonderful bit of graffiti I saw in the London Underground when I was there in the sixties (around the time I was reading DHL) - A big poster of a blindfolded young woman, pouting prettily at the camera, lips fairly smothered in a bright lipstick. May have been for Arpege, or some French makeup. Caption "How can you tell she's a Frenchwoman?" Added, scrawled underneath "by her cunt".

    Needless to say, I can appreciate it much better now than I could then! NZers, especially women, would never use words like that in those days.

    Deepest, darkest Avondale… • Since Jul 2010 • 585 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Obviously there are an awful lot of people who do not think this way, and who are trying to change it, but the lighter-is-prettier standard of beauty is an ongoing issue in Indian society. It's one that doesn't usually get examined in the Western beauty media because if any attention is paid to South Asian women it's about their Exotic Good Looks, but I think it provides an important amount of context to the whole thing.

    Totally awesome context there, Lucy.

    [Looks in vain for the "Like" button]

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    You know, I think that saying that Paul Henry is a cunt is an entirely respectable product in the marketplace of ideas.

    I suspect there's one or two feminists who'd be serving fresh hot "shut the fuck up" pies at their stalls in response to that notion.

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

  • Andre Alessi,

    I suspect there's one or two feminists who'd be serving fresh hot "shut the fuck up" pies at their stalls in response to that notion.

    If you count certain "internet feminists" in the category , you'd probably find those stalls would be serving more pies than the White Lady 24/7.

    Devonport, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 864 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    I believe "shut the consensual intercourse up" may be the preferred phrase, actually.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Keir Leslie,

    Well, that was the wording used above.

    (And also: I'm willing to call people `shit', `cock', `arsehole' and various other anatomical rude words. I don't think there's much of a reason to treat `cunt' differently from arsehole or cock, and I am rather suspicious of attempts to do so.)

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report Reply

  • Keith Ng,

    I suspect there's one or two feminists who'd be serving fresh hot "shut the fuck up" pies at their stalls in response to that notion.

    Craig: Despite what you think, sometimes, "cock" just isn't enough.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report Reply

  • Keith Ng,

    But you know, this is one of the few times that I've used "cunt" in prose intended for public consumption.

    I usually try to stick to gender-neutral swearing. I love Deadwood, but shy away from using "cocksucker" in general discourse.

    Recently, I've started to question the concept of politically correct obscenities. It's trying to be generally and indiscriminately offensive, without being specifically offensive. Kinda "fuck you all, but strictly equally".

    Perhaps I've given too much thought to this.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Eade,

    Cunt like the word fuck has great phonetics.Also Motherfucker just rolls off the tongue like a foreign word.Dick is too friendly.Cocksucker has cock in it, too chickeny.

    "You motherfucking cunt", is fighting words , yet it makes no sense and is a historic result of ladyhating.

    Yet as stand alone words they release their own energy.


    Fuck.

    auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 1112 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    +1 to Jeremy Eade

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    I always find it strange in American film - I've never heard it used of a male*. It clearly has a similar meaning to here, but exclusively for women. I wonder if that's why you also don't hear it often, why it's more taboo there than here.

    *Edit: Duh, in case it's not clear - the C word.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    Ask the Outrageous Fortune team, they just got a slap fom the BSA for using the c word last Tuesday. Cheryl was referring to Draska.

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

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