Today Josie Pagani called that neocon shill Nick Cohen a “wonderful journalist.”
Until that moment, she hadn’t said anything particularly idiotic.
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Monday 21 September 2015
Jim Mora, Tony Doe, Josie Pagani
Until that moment, she hadn’t said anything particularly idiotic.
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Monday 21 September 2015
Jim Mora, Tony Doe, Josie Pagani
After the 4:30 news on every episode of this light chat show, it’s time for the “Soapbox”, where the two guest Panelists are given the opportunity to talk about a topic of their choosing. Quite often these comments are thoughtful and well presented: the best of them, by people of the calibre of Dita Di Boni, Gordon MacLauchlan, Anna Chinn, Selwyn Manning, Gordon Campbell and “Bomber” Bradbury, have been excellent.
Too often, however, the commentary standard has been abysmal: the National Party’séminence grise Michelle Boag ranting angrily against oiks who dare to publicly doubt the word of politicians, John Barnett denouncing Robert Fisk (“I don’t know why anybody would listen to him”), Joanne Black praising the “brilliance” and “eloquence” of Barack Obama in 2008, Chris Trotter sternly admonishing those who criticized the verdict in the Trayvon Martin murder case (“You have, even in this case I think, to trust the jury”) [1], S.S. “legal advisor” Stephen Franks pontificating in a deadly serious tone about the “wickedness” of people in jail. Bizarre, cranky and substandard contributions have also come from Denise L’Estrange-Corbet, Christine Spankin’ Rankin, Michael Bassett, Andrew “Dire” Clay,Barry Corbett—the list goes on and on and on. Last year, Jane Clifton made one of the most hare-brained contributions: “Well, I need to know this: why is it still impossible to get pantyhose that won’t ladder?” [2] Then again, maybe she was just trying to be funny.
Today Josie Pagani went first, expressing her rather confused opinion about the re-election of Syriza in Greece, and its implications for other countries. Then it was time for the other guest…
JIM MORA: Tony Doe, what’s been on your mind?
TONY DOE: I want to talk about socks.
MORA: Socks?
TONY DOE: Yes, socks. ….
TONY DOE: I want to talk about socks.
MORA: Socks?
TONY DOE: Yes, socks. ….
He then embarked on a long, tiresome, unfunny riff on the subject of socks. To make it even worse, it soon became clear that he was reading it out. After the longest minute and a half of the century, he stopped talking and the other two were obliged to say something—anything….
JOSIE PAGANI: Hashtag personal problems!
MORA: I’ve never felt that emotional about socks.
JOSIE PAGANI: I still don’t!
MORA: I’ve never felt that emotional about socks.
JOSIE PAGANI: I still don’t!
Thus far, Pagani’s contribution had not been particularly brilliant or even interesting, but she had not said anything ridiculous or offensive.
Then she blew it. During a discussion about the sacking of Herald columnists, she referred to “the wonderful journalist in Britain, Nick Cohen.”
[1] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-19072013/#comment-664870
[2] http://thestandard.org.nz/292069/#comment-822620
[2] http://thestandard.org.nz/292069/#comment-822620
