Editorial: Henry getting worse

OPINION: The latest offensive incident involving TVNZ Breakfast host Paul Henry has sparked outrage from the disabled community, and rightly so.

Mr Henry has made his name by insulting people, and this time his target was Scottish singing star Susan Boyle, whom he described as retarded.

He told viewers how she was starved of oxygen at birth, causing brain damage. He said: "Here's the really interesting revelation: she is in fact retarded ..... And if you look at her carefully, you can make it out."

Mr Henry claimed that he did nothing wrong, and his comments were intended to be light-hearted.

His defence was simple: freedom of speech. As an entertainer he says what is on his mind and does not check himself all the time as other people do.

Mr Henry said the complaints were water off a duck's back and seems unconcerned about what TVNZ will do, presumably safe in the knowledge that he is a ratings magnet and is therefore unlikely to be sacked.

Indeed, TVNZ said it was going through "the usual procedures" in relation to the complaints, implying that it is well used to Mr Henry upsetting people.

In recent times he ridiculed Greenpeace campaigner Stephanie Mills for her facial hair and was censured by the Broadcasting Standards Authority. Mr Henry's employer is well used to fielding complaints about him, and not doing anything about it. Indeed, he is getting worse.

Mr Henry's free speech defence is fallacious. No doubt plenty of people think of inappropriate things to say at different times in their lives, but they don't just blurt them out. As a broadcaster he has an extra responsibility not to do so. It is tantamount to a thief saying they stole something just because the first thought that came into their mind was that they wanted it. The argument just does not wash.

Free speech could be defendable if he was saying something profound or revealing. Sadly, his stock in trade seems to be putting women down for the way they look. This is something he regards as incredibly funny.

The solution to Mr Henry's verbal diarrhoea is simple. TVNZ should make him lodge a good behaviour bond of, say, $50,000.

Each time he breaches the bounds of good taste by making offensive statements on air he should lose the bond. He would then have to post a new bond to continue broadcasting, and see whether he does it again.

There can be no doubt that Mr Henry's comments about Miss Boyle were unforgivable and he has no defence. The attack on Miss Boyle is arguably worse than the Stephanie Mills offence, which indicates he is a slow learner.

Mr Henry is undoubtedly a talented broadcaster. His employer, TVNZ, needs to bring him to heel and remind him that he needs to engage his brain before he opens his mouth.

- © Fairfax NZ News