Just when I thought Jeff Kennett was mellowing, developing some maturity and compassion, he comes out with some ridiculous statement about not blaming these two 'fragile' wannabe radio personalities. They are blameless, apparently, for the suicide of a nurse in the UK after she was publicly humiliated by them on an international scale and held up to ridicule through their inane bad taste 'prank'. She probably felt that she had no where to turn and nowhere to hide. "Oh, there goes that idiot nurse! You know, the one those two dumb cluck Aussie radio announcers took the mickey out of." she could probably imagine them saying.
She, who by all accounts, was a dedicated and competent professional who in the course of her career had contributed to the well being of many in society, was psychologically destroyed by these two vicious, brazen dickheads who have contributed nothing, but a bit of sick humour to those dumbed down enough to listen to such trash. Their so called 'humour' had no purpose but to denigrate and destroy others. It is not even good satire. Andrew Bolt also joins the fray. 'Lets not be hypocritical', he brays like a donkey with a motorised voice box. Andrew with all due respect, you need to take a reality check and look at the facts.
However, lets read between the lines and see what the real issues are here. They are ethics, sensitive and empathetic behaviour, respecting the privacy of others and above all, what is good humour and good comedy. I heard the cackle of those two morons and frankly I have raised Isa Brown hens with more intelligence and humour than those two displayed in their short radio careers.
On the issue of ethical behaviour, you need to accept that as a public broadcaster you have a responsibility to the general public. What is that responsibility and what is not crossing the line? You think before you open the hole in the middle of your face and spout on with wheels spinning in the mental sand.
Can you imagine them making fun of say a Muslim head of state and one of his family commits suicide? Well, no they would not do that. Why NOT? Too many petro dollars involved and also nasty buggers, those guys. They will start to burn down embassies and riot. In fact, they would want to be hiding out for life, if they had dared had the gall to take on the Mohammedans. Sometimes, in the interests of good taste, we should be more proactive and perhaps we should not be so lay back and we should start putting definite guidelines down. Can they escape from what they have done? No and they should not. They should remember it and beware the rest of their lives. They will be better human beings for it.
I listened to the head of the here 2day and gone 2morrow it appears, Radio show, Rhys drowning in hubris and trying to make excuses for his radio station was pitiful. He did not want to take responsibility for any of the hurt caused by his presenters. Instead he tried to downplay the incident and defers blame onto the victim. Bad move, Rhys. The fact is that your radio station is a vile juvenile bad taste station that specialises in nasty jokes that humiliate and degrade others. Is this what good radio is about?
I am a fan of Andrew Denton. Now there is a good radio host with humour that is biting and satirical. He and Derryn Hinch, both very different, are what I call good radio presenters. Andrew is funny. He used to be on the breakfast show in Sydney in 2002. He and his female co-host used to brighten my mornings with real humour and their satire was funny. They poked fun at themselves, politicians and any who deserved it. They did not have to pick on the average hard working nurse or teacher or police officer or other public servant unless they were in parliament to ridicule.
The world should take note that these two are not 'normal' Australians, we would hope.
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