Monday 21 December 2009

Since when

... was a predicatble, mean-spirited misogynist bigot spouting predictable, mean-spirited misogynist bigotry "boundary pushing" (1)?

If Paul Henry's periodic outbursts of venom against women is "boundary pushing," then God help us all. I'd have thought the small minded desire to make fun of women who don't look like Alison Mau was pretty mainstream. If this is really pushing any sort of moral boundary - other than the boundary between good taste and the gutter, then New Zealand is in a far worse state that I thought.

There is nothing challenging or edgy about making fun of a rather unattractive woman for being slightly intellectually disabled. Ask Susan Boyle - she's probably had to put up with this "boundary pushing" abuse humour all her life.

Paul Henry picks on the dim ugly girl. What a tough guy. What a radical, boundary pushing, risky, unforesable, unique and innovative thing to do.

Next up - Paul Henry makes fun of a woman for having facial hair. Oh, wait, he's already done that (2).
1 - "Paul Henry 'Retard' complaints upheld," unattributed article from The Dominion Post, 21st of December, 2009. Reproduced on stuff.co.nz. (http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv/3182009/Complaints-over-Paul-Henrys-retard-comment-upheld)
2 - "Henry faces up to 'moustache-gate'," by Emma Page, published in the Sunday Star Times, 23rd of March, 2009. Reproduced on stuff.co.nz. (http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv/2299151/Henry-faces-up-to-moustache-gate)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wait til Tuesday, there will be some comments about gay rugby players while he hides behind his mainstream male-ness

lurgee said...

I suspect he'll be studiously inoffensive for a few weeks. I saw an interview with Lisa Tamati recently where he was scupulous to a fault in praising her. More, one suspects, so he could deny claims of general misogyny - Paul "I only pick on dim Scottish birds, me" Henry.

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