Quick thoughts on Henry’s “apology”

30 comments on “Quick thoughts on Henry’s “apology” ”

• Comments are now closed

1. Headlessrd 1

   4 October 2010 at 6:59 pm

   It should be clear that henry never apologises for making these comments, and nor does he take them back. He only apologises for any hurt they may have caused the Governor General, not for the racist tones of the comments themselves.
   It reads like a very carefully phrased apology to me.

   A better one would have been “I am sincerely sorry for my comments this morning which could have been interpreted a malicious or, worse still, racist. They were meant as an idle joke and no way presented my feeling about what a New Zealander is.”

   Unfortunately I don’t think he’d make an apology like that; because it would be an utter lie.
2. toad 2

   4 October 2010 at 7:07 pm

   A bit like this:

   I might lose my job if I don’t back down, at least a wee bit, on this one. I believe everything I said, but I am a royalist, so didn’t want to offend the (gag) currymuncher Governor-General – even though he is an uncultured Hindoo – you know, it’s his sort that can’t even run a Commonwealth Games properly.”
   • Lewis Holden 2.1

     4 October 2010 at 9:09 pm

     Henry’s comments are unfortunately common amongst some royalists. It seems Dr Cullen was right to compare him to Prince Philip…

     http://www.republic.org.nz/blog/paul-henry-racist-royalist
3. the sprout 3

   4 October 2010 at 7:08 pm

   Exactly IB, Toad
   Henry, his enablers TVNZ, and sponsors Heritage Hotels, have not heard the last of this – just the latest outburst in a venal strategy of calculated bigotry aimed solely at increasing ratings.

   I’m not the sort of vegetable to call for every head on a pike. People are fallible. But continuous intentional offending for the sake of ratings makes a mockery of the BSA and our Human Rights law, not to mention TVNZ as a Public Broadcaster. It’s the gratuitous ongoing nature that led me to call for Haden’s dismissal. And then there are some things people must go for, that’s why I called for Worth’s resignation. With Henry, both reasons apply.

   It’s time for Henry to go.
4. Bruce Thorpe 4

   4 October 2010 at 7:34 pm

   No member of parliament should accept an invitation to the Breakfast programme with Paul Henry as host.
5. Jim Nald 5

   4 October 2010 at 7:54 pm

   Can someone tell Mr Henry to abandon the qualified apology and just apologise properly and fully please ?
   • Colonial Viper 5.1

     4 October 2010 at 7:57 pm

     Even if it means he has to do it lying through gritted teeth?

     I guess that could go on youtube.
   • Tigger 5.2

     4 October 2010 at 8:12 pm

     Sociopaths are incapable of sincerity, are they not?
     • felix 5.2.1

       4 October 2010 at 9:08 pm

       They can be very, very good at feigning it though.
   • prism 5.3

     4 October 2010 at 11:28 pm

     I personally don’t care if he apologises or not, there is something sickening at a shamefaced public apology with fingers crossed behind your back, and a snigger round the corner. Saying sorry when you’re a criminal in a Court case is often just a ploy at softening the retribution, and the same here. Look at Henry’s photo it shouts What a naughty boy I am, encouraging all the graceless slobs and slobesses to join him in his madcap escapades.
6. RedLogix 6

   4 October 2010 at 8:04 pm

   The kind of apology you pin a tail onto.
7. SHG 7

   4 October 2010 at 8:07 pm

   Hey, in the words of Phil Goff, “I think that was Paul Henry being Paul Henry”.
   • Draco T Bastard 7.1

     4 October 2010 at 8:15 pm

     Yes, as has been noted, PGs response was lacking anything that might be called moral fibre or backbone.
   • RedLogix 7.2

     4 October 2010 at 8:16 pm

     Which was polly-speak for “Henry’s a bigoted twat, but he’s beneath contempt and I’m certainly not getting into a public wrestling match with the pig”.

     Cool politics, less cool principles.
8. Rex Widerstrom 8

   4 October 2010 at 8:20 pm

   Apology schmology.

   A current affairs interviewer should be well versed in general knowledge, a quick thinker, articulate, and able to ensure his or her subject answers the question. The audience should finish the interview knowing at least one thing they didn’t know when it started, and that thing should be something the subject didn’t want them to know.

   By this measure, Henry is a failure. “The next GG should be more like a real NZer” is ignorant in the sense of rude, bigoted etc. But it’s an opinion. Whether holding that opinion, and expressing it, makes one suitable to be a TV interviewer is debateable, but a counter-argument could be advanced round freedom of speech etc.

   But “Is he even a NZer” is ignorance of the other sort – a profound lack of basic knowledge indicative of a laziness that can’t even be bothered preparing for an interview with any research.

   So let his defenders have their “he’s entitled to his opinion” argument. Accept his apology as genuine.

   Then sack him for obvious, inexcusable incompetence. And, coming on top of the “this is how Australia votes…. not” ignorance, sack the news bosses along with him.
   • the sprout 8.1

     4 October 2010 at 8:29 pm

     well said
9. gobsmacked 9

   4 October 2010 at 8:29 pm

   The wretched thing is, Henry’s calculations may well be right.

   He’s banking on TVNZ doing nothing, politicians being feeble, advertisers only caring about the ratings (up tomorrow, for sure) and the public moving on after a day or two. Until the next time … and the next …

   I reckon Paul Henry is carrying out some kind of private experiment. He’s bored, is ready to quit, and he just wants to see how far he can go.

   “Today Paul Henry apologised if any rape victims were offended by his comments that they all deserved it, which he says were taken out of context … TVNZ stands by the broadcaster … John Key said “yeah, rape’s not good, definitely not, Paul’s a bit of a lad”, while Phil Goff said GST would be taken off minty toothpaste … “
   • the sprout 9.1

     4 October 2010 at 8:31 pm

     John Key said “yeah, rape’s not good, definitely not, Paul’s a bit of a lad”, while Phil Goff said GST would be taken off minty toothpaste

     i wish that weren’t so apt.
     you should totally go for a job at the Goffice gs, there’s about 10,000 supporters of your application here.
     • gobsmacked 9.1.1

       4 October 2010 at 8:37 pm

       Cheers, Sprout, appreciate the offer!

       Trouble is, there was this business with a fake passport, a long time ago … 😉
       • the sprout 9.1.1.1

         4 October 2010 at 9:20 pm

         just say you ride a motorbike and love chopping up firewood with the chainsaw for the family – you’ll be sweet, they think that’s cutting edge stuff
10. Billy Fish 10

    4 October 2010 at 8:35 pm

    Keys lack of response raises a big concern for me. If he hasn’t got the smarts to immediately respond and tell Paul Henry that he is directly insulting the head of states representative then how would he deal with a pressure foreign affairs situation where is having to deal with a difficult negotiator or and out and out threat……wait to see how publc opinion is swinging before responding,,,,,as usual
11. Logie97 11

    4 October 2010 at 9:09 pm

    John Key can fudge it all he likes.

    He didn’t react because he is used to hearing similar comments
    time and time again around the barbies and drinkies he has been to … with the blokes.
12. Bill 12

    4 October 2010 at 9:20 pm

    Maybe (just a punt), being a loyal Royalist means that he agrees with himself that all New Zealanders ought to fit an awfully pink, rabbit toothed, big eared, dandruff ridden donkey laugh of a caricaturisation of Britishness, what?

    But maybe (also just a punt), he is agreeing to defer to his natural big eared, pink skinned, large toothed, dandruff plagued, hee hawing superiors who have evidently agreed to be represented by one un-befitting of our Paul’s image of Britishness and desperately superior empire subjects (ie New Zealander colonisers with pink Mother Country blood lines) hanging onto Sceptred Isle fantasies and mythologies.

    Paul will be okay. He can find endless comfort peering through his failing squinting eyes into his bathroom mirror of a night revelling in his royally hung out to dry teeth.
    • the sprout 12.1

      4 October 2010 at 9:23 pm

      😆
13. hateatea 13

    4 October 2010 at 10:15 pm

    Paul Henry – the man who’s apologies are a waste of breath.

    “If I have caused offence……..” I think that the GG is too classy to acknowledge whether or not he has been offended and I am fairly sure that PH is aware of that.

    He is a boorish bully
14. appleboy 14

    4 October 2010 at 10:49 pm

    I’m more amazed at how spineless Key was. If Helen Clarke was in that interview she would have taken him to task in a flash. Key’s only response was to change the subject.

    He didn’t have the moral fibre to respond to the utter racism and ignorance NOR did he even have the political nouse to realise how stupid he looked not taking Henry up on it. Key is hopeless without pre-prepared lines.

    Even more laughable is that Hentry himself is “not a New Zealander”, unlike the Governor general, who was born here. What a PILLOCK.
15. ak 15

    4 October 2010 at 11:29 pm

    There was a time when media “personalities” were chosen for looks, pleasant diction and a certain gravitas. Henry’s butt-ugly simian visage, contrived monotone and repulsive jejune inanity prove that other “qualifications” are now of prime import.
    Judging by the general tenor of the current crop (eg the latest Garner advertorial for Banks on tonight’s news), it’s obvious that a tory background is the new bar to stagger over.
    The comment from the TVNZ spokestory revealed one of the real puppeteers of these flaccid, puerile penises: the party of marketing inserting its organs at large.
16. annaliviaplurabella 16

    4 October 2010 at 11:41 pm

    That Henry can make these comments is not at all surprising.
    That he feels comfortable making them to John Key is not too surprising.
    That John Key let it pass on Telly: Stupid.
    That John Key didn’t, upon reflection, condemn Henry: Very Stupid.
    That Jonathan Coleman didn’t condemn: what did you expect?
    That TVNZ thinks playing the race card is clever: a tragedy for the country.
    • Colonial Viper 16.1

      5 October 2010 at 12:02 am

      That we supposedly own TVNZ makes it even more tragic.

Links to post

1. The Standard: posted on 4 October 2010 at 5:44 am

• Comments are now closed

• Log in
• Donate
• Contribute post

• Articles RSS