Paul Henry: Gone

Written By: - Date published: 6:06 pm, October 10th, 2010 - 117 comments
Categories: accountability, boycott, Ethics, Media, tv - Tags: ,

TVNZ have announced the resignation of Paul Henry.

John Key’s going to have a LOT of angry rednecks on his case over this one. First Andy Haden, now Paul Henry. And then of course there are all the civilized people already on Key’s back about his gutless failure to protest Henry’s racism in the first place.

117 comments on “Paul Henry: Gone ”

  • Comments are now closed

    • katie 1.1
      11 October 2010 at 2:48 pm

      On this note, does anyone else find it astonishing how many Paul Henry supporters like to bring out the old “Freedom of speech” argument whilst seemingly having not even the most basic understanding of the concept?
      As I know it, Freedom of Speech gives people the right to talk whatever bullshit they want…..but it also means they have to accept responsibility and potential condemnation for that bullshit, as well as be mindful of of the “harm principle” and “offense principle”.
      I found this quote regarding freedom of speech on an American website and I think it kinda sums up the situation Henry found himself in:
      “Lastly, responsibility of speech requires those espousing unpopular ideas provide supporting reasoning for their ideas lest the person be labeled unreasonably radical and be held in contempt by a moderate society. Such labeling means these people will not be respected or considered for certain jobs, duties, or responsibilities. Speak freely but speak responsibly.”

  2. Jimbo 2
    10 October 2010 at 6:12 pm

    Whoopee bring on more – Oliver Driver and co. I can guarantee that is just what the people want to see.

  3. gobsmacked 3
    10 October 2010 at 6:14 pm

    But .. but .. this is not possible. Protests achieve nothing!

    Does not compute … does not compute …

    RWNJ head explosion, stand clear!

    • Kevin Welsh 3.1
      10 October 2010 at 6:24 pm

      I expect Redbaiter to pop a vein over this 🙂

      • gobsmacked 3.1.1
        10 October 2010 at 6:39 pm

        Yes, the veins are popping already …

        “Time to boycott TVNZ breakfast television and ALL of their advertisers.”

        (our old friend Big Bruv, on Kiwiblog)

        Hang on, I thought these boycotty protesty things were a waste of time!

        • the sprout 3.1.1.1
          10 October 2010 at 6:54 pm

          😆 in their case they will be

        • felix 3.1.1.2
          10 October 2010 at 6:55 pm

          It’s only a waste of time if you’re doing it to get less racism on the telly. Silly goose.

          • comedy 3.1.1.2.1
            10 October 2010 at 8:18 pm

            Some of the best comedies are packed with racism………. just sayin

            • gobsmacked 3.1.1.2.1.1
              10 October 2010 at 8:25 pm

              Such as?

              Note: lampooning racism, and attitudes to it, is not racism.

              • comedy …
                10 October 2010 at 8:34 pm

                Faulty Towers, Blackadder, All in the family, Monty Python, Kumars at No 42 etc etc etc

                One persons comedy is another persons racism….. ps Henry clearly went way over the line for a breakfast show.

                • gobsmacked …
                  10 October 2010 at 8:40 pm

                  I put in the Note, and you ignored it. I’ll make it easier:

                  1. Racist.

                  2. About racism.

                  Different.

                  • IrishBill …
                    10 October 2010 at 10:12 pm

                    To be fair Faulty Towers was a bit racist at times. But it was also written in the 70s.

                    • the sprout …
                      10 October 2010 at 10:17 pm

                      yep, it’s all about context

                    • Puddleglum …
                      10 October 2010 at 10:25 pm

                      It’s ‘Fawlty Towers’.

                      Also, no it wasn’t “racist at times” – the only person who thought Manuel was a Spanish ‘dago’ was Basil, who was the butt of the entire show’s humour. If you want John Cleese’s take on racism see this. I think it falls into gobsmacked’s category 2.

                    • felix …
                      11 October 2010 at 8:48 am

                      I think Fawlty Towers goes both ways.

                      Yes, Basil the racist is the butt of the jokes, but there were also plenty of racist viewers laughing with Basil at Manuel.

                    • comedy …
                      11 October 2010 at 9:42 am

                      I must be a horrid racist/bigot as I just laugh if I find it funny.

                    • felix …
                      11 October 2010 at 9:57 am

                      com, that in itself is not what makes you a horrid racist/bigot. It’s what you find funny.

                  • QoT …
                    11 October 2010 at 8:50 am

                    But isn’t that always the pitfall of satire, felix? Like the bizarre American neocons who think Stephen Colbert is actually on their side.

  4. The Voice of Reason 4
    10 October 2010 at 6:14 pm

    What a weekend! The Lenslide was good enough on its own, but add to that bye bye Banksie, Laws left knackered and Henry gone, this has got to be the best couple of days for the left in 18 months. Go on John, call a snap election, I dare you!

  5. illuminatedtiger 5
    10 October 2010 at 6:16 pm

    Good!

  7. happynz 7
    10 October 2010 at 6:18 pm

    The Breakfast Show was in need of a revamp anyway. Getting rid of Paul Henry is a good start.

  8. Sean Brooks 8
    10 October 2010 at 6:21 pm

    They didnt get rid of him, he resigned. I wonder how people will feel when the right starts a protest against left wing tv people like willie jackson who make racist comments.

    • Kevin Welsh 8.1
      10 October 2010 at 6:23 pm

      So what’s stopping you?

    • illuminatedtiger 8.2
      10 October 2010 at 6:23 pm

      I wouldn’t consider Willie Jackson to be “left”. And how is this a “left” versus “right” issue anyway?

      • jbanks 8.2.1
        10 October 2010 at 6:28 pm

        They didnt get rid of him, he resigned.

        You’re wasting your breath here. Some of these fools seriously believe they were responsible for his resignation rather than the diplomatic uproar. Delusional . . . yes, but do you expect anything else?

        • Pascal's bookie 8.2.1.1
          10 October 2010 at 6:34 pm

          Would that be delusional fools like this guy:

          jbanks 6.2.1.1
          9 October 2010 at 11:18 am
          You still don’t get the real reason why this has become a big deal in India. Idiots like you are making such a big deal of jumping up and down, seeking a response out of all proportion to the offending, that the media has seized on this overblown reaction and it keeps the story in the headlines for longer than it is worth being there. Do you understand this? The bleaters are fueling the media fire. Instead of letting the disciplinary action run it’s course, the bleaters are keeping it in the headlines. The strategy of the idiots has been to keep bleating about it until something happens. Well, something has happened alright – the whole bloody thing has gotten out of control and it’s caught the eye of India and now they’re fucked off.

          • Michael Foxglove 8.2.1.1.1
            10 October 2010 at 6:40 pm

            That’s one of the sweetest burns I’ve seen in a while.

            • outofbed 8.2.1.1.1.1
              10 October 2010 at 6:51 pm

              pwned

              [lprent: You’ve been warned before about this phrase (and the attitude it encapsulates). Take two days off to contemplate why one should listen to the moderators and why this is something we don’t like because it starts flamewars. ]

        • Colonial Viper 8.2.1.2
          10 October 2010 at 6:42 pm

          I wouldn’t be surprised if Indian diplomats in NZ have had a tonne of phone calls, emails and letters from NZ Indians over the last few days, fueling the ‘diplomatic uproar’.

          Henry’s scalp demonstrates the power of mass action against the Righty agenda.

          • nzfp 8.2.1.2.2
            10 October 2010 at 7:32 pm

            Not just New Zealand Indians mate 😉 try New Zealand Maori 😉 as well as other Real and Unreal New Zealanders!!!

            Captcha: goes … and there goes Henry … 😀

          • William Joyce 8.2.1.2.3
            10 October 2010 at 8:12 pm

            “Henry’s scalp demonstrates the power of mass action against the Righty agenda.”
            Are you serious? Delusions of granduer?
            How was this a success for “mass action” – given a couple of weeks of news-cycles and this would over and PH would back ‘ont tellie.
            Paul pulled the pin too early.
            How was PH fundamental to the “Righty agenda”? – don’t kid yourself – the evil persists and doesn’t host a tv show!

            • Colonial Viper 8.2.1.2.3.1
              10 October 2010 at 8:32 pm

              Well, winning a war consists of winning lots of smaller actions, yeah?

              “Henry’s scalp demonstrates the power of mass action against the Righty agenda.”
              Are you serious? Delusions of granduer?
              How was this a success for “mass action”

              In that case maybe I was talking about the Super-Shitty elections 😛

    • gobsmacked 8.3
      10 October 2010 at 6:27 pm

      They didnt get rid of him, he resigned

      Girlfriends never dumped me, I just “needed some personal space”.

  9. M 9
    10 October 2010 at 6:23 pm

    Hallelujah brother!

    The goofy picture of Henry a la Austin Powers is the icing on the cake.

    I’m smiling so much I’ve got fish hooks in my cheeks 🙂

  10. kriswgtn 10
    10 October 2010 at 6:27 pm

    So wonder wot seat the fuktard will have the nerve to stand for??? North Shore? LOL representing the orange county electorate

  11. PC Brigadier 11
    10 October 2010 at 6:30 pm

    “This resignation is a result of PC gone mad”

    Oh no it’s not. It’s because Paul Henry is a racist bigot and he was leaned on by his boss due to the reaction of decent people.

    Redneck NZ will go nuts over this. Fill your boots. It will be hot air.
    I think NZ moved a step closer to tolerance and acceptance today. Maybe.

  12. Tigger 12
    10 October 2010 at 6:39 pm

    This isn’t about Henry. This is about TVNZ encouraging him to do what he did and Key for failing to take him on about it (a week later and he’s still not nailed the comments as racist). How neat for both TVNZ and Key that Henry has taken sizeable heat by falling on his sword. Doesn’t change their appalling behaviour.

    • QoT 12.1
      10 October 2010 at 7:13 pm

      Hell yes on this. Obvious Rick Ellis subtext: “I am sorry that I will no longer be able to quietly approve this douchebag’s bigotry which has been so successful in getting TVNZ ratings and attention”.

  13. Brett 13
    10 October 2010 at 6:40 pm

    Henry will be back in six months.
    Having him resign allows for that option.

    • William Joyce 13.1
      10 October 2010 at 8:19 pm

      Absolutely. His resignation means nothing and acheives little. It just gives a boost to those who feel emascualted and in need of a little feeling of power.
      Most of India couldn’t give a dik or shit about PH and this does not change their lives one jot.
      And tomorrow we’ll all be bitching about the next person who has offended our sense of what’s right (no matter how trivial the offence!).

      • mcflock 13.1.1
        10 October 2010 at 11:34 pm

        It means at least six months without that pillock on state tv.

        A small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

  14. Sookie 14
    10 October 2010 at 6:53 pm

    Oh, how sweet it is. Resigning before one gets the boot is standard, face saving practice. Now he will be able to set up shop on Newstalk ZB or Radio Live and all his devoted redneck minions can enjoy him there. He can go nuts, no need to hold his tongue on Twat Radio. I don’t have any objection to racist/sexist/homophobic/far right dickheads, I just don’t think they ought to be pushing their agenda on breakfast telly. Certainly not on a state funded broadcaster.

    On a personal note, my hubby is a South African who often has people coming up to him and saying in polite conversation, ‘Saffa eh? You guys are like, really racist!!’ Like me, he has been flabbergasted at the support for Henry among the salt of the earth. Now perhaps he can turn around and politely name said people complete hypocrites. Nice one NZ, even a Boer thinks you’re beyond the pale, so to speak 🙂

    • felix 14.1
      10 October 2010 at 6:59 pm

      Good on him, but he’s still got the poisoning to answer for 😉

      • nzfp 14.1.1
        10 October 2010 at 7:25 pm

        hah hah hah hah hah … Yeah Invictus was a GREAT film right up to the end 😉

        Naaah, good on the Saffa’s!

        One simple question – which one of the SANZAR partners supported New Zealand’s bid for the 2011 Rugby World Cup after they lost their own bid – and which one supported the big money in Japan?

        Like I said, good on the Saffa’s!

    • A Nonny Moose 14.2
      10 October 2010 at 7:17 pm

      “I don’t have any objection to racist/sexist/homophobic/far right dickheads”

      Whereas I do, because they hurt a lot of people and keep them oppressed.

      I’d like to think jerks like Henry won’t get another job any time soon, but I’m expecting a double header with Lhaws, if the studio can hold their egos together.

  15. Sean Brooks 15
    10 October 2010 at 6:56 pm

    This sets a dangerous precendent. Heaven help the next tv person who says something someone deosnt like.

    Then again I think if India didnt complain, then Henry would probably still have a job.

    • outofbed 15.1
      10 October 2010 at 7:01 pm

      It wasn’t “someone didn’t like” it was fucking thousands of “someones”

      • felix 15.1.1
        10 October 2010 at 7:02 pm

        Millions actually, but who’s counting?

        • William Joyce 15.1.1.1
          10 October 2010 at 8:32 pm

          BShit! You only think it’s millions because that rectangular “window on the world” told you so. Don’t be sucked in. The level of outrage is over represented and is nurtured every time some microphone is stuck under someone’s nose.
          What is going on outside the frame of the lens? Just because the people behind Mike McRoberts are rioting (in front of the cameras) doesn’t mean all Lahore is rioting.

          • felix 15.1.1.1.1
            10 October 2010 at 9:18 pm

            There are well over a billion people in India, William.

            Even just one percent of them is well over 11 million. I don’t think “millions” is a controversial statement at all.

            p.s. that’s not even counting Indian people who don’t live in India, or the people who aren’t Indian at all but found it offensive regardless.

            • William Joyce 15.1.1.1.1.1
              10 October 2010 at 10:22 pm

              In that case, good on PH.
              If you’re going to get knee deep in de shit you might as well go large.
              To have pissed of so many people – now that’s somehing to tell the grandkids!

    • felix 15.2
      10 October 2010 at 7:01 pm

      Yeah. You can totes blame India for this, for rizzle.

    • the sprout 15.3
      10 October 2010 at 7:07 pm

      This sets a dangerous precendent. Heaven help the next tv person who says something someone deosnt [sic] like

      Oh don’t fret Sean, they should be ok as long as they don’t make several dozen highly bigoted and offensive outbursts on a state broadcaster.

    • nzfp 15.4
      10 October 2010 at 7:19 pm

      Hey Sean,

      Then again I think if India didnt complain, then Henry would probably still have a job.

      I agree (whakaae) with you. This is an example of power. When Henry is – sorry WAS being a racist bastard to Māori and other racial and socio-economic groups without power – Henry was given free reign.

      However, Henry’s behaviour to an Indian Government minister is an example of hubris. For too long he got away with racism and bigotry – until he bit a much bigger fish. A fish backed by 1.3 Billion people with a free trade deal the NAct party are chomping at the bit to claim.

      While I am pleased that the racist bigot is gone – I am sad that it took another nation’s government to catalyse the event.

      Captcha: ENCOURAGING – which it is – nonetheless.

      • William Joyce 15.4.1
        10 October 2010 at 8:41 pm

        Jonkey says he thinks the resignation bring closure to this matter. Doesn’t he wish!?! God forbid that he should have to commit himself to taking a position. On with the FTrade deal and then maybe we can all get some sleep 🙂

        • nzfp 15.4.1.1
          10 October 2010 at 8:49 pm

          Oh hey bro,
          Let me be clear – I am absolutely against Free Trade. Free Trade simply means free to plunder, free to buy up what ever resources you like, free to sell the country for pennies on the dollar.

          I think maybe you are confusing Free Trade with Fair Trade?

          • William Joyce 15.4.1.1.1
            10 October 2010 at 8:54 pm

            Sorry, poor attempt at sarcasm. I was being sarcastic about Jonkey and his ilk thinking FTA’s are what make the world a better place to be.

            Should read with “”‘s.
            Eg. “On with the FTrade deal and then maybe we can all get some sleep” 😉

  16. henry olongo 16
    10 October 2010 at 6:56 pm

    It’s niiiiice!!!!!!

  17. nzfp 17
    10 October 2010 at 7:12 pm

    He tino rawe te pūrongo!!!
    That is great news!

    • hateatea 17.1
      10 October 2010 at 7:42 pm

      Pono. He karere tino reka – ka wehe atu ia.
      Good news indeed to hear he is going for good

  18. Draco T Bastard 18
    10 October 2010 at 7:12 pm

    Now all they need to do is replace him with a credible interviewer who will actually hold politicians to account.

    • hateatea 18.1
      10 October 2010 at 7:30 pm

      The ultimate irony – because I was boycotting TVNZ I didn’t know until I had time to clear my emails!!

      This totally vindicates the use of legitimate, peaceful protest. Big ups to all those who emailed TVNZ, the advertisers, MP’s, blogged, wrote to newspapers, telephoned talkback and protested outside TVNZ. You have sent a message that MOST New Zealanders do not think like Paul Henry though undoubtedly many do. Now, perhaps they can find someone pleasant and personable to share the couch with Pippa and whoever replaces her when she is on parental leave. It is to be hoped that whoever that person may be, they have intelligence and compassion, sense and sensitivity.

      captcha: err (That is what PH and Laws do so well)

      • Vicky32 18.1.1
        15 October 2010 at 11:47 pm

        I was in Welly at the time, and the news was all over the paper! Seeing PH’s grinning simian face on the billboards as I walked past the dairy was so sweet!
        Deb

    • Herodotus 18.2
      10 October 2010 at 7:43 pm

      DTB we only have one who can do this and has the skill to bring in an audience, he cannot do ZB breakfast, part time close up (should be full time IMO) next you will be wanting MH to head Q&A as well as breakfast. Poor Kate with that workload.
      How can the front person change a culture when the core is rotten? Sure PH may have gone (read monkey) yet the grinders are still all there. I would love to know what instructions PH got from his producers and TVNZ regarding his previous behaviour and if they gave him the impression that he was untouchable, as they should follow.
      re Q&A still think this should be replaced by The Sunday News Roast (Alt TV alas the sad death of this station 🙁 ) educational, informative, entertaining and unbalanced.

  19. THE MOUCH 19
    10 October 2010 at 7:34 pm

    The moustached women of NZ will be dancing in the streets tonight.

  20. Mac1 20
    10 October 2010 at 7:34 pm

    Now then, Draco T, hope springs eternal and all that, but steady on.

    Next we’ll have a proper calling to account of this government from the MSM in general. Did I mention general as in election?

  21. Gotham 21
    10 October 2010 at 8:10 pm

    This is the best news since Len won Auckland (yesterday).

    Still, it doesn’t answer my original curiosity on the matter – wtf are all those people watching tv for at 6am????

    A moral victory for RNZ, in my opinion….

  22. Colonial Viper 22
    10 October 2010 at 8:20 pm

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4217179/Paul-Henry-resigns

    Prime Minister John Key says Paul Henry’s resignation has brought “closure”.

    “This episode has been sad and regrettable,” he said through a spokeswoman.

    “Mr Henry’s resignation brings closure to the matter and we should now put it behind us,” he said.

    • rosy 22.1
      10 October 2010 at 8:28 pm

      … and then JK wiped the sweat from his brow and said ‘phew that was close’ and got the strategists to work on the national seat for PH that was agreed on in the phoncall earlier in the day 😉

    • gobsmacked 22.2
      10 October 2010 at 8:29 pm

      “Greater love hath no man, that he lay down his friends for his life”.

      Now, let’s get the questions in to Broadcasting Minister Coleman.

      “Did the Minister, or somebody on his behalf, speak to TVNZ executives about Paul Henry, between October 4 and 10?”

      • QoT 22.2.1
        10 October 2010 at 8:38 pm

        Unfortunately one can only expect Coleman to be briefed to bring up that whole “just Paul being Paul” piece of utterly baffling fail from Goff.

        • come get some 22.2.1.1
          10 October 2010 at 10:32 pm

          Goff hadnt heard the statement when he was first questioned on it, and probably had no fucking idea what the interviewer was on about. He probably should have said that, instead of trying to wing it. Idiot

        • toad 22.2.1.2
          11 October 2010 at 8:35 am

          Coleman has been strangely silent throught the whole affair, leaving Steven Joyce to front the Government’s (weak) criticism of Henry. Strange?

    • the sprout 22.3
      10 October 2010 at 8:35 pm

      Paul Henry’s resignation has brought “closure”

      oh yeah, i’m sure Key’s desperate to believe that 😆

      • Colonial Viper 22.3.1
        10 October 2010 at 8:39 pm

        You know, that’s exactly what I thought. *PM shakes bottle*. Hmmmm…the genie doesn’t appear to be in there anymore!!! 😯

      • come get some 22.3.2
        10 October 2010 at 10:35 pm

        unfortunately, the media are going to listen to him

    • Huang Y.G. 22.4
      10 October 2010 at 11:06 pm

      When I first read that bit, something didn’t sound right.
      Doesn’t convey like it is truly heartfelt.
      Sounded like there was a hint of rushed insincerity.

  23. nzfp 23
    10 October 2010 at 8:37 pm

    You know,
    I kinda like the idea of being described as an “Unreal” New Zealander … heh heh “unreal” used to be a colloquialism from my childhood for “awesome” or “cool” or “choice”.

    Captcha: distinct – kinda the way “Unreal” makes me feel

    Cheers Paul Henry, have one on me (NOT) while you’re looking for another job and wondering if the 90 day trial period will mean that you get fired for nothing on the 89th day… (I know I’ve said this joke before but I love it).

  24. William Joyce 24
    10 October 2010 at 8:49 pm

    All this “good news” and and yet no The Daily Show or Colbert Report *sniff*

  25. Rodel 25
    10 October 2010 at 8:50 pm

    I like to watch the TV news in the morning.
    I’m pleased that I no longer have to put up with Henry’s silliness.
    He could probably get a job with Fux news?

  26. Gotham 26
    10 October 2010 at 9:19 pm

    I have a little different take on the matter:

    I think Henry resigned as a middle finger to TVNZ for having suspended him. I BET he has had talks with the execs and PR spinners in which they told him directly along the lines of ‘you have to be yourself to the limit, don’t self-censor, don’t hold back, you have an enormous following in NZ and people love what you say…’. He was just doing what he was given licence (encouragement, even) to do.

    And so he must have been pretty pissed when they suddenly cut his paycheque for a fortnight, for doing exactly what he was told. So he decided to screw them back – he is probably pretty confident he can go on earning the same doing something else.

    I don’t think TVNZ were EVER intending on firing him.

    • QoT 26.1
      10 October 2010 at 9:24 pm

      I think that’s a pretty good theory, Gotham, and it really just pisses me off that TVNZ are trying to play this as somehow being unexpected, unpredictable behaviour from the fuckwit which crossed some line that was totally drawn very clearly and had never been crossed before. Except for all those other times.

    • Colonial Viper 26.2
      10 October 2010 at 9:29 pm

      Yeah, the scope has to train on to the sick management culture at the senior levels of TVNZ.

  27. rohan 27
    10 October 2010 at 9:30 pm

    i love henry’s presumption “I will be apologising in person to the Governor-General”. The g-g has a very busy schedule, as you would expect of a representative of our head-of-state. does henry think he has time to talk to every unemployed citizen, especially one who has publicly defamed, insulted and called into question his identity?

  28. the sprout 28
    10 October 2010 at 10:16 pm

    nice bit of satire from ideologically impure…

    Pippa Wetzell resigns in tears, contrite for not doing enough to save Paul

    http://ideologicallyimpure.wordpress.com/2010/10/10/pippa-wetzell-resigns-from-tvnz/

  29. come get some 29
    10 October 2010 at 10:52 pm

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paul-Henry-start-your-own-show/164114190281857

    Will be interesting to see how fast this climbs, and the ethnicity make up

  30. William Joyce 30
    10 October 2010 at 10:54 pm

    OMG – you know you’re really on the wrong side of an issue when the intelligence vacuum and former brain cell known as Keith Locke agrees with you.

    “Green Party MP Keith Locke tonight also welcomed Henry’s resignation.”
    (Unless he said he “Welcomed the green tea preparation”)

    It makes you want to revisit your reasoning when someone with the intellectual strengh of talc agrees with you.I’ll have to assume it was a fluke, statistical anomily or that someone told him to say it. Other wise I will not sleep tonight in fear the strings in the universe have snappped or some pissed-off butterfly in India flapped it’s wings and caused a vaccuous poilition in NZ to speak sense.

  31. richard Bartlett 31
    10 October 2010 at 11:26 pm

    Let us understand what is really happening here. New Zealand loses more than 20% of its
    movers and shakers every year. Henry, Laws, Tamahere, Jackson et al would be living their
    lives in a well deserved obscurity had that not been the case.
    This is all the fault of this so-called New Zealand being a not that good idea in the first place.

  32. Gotham 32
    11 October 2010 at 7:47 am

    And it looks like Prendergast is out of Wellington!! The news just keeps getting better and better!!

  33. graham 33
    11 October 2010 at 7:55 am

    Takeing the standard as my insperation henceforth i will add new clauses to my staff employment contracts
    and racist talks they will be fired (the working class are all bigots)
    any membership of a polictal party i dont like no matter how long ago i will sack them
    and the advantage with the 90 day fire at will law i and going to hire and fire to my hearts content
    i wonder if i can set a record for the most sackings in a month that will be fun

    • The Voice of Reason 33.1
      11 October 2010 at 8:10 am

      Hmmm, I suppose you can fire at will, Graham, but you really shouldn’t have fired the guy who proofs your public statements. It leaves you looking like an inarticulate twit.

    • Marty G 33.2
      11 October 2010 at 8:16 am

      If an employee’s actions constitute gross misconduct, you have the right to fire them. But be careful, gross misconduct for a TV presenter may not be gross misconduct for a lathe worker and vice versa.

      And Henry resigned.

      And only a fool wants to fire as many employees as possible because of the cost of replacing them. If you’re a fool, good luck to you and enjoy the court cases, but I suspect you’re just talking shit.

    • Vicky32 33.3
      15 October 2010 at 11:52 pm

      “and racist talks they will be fired (the working class are all bigots)”
      Even if we are bigots, which is not true, at least we can spell!
      Deb

  34. Fraz 34
    11 October 2010 at 1:13 pm

    Cool and I think they should ban fat people from being on the Breakfast programme because they set a bad example to the nation’s health! Where do you stop? The problem is that Henry was forced out by a vociferous minority and a hate campaign led by the NZ Herald. They also got nearly 30 people to protest outside TVNZ studios asking for him to be sacked – obviously by people who don’t have jobs!

    sprout: I guess you should ask John Key how he let this happen, or do you really think it was all the work of a ‘vociferous minority’ 😆
    If Key caved to a ‘vociferous minority’, what does that say about him as your PM?

  35. Alex 35
    11 October 2010 at 5:33 pm

    Nice, measured discussion about this on Radio NZ just now.

    If you excuse PH for making those kind of remarks, by considering him a comedian, that is tricky. As people here are pointing to, good (and bad) comedy is often crass and flirting with ‘offensive’. Some of the best stuff Peter Cook and Dudley Moore did over 30 years ago you still couldn’t play on the radio now. People who like comedy often refer to their genius.

    I do tend to think of PH as a comedian. If I switch over to Breakfast, he is most natural when giggling, poking, doing his naughty boy schtick, which he does really well. When he’s doing deadpan, he seems to be bored and faking it. Many people of course won’t enjoy his humour, comedy is like that. Force me to listen to Mike King or Radar for longer than a minute and I’ll suffer an aneurism.

    Putting aside any notion that Breakfast is any kind of serious broadcasting (it’s fluff and chitchat and tail, the world over), it seems sad to believe that PH shouldn’t be on ‘our state broadcaster’ because he isn’t serious enough. The glamour and pathos and shallow analysis of TVNZ news is like most TV network news, it sets the bar very low. Any injection of … anything different, to me, is welcome. I hate to think that things like mischievousness and irreverence are being shut down, and then we can assume that all is well.

    He made a lame joke/rude suggestion, he should be told that it sucked (firstly by the PM sitting beside him!), and he should have fixed it, or have been asked to fix it, and they could have moved on. The response to the diplomatic situation with India seems cynical to me – clearly people in India would be wanting to deflect negative attention at the moment, particularly from countries who were outspoken recently about the commonwealth games.

    • The Voice of Reason 35.1
      11 October 2010 at 6:27 pm

      Funny you should mention Cookie. The magazine he used to own, Private Eye, reproduces a clipping on page 20 of the current issue (1272) that features Sheila Dikshit with a humorous comment beneath that suggests the editor thought the name was a misprint. That would appear to be a genuine error, not a racist joke. Henry, on the other hand, is a racist joke. And it always going to be worth remembering that Key laughed along. Racist humour is, almost by definition, right wing.

      I can’t think of any Peter Cook sketches that would not be suitable for broadcast today, except for the excessive swearing that was such a refreshing feature of Derek and Clive. Certainly, there was some appallingly racist comedy on British TV right through till the ‘right on’ comics of the eighties made the likes of Bernard Manning look like the antiquated relics they were. Since then, it’s been all very post modern and ironic. The occasional comic does blow it big time, such as Michael Richards and Billy Connelly recently, but the likes of Cook and Cleese were classic liberals at a time when conservatism was the enemy. Cleese wasn’t Fawlty, Warren Mitchell wasn’t Alf Garnett. Both were taking the piss out of those middle class ‘little englanders’ that Thatcher so successfully represented in the eighties.

      So, if Breakfast needs a comedic presence, then in a post modern, ironic way, can I suggest Henry be replaced immediately by Mr Jeremy Wells. What could be more agreeable?

  36. Alex 36
    11 October 2010 at 9:57 pm

    Interesting about the mag. This might not be the point anyway, but Cook and Moore also had songs (not TV) like ‘I’m a stupid n****r’, the one about the ‘stupid Dutch bitch’, and ‘Jump you f***er’ about someone who jumps from a window to escape a fire, to find he’s been tricked, so he falls and breaks his neck, and the song ends “We are miserable sinners, filthy f***ers”. Would be really interesting on a breakfast TV show, but I can’t see it.

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  • Tenancy rules changes to improve rental market
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  • Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with China
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