Paul Henry is killing NZ

[Properispomenon 1]

If Paul Henry can't make a light hearted off the cuff comment without being taken for what it was "a light hearted off the cuff comment" then there is something incredibly wrong.

Well, let's see...

Up until that point, the interview had been 100% 'straight'...

As it should have been - the Prime Minister isn't there to be the foil of Mr Henry's bon (or non) mots.

Then Henry let fly with his comment. No smile, nothing to indicate it wasn't a genuine question...

This wasn't a joke, this wasn't comparable to Paul Holmes with his 'Cheeky darky' comment, which was meant to be a parody. This was a blatant statement that New Zealand-born Sir Anand doesn't look and sound like a New Zealander because his parents are Fijian Indians.

I am hoping that John Key has the nous to just boycott the programme from here on in...

I mean, what was he meant to do? Reply along lines like: 'Oh, I agree. Time we had a beer-drinking, Springboks-fearing, white, penissed New Zealander with an easy to pronounce to name in there'? How'd he have got on with claiming, afterwards, that he was being tongue in cheek, eh?

[Chris Horse Stopper 0]

Well, let's see...

Up until that point, the interview had been 100% 'straight'...

As it should have been - the Prime Minister isn't there to be the foil of Mr Henry's bon (or non) mots.

Then Henry let fly with his comment. No smile, nothing to indicate it wasn't a genuine question...

This wasn't a joke, this wasn't comparable to Paul Holmes with his 'Cheeky darky' comment, which was meant to be a parody. This was a blatant statement that New Zealand-born Sir Anand doesn't look and sound like a New Zealander because his parents are Fijian Indians.

I am hoping that John Key has the nous to just boycott the programme from here on in...

I mean, what was he meant to do? Reply along lines like: 'Oh, I agree. Time we had a beer-drinking, Springboks-fearing, white, penissed New Zealander with an easy to pronounce to name in there'? How'd he have got on with claiming, afterwards, that he was being tongue in cheek, eh?

Has anyone told you this is Paul Henry we're talking about???

He's a TV presenter not the Prime Minister for gods sake.

He is not representing the country.

He is providing entertainment of which an off the cuff comment has been taken completely the wrong way.

[Properispomenon 1]

Has anyone told you this is Paul Henry we're talking about???

He's a TV presenter not the Prime Minister for gods sake.

He is not representing the country.

He is providing entertainment of which an off the cuff comment has been taken completely the wrong way.

I dunno, Chris, anyone would think you don't want me to save a bite of my second cake for ya!

Def gone this time!

[Chris Horse Stopper 0]

I don't think he is racist, but if you look back on his so called light hearted goofs, he seems fixated with judging people on how they look.

Facial hair, retarded, not looking like a NZ'er.

Now just imagine if Paul Henry had a teenage daughter, who had some abnormality with the way she looked and other people gave her a hard time about it, I wonder how well he would handle it.

Hohoho, lighten up, no big deal, I don't think so, based on how he handled the reporters who took him to task at his property.

Seems he can dish it out but has a bit of a problem taking it.

Paul Henry is not in the same street as Billy T when it comes to humour.

Billy T James got away with a lot because he was able to deliver his humour in a way that people did not take offence to.

Now that's class.

in Ponsonby Road shortly after he had his heart transplant.

You have taken what I said out of context hesi.

I am not comparing Billy T to Paul Henry for a second.

They are two completely different individuals.

What I am saying is that a person if Billy was still alive he would've taken what Paul said with a grain of salt.

That is all.

[bblunt 334]

Has anyone told you this is Paul Henry we're talking about???

He's a TV presenter not the Prime Minister for gods sake.

He is not representing the country.

He is providing entertainment of which an off the cuff comment has been taken completely the wrong way.

Chris, the "killing NZ" quip i made referred to the impact an influential figure can have on (a) the local community and ( international opinion.

With regard to (a), his remarks create division within the community because firstly, many people will wonder whether they qualify as New Zealanders. That gives validation to their fears of integrating within the wider community. They will always feel like unwelcome strangers so they will stay within their cultural 'safe' zone.

Concurrently, people who hold prejudicial views feel vindicated. As many have espoused: Henry only says what we are thinking. Unacceptance of others based on skin colour, accent, culture, heritage isracism. And what Henry said was he didn't accept that Sir Anand Satyanand was a real New Zealander. Not Kiwi enough.

This can only exacerbate racial prejudice as if Satyanand is not a Kiwi, who is? This contributes to people's perceptions that all non-Maori or Pakeha are non-New Zealanders. This leads to ill-feeling such as, for example, when people feel they have been put out of a job by a "non-New Zealander'. At it's most extreme these views are represented in race-based violent attacks. Hence, he's "killing" our hopes of safer, more accepting communities.

With regard to (, I'll get back to that. Better do some work

[eljay 1,720]

Is this the same guy who was voted by "the people" as the best of the year??

[Isaac 0]

Its a good debate and one that needs to be had.

I just think that we take things too seriously sometimes.

There are 'racists' everywhere and racial slurs all over the place,but sometimes we need to grow up and accept fact and not blame the messenger.

Case in point.I can claim to be a Maori and a European,but I prefer to tick 'other' on any census forms etc as I identify as a New Zealander.

So I could take offence when someone states a FACT that most white collar crimes(Fraud etc) are committed by 'my type'(White middle/upper class Men).

We also freely state a FACT that Polynesians are a bigger race of people,that they mature faster and are built like the proverbial brick ****house!!Maybe a diet of Taro helps too!They make great athletes and thats a proven FACT too.

But we take offence when we state the FACT that Maori and Pacific Islanders are grossly over represented in the prison system.

Why are African Americans so bloody fast?Is it because of the FACT that they have far more fast twitch fibres than 'normal'.?Is this racist in singling out this particular race?

Why do Koreans always have such straight,hard,dark hair?Thats a FACT from a hairdresser friend.Is that racist?Have you ever seen a blonde curly haired Korean?

And it goes on.Moral of the story?Lighten up peoples

[Chris Horse Stopper 0]

Have said it any better Isaac.

Has anyone actually ask a cross section of NZers to find out whether they were actually offended by Paul's comments???

And what about the GG?? Has anyone asked him??

Lots of assuming going on here.

[trakdap 390]

Totally agree with our Editor.

When this Indian guy was appointed I thought what? Can anyone spell his name?Its bloody INDIAN,thats a fact.He looks Indian too,thats also a Fact.

Are people offended by these facts?

Get a life and grow up,and while you are doing that,invite Paul Henry back to our screens.He is brilliant.

True,

If it looks different, smells different, sounds different, it is different.

[Chris Horse Stopper 0]

Point taken Chris whatever horse it is you are stopping these days.

You know he probably would, but I bet he would have thought privately, can't this guy get his laughs any other way than by putting people down.

This issue is about respect for other people, and at the end of the day Paul Henry is just plainly and simply rude.

If Paul Henry is just plainly and simply rude I'd hate to think what your opinion is of short stuff! :eek:

[archie 2]

Hesi, I quite agree with Paul henry acting the way he did when reporters come stomping around his property. If it was me I would have greeted them with a "four ten" for their troubles and they would have left with a arse full of buckshot!!

Cheers Archie

[Gamblaholic 0]

Soft cocks. How does one get through life that cant handle a comment like that?

[kmhood 1]

love him or hate him.

We do live in a land of free speech...

People REACT instead of responding. At least we have someone that has the backbone to hold anyone accountable.

The world is filled with people with not enough to do but complain or blame. Hark back to Billy T James days - the world has gone mad these days - one cannot say anything. Soooooooooo it wasn't quite what some wanted to hear - do yourself a favour and watch TV3 breakfast show and leave Paul alone. At least he is not afraid to speak his mind in this free speech country of ours. I love his breakfast show as do thousands of others.

[Madlib 2]

OK all you soft c##k left wing lily livered pink cardy wearing closet homos, tell me this.

Why is Joris Debris the Race Relations Conciliator? why was he preceded by Raj Prasad in the job? are we not allowed average white men in positions of responsibility?, and while I'm talking about average white men, why is it that all adverts about family violence, drunk driving, child beating etc...are only allowed to feature average white men when all the historical statistics say it's actually the race we're not allowed to mention that has killed 17 of its own dear little souls in the last 12 months, and the other three victims were not children of European extraction either.

Why pretend it's a white kids problem? oh that's right, so you weak pizzled poofters won't scream and yell "racist bastards".

Knock knock.....this is the truth calling....anyone home?

Is that you Michael Laws? Have you come out if the closet yet?

[trakdap 390]

Madlib I merely pointed out some absolute facts.

If you wish to remain in denial about the cause of the problem described that is your prerogative but I remind you of this, as long as you refuse to address, or acknowledge, that you have a problem it is not possible to resolve it.

I guess that means people like you will in your own little way be responsible for further childrens deaths amongst the xxxxx race.

You'll just see the current Kahui inquest as a sideshow huh? I on the other hand see it as a tragic indicment of a lifestyle and a manifestation of a cultural abscess.

The Kahuis are a "symptom", the tragedy is that the gutless weak pandering of the lefties like you lot mean the "cause" of their symptoms can never be addressed.

Hear hear.

[Blue 1,097]

We gotta get over this BS. Did you ever go to school with a kid whose surname was Ramsbottom? Yeah, he got some stick but he survived quite well. A young jockey here a few years ago( think he rode or worked for Rogerson) was known here as Kenny So. His name in his Asian country was So Bum Suk (sp).I don't recall that making the headlines. Lets move on people.

[Chris Wood 1,577]

This is a storm in a tea cup!

I think we should be more worried about the Kahui twins or making sure that Lesley Elliot gets some justice, and Clayton Weatherspoon never see's daylight again.

I agree we are getting far to PC.

Where will it all end?

This is actually our country, not India!

[archie 2]

I see we have now got the bloody Prime Minister running a round like a chook with its head cut off, in case the indian government is offended- for christ sake how ridiculous is this becoming.No wonder people are emigrating from this country and i thought helen clark was bad enough!!. Still i see Rodney Hide is getting married so that should right things up a bit !!(poor woman)

Cheers Archie

[bblunt 334]

The Kahuis are a "symptom", the tragedy is that the gutless weak pandering of the lefties like you lot mean the "cause" of their symptoms can never be addressed.

A symptom of what? And what's the cause? And how do we address it? I'm all for solutions. You demand transparency in people's claims and accusations on here. So please clarify your point

[Axle 0]

Your kidding, Mr Henry was spot on. Screw the immigrants. They dont help the racing games either.

[DC7 1]

This whole thing is funny.

We should offend more people. Maybe they will boycott our aid packages.

[closet 0]

This whole thing is funny.

We should offend more people. Maybe they will boycott our aid packages.

Funnier still, make Henry the ambassodor to India:)

[closet 0]

spot the spelling mistake..

[bblunt 334]

you stupid bloody ignorant uneducated idiot.

Go learn what a symptom is, then what a cause is, and in the meantime here's another example to help you understand.

If you got a melanoma and it was terminal the doctor would be likely to tell your family that the cancer is the symptom, but the cause was the sun.

You of course contributed by not using sun block.

Now the Kahuis. The symptom was the brutal bashing/beating of the two twins, and their death. The cause was the dysfunctional family that created the environment that allowed it to happen, and the exacerbating factors were]

You'll never win a debate like that. Abuse the other side then turn your own comments around so they appear to make sense. Now you're saying the beating of the children was a symptom of the Kahuis. Before you said the Kahuis were the symptom. Make up your mind and get your argument straight.

You've got the cause right, but that is also a symptom: of a legacy of ethnocidal policies and a class-stratified society. The ethnocide very nearly worked and the class-stratification sees Maori disproportionately represented in lower socio-economic groups.

If that's not the cause then the alternative, which is what you are proposing, is that Maori are genetically inferior and their entire culture is dysfunctional. My 'cause' of the 'symptoms' at least aims to find solutions. Yours just adds to the problem.

[Voorhees 1]

Paul Henry can be quite entertaining, but at other times he can certainly go "over the line". But I still think this has all been blown out of proportion

I saw something on air tonight in passing. The guy from Closeup I think it was. He said that this situation has gone global. To me that means worldwide. But does anyone outside of NZ or India give a rat's ass?

OK, some don't like him. That is their prerogative. If you don't like him, don't watch him. He is there to provide entertainment and shock value

And the big Blowup seems really to be about how he mispronounced someone's name. For the record her name is Sheila Dik****. Apparantly Henry was told that her name is pronounced DIXIT and that is how he should pronounce it. But I saw something on TV today: it was an interview with this lady back in 2007 I think. It was an interview by an Australian woman. She asked Sheila: "How do you pronounce your name?"

The answer came: "Sheila, as in Sheila, and Dick-****, as in Dick-****, which is a very common Indian surname."

So, Henry's pronounciation was 100% correct, the same as the lady herself said. So THAT was certainly blown out of proportion

I also saw on the News a report from Indian TV that had about five panelists and one woman and one bloke were trying to shout over each other. But the woman stated that these comments were seen and heard "by millions of NZ people". That there obviously tells us that they have very little knowledge of NZ at all - a little ignorant of us perhaps? Maybe about as ignorant as many NZers are of Indian TV breakfast shows?

Yes, perhaps Henry went too far, getting overly excited and laughing at his own sillyness like an over-eager schoolboy. But so what?

Overall I find Paul Henry rather entertaining but don't always agree with his point of view. I think he went way overboard when going on about a guests' moustache. Some women have more of a hair growth on their top lip than do others, so what? I thought that the way he carried on was rather childish, but that's Henry I suppose

I did see his interview with John Key and did cringe when Henry said what he did about the GG. However, I immediately thought that Henry was searching for a word or words, and that the ones he came up with were not what he intended, and they did seem rather wrong to me at the time. Did he know the GG was a NZ-born person? I thought he was meaning foreigner rather than non-NZer, but I don't really want to be putting words into his mouth

As I said I think this has all been blown out of proportion, but one thing I am adamant about: no way should Paul Henry be apologizing to any Indian People's Representative or Minister - if he was insulting to anyone it was either Sheila Dik**** or Anand Satyanand, and if he so feels then he should apologise to these people, and of course he has already apologied to Anand Satyanand