On breakfast television this morning Paul Henry, subsequently described by Prime Minister John Key as a "shock jock," launched another not atypical cheap shot. This time the target was Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand.The GG is, as the name suggests, of Indian heritage. Interviewing the Prime Minister, Henry asked, out of the depths of his personal ignorance, whether Satyanand was "even a New Zealander."
The GG was in fact born and raised in New Zealand.
Compounding his stupidity, Henry went on to ask whether the next holder of the office - effectively the head of state - might sound and look more like a typical New Zealander.
What, I wonder, does a typical twenty-first century New Zealander look like? I suspect Henry thinks he (the choice of pronoun here is deliberate) looks and sounds a lot like him, a smug Pakeha (European) guy with a British surname and an old school tie in his closet.
Previously Henry has described the inspirational Susan Boyle as "retarded," pointed out facial hair on a female interviewee and wondered aloud whether anyone actually cared about the torture of prisoners in Afghanistan.
Obviously he didn't.
Why is this clown with congenital foot-in-mouth disease still on payroll at Television New Zealand?
Is TNZ funded by the government? Because, if not, sad to say the "shock jock" is probably giving people exactly what they want to hear....
ReplyDeleteIn other news, I hope the early signs of spring are taking shape, down under! (Said as my neck of the woods heads all too early, into the early signs of autumn....)
TVNZ is owned by the government in a similar way to the BBC or Australia's ABC.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Spring has sprung - and not before time. Last month was one of the wettest since records began.