Media Hypocrisy
10 June 2009 Hits:3474
Hypocrisy. That’s when our words and our actions don’t match up. We’re all guilty of it and we find it in all sectors of society including the church. Some people even use it as an excuse not to join the church but they don’t follow their faulty logic to others walks of life. For instance, when the media show hypocrisy do we stop listening or watching?
One glaring example of media hypocrisy happened this week with Gordon Ramsey’s latest outburst against Channel Nine ACA Host Tracey Grimshaw. Before an audience of several thousand people at the Melbourne Good Food and Wine Show, following an interview with Grimshaw the previous day, Ramsay described her as “a lesbian”.
He then showed a picture of a woman, who appeared naked. The woman was posed on her hands and knees but had multiple breasts and the facial features of a pig. “That’s Tracy Grimshaw,” Ramsey said. “I had an interview with her yesterday, holy crap. She needs to see Simon Cowell’s Botox doctor.”
Tracey Grimshaw returned fire with a withering editorial during her show the following night:
“… Gordon Ramsay made me promise not to ask on Friday about his private life. He then got on stage on Saturday and made some very clear and uninformed insinuations about mine. Obviously Gordon thinks that any woman who doesn’t find him attractive must be gay. For the record, I don’t. And I’m not.”
I greatly admire Tracey for standing up to this arrogant individual who has made his mark and his millions through the cruel public ridicule of people on his TV program. I’ve only ever watched about five minutes of his programs, which include “The F Word”, “Kitchen Nightmares” and “Hell’s Kitchen”. He is the guy well known for dropping 87 “f-bombs” in just one episode. What a claim to fame!
But this is where the hypocrisy enters loud and clear. It is Channel Nine that has given Ramsey star status in Australia by airing his program. It’s not news that he is arrogant, rude and crude. That’s what’s made him famous. And that’s what earned the Nine Network mega-bucks especially when Kitchen Nightmares was Australia’s most-watched program. The masses wanted to be shocked by his tirades, temper and tongue and advertisers used Ramsey’s popularity as a vehicle to promote their products. It’s all about the money! No one gives a rip so why should we be surprised now? It’s all hypocrisy!
Rob Buckingham
Senior Minister
One reply on “Media Hypocrisy”
well done to the producers of Masterchef — top audiences and great family appeal (and no need for Gordon)