Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Sex and the city

"I think a lot of ads are so sexualised now and completely over the top - not that I am a prude or anything."

This leads to an inevitable question - does he like sex?

"Arr ... err ... hello, that guy took interest in what you just said," says Davis, referring to another pedestrian.

Well, do you like sex? He mumbles for a moment. "Well that is a personal part of my life ... and I don't want to talk about that."
Is it just me, or is Carolyne Meng-Yee's interrogration of Peter Davis in the Herald on Sunday creepy and weird? Let me check that. BRB.

No, it is not just me. The interview is creepy and weird. Ms Meng-Yee is fixated on the sex life of Professor Davis and the Prime Minister. Amongst normal people, a remark about the sexualisation of advertising does not lead inevitably to a question about the speaker's sex life. Normal people can discuss grown-up issues without such prurience. Normal journalists do not ask the Prime Minister's husband whether he shares the shower with her. But this is not normal journalism. This is the Herald on Sunday. And this is Auckland: when she is not hung up on sex, Ms Meng-Lee is gagging for property valuations.

I am lost for words. Fortunately, Homepaddock also comments, as does Fairfacts Media.

1 comment:

Robyn said...

"Do you like sex" (or whatever similar comment she asked) is a weird sleazy question.

The only time I've been asked that is by some creepy guys in the olden days of IRC chat.

What occured to me then and still applies now is that it's a pretty vague, meaningless question. I mean, what exactly is "sex"? Does she mean, "Do you enjoy having sex with your wife?" or "Are you a sexual person?"

Don't journalists learn to ask good questions? Oh, wait...