Have we become over PC? The "moustache controversy"
A couple of days ago on "The Breakfast Show", TV presented Paul Henry joked about a female guest's (live but she was not in the studio) "moustache". Now there's a small debate on it.
Interestingly while I was watching the show, I was thinking "does she know she has a very obvious moustache?" It was a bit distracting. But I doubt I would have made jokes about it. But I can't deny that I thought about it (not the joke part but the fact that she had a moustache).
Anyway the link has loads of comments both vilifying him and supporting him. Makes me wonder where the line is between "saying things as they are, and being sensitive to people's feelings". I guess that some people are more sensitve than others about their looks etc. I know that for some people going bald is nothing to worry about but for others it would be a major trauma.
The Bible reminds us to "speak the truth in love" . So how do we do this without being ridiculoulsy PC? Hmm....
Even the report below uses the term "implied she had a moustache." ....
Do you think Paul Henry's 'moustache' comments were amusing or offensive?
2:15PM Friday March 27, 2009
Updated: 8:32AM Saturday March 28, 2009
Paul Henry angered TVNZ viewers with his antics on Breakfast this week when he insulted a guest speaker and implied that she had a moustache.
Anti-nuclear campaigner Stephanie Mills appeared on the show to speak about the compensation awarded to victims of French nuclear testing in the Pacific.
Do you think Paul Henry's 'moustache' comments were amusing or offensive?
Some examples of contrasting comments :
What disturbed me was Paul's complete unwillingness to take advice from Ali Mau and others in the newsroom about sharing such insensitive comments. He didn't get it. Smacks of narcissism. Although Ali made strenuous efforts to curb Paul at the time, she unfortunately tried to rescue the situation the next day by saying that Paul was only repeating readers' e-mails. I found that disappointing.The clip shows that he added a few of his own.
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Is there no place in our "modern" society for manners and respect? She made the effort to be a "guest" on the show and he humiliates her on national tv.
The "we're too pc brigade" bemoan the breakdown of core society values and then applauds this idiots insensitivity as humour. They obviously don't see anything wrong with being crass and rude to their house guests.
His trivial dismissal of PCOS, ovarian cancer as causes for excessive hair growth just shows his class.
No doubt he laughs at cancer sufferers with bald heads.
Save some money and close the show down.
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i love paul henry for the fact he speaks his mind. most of us folks in the normal world would have probably thought what he said anyway - plus . didn't he read out a letter from somebody else regarding the matter?
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Amusing. Yes, he's a bit of a pompous git, but he's the only thing 'Breakfast' has going for it, and TVNZ for that matter. Frankly, he makes a nice change from the everywhere of personality-free presenters and their humourless viewers, who have been rendered brain dead by the tripe that TVNZ passes off as "quality television".
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We complain about NZ being too PC, yet when someone tells it like it is we're all up in arms. You can't have it both ways people.
Interestingly while I was watching the show, I was thinking "does she know she has a very obvious moustache?" It was a bit distracting. But I doubt I would have made jokes about it. But I can't deny that I thought about it (not the joke part but the fact that she had a moustache).
Anyway the link has loads of comments both vilifying him and supporting him. Makes me wonder where the line is between "saying things as they are, and being sensitive to people's feelings". I guess that some people are more sensitve than others about their looks etc. I know that for some people going bald is nothing to worry about but for others it would be a major trauma.
The Bible reminds us to "speak the truth in love" . So how do we do this without being ridiculoulsy PC? Hmm....
Even the report below uses the term "implied she had a moustache." ....
Do you think Paul Henry's 'moustache' comments were amusing or offensive?
2:15PM Friday March 27, 2009
Updated: 8:32AM Saturday March 28, 2009
Paul Henry angered TVNZ viewers with his antics on Breakfast this week when he insulted a guest speaker and implied that she had a moustache.
Anti-nuclear campaigner Stephanie Mills appeared on the show to speak about the compensation awarded to victims of French nuclear testing in the Pacific.
Do you think Paul Henry's 'moustache' comments were amusing or offensive?
Some examples of contrasting comments :
What disturbed me was Paul's complete unwillingness to take advice from Ali Mau and others in the newsroom about sharing such insensitive comments. He didn't get it. Smacks of narcissism. Although Ali made strenuous efforts to curb Paul at the time, she unfortunately tried to rescue the situation the next day by saying that Paul was only repeating readers' e-mails. I found that disappointing.The clip shows that he added a few of his own.
-------
Is there no place in our "modern" society for manners and respect? She made the effort to be a "guest" on the show and he humiliates her on national tv.
The "we're too pc brigade" bemoan the breakdown of core society values and then applauds this idiots insensitivity as humour. They obviously don't see anything wrong with being crass and rude to their house guests.
His trivial dismissal of PCOS, ovarian cancer as causes for excessive hair growth just shows his class.
No doubt he laughs at cancer sufferers with bald heads.
Save some money and close the show down.
----------
i love paul henry for the fact he speaks his mind. most of us folks in the normal world would have probably thought what he said anyway - plus . didn't he read out a letter from somebody else regarding the matter?
--------
Amusing. Yes, he's a bit of a pompous git, but he's the only thing 'Breakfast' has going for it, and TVNZ for that matter. Frankly, he makes a nice change from the everywhere of personality-free presenters and their humourless viewers, who have been rendered brain dead by the tripe that TVNZ passes off as "quality television".
------
We complain about NZ being too PC, yet when someone tells it like it is we're all up in arms. You can't have it both ways people.
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