Tuesday 8 December 2009

Paul Henry loses Breakfast an advertiser

Thanks to Idiot/Savant for his support and for sharing the response he received from FreemanX:
I wasn't particularly impressed with the presentation of our experience nor by certain things said by Paul Henry, but suffice to say we won't be advertising with them again.

Again I can't comment on Paul Henry's past comments & opinions as I simply do not watch him enough, however I would hate for FreemanX to be associated with offensive or inappropriate behavior of any kind. Our business has always been modeled off the kiwi can-do attitude, based on quality customer service.

Thank you however for bringing this to my attention & it may be a case of choosing our advertising a bit more cautiously in the future.

If you haven't emailed the remaining major advertisers, to let them know that while they support Paul Henry you won't be supporting them, then now's good:
Heritage Hotels/City Life - susang@heritagehotels.co.nz
McDonalds - mark.hawthorne@nz.mcd.com or care@nz.mcd.com
Village Roadshow - info@roadshow.co.nz
Visit Britain - newzealand@visitbritain.org
I've had nothingness responses from McDonalds and Visit Britain, which I'll put up when I get a chance, however if they get enough emails they might just rethink...

More info on this, including a sample email and a list of key points, can be found here.

24 comments:

Mark said...

"Visit Britain" seem to be happy to promote biogtry and prejudice in order to continue to try to make a profit:

Dear Mark,

Thank you for your email dated 8 December 2009 regarding TV1 Breakfast
show.

VisitBritain employs a range of media including broadcasts shows such as
TVNZ, news and magazine publications and radio to build interest and
desire for Britain for your next holiday destination.

I acknowledge your disappointment in VisitBritain choice on this
occasion, however to ensure our message is received widely across the
population a range of media will always be considered.

Kind Regards

Judy

Sean said...

While I admire your intentions, and have no problems criticising Henry and TVNZ, is there a chance that the action you suggest will have a disproportionate effect on the rank and file workers at TVNZ? Henry is very unlikely to suffer financially, particularly as the ratings remain strong. But a downturn in advertising revenue, in a recessionary environment, and with indications that TVNZ is looking to restructure again (for the third time in three years), will probably mean the little people get it in the neck. You know, the ones who are rostered to work with Henry, who don't have any choice in the matter, and who cringe when he insults another section on NZ.

The last guy to raise any concerns about the comments of one of the guests got the boot. How much editorial control do you think the DA has, or the sound engineer, or the graphics operator, or the trainee reporter?

Anonymous said...

How utterly ghastly you people are - free speech means people may be offended by what you say - there is nothing wrong with being offended. You cause offence to other people when you express your opinions and attitudes, do you expect to be subjected to the intolerance you show towards Mr Henry ? Of course not.
You seem to think you can enjoy the privileges of a free society, but others cannot.
Grow up !

Julie said...

Sean, you raise some good points. TVNZ are not going to can Breakfast if they can't have Henry due to advertiser pressure - they will hopefully identify that the problem is the male host and replace him instead (or insist that he reform). I imagine that there's plenty of people who have to work with Henry who have no editorial control who would like him to STFU too.

Julie said...

Dear Anon at 4.13pm,

Thank you for your comment dated 8 December regarding our campaign to get Paul Henry to change or go.

The Hand Mirror employs a range of methods such as email campaigns, faxathons, sarcasm, brunches with cupcakes, biting social commentary and political blog posts to build support for it's causes and point out that we do not yet live in a feminist paradise (but we would like to).

I acknowledge your disappointment in The Hand Mirror's choice on this occasion, however your comment made very little sense so I'm just going to take the mickey out of it instead.

Kind regards
Julie

Craig Ranapia said...

Anon:

You're not only a coward but pretty ghastly and more than a little confused yourself.

Paul Henry is entitled to his free speech rights, but I'm also perfectly entitled to exercise my rights as a consumer in a free market. Any questions?

Bryce said...

For crying out loud some people need to harden the fuck up! Its ok for a gay Labour party MP to call me a closet homo boof head because i play rugby then whats wrong for a dork to call a retard a retard?

FreemanX said...

FreemanX in no way, shape, of form wrote anyone that email. I don't know what he's said to annoy you all, I don't get a chance to see the show as I'm typically working. I don't have a view for or against because I don't know what you're talking about however I have spoken to our solicitor regarding the 'Idiot' who made up an email and misrepresented it as fact. Regards, Eddie Freeman

Prinicpessa said...

Random- I was just looking at the Freemanx website, trying to figure out ways I could spend money with that company, and then came here to have another look and saw the previous comment.

Idiot/Savant said...

FreemanX: The email was sent by your employee David Noble on December 7. If you disagree with its contents, then perhaps you should take it up with them.

Anonymous said...

GREAT piss-take of Paul Henry here.

http://nzagainstthecurrent.blogspot.com/2009/11/meet-mr-stupid.html

Anonymous said...

Great send-up of Henry here - clever writing.

http://nzagainstthecurrent.blogspot.com/2009/11/meet-mr-stupid.html

Bomber said...

Well done, great post.

Anonymous said...

Paul Henry spoke the truth. It doesn't surprise me that you and many of your commentators have a difficulty with this.

Faversham.

Craig Ranapia said...

Bryce:

I'll "harden the fuck up" when Paul Henry starts acting his age nor his shoe size. OK?

What happened to the good old days when infantile behaviour by alleged adults was sanctioned not applauded?

A Nonny Moose said...

Nothing is "ever ok" on one side or the other. Insults and degridation of all levels do get dealt with, pulically and privately. It just so happens Henry's behaviour is being dealt with in a very public forum.

And Anon @ 7.27: If you equate Truth with Lack of Empathy, then you also have a problem my friend. If you think it's ok to verbally bully anyone, then you need to re-examine your privilige. And of course, pointing THAT out to anyone makes you even more angrier because you don't think you ARE priviliged.

Anonymous said...

Good god haven't you people got bigger issues to moan about get a life

AWicken said...

Ignoring the HTFU, get a life comments (which tend to lack a bit of philosophical coherence), I'd just like to point out that Paul Henry's speech is not "free". He is paid (I hazard a guess) a significant sum to say whatever pops into his tiny mind.


TVNZ pays him this money in the belief that advertisers wish to be associated with such comments thereby increasing turnover of their products.

At best TVNZ is paying a supercilious git to speak without thought, at worst the market is rewarding somebody for being a misogynistic sociopath.

TVNZ seem to be entrenched in their support of such comments, so there is no harm in telling the advertisers why one might not actually wish to associate with any company that wants to be associated with such statements. It is no more unfair than preferring one supplier over another, but having the courtesy to tell the other exactly why their advertising is counter-productive in your case. If somebody wants to get me to buy their product, they shouldn't use twerps (with due apologies to pregnant goldfish) to advertise.

A Nonny Moose said...

To Anon at 5.27pm: Yes, we have other bigger issues to deal with too. We are quite capable of multi-tasking and dealing with fucktitude in it's multiple facets.

But dealing with "small" problems like Henry is dealing with the building blocks of bigotry in our society. If these small things are let slide, then they encourage more people that that behaviour is ok, becoming a bigger overwhelming problem.

I know this is a terrible example (no I am not comparing Henry to Hitler), but just imagine if people had said "No" to racism and religious intolerance in Germany early last century. The "Bystander Effect" let the Holocaust happen.

Should we stand by and let people like Henry with the ear of the country perpetuate bigotry because he's simply "small enough not to matter"? What if he joined forces with Michael Laws, then hooked up with a few other right leaning commentators and politicians - suddenly you have a political force.

Suddenly, you have something akin to the British National Party, currently wielding some unnatural power in Britain as we speak.

Mr. Bear's Shadow said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Julie said...

On the FreemanX issue, we have yet to have any proper correspondence from the Eddie Freeman who has commented above, and I understand Idiot/Savant hasn't heard anymore either, despite the mention of solicitors.

Idiot/Savant has forwarded me the email he received from FreemanX and it doesn't look fake to me. I/S himself has quite a reputation for straight dealing on the internet, and imho is considered a leading example of how you can blog with a psuedonym without making shit up.

At this stage I'm going to leave Eddie's comment there, to act as a form of antidote, (and if it isn't real to show that those supporting Henry perhaps aren't all dealign with clean hands). Will update if I hear anything further from FreemanX, I/S or the anonymous commenter who has called himself Eddie Freeman.

Anonymous said...

I'm betting the comment from 'eddie' is a troll in love with Paul Henry.

scubanurse said...

Wow, You know you are on the right track when you get people from outside the usual group responding.
You are correct, the media is able to say what they like, just as we are.
However, television is separated out into different sections aimed at different people. If you feel that you watch a show because it represents "you”, or” your people", then you have every right to request that there be changes made if there are major conflicts there.
I would have no problem with Paul Henry in other areas. Talk-back host, perhaps a more right wing media outlet. He could join the boys on one of the red neck sports programmes.
He wouldn’t bring much to them either.
The fact of the matter is that he is on morning TV.
The target audience is people home in the morning after the 9-5 people have left home. People on parental leave, on shift work, on pensions, on disability, on sickness benefit.
Essentially all the people he seems to take great delight in isolating and abusing. Those who are not necessarily on the highest wage, with the best looks, in the powerful positions.
So YES I have every right to say NO, I do not want him on MY television programme!

Anonymous said...

paul henry suxs!