Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Villainy and engagement

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  • nzlemming, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Heh. This is pretty amazing. The original is 'Prisencolinensinainciusol' by Adriano Celentano and Claudia Mori:

    Shot for shot amazing. Like Rich, I've never heard of the besuited one and his Cleopatra look-alike wife, but even allowing for the formula (I'll take your word for it - I never watch these shows) this was bullying beyond the pale. I'm one of the "few" who sent a complaint into TV3 after someone referred me to it on YouTube.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to william blake,

    Aren’t all of these shows based on the people copying other singers?

    Yeah, it's 95% covers. There's definitely original stuff though. Loved the beatbox guy last night. I think you're right, though - the people who do original stuff don't last, and as the pressure racks up you tend to see them making safer and safer choices, becoming over-coached, losing all personality (although usually they do become more vocally polished). They're like the politicians of show-business, all about the valence issues, the givens (a good voice, knowing the lyrics and the score, and having some kind of dance moves), and there's just nothing that could ever take music in a new direction by the end of that process. But then, has anyone ever really been under illusions that they would?

    That said, One Direction did pretty well out of it.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to nzlemming,

    this was bullying beyond the pale.

    Yeah. It's just unfortunate that many New Zealanders seem to be responding to it by flooding Kills' social media channels with gendered abuse. Sigh.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    The whole thing was the kind of bonkers we usually associate with meth addicts.

    No – it’s exactly the kind of “bonkers” I associate with reality television’s law of diminishing returns. You’ve always got to go that little bit further, that little bit nastier, turn the humiliating screws that little bit tighter to get the attention of an increasingly calloused culture.

    And the only thing that surprises me about this is that anyone is even pretending to be shocked at the entirely predictable results. This is NOTHING like drug addiction or mental illness; it’s exactly what corporate media do to get the only thing they give a shit about – ratings, media attention and revenue.

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

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Attachment Attachment Attachment

    all style, no substance…
    Moon and Kills are a pair of one hit poseurs, hearing the clip with her berating some poor guy for ‘stealing’ Willy Moon’s intellectual property is just laugh out loud batshit crazy!
    Moon is channelling Bryan Ferry and Martin Fry (and many others) just as Kills is dressing up as Theda Bara, Louise Brooks and Bettie Page (above) – perhaps she doesn’t get out much..

    …and conflating her murderers (fictional or otherwise) just shows how lame and vicious she is – then again the whole show is just Karaoke mixed with Big Brother so what would one expect – I would begrudge any NZ on Air money it might get though – as it is not about encouraging talent but a vehicle for schadenfreude and frauds.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Russell Brown,

    The shit's hitting the fan a bit now:

    McDonald's said this morning the comments made by Kills and Moon were unacceptable. "We have spoken to MediaWorks [the owners of TV3] regarding the incident involving Natalia Kills and Willy Moon, to make it clear that we believe the comments made were wholly unacceptable."


    2 Degrees said it viewed the incident "very seriously".

    Yep, I doubt the X-Factor producers had that in the script. And it didn't even need Giovanni Tiso to be involved either.

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

  • Ana Simkiss,

    NZ on Air have just made their disapproval known as well, basically inviting people to complaint to Mediaworks. The statement says:

    We have advised TV3 that we are disappointed that the focus has been taken off the music. We do not condone bullying.

    We’re not allowed editorial input into any funded programme, but viewers can complain to Mediaworks here:

    http://www.mediaworks.co.nz/MediaWorks/MakingaComplaint.aspx

    Freemans Bay • Since Nov 2006 • 141 posts Report Reply

  • steve black,

    So has anybody else mentioned Ben Elton’s 2006 book Chart Throb yet?

    Check it out. Once you read it none of these sorts of TV shows will surprise you ever again.

    Plot summary on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chart_Throb

    sunny mt albert • Since Jan 2007 • 116 posts Report Reply

  • Dan Knox,

    I am glad Kieth Moon can't see how his grandson is behaving.

    Since Mar 2015 • 1 posts Report Reply

  • Jason Kemp,

    Best not to give these shows any more oxygen. I note that MediaWorks are the same company attempting to resurrect Paul Henry for some more trolling around the media dregs so it obviously works for them.

    Netflix, Hulu and other streaming channels are killing broadcast channels, We are just watching the death throes of the old business model or not if you have already switched.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 368 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    This is NOTHING like drug addiction or mental illness; it’s exactly what corporate media do to get the only thing they give a shit about – ratings, media attention and revenue.

    Back in the late 90s, after the first flush of Big Brother, Harry M. Miller pushed the envelope of creepiness by taking a proposal for a reality show to one of the Sydney channels. Clients of a drug rehab clinic would be given the star treatment, with the possibility of real-life relapse replacing being voted out of the house or kicked off the island. While the wretched thing was rejected, I gather that they took the trouble to check out the legal implications before doing so.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    And the only thing that surprises me about this is that anyone is even pretending to be shocked at the entirely predictable results. This is NOTHING like drug addiction

    I do take your point, but I have been around people on too much P, and the incident did have a similar flavour of incoherent narcissism to that kind of noise. (Not that I am saying they were actually on bad drugs, just that it felt that way.)

    Also, I do think the producers weren’t expecting quite what they got. The “bad” judges turned out to have rather too few boundaries.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Ana Simkiss,

    NZ on Air have just made their disapproval known as well, basically inviting people to complaint to Mediaworks.

    So that's two major sponsors and the funding agency. This isn't really turning out as planned.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Breaking News!
    Willy Moon announces cover version of Mockers hit song!
    My Girl Thinks she's Cleopatra' (at 11.40 in this Shazam! concert)
    Resist the asp urges...
    :- )

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Russell Brown,

    The “bad” judges turned out to have rather too few boundaries.

    ...and quite a bit of personal baggage as well, it seems.
    Still it's the pits at the kohl face...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Russell Brown,

    So that’s two major sponsors and the funding agency. This isn’t really turning out as planned.

    Could it be a turning point for reality TV? Or would it take the death of someone to get to that point?

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

  • Carol Stewart, in reply to Daphne Lawless,

    the "Norman Bates" line was the kind of thing that I would consider clever "snark" if I read it in an online review or blog comment rather than on live TV

    I thought the Doppelganger line sounded rehearsed as well.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I do take your point, but I have been around people on too much P, and the incident did have a similar flavour of incoherent narcissism to that kind of noise.

    Fair enough – I’m just cynical enough to think this is entirely calculated, but Gomez and Morticia went way off script.

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

  • nzlemming, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    While the wretched thing was rejected, I gather that they took the trouble to check out the legal implications before doing so.

    Isn't that the basis for Celebrity Rehab that they do in the US (without the voting off)? I wouldn't know as I don't watch any "reality TV" but it seems that way from the trailers.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to nzlemming,

    Celebrity Rehab

    You’re better informed than me, all I can offer is that I definitely don’t want to go there. From what I recall of Miller’s brainchild it was very much in the early Big Brother mould of creating the occasional celebrity from a crop of nobodies. Back then everyone sponsored an African child, though most only seemed to discover this once they’d made it to the final heats and the media wanted to, like, know stuff about them.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    They've been fired

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • bob daktari,

    I still think it calculated and imagine the victim was prepped to

    Odd that this might be the bridge too far for the public when the handling of the convicted killer on the show wasn't...

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 540 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Aaand ... this just in.

    Husband-and-wife judging duo Natalia Kills and Willy Moon have been fired from The X Factor NZ, following a scathing attack on a contestant during Sunday night’s live show.

    In a statement this afternoon, MediaWorks chief executive Mark Weldon said the decision had been made Kills and Moon were no longer suitable to judge X Factor.

    “Last night on X Factor both Kills and Moon made comments that were completely unacceptable. While the judges on X Factor are expected to provide critiques of the performances, we will not tolerate such destructive tirades from any of the judges,” he said.

    “Contestants put their all into this competition and they should expect to receive feedback and criticism that is professional and constructive. We no longer have confidence that Kills and Moon are the right people to perform the role of X Factor judges and they will leave the show, effective immediately.”

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    The full press statement:

    MEDIA RELEASE

    Monday 16 March, 2015


    THE X FACTOR JUDGES REMOVED


    MediaWorks has today decided that Natalia Kills and Willie Moon are no longer suitable to judge The X Factor and have removed them from the show.

    MediaWorks CEO, Mark Weldon, said that last night on The X Factor both Kills and Moon made comments that were completely unacceptable.

    “While the judges on X Factor are expected to provide critiques of performances, we will not tolerate such destructive tirades from any of the judges," Mr Weldon said.

    "We no longer have confidence that Kills and Moon are the right people to perform the role of The X Factor judges, and they will leave the show, effective immediately “

    FremantleMedia Australia’s Director of Programming, Jonathon Summerhayes, says “We are appalled at the very poor judgement and intention shown by Natalia Kills and Willy Moon. We 100% support TV3 and MediaWorks in their decision to remove them. The X Factor does not tolerate the behavior they displayed last night."

    The X Factor NZ Executive Producer, Andrew Szusterman, said TV3 had acted decisively and in the best interests of the contestants.

    “We now need to move on, and give the contestants, and the public the competition that they deserve. Tonight’s show will be judged by Stan Walker and Mel Blatt. Two new judges will be announced before next week's show."

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Alan Perrott,

    as someone without telly and no particular desire to watch the clip in question this has been a most bewildering day.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 438 posts Report Reply

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