Comments on: Have you got a Cnut for tonight?

By: Stilgherrian · Episode 46 is online, Kevin Rudd!

Stilgherrian · Episode 46 is online, Kevin Rudd! — Fri, 08 May 2009 22:05:33 +0000

[...] had a strong field of nominations for “Cnut of the Week”, and it was tough selecting the shortlist. However we eventually [...]

By: Tiphereth

Tiphereth — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:33:58 +0000

I second the AFL vote and I second the vote for the Church in Tasmania.

By: Stilgherrian

Stilgherrian — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:30:10 +0000

Thank you, everyone. Nominations are now closed. Stilgherrian Live starts in one hour. Don't worry, ’Pong, you can never win the prize 'cos there'd be allegations of corruption. You know what these people are like. Stilgherrian Live isn't run like the NSW Labor government, you know!

By: @deanlk

@deanlk — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:26:23 +0000

I nominate the journos and obit writers who got duped by a fake quote in Wikipedia (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/07/2562940.htm) . They may have thought they were embracing change by using Wikipedia as a research tool, but they didn't realise that open wikis can contain as much bad information as good and that it could be a means of deception and social engineering. Fact-checking FAIL.

By: 'Pong

'Pong — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:44:55 +0000

I nominate the ignorance of Marrickville.

On Monday, a wog-looking woman came into a regular Vietnamese diner and asked “Excuse me, do you speak English?” in the tone. The owner thought she would ask something hard for him. But it turned out that she wanted a direction to the main street.

Today at Marrickville Train Station, a Chinese man tried to ask a way to an Asian woman but she replied “I don’t speak Chinese!” and stepped away as if he had a swine flu. He then turn to me and asked if I speak Mandarin. I said no but asked him back where he wanted to go. It took him awhile to pronounce Hurstville. I was sorry that I couldn’t help him then she said “Just get off at Sydneham”. He nodded and thanked us while she was continuing her Vietnamese roll.

These snippets of life in Marrickville, where considered as the most multicultural communities in Australia, shows that there are still presumptions in misunderstanding. Do people learn about others or even try to?

Don’t worry the prize. I just want to rant.

By: Stephen Collins

Stephen Collins — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:24:55 +0000

I am in favor on the nomination of everyone mentioned so far, especially the church in Wynyard as it’s the next town over from @allidc’s family.

I’m also a bit keen on seeing ACMA soundly bollocked for another act of censorship stupidity and thinking their strategy for Nanny Stating us will actually work.

See http://bit.ly/14WBUK for details.

By: Martin

Martin — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:19:38 +0000

I nominate the Coalition, for their continued refusal to accept that the public really did vote against them in the last election. We won and you lost—suck it, twitches.

By: Fifikins

Fifikins — Thu, 07 May 2009 06:35:46 +0000

The fashionistas of the media who have harped on all well about the best and worst dressed at the Logies, focussing mainly on the women, and making the gorgeous Myf Warhurst burn her dress because of the comments she received about it. Apparently you can wear a dress and flash a tit on the red carpet if you are a stick insect, but if you are not a size 0 and wear a dress that actually suits you you get lampooned for it.

Actually the Logies could actually be their own Cnut of the week for their narcissistic view of television. It is highly amusing that reported commentary on the host on Monday referenced Twitter! So Brickbats/Cnuts to the Logies as an institution, but bouquets to Liz Green (from the ABC), Wil Anderson and Max Markson for twittering the event so eloquently!

By: Wolfcat

Wolfcat — Thu, 07 May 2009 06:33:42 +0000

yep… I to will be suggesting rupert murdoch.

“He said News Corp was “absolutely looking” at replicating the business model of The Wall Street Journal, which has much of its content behind a subscription wall”

hmm…. so newspapers dry up… so he’ll charge people more to look at the internet… when more and more news is free on the internet….

yes that will work really well for News Corp me thinks. I can just image your average daily tele reader paying for access to the online version.

By: smallkathryn

smallkathryn — Thu, 07 May 2009 02:52:44 +0000

Rupert Murdoch!

“But why?” I hear you ask. “He’s so *nice!*”

Well, according to Fairfax (who else), Murdoch has decided that online news revenue should come from subscriptions rather than advertising. This replicates the Wall Street Journal model. In short: he wants to start charging to read news.com.au.

http://business.smh.com.au/business/murdoch-flags-charges-for-online-news-20090507-aw0y.html

My immediate thought is, “Who would pay to read that gormless drivel?” And my second thought is, “Oh shit, that means we have to read the Herald instead?”

By: Stilgherrian

Stilgherrian — Thu, 07 May 2009 02:49:13 +0000

@einspruch: Without detracting from the other nominations received so far, I must say that the failure of the Rudd government to generate an actual progress on emissions reduction is appalling. My friends over at newmatilda.com have just written about that, Rudd Breaks His First Promise.

By: James Beattie

James Beattie — Thu, 07 May 2009 02:42:08 +0000

I second the nomination for K Rudd.

Not that I am convinced that his emissions trading scheme was of any real value to the environment, but for the last eight months he has been saying that he’ll bring it in no matter what and that the economic crisis would not affect the governments plans.

To suddenly take a 180° turn like this and deliver it with a straight face and no hint of a blush is insulting.

By: mal

mal — Thu, 07 May 2009 02:27:59 +0000

I nominate Malcolm Turnbull for worring more about politics and his fucking ego; than the future of the country.

By: Yin_Yin

Yin_Yin — Thu, 07 May 2009 00:10:42 +0000

I nominate the Wynyard Baptist Church in Tasmainia, for cancelling Tai Chi classes for seniors (Tai Chi classes that help old people suffering from arthritis) due to “conflicts” between beleifs of Tai Chi and the Bible.

http://bit.ly/q9kcF

By: NotNewsLtd

NotNewsLtd — Wed, 06 May 2009 23:14:24 +0000

My nomination goes to Fairfax / Fairfax Digital for their universally stupid move to fight the move from press to digital by moving as much as possible of their digital arm of the business to their print arm. And to top it off, what is their new remit? To use their websites to sell more newspapers. I can't decide what kind of witty comment to cap it off with, so I'll try two...

Pssst, Fairfax, don't tell anyone but the digital age is, ummm, coming? Be ready.
Hey Fairfax, the 1940s called, they said they want their strategy back.