Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Standing up and calling bullshit

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  • Matthew Poole,

    And on the topic of getting outraged this kind of thing completely infuriates me. The reaction, not the teacher's behaviour. I thought we were well past the time when teachers were required to be chaste spinsters, devoid of any and all sexuality.
    I don't buy the argument that it's got anything to do with her teaching, either. It has as much to do with her teaching as my interest in heterosexual porn has to do with my involvement in theatre: Abso-fucking-lutely none. It's not like she was posing for Paedophilia Today.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Cunliffe: English must come clean on murky TVNZ promo

    If Cunliffe's accusing TVNZ of political bias (and he is) that's an incredibly serious allegation and should be regarded as such. Perhaps he should come clean on why he doesn't come out and say it directly, then lay a complaint with either the Broadcasting Standards Authority or the ASA?

    Oh well. I suppose it would've been the same had the shoe been on the other foot.

    And treated with derisive mockery rather than being pushed around these parts? But who wants to bet that Cunliffe is going to be getting an unusual amount of face time on Three News tonight? :)

    I have had nothing at all to do with this, but I assume that the people who did simply thought it was a good catch getting the minister of finance in as part of their "recession month".

    And what copywriter could pass up that bad pun? :) But seriously, you're doing a month's programming on THE ECONOMY (wouldn't it be nice if TVNZ was even pretending to do serious current affairs?), and you're not going to take a chance to have the Finance Minister front and center? I'd say suspend judgment on the supposed political bias until we see what's on offer, but I'm fairly confident TVNZ7 is going to be substantive and straight about it.

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

  • Russell Brown,

    Cunliffe: English must come clean on murky TVNZ promo

    Oh well. I suppose it would've been the same had the shoe been on the other foot.

    I have had nothing at all to do with this, but I assume that the people who did simply thought it was a good catch getting the minister of finance in as part of their "recession month". It would also make it just a bit harder for 6 and 7's funding guarantee to be cut I guess.

    FWIW, Media7's contribution to the theme will be a look at how TV might climb out of the slump, recorded as part of the SPADA conference in Wellington this month.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Caleb D'Anvers,

    Could Cunliffe first come clean on WTF he does all day?

    [Reads to end of press release]

    Man, this apostrafing conspiracy goes deeper than I thought! And Cunliffe isn't even an ex-teacher!

    London SE16 • Since Mar 2008 • 482 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    The English thing seems pretty legit - apparently TVNZ7 is running a pretty wide-ranging "Focus on the Economy" theme. A live-feed-twitterfied program fronted by Mr Economy seems all very modernTV2.0...

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

  • Morgan Nichol,

    The banners? No. I've not seen the whole ad, but does anyone who has think that it advocates support for a candidate or for a political party?

    I haven't seen the TVCs either, but the banners are certainly not advocacy. The first panel is perhaps a little questionable (looks like an advert for English's blog), but the second panel makes everything entirely clear.

    Auckland CBD • Since Nov 2006 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    The English thing seems pretty legit - apparently TVNZ7 is running a pretty wide-ranging "Focus on the Economy" theme.

    It does. I'm not looking at this from a "political interference" perspective - Plain English is a pretty obvious tag-line, I cannot see TVNZ7, TVNZ News putting up with any strong-arming from the Deputy PM to name it to advertise his resurgent local electorate newsletter.

    I don't believe it's a BSA matter, or an ASA matter, but I did have a question - not having seen the whole ad - whether there might be Broadcasting Act concerns - similar to those that got Shane Jones and Winston Peters in trouble hosting talkback last year. If the promo is seen as "advocat[ing] support for a ... political party", then it is illegal to air it.

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Idiot Savant,

    And on the topic of getting outraged this kind of thing completely infuriates me. The reaction, not the teacher's behaviour. I thought we were well past the time when teachers were required to be chaste spinsters, devoid of any and all sexuality.

    Yeah, right. "Good character" is interpreted according to the lowest / most prurient common denominator.

    You know, we still force them to take a Royalist oath to show they're not communists like that evil Hatty Weitzel (who BTW went on to a long and distinguished career as a teacher - in Australia)

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    What context did I miss? I know it seems to be a rather reactionary notion nowadays, but I'd really appreciate it if the likes of Messers Garner STFU with the editorialising nudges about what the plebs should think and feel and leave us with some sober fact-based reportage so I can do it for myself.

    I agree with you. Perhaps I was unclear. The phrase "which really are deserving of offence" implied offence taken by the viewer, not the reporter.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    If the promo is seen as "advocat[ing] support for a ... political party", then it is illegal to air it.

    I;d say that if it was a promo for the National Party -- as opposed to using the Finance Minister's participation as a hook to promote a month of economy-related programming on TVNZ7 - it wasn't only illegal but really kind of shit.

    Still, will be interested to see if Labour feels strongly enough to take a complaint alleging breeches of the Broadcasting Act to the appropriate body. Would that be the Electoral Commission or the Police, Graeme?

    I'm not being entirely snarky here -- I do take charges of partisan bias in public broadcasters' news/current affairs operations rather seriously. And if "my team" has crossed the line, they deserve to get pimp-slapped with the full majesty of the law.

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

  • James Butler,

    breeches of the Broadcasting Act

    Pantywaists?

    [edit] Was that apostrafing?

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report Reply

  • Don Christie,

    I've said before, but will say again, the Daily Mail is a nasty, bullying and mean spirited newspaper that puts England in its worst light.

    Talking about which, since when did being rude and disrespectful become something to be proud of? Christ, I know we all say silly stuff (well, I do) but being proud of that fact piles stupidity onto silliness.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    Craig - Electoral Commission. You can complain to the police, but they'll just send you there, or refer it to the Commission themselves.

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • mark taslov,

    I suspect if it were called "balanced-based exercise" and not some weird Chinese word, you'd be hailing its virtues.

    Yeah that's about all there is to it Russell, nicely put. You got some red neck sound bites on that one...almost to the tune of "how is practising balance going to stop old people from falling....?"..And lest we forget, more than just a 'therapy', it's a philosophy of balance in all things....woo woo....[cough] diet, drinking, smoking, not beating da missus...

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    Speaking of pursed lips...

    Families First's Bob McCoskrie said the images were "not a good look". "Teachers are role models and having a teacher linked with Penthouse is taking things too far," McCoskrie said.

    "This is something the teachers council should be having a very hard look at."

    Bahahahahahahaha!!


    I am sure Bob has already had a very hard.... ...look.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    O look! Nice Nick Smith is now advising that 'older New Zealanders' take up lawn bowling. Or something. Not understanding that the Otago programme was specifically for people who COULDNT DO THIS KIND OF STUFF.
    May he get arthritis. Especially in his tongue
    (which I think is pjysically impossible but hey - I have hope for him to be an exception.)

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    Families First's Bob McCoskrie said the images were "not a good look". "Teachers are role models and having a teacher linked with Penthouse is taking things too far," McCoskrie said.

    Since I'm fairly certain that McCroskie - sorry, Family First - takes the position that children shouldn't be allowed on the same continent as Penthouse, one has to wonder how this is supposed to damage the teacher's role model status.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Phil Lyth,

    May he get arthritis. Especially in his tongue

    That would be Actinobacillosis or wooden tongue

    Wellington • Since Apr 2009 • 458 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Littlewood,

    @Brickley

    Didn't [William F Buckley] cut his teeth writing for a pro-segregation journal or some shit?

    Sort of. The National Review (which he founded) tried to put forward an intellectual argument in favour of segregation, McCarthyism and Franco (!) in its early issues. However, he renounced those views once the 60s arrived, and indeed was one of the prominent opponents of the right-wing fringe (the John Birch society et al), rationalising, quite rightly, that if neoconservatism was going to get any credence in mainstream thought, then it better dissociate itself from "the kooks", as he put it.

    Not that this absolves him of those early editorials- I guess the only excuse you could make is that he was in his early 20s, so was possibly going for shock factor- but it does mean it's not quite as clearcut as obvious bigotry.

    Ironically, the National Review seems to tacitly endorse "the kooks" these days, and you do wonder what Buckley thought about "his" journal descending into an apologist for loony extremism by the time the 21st century came around. Especially considering his criticism of the Iraq War.

    Re: RB's original post. Like others, I think Jimmy Carr's joke is funny because it darkly satirises the situation soldiers find themselves in, without actually castigating their ability. And Jan Moir's Daily Mail piece was beneath contempt. But I'm glad several people have excercised their right to display contempt.

    Today, Tomorrow, Timaru • Since Jan 2007 • 449 posts Report Reply

  • Peter Calder,

    If the Grammar boys had been taking the piss out of Maori (remember the engineers' haka party?) or Samoans or Chinese would it have got the same reaction? And if Maori &c had complained, everyone would have said "Get a life. It was just harmless hijinks." The unsayable thing is that the endless power of the Jewish community, whose spokespeople walk caroeted corridors of the corporate world not the mean streets) to maintain the outrage rings bells on newsdesks. The Grammar boys were silly little pricks but I agree with Finlay: we all were at their age

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 66 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    The unsayable thing is that the endless power of the Jewish community, whose spokespeople walk caroeted corridors of the corporate world not the mean streets) to maintain the outrage rings bells on newsdesks.

    Aaaaaaaand that's a bingo right there.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    Ah yes, the timeless "Jewish conspiracy". It never gets old, does it, even all these decades later.

    Does it occur to you, Mr Calder, that people might be offended or even appalled because showing insensitivity (even stupid schoolboy insensitivity) to the genocide of millions of people is objectively offensive, not because some cabal of Jewish men with "endless power". Because generations of New Zealanders have been educated about these horrors, and are surprised that these children have not learned enough for them to sink in.

    If you can't concede that, then I will have no option but to call you an antisemitic racist.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    The sad thing is that if Maori, Samoans, and Chinese were offended, there would indeed be people calling for them to "get a life". But that is not because Jews are a group with "endless power", but because a level of racism against Maori, Samoans, or Chinese is acceptable among some groups in New Zealand society.

    Racism is about power, of course, and racism is the expression of a form of power against the group one wants to victimise. But being part of a group that is rarely the victims of racism does not mean that you are part of a group that holds power, but rather that you've been accepted into the "norm", and others no longer feel that it makes sense to discriminate against you, because you are no longer seen as lesser. The history of racism against Irish is a powerful example of this.

    Racism against Jewish New Zealanders is rare, but it still exists. I was close friends with a couple of members of the Wellington community when their synagogue and cemetary were attacked, and there were a spate of attacks. They had very real effects on how my friends felt, and they no longer felt safe. For those traumatised by the horrors of Europe, the effect is even greater.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    Mr. Calder's silence will prove his point. If he never posts here (or anywhere) again, it can be assumed that his bold saying of the unsayable has earned him a long ride into the countryside with the carpet-crawling agents of international jewry.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    The unsayable thing is that the endless power of the Jewish community, whose spokespeople walk caroeted corridors of the corporate world not the mean streets) to maintain the outrage rings bells on newsdesks.

    You seem to have managed to say it quite easily, but in fact I think it's not so much unsayable as implausible. David Zwartz is a busy man but he can't be everywhere, and in the cases in point, I think you'll find that the newsdesks were ringing the bells in our community seeking comment -- hardly a surprising thing for them to do, as Russell has pointed out.

    On another point, things offensive to Maori increasingly DO get coverage, and ironically particularly where burlesques of the haka are concerned. Have you spent the last decade in a bubble?

    As for the endless power patrolling carpeted corporate corridors -- are you fucking insane? Is there anything to that apart from Jew-hating conspiracy tropes? If so, why not just say that? My blood pressure thanks you.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

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