Posts by Craig Ranapia
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Legal Beagle: Election Fact Check #8:…, in reply to tussock,
ACT voters don’t seem to want him.
Well, Tussock, I could be graceless and point out that if current polling means anything a hell of a lot of Labour voters don’t want Phil to be Prime Minister – and a reasonable chunk want to being Helen back from Turtle Bay in chains. :)
Would you find “ill-informed democracy concern-troll, in the hope that a cheap shot at an easy (and unpopular) target gets him some favorable press” be more agreeable to you?
And here's another reality check: If National sheds ten points or so over the next two weeks (i.e. what happened to Labour in 2002) Phil might find that MP smuggling isn’t such a heinous crime against democracy after all. :)
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I also think using “smuggling” was as unfortunate as it was (probably) carefully chosen. I’d also note the occasion for Goff’s wee brain fart – a certain cup of tea – has absolutely nothing to do with electoral law. The Greens could tacitly encourage their supporters in key marginals like New Plymouth, Waitakere and West Coast-Tasman to vote strategically for the Labour candidate. They’d be mad to do so (IMO & YMMV, of course), but there’s nothing “undemocratic” or illegitimate about doing so.
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Muse: The Very Odd Future According to…, in reply to Scarlet Sorceress,
Can you please not use slurs to refer to transgender people?
I most certainly do not – but, in full context, I hope it was clear that I was being extremely sarcastic about the idea that the Hero Parade and associate events (in which which trans-gendered and transvestite people were involved) made good “normal” people gay by osmosis.
Like Lucy I used the term as an affectionate shorthand for "drag queen" or "transvestite" not as a slur on trans-people. Though, Scarlet, thanks for making me do a bit of research because this blog by trans-woman Roz Kaveney was food for thought.
I intended no slur on trans-people, but can see how it could have been read that way. My apologies.
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The second part of this week's show will also be worth catching. Sarah Daniell interviews sociologist and former fashion model Ashley Mears on how the media fawn over fashionistas and miss the real, more troubling, stories in the industry.
The troubling part of the story was watching Amanda Bansgrove spinning the whitewashing of fashion media/advertising with a poker face. So, non-white models are fabulous but they've got to have "the right look" - which, surprise, just happens to be remarkably similar to a tall, underweight Pakeha teenager. Thanks for putting my mind at rest, Mandy - I couldn't have said that straight-faced without fresh botox.
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Speaker: The Public Broadcasting Imperative, in reply to Russell Brown,
Yeah. Let’s be clear: TVNZ still relies on a lot of decent people practising the various screen crafts with a high degree of skill. Fewer of them actually have proper jobs there every year, but let’s not be having jokes about killing them.
And as Michael pointed out with some asperity, it wasn't anyone at TVNZ who asked for the five year terminator clause on 6 and 7's funding. And while there's plenty of bitching to do about TVNZ's news and current affairs, perhaps it would be a little easier to add resources if successive governments weren't issuing dividend demands the Board has no power to refuse.
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But I think their current woes are sure to have made their decision easier.
Possibly - Metallica certainly moved tickets in 2004, but it must also have been a hellishly expensive crap shoot to take. In 2011, you don't have to look far or hard to see arts orgs laying off staff, cutting programs, being extremely risk-adverse and...yeah, dropping costly and marginal performers that would be "nice to have but..." to coin a phrase.
There's also, from my cursory research, some diversity of opinion whether the BDO and hip-hop have ever been a good fit. Russell might be able to speak to that with more credibility.
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Wow, as far as food for thought goes that was a silver service, twelve course blow out. "Provocative" in the very best (and most useful) sense - I certainly some cherished assumptions given a good shake, and it should challenge a lot of received wisdom on all sides.
Shame I'm also cynical enough to think it will also be completely ignored by the very people who should be paying the closest attention.
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Muse: The Very Odd Future According to…, in reply to Craig Young,
I've put a link to your piece (and others) in the post. Good work, Craig.
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Well, finally managed to get LGOIMA requests lodged. After twenty minutes of unsatisfactory phone-pong, I gave up. Managed to find this which, if I was a wee bit more cynical, would make one suspect it was meant to be hard to find.
Now, the fun really begins...
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Legal Beagle: Referendum Fact Check #6:…, in reply to George Darroch,
Oh for goodness sake. The panel is there for light entertainment. Holding it to any kind of standard is pointless – it has never existed in any other realm.
Well, it's supposed to be a "magazine format" -- which doesn't have to mean empty-headed. Kim Hill - and the weekend afternoon shows - does a pretty good job of mashing up "lifestyle" fluff with more meaty fare; Nine to Noon has always been a similar hybrid, more awkwardly IMO. Chris Laidlaw is one of nature's sphincter relaxers, but at least his show tries to be reflective and substantive.
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