You paid to get Try-hard John on the telly

Written By: - Date published: 6:29 pm, August 1st, 2011 - 165 comments
Categories: Minister for Overseas Holidays, tourism - Tags:

Remember John Key’s awful Letterman appearance?  Supposedly worth a fortune in tourism. We know that was complete crap. It was a stunt meant to impress us saps. Now we learn that we paid for it. PM’s office pleaded for months to get on Letterman. Try-hard even sent a demo tape. When that didn’t work, they paid a US PR agency $10K to seal the deal.

In 1939, our PM was the first in the world to declare war on Germany. In 1945, our PM led the stand against giving the veto to the great powers in the UN. In 1973, our PM sent frigates into the Mururoa test zone to block nuclear blasts. In 1985, our PM led the world anti-nuclear movement. Previous PMs have gone on to lead the WTO and UNDP. This PM has beg and send a demo tape and pay our money to get on TV to ham-fistedly deliver some rubbish jokes. Really does something for our place in the world.

165 comments on “You paid to get Try-hard John on the telly ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Oligarkey 1
    1 August 2011 at 6:33 pm

    I feel ashamed to be a NZer.

  3. Kevin Welsh 3
    1 August 2011 at 6:44 pm

    TVNZ Site:

    Key said it was money well spent.

    “As Minister of Tourism, it was a good thing to do. In my view, it promoted New Zealand.”

    —

    Then why lie about it for so long?

  4. Colonial Viper 4
    1 August 2011 at 6:45 pm

    Letterman is a real celebrity with global reach. He would’ve known the first second that Key was a blowhard dime a dozen wannabe. A real “John” willing to fork over $10K of someone else’s money for a bit of personal pleasure.

    Embarrassed for NZ.

  5. Tiger Mountain 5
    1 August 2011 at 6:57 pm

    Shonkey’s “pay for view” Letterman talkshow spot certainly didn’t rank with the Lange Oxford debate or virtually any other public appearance ever by a New Zealand Prime Minister.

    Ditto other posters: em-effing-barrassment.

  6. marsman 6
    1 August 2011 at 6:58 pm

    Bit sad really.

  7. sweetd 7
    1 August 2011 at 7:07 pm

    The 2 mins of hate on loop start again.

  8. Peter Bains 8
    1 August 2011 at 7:11 pm

    Gee, we paid $200M over the odds for Toll, $10K pales into in-siginificance.

    [“Book value’ and ‘market value’ are almost never the same thing. Especially not in an inefficient ‘market’ as small as this one was, with only one possible seller and one possible buyer. If I see you running this particular idiotic, threadjacking troll line again it will earn a ban…RL]

    • Colonial Viper 8.1
      1 August 2011 at 7:16 pm

      And its sad that Key’s office spends time on vital issues like ‘how to get John Key on Letterman’

      • seanmaitland 8.1.1
        2 August 2011 at 8:22 am

        It was a PR company hired by tourism NZ

      • Lyall 8.1.2
        2 August 2011 at 8:41 am

        Thats the trouble with the left, they know the cost of everything, but the value of nothing.

        • AAMC 8.1.2.1
          2 August 2011 at 9:19 am

          “Thats the trouble with the left, they know the cost of everything, but the value of nothing.”
          And I’ve been deluded all these years thinking that was the defining trait of the Right.

        • Blighty 8.1.2.2
          2 August 2011 at 9:34 am

          what was the value of this?

          apart from impressing the yokels back home?

    • Peter Bains 8.2
      1 August 2011 at 8:35 pm

      [Take a four week ban for arguing with the moderator..RL]

    • mik e 8.3
      1 August 2011 at 10:03 pm

      It cost more for one lane of the holiday highway for one of the most important pieces of infrastructure this country has from Kaitia to Bluff, including the cook strait ferries, public transport in Auckland and Wellington.John Banks fogged it off to the yanks for nothing they asset stripped it along with Gibbs and Fay Ritchwhite for over $1billion . Peter Brains you Just show how naive National and you are about the value of infrastructure its palpable.The TORIES in england have realized that motorways are to expensive and are now only building commuter trains because they are 3 times cheaper to build than motorways and carry 18 times more people than cars ,not only that they are cheaper on fuel as well. National is further behind than its own Tory mentors Dumb and Dumber!

  9. felix 9
    1 August 2011 at 7:12 pm

    Tourism NZ also lobbied the Letterman show for at least six months ahead of Key’s appearance.

    After getting nowhere, it employed international public relations consultants Hill and Knowlton two months before the September appearance, and Key put together an audition tape.

    “There was a sort of joke tape if you like that was done in my office,” Key said

    I know I’ve said this before, but ffs he’s just David Brent.

  10. Craig Glen Eden 10
    1 August 2011 at 7:33 pm

    What a gooober I feel so sorry for his kids, poor bastards. Its bad enough having to put up with Dad jokes but when your father gets the country to pay for his jokes on Letterman oh the shame.

    • mik e 10.1
      1 August 2011 at 9:48 pm

      They weren’t even his jokes but now he’s the joke. is this his paintagate . read my lips no new jokes Accountability ha. hippocriter.

  11. randal 11
    1 August 2011 at 7:34 pm

    as a committed dave fan I can say that dave was not very interested in john.
    actually I like felicia best and sid plays one mean guitar.

  12. freedom 12
    1 August 2011 at 7:40 pm

    ” There was no money paid to Letterman” is how they spin it ?
    Not even bothering to distract us with
    ‘it was used for aligning business protocols between the NZ Tourism Agency and the Publicist for the American Market’

    Unfrikkinbelievable.

  13. Hilary 13
    1 August 2011 at 7:52 pm

    The declaration of war was 1939, I think you’ll find.

    • Zetetic 13.1
      1 August 2011 at 8:02 pm

      true. Was thinking about who made the declaration while writing. Savage signed it from his hospital bed. Fraser delivered the famous “where she goes, we go” in Parliament on his behalf. Savage died in 1940.

      • The Baron 13.1.1
        1 August 2011 at 8:39 pm

        Not much honor in sending 10% of our fine young men off to die in a war, only to have that “she” dump us for the EEC 20 years later.
        I know you’re trying to make every Labour PM in history a hero, but I see no heroism here. Jingoism and bloodlust perhaps. Turn you on does it Zet?

        • Zetetic 13.1.1.1
          1 August 2011 at 9:43 pm

          No. I’m not going to argue with you about the rights and wrongs of fighting Nazism. You’re just trying to distract. And if you try to make a conversation of it here, you’ll be moved to open mike.

      • The Baron 13.1.2
        1 August 2011 at 8:42 pm

        Oh and while I’m at it, how does helen’s decisions to send our boys to those awful wars of modern imperialism in Iraq and Afghanistan? Oh so noble those Labour PMs all. Heroes really.

      • Colonial Viper 13.1.3
        1 August 2011 at 9:00 pm

        I think its interesting how The Baron talks about being dumped from a commercial and trading arrangement as being relevant to why NZ fought in WWII against the German war machine.

        It’s not of course. The very lives and freedoms of the British people were under heavy threat at that time.

        As for Afghanistan The Baron relitigates the past, while in the present John Key sucks up to NATO generals and promises an unending warfighting arrangement where NZ SAS hunt and kill “the enemy”. (And now that Osama is dead why has National kept us there? As a favour?)

      • Charlie Tan 13.1.4
        1 August 2011 at 11:54 pm

        In any case, it is a myth that we were the first:

        http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/timeline/03/09

  14. Hilary 14
    1 August 2011 at 7:54 pm

    There was another National PM who so offended other countries that they boycotted the Olympics because NZ was there.

  15. Ianupnorth 15
    1 August 2011 at 7:58 pm

    Hey David, if you want you can borrow my holiday home in Hawaii….
    Caused a major row in our house – the wife thought it was $10K well spent. Pointed out the denials were part of the issue.

    • mik e 15.1
      1 August 2011 at 9:52 pm

      No Hawaii his real home his holiday home is in NZ he spends more time holidaying overseas than in NZ

  16. Max 16
    1 August 2011 at 9:03 pm

    I’m struggling to see what the outrage is about?

    • felix 16.1
      1 August 2011 at 9:11 pm

      We don’t have a PM.

      We have a “New Zealand’s Got Talent” contestant.

      This is what he has his department working on. This is what he has his department spend money on. Simply put, the arrogant prick thinks this kind of shit is his actual job.

      (Oh and then there’s the lying. It’s always the lie that gets you)

    • Colonial Viper 16.2
      1 August 2011 at 9:23 pm

      Max, use your imagination please.

    • Zetetic 16.3
      1 August 2011 at 9:32 pm

      If you’re proud that your PM begged and whined and hired an agent and sent a goddam demo tape to get to tell four minutes of crappy jokes on a late night TV show, then good for you.

      • Eszett 16.3.1
        1 August 2011 at 9:48 pm

        Hmm, according to the story, it was Tourism NZ that did the begging. After all, it’s their job to promote NZ. I have to agree with Max, this hardly amounts to the proverbial storm in a tea cup.

        • Zetetic 16.3.1.1
          1 August 2011 at 9:51 pm

          I’m just trying to remember who the Minister of Tourism is.

          Shit. Can you remind me, Eszett?

          • law 16.3.1.1.1
            1 August 2011 at 11:02 pm

            using an agency that was on a retainer… must. make. mud. stick.

            • felix 16.3.1.1.1.1
              1 August 2011 at 11:27 pm

              using an agency that was on a retainer… for. two. whole. months.

              • law …
                1 August 2011 at 11:34 pm

                two months huh? care to share where you got that information from?

                • felix …
                  1 August 2011 at 11:39 pm

                  From your Mum.

                  Oh, and the links in the post that you didn’t bother to read.

                  • law …
                    1 August 2011 at 11:44 pm

                    bahahaha a “your Mum” joke, that is hilarious.

                    your comprehension skills are somewhat lacking though.. let me help you here…

                    “it employed international public relations consultants Hill and Knowlton two months before the September appearance” would agree with your position… your comment seems to suggest that they are no longer on retainer, yet we are told in the same story that “…Tourism New Zealand have a PR company. They’re on a retainer. They pay them every month…”

                    • felix …
                      1 August 2011 at 11:46 pm

                      Told by who?

                    • law …
                      1 August 2011 at 11:49 pm

                      your Mum…. bahahaha see I can do that too. Look at the link yourself

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      1 August 2011 at 11:50 pm

                      Are they the same PR company? Or were H&K a different company?

                      And given that no one seems to know exactly how much was spent…how did they know $10,000 was spent?

                      Why are the figures so obscure?

                      It would actually be very interesting to know how many **hours** the PR company spent working on the PM’s behalf. (That will be on their invoice )

                    • felix …
                      1 August 2011 at 11:55 pm

                      Ok I looked, and no-one says that except John Key. You could have told me that, law. Why so shy?

                      Looks like the company was “retained” specifically to get Key on the show. Whether they were kept on afterward is irrelevant IMO.

                      As CV says, it’ll all come out in the docs.

                      ps “Your Mum” is only funny once, and only because you weren’t expecting it, and even then only marginally so. Totally lame on the rebound.

                    • law …
                      2 August 2011 at 12:01 am

                      According to TNZ “Mr Bowler said Tourism New Zealand was still using the same company, which received a monthly retainer of around $20,000-$30,000 on average.” http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5372669/John-Key-had-PR-help-for-Letterman

                      oh and RE your Mum. Perhaps it was funny at intermediate, perhaps even at the start of high school, but in the real world… not so much.

                    • felix …
                      2 August 2011 at 12:10 am

                      Crikey, not only do you repeat my lame jokes back to me, you also repeat my self deprecating critique of the lame joke.

                      You remind me of someone. I’ll figure it out soon.

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    2 August 2011 at 12:35 am

                    wtf does “$20,000 to $30,000 on average” actually mean? And given that how did they work out that Key was around $10,000 of that.

                    Someone is definitely making numbers up.

                    • felix …
                      2 August 2011 at 1:04 am

                      Usually when people say “retainer” they mean a fixed price per term regardless of the work required.

                      If the payment varies like that from month to month then it’s not a retainer in the sense the word is usually understood. It can still technically be called a retainer but it really just means ongoing work, billed according to the work required.

                      The interesting bit is that the “retainer” this Bowler chap describes (variable payments depending on the work required) is the opposite of the “retainer” Key describes (a fixed fee regardless of the work required).

                      So yep, someone’s telling porkies. Gee I wonder who.

                    • insider …
                      2 August 2011 at 10:28 am

                      “Usually when people say “retainer” they mean a fixed price per term regardless of the work required.”

                      Usually people say that who haven’t had to negotiate such contracts. You’d be pretty silly to sign up to that as a supplier. You could end up working hundreds of hours on a job effectively without compensation.

                      IME retainers give a certain level of work (eg hours) at a certain rate paid in advance. Work outside that gets charged at a new – often higher – rate. Supplier gets regular cashflow, client gets lower hourly costs but risk that paying for work that is unnecessary. Retainers are also used to secure supplier loyalty and prioritise your work.

                    • felix …
                      2 August 2011 at 11:34 am

                      “Usually people say that who haven’t had to negotiate such contracts”

                      Of course they haven’t. And you’re essentially just reiterating what I wrote.

                      Now look at what Key said about it and see if you can spot the problem.

          • eszett 16.3.1.1.2
            2 August 2011 at 1:49 pm

            So you think because John Key is also Minister for Tourism, he instructed Tourism NZ to get him on Letterman. Really? Do you have any evidence for that?

            Don’t you think that Tourism NZ may have thought of it themselves? I mean, after all, it’s their job to think of things like that.

        • McFlock 16.3.1.2
          1 August 2011 at 9:52 pm

          Tourism NZ did the begging for a gimmick of questionable value? How did that get past the Minister for Tourism? oh, wait…

    • mik e 16.4
      1 August 2011 at 9:55 pm

      Double standard Mad Max read my lips i,m going to bring accountability to the office of PM.No new taxes yeah right winging it.$10,000 That was cheap it cost us tax payers $50million for him and Joyce to get on TV3 and Mediaworks

    • Bored 16.5
      2 August 2011 at 9:57 am

      Max, Key has shown his true level of political discourse: he has reduced democracy to an economic transaction. Thats why the outrage. It is the behavoir of a true prostitute (without the honesty).

  17. Zetetic 17
    1 August 2011 at 9:39 pm

    I’ll give the Nats this. They worked out a distraction line after hunting around for a couple of hours to try to find a ‘they did it too’ example.

    And Whale and Farrar have it up within minutes of each other.

    They’ve got those blogs as line disseminators done pat. We’ll be seeing the line repeated here any minute.

    Oh and I love that Whale says “and who remembers the doco that featured Clark?”. Well, National clearly does, Cameron.

    • freedom 17.1
      1 August 2011 at 9:53 pm

      desperation
      is brewing in the Blues
      brewing in the Blues, brewing in the Blues
      Desperation is brewing in the Blues

      That’s what you get for being crap

      ——–now back to the news————–

      Helen Clarke was asked to participate in a Documentary Series where selected Heads of State showcased their Nation and Shonkey begged to balance a biscuit on his nose.

      yeah they are so similar its just not funny.

    • burt 17.2
      1 August 2011 at 10:44 pm

      Zetetic

      I’m glad you think their “they did it too” is pathetic. I do as well. Hard to defend your own team by saying they are only as bad as the other team. Still, it’s the brain dead tribal way isn’t it. Call it on the opposition and defend it in your own team. Totally idiotic…

      • mik e 17.2.1
        1 August 2011 at 10:48 pm

        This habit of paying large sum sums of money to media oganizations is becoming a very bad hobbit for Mr KEY

        • burt 17.2.1.1
          1 August 2011 at 10:52 pm

          It’s a bad habit for all senior politicians. Wonder how many millions have been spent getting Brash camera ready ?

          I also hate to think how much we have paid for photo-shop work over the years !

      • felix 17.2.2
        1 August 2011 at 10:55 pm

        As usual you wildly miss the point, burt.

        They “they did it too” from the tubby little men of the right isn’t laughable because they’re claiming that “they did it too”.

        It’s laughable because they’re comparing two such incredibly different scenarios.

        • law 17.2.2.1
          1 August 2011 at 11:05 pm

          indeed. 10K compares to 250K, chalk and cheese really…

          • felix 17.2.2.1.1
            1 August 2011 at 11:14 pm

            Do you even know what you’re comparing?

            • law 17.2.2.1.1.1
              1 August 2011 at 11:18 pm

              clearly one of us doesn’t. I’ll give you a hint, it isn’t me.

              • felix …
                1 August 2011 at 11:25 pm

                Oh dear.

                Care to tell me what you’re comparing then? I’m notoriously slow at picking up on these things.

          • freedom 17.2.2.1.2
            2 August 2011 at 12:17 am

            Helen Clarke was asked to participate in a Documentary Series where selected Heads of State showcased their Nation and Shonkey begged to balance a biscuit on his nose.

            Law, quick chat by the fence… you really should read the threads you are commenting in, it kind of makes you look like a plonker if you don’t

            • law 17.2.2.1.2.1
              2 August 2011 at 12:24 am

              Freedom, thanks for the chat. Whilst we are here… who is Helen Clarke? Oh, and since we are talking about the documentary series, do you know what other countries appeared? Not sure about you, but appearing alongside Jordan doesn’t exactly make me want to cart wheel down the street

              • Colonial Viper …
                2 August 2011 at 12:29 am

                You mean standing next to Michael Jordan? The guy contracted HIV by playing around sure, but why do you want to besmirch him for it? He’s just another old sports star now. Its just not an appropriate thing to do and I think you should probably apologise.

                • happynz …
                  2 August 2011 at 5:40 am

                  erm, that was Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson’ I believe.

                • Bazar …
                  2 August 2011 at 9:17 am

                  Apologise for what?
                  For mentioning Jordan without praising the player Jordan and his HIV?

                  I think you should apologise to law for implying he did something wrong.

                  I’ll just sit here and wait for Viper to apologise, as he wouldn’t expect others to do what he isn’t willing. That would be hypocritical.

                  …

                  *tumbleweed*

              • felix …
                2 August 2011 at 12:38 am

                Yep, the crucial point to remember is it’s all about Jordan.

  18. Max 18
    1 August 2011 at 9:46 pm

    As I said on another topic I’ve voted both sides in my time. Theres nothing in this little story that makes me want to go back to the labour side this time. I come here & to the blogs on the right to keep informed, rarely post anything but today I feel talkative. I’m just not feeling it for labour this time sorry.

  19. ak 19
    1 August 2011 at 9:53 pm

    Good old Hels. She kept us off the list for as long as she could, and in circles that matter she’s keeping our head up.

    Chin chin. Chances are that when the rest of the world sees us giving away our assets, a plastic waka, a used condom as a party venue, a cardboard cathedral, and a Soupy Sales ventroloquist dummy as PM, they’ll think we’re just avin a larf. Or at least only in the coalition of the swilling and gullible. Worst-case scenario: the asylum of the south pacific, and not worth the trouble.

    • freedom 19.1
      1 August 2011 at 10:03 pm

      On behalf of common sense, i take a little umbrage at “a cardboard cathedral” being included in your list, the motives and technologies behind that project are, i would imagine, far more agreeable to most people than the condom, the bathtoy and the guy on the swingset with his lollipop.

      • ak 19.1.1
        1 August 2011 at 10:48 pm

        Aye, too true freedy, tho I’d have more faith in the motivations if even a tiny effort had been made for communion with the doolans – jesus h, a name like chch, steeple and dome both dust, what an opportunity lost – how many signs do they need? Moneychanger esconced in the temple, the empire crumbling back at the centre, and still they stick to their separate, decaying, threadbare tents of cardboard and tat and ignore the poor. Sad, irrelevant frocks riding a glorious mount into the ground.

  20. bart 20
    1 August 2011 at 10:02 pm

    Oh come on, really? Is that the best you can do?

    The company that arranged this worked to promote NZ, and is paid a retainer. What that means is the company is paid no matter what. The 10 grand figure is what the company spent working to secure the deal. Don’t intimate that there was a payment to the Letterman show to secure the appearance! People are actually smarter than that.

    You could contrast this with the 200,000 Helen Clark’s government spent on a documentary, which I had no trouble with. Or what about the 6 million dollar bill that Oprah’s visit cost the Australian taxpayer!

    • Colonial Viper 20.1
      1 August 2011 at 10:07 pm

      The John Key Show! A NZ Bargain at Twice the Price!

    • freedom 20.3
      1 August 2011 at 10:12 pm

      “After getting nowhere, it employed international public relations consultants Hill and Knowlton two months before the September appearance,”

      looks like the retainer was really a short term contract,
      words often hide reality bart, you may want to read articles before commenting on them

      Tourism NZ strongly stated two years ago no monies were spent on getting the PM on the show.
      This week, it’s only a little bit of money was spent getting him on the show.

      It is one of the oldest complaints from most people when looking at those that run things. If there is really nothing untoward in the way you spend another’s dollars then just be honest when asked. Thousands of years of this rubbish. It gets tiresome!

      • Colonial Viper 20.3.1
        1 August 2011 at 10:23 pm

        There’s no way the fee was NZ$10,000. That’s an out and out lie. US based PR firms do NOT invoice in NZD. US$10,000 is more likely.

        In fact I bet you it was US$10,000 8)

        At a nominal rate of NZUSD 0.70, that’s $14,300.

    • felix 20.4
      1 August 2011 at 10:31 pm

      “Or what about the 6 million dollar bill that Oprah’s visit cost the Australian taxpayer”

      Did they hide that from the Aussies, bart? Don’t think so.

    • burt 20.5
      1 August 2011 at 10:50 pm

      bart

      Sorry mate, pointing and shouting “they did it too” is the way kids try and get out of trouble. In the adult world it equates to: I’m too childish to face up to the bad things in my political party of choice so I’ll point at your party and say they did it too.

      • mik e 20.5.1
        1 August 2011 at 10:58 pm

        National partake at every opportunity just look at some of the right wing blogs in these columns don;t try and take the high ground.Politics is like that its a dirty business but a lot of fun hows ernie la lulla la burt

  21. Canter 21
    1 August 2011 at 10:19 pm

    What a waste of money. Would the real PM please stand up! This is your chance Phil!

  22. Craig Glen Eden 22
    1 August 2011 at 10:21 pm

    Frankly the Aussies can pay Oprah or any one else what they like I don’t give a rats. What I don’t like is ShonKey has turned NZ into a piss poor comedy act.
    So seem as the Nats thanks to Gluckman have now discovered evidence based research can anyone tell us if tourism Numbers from the USA increased compared to previous years? Seems how it was money well spent which he didnt spend ???????

  23. reid 23
    1 August 2011 at 10:35 pm

    This’ll make a real dent in the polls, won’t it, Timmy?

    It won’t?

    Bugger.

  24. chris73 24
    1 August 2011 at 10:42 pm

    Ok another piece of advice (that you probably won’t listen to anyway) that you may want to take on board:

    Pick your battles

    This is one fight you should be ignoring

    • Canter 24.1
      1 August 2011 at 10:45 pm

      If we took your advice then we’d all just roll over while Shonkey screws the country!

      • chris73 24.1.1
        1 August 2011 at 11:02 pm

        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=1293547

        So read this article and tell me what John Keys done thats so bad

        • McFlock 24.1.1.1
          1 August 2011 at 11:12 pm

          Key paid people to beg Letterman for a token slot which consisted only of him being a dick. Clark showed off some of the nation’s finest tourist attractions. You’d also need to factor in any additional costs in security and accommodation that Key incurred so he could be a dick.
            
          One had a shot at being a good investment for the country. Clue: Key’s performance did not.

          • chris73 24.1.1.1.1
            1 August 2011 at 11:18 pm

            Ahh so as long as its “high-brow” its ok, if its something crass like Letterman its bad

            I wouldn’t mind betting that more people watched the Letterman program then watched a documentary channel episode showcasing Helen Clark

            So to sum up: John Key value for money, Helen Clark not so much

            But hey good luck making this an “issue”

            • McFlock 24.1.1.1.1.1
              1 August 2011 at 11:21 pm

              It’s got nothing to do with “high brow” – it’s about the relative value of showing the best of our country versus having a hobbit poorly deliver third rate one-liners.

            • felix 24.1.1.1.1.2
              1 August 2011 at 11:23 pm

              It’s about who it was for you fool.

              Key’s appearance was for our amusement back home.

        • felix 24.1.1.2
          1 August 2011 at 11:21 pm

          You’re comparing a documentary series where heads of state show off their various countries to the rest of the world, with Key begging to appear on a chat show to entertain the voters in New Zealand.

          Jeez man, Letterman wouldn’t even interview him! Lame.

    • Colonial Viper 24.2
      1 August 2011 at 10:46 pm

      But it fits so well into the general theme of

      The Man Who Thought Being PM was a Childhood Joy Ride Come True

    • freedom 24.3
      1 August 2011 at 10:49 pm

      it’s not a fight . . . it’s funny,

      because it shows what a snivelly little grommet he really is

      where is his self respect ?

      My humble opinion may not amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world but he is a Prime Minister and yet he believed it was a good idea to send a gagreel to sweeten the deal?

    • mik e 24.4
      1 August 2011 at 10:53 pm

      Just like paintagate which raised funds for charity and speedgate which happened on the day Helen had her life threatened by a mad ex drug detective from Christchurch who had a gun

  25. Afewknowthetruth 25
    1 August 2011 at 11:13 pm

    With the kiwi dollar having fallen in value a lot slower than the US dollar has fallen in value (1 kiwi now = 88 cents) and the continuing implosion of the US economy, we should anticipate a massive fall in the number of overseas visitors, especially those using US $.

    We say it every day: we are governed by criminals and clowns.

  26. Blue 26
    1 August 2011 at 11:45 pm

    Can someone OIA the audition tape?

  27. Mike - move2nz 27
    2 August 2011 at 12:02 am

    As the original post confirmed, the number of visitors arriving in New Zealand from the USA – ostensibly the reason for Key’s appearance – which had been fairly stable since 2006/07 dropped by 28% in 2010/11.

    Approved visitors from the USA to NZ:
    2006/07: 2,504
    2007/08: 2,312
    2008/09: 2,196
    2009/10: 2,261
    2010/11: 1,887

    Now we could put that down to earthquakes etc. but the graph linked from the original post suggests there was an immediate effect dropping numbers after Key’s appearance…

    • Colonial Viper 27.1
      2 August 2011 at 12:10 am

      So Key did do us a favour then 😛

      The excruciating exchange rate is killing our tourist operators and tourist trade retailers.

    • freedom 27.2
      2 August 2011 at 12:22 am

      it’s all the other ‘approved’ visitors from the US that are the really interesting story
      but we don’t get to see those lists 🙂

  28. Maddy 28
    2 August 2011 at 12:10 am

    Nice article.
    Of course, you also saw Key modelling some uniform or other: http://news.msn.co.nz/article/8207371/pm-john-key-says-catwalk-mince-was-stupid
    I had to look away.

    Never mind. I’m guessing he’s pretty relaxed about it.

    I liked it better when our PMs were clever, or quick-witted, or well-spoken, or even half evil.

  29. SHG 29
    2 August 2011 at 12:33 am

    Excellent work, team. This will totally swing the polls against National and totally not blow up in your faces or make you look petty or humorless at all.

  30. chris73 30
    2 August 2011 at 6:47 am

    Its like the boy who cried wolf, you’re all so keen to score points against he who must not be named that the general public will tire (has tired) of this and will stop listening

    So when something major comes along nobody will care (but then you’ll just the MSM I guess)

    Choose your battles

  31. Gosman 31
    2 August 2011 at 7:46 am

    Excellent, another diversion to let the intellectually arrogant lefties get all high and mighty on and expend their efforts to little to no effect.

    Do you actually think this makes a blind bit of difference to most people’s perception of the PM?

    • Pascal's bookie 31.1
      2 August 2011 at 8:09 am

      Just people talking bro.

      You must be heaps of fun at parties.

      ‘OMG do you people actually think any of this makes a blind bit of difference’

      • Gosman 31.1.1
        2 August 2011 at 8:37 am

        Ummmm…. I mean the non-story about the payment to a PR company not this thread.

        I’m pretty darn certain that nothing on this site influences people’s perception of the Prime Minister.

        • Pascal's bookie 31.1.1.1
          2 August 2011 at 9:22 am

          So what new hell is this media theory you have going then?

          Fill me in on why you think the media is running a non-story.

          It’s a story, people are talking about it. What’s your problem?

          • Gosman 31.1.1.1.1
            2 August 2011 at 10:12 am

            So your position is that every news piece that the media runs is by extension news worthy simply because it is in the media. Hmmmm… interesting circular logic you have there.

            I’m pretty sure I have seen people on here making comments about some news item or other about Labour which people think was much ado about nothing.

            • Pascal's bookie 31.1.1.1.1.1
              2 August 2011 at 10:19 am

              So how do you define ‘news worthy’ gos?

              And there are a number of elements to this story, so be sure to mention all of them when explaining to the media why they failed in their judgement about whether or not this story is news worthy.

            • mik e 31.1.1.1.1.2
              2 August 2011 at 6:56 pm

              Its all done just for you Gossipman

  32. Afewknowthetruth 32
    2 August 2011 at 8:33 am

    The clown was on TV this morning.

    He is so relaxed about the economic and environmental catastrophe underway he has slipped into Liverpool slang: “er, yeah, y’know”.

    Actually he very smart. He managed to answer every question without answering any of them or letting slip where NZ is headed.

    Everything is someone else’s fault and he doesn’t think it is his job to interfere (govern). No wonder the trolls out there love him.

  33. joe bloggs 33
    2 August 2011 at 9:42 am

    Dis­cov­ery Chan­nel, Helen Clark = $250,000

    Let­ter­man, John Key = $10,000

    Spot the difference – everyone remembers the Letterman Show

    • ghostwhowalksnz 33.1
      2 August 2011 at 9:58 am

      The Discovery channel had like …NZ.

      Letterman got only Key and at a much higher rate per minute

    • Blue 33.2
      2 August 2011 at 10:35 am

      You mean every Kiwi remembers John Key on the Letterman show. Ask an American Letterman viewer if they remember it. They were meant to be the target audience after all, weren’t they?

      Listening to a country’s PM rattling off a list of lame jokes really makes you sit up and say ‘ooh, I absolutely must go there for my next holiday.’

      • Colonial Viper 33.2.1
        2 August 2011 at 4:30 pm

        Suspicion is that Key got on Letterman to impress the avg Kiwi viewer, and he didn’t mind making an ass of himself on a world stage in order to sway votes back home.

        He swayed my vote, for sure.

    • travellerev 33.3
      2 August 2011 at 10:48 am

      I remember Letterman and I couldn’t even bring myself to watch John Key making a fool of himself. Tell you what, if they had made a cool trailer out of the NZ doco and showed that on Letterman it might have had a positive effect.

      Nobody travelled here because a pin striped ex banker (how much ex remains to be seen) which is the one kind of species everybody hates in the US told them too. If anything they probably thought; Euw, the were stupid enough to vote in one of the Wall street parasites as their PM? No way am I going there!

      • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 33.3.1
        2 August 2011 at 1:37 pm

        You’re missing the wider picture, Ev. Key (you may have noticed) is a bankster. With the help of the Freemasons, they control the world and, especially New York, where the Letterman show is made.

        If they could manage to blow up buildings in New York and frame innocent Arabs then getting one of their own on the Letterman show would be easy-peasy.

        I am sure there is a depleted uranium angle in there as well.

  34. tc 34
    2 August 2011 at 1:13 pm

    Meanwhile the 10Bill hole in their last budget is still there…..more carefully timed distractions people.

  35. TightyRighty 35
    2 August 2011 at 1:31 pm

    I love this, keep it up. Nothing like seeing new episodes in the long running h-fee farce. I might write to the programmers at comedy central and ask them to add it to the line up of their sunday marathons.

  36. TightyRighty 36
    2 August 2011 at 3:55 pm

    says you.

    give up the wikipedia “truth by consensus, not necessarily the facts” basis for your attacks, it’s old and demonstrably wrong.

    In the meantime, I hear John Key will be travelling by his own personal car to the dairy to get milk. Is this proof of his collusion with fonterra and big oil to stamp on the underclass by increasing demand for both milk and petrol and therefore raise prices?

    • Colonial Viper 36.1
      2 August 2011 at 4:23 pm

      No, he does that over a cup of tea on conference call, drinking the milk he has just bought. Silly goat.

    • travellerev 36.2
      2 August 2011 at 5:16 pm

      No, actually he says so himself in at least two interviews he just lies about when and since the only time Andrew Krieger did the deed was 1987, left Bankers trust in January 1988 and he had left the entire world of trading in June 1988 John’s statement that he only dealt with Andrew Krieger in August of 1988 is a very easily disprovable fact.
      Links to interviews:here and here
      Links to New York times archive here, here and here.

      So either three different New York Times journalists and Andrew Krieger who also described the attacks in detail in his own book and has been named in several other books describing the attacks as occurring in October 1987 were wrong or Johnny boy is telling fibs. I know based on Johnnies propensity for telling the odd fib and fib which option I would take.

  37. freedom 37
    3 August 2011 at 3:53 pm

    there are a thousand PR firms in NY city, this just happens to be the one we chose to work with?
    http://blog.labour.org.nz/index.php/2011/08/02/spinning-it-with-john/

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.