Setting new standards of political discourse

New lows, that is. Witness the car-crash TV that is the interview with a community board member for Paraparaumu-Raumati in New Zealand, in which misguided Dale Evans appeared on national television wearing a KKK robe and hood as a bizarre form of protest against National Hoodie Day - an event designed to de-stigmatise the public image of youth in New Zealand.

Evans, whose initial similar stunt in a community board meeting was apparently designed to attract attention to his personal campaign relating to local bore-water issues, even staged a bonfire to add some cross-burnin' appeal to his live TV interview. Oh yes, and he blacked his face underneath the hood, too. He's since apologised, of course.

I'm not sure if I applaud TVNZ for airing the interview for eight whole minutes to allow this jerk the oxygen of publicity that he craves, but then again Evans probably knew full well that this sort of stunt was bound to get him straight onto the vapid TV infotainment shows, and presumably also other networks across the world, all eager for a weirder-than-weird human interest story. Treating him as a laughable loser may arguably be healthier in the long run, but part of me craved a real lambasting commensurate with the stupidity of his actions.



[Courtesy of AL]