Paul Henry embarrassed by young caller this morning (Aug. 17, 2015)

17 August 2015 at 10:10 am

Paul Henry embarrassed by young caller this morning;
His mood was not improved by the raucous laughter at his expense.
Paul Henry, TV3, Monday 17 August 2015, 8:10 a.m.

Paul Henry is a shameless National Party partisan as well as being John Key’s chief cheerleader. He is a control freak, who demands total obedience from his underlings. Neither his newsreader Hillary Barry nor his dim sports guy Jim Kayes has the ability or the gumption to challenge most of the offensive or ignorant things Henry regularly unloads. Occasionally, as we shall see, they will register their disapproval by falling silent or, as happened with the following phone call from a young viewer, join in with the subversive laughter of the technicians and producers. Henry is all too aware when his authority is undermined like this, and he takes it out on Jim Kayes above all.

But first, let’s see how a simple phone call derailed him this morning….

PAUL HENRY: We have Zakaiah from Pahiatua on the phone. How old are you, Zakaiah?

ZAKARAIAH: I’m eleven.

PAUL HENRY: All right, Zakaiah, do you think Richie McCaw would make a good prime minister?

ZAKARAIAH: Yeah, better than John Key!

EVERYONE IN THE STUDIO EXCEPT HENRY: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

….Awkward silence…..

PAUL HENRY: [grinning awkwardly, like a raccoon eating shit off a wire brush] Oooohhhh.

ZAKARAIAH: And he doesn’t need to change the flag.

…..Awkward silence…..

PAUL HENRY: Well I agree with you there, Zakaiah! But not the bit about John Key; I think he’s doing a good job.

…..Awkward silence…..

A little later, Henry reads out the nominations for the New Zealander of the Year award, with his slaves obediently providing the sound effects…

HENRY: Most of them are shite. Professor Jane Kelsey.
HILLARY BARRY: Urggghhh!
HENRY: Nicky Hager.
JIM KAYES: Groan.
HILLARY BARRY: Urrrggghh!
HENRY: Helen Kelly.

……Silence. Even these two slaves know that it’s not permissible to slag off the very ill Helen Kelly, even if she is one of those despised creatures, a union activist.

HENRY: Tim Finn.
JIM KAYES: Why have they nominated Tim Finn and not Neil?
HENRY: [suddenly irritated] Oh I don’t know! I’m not up with the minutiae of these things. But the thing is, most of these people are shite. If
Richie was nominated, they would fall off the list. I’m going to nominate Richie McCaw for New Zealander of the Year.

….Awkward pause…..

JIM KAYES: Have you got a man crush on Richie McCaw?

….Awkward pause….

PAUL HENRY: [speaking evenly and slowly, with an angry edge to his voice] No, I haven’t. But I notice that most of the women removed their wedding rings when he came into the studio. Hillary did.
HILLARY BARRY: My husband’s watching this….

• save NZ9.1

  17 August 2015 at 10:26 am

  +1
  • John Shears9.1.1

    17 August 2015 at 11:25 am

    +2
• half crown9.2

  17 August 2015 at 10:57 am

  “PAUL HENRY: [grinning awkwardly, like a raccoon eating shit off a wire brush] Oooohhhh. ”

  I like it, That must be the quote of the year
  • North9.2.1

    18 August 2015 at 6:53 am

    “……..eating shit off a wire brush” – the best !