The Rocky Horror Debate

This one will be a long one, but you have to read it to follow my blog. The first part is an article from the Waikato Times, written by its editor.

Temple View on rocky ground
18 November 2006
By EDITORIAL
Sometimes no matter how advanced Hamilton becomes, how sophisticated a city it has developed into, how cosmopolitan and how confident it now is, there are occasional reminders that pockets of intolerance and ignorance still reign unchecked.

The latest evidence of that came this week with Mormons complaining of a roadside sign at Temple View promoting Hamilton's unique Riff Raff statue.
The sign reads: `Rocky Horror hamilton' (note the small "h", at least it's not in txt lingo –- yet) and features the top half of the Riff Raff statue. One of the several objections to the sign, according to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints member Tony McKenna, is that it glorifies "homosexual sub-culture".

To which the most obvious retort is: "What's wrong with that?" It would be appropriate to note at this point that homosexuality is no more a sub-culture than Mormons and no one's trying to ban them from the side of the road –- although it could free up some cycle lanes.
One of Mr McKenna's other objections is that the sign is at the top of a hill just below the temple which is seen as a spiritual place for church members and Maori. He calls it a "blot on the landscape". However, one person's blot is another's celebration of a unique success story. And while Mr McKenna is entitled to his opinion on the billboard, Hamilton City Council's reaction has been utterly bizarre.

The council has agreed to replace the sign with something more benign. Given that, it's difficult to know which group is being the most stupid: the Mormons for wanting it removed or the council for agreeing to set a precedent it may live to regret.

More worrying is that this incident continues Hamilton's history of intolerance that has included opposition to two pagan gods at Hamilton Gardens, an incident or two by the McGillicuddies, attacks on Hamilton's mosque and the Riff Raff statue itself.

Hamiltonians let themselves down when they fail to accept lifestyles different from their own.
The narrow-mindedness of the Mormon community aside, the issue does raise some questions about the council's promotional strategy.

The siting of the billboard on a road that, unlike Hamilton's other entry points, attracts little traffic from major centres, seems superfluous.

The controversy also follows news earlier in the week that the council is spending $55,000 sponsoring a balloon with the city logo on it. For the next seven years, the balloon will fly over the city during big events promoting Hamilton to people who are already here. People might have preferred the money went into solving the traffic congestion so it doesn't take them quite so long to arrive. A council spokesperson says the balloon offers "high impact promotion of the Hamilton brand". But it will be impossible to quantify what that means and even more difficult to persuade ratepayers it is value for money. And if ratepayers object, will the balloon be deflated?

Now for my blog part. (Sent to the Waikato Times)
Having been watching the articles about the Riff-Raff sign at Temple-View with some interest and humour on both side of the debate, I think the editor seemed to miss the point in his Editorial on Nov 18th (Temple View on rocky ground).

As a member of the LDS church I didn't find the poster as offensive as I did inappropriate for the location. As an adopted son of the Waikato, it would be as inappropriate for the Riff-Raff poster to be outside the main symbol of the LDS church in New Zealand, as it would for a Swastika to be posted outside Turangawaewae, a crucifix to be over a Mosque, or a poster depicting a Playboy Bunny to be outside Hamilton Cathedral, or perhaps the BNZ Pink Pig to be recruiting for new Police recruits, (no offence intended to our hard working Police force).

I think Hamilton should to some degree celebrate this world phenomenon of the Rocky Horror show originating from our area, as much as we do the Hobbit set of Lord of the Rings, or should our Olympic champions. But, as I said, as a member of the church, it just seemed inappropriate for that picture to be there, that I have seen on the Cambridge road coming into Hamilton and had a small smile on my face.

But then...thats just my opinion. And my Blog.

Keisha as the Virgin Mary

She is an obvious talent, playing the difficult role in Whale Rider, but I think this role is just not the one for 'fallen' role model Keisha Castle-Hughes, who at 16 and pregnant, is playing the role of the virgin Mary in a movie called "The Nativity Story".

From the Christchurch Press, "Christian websites in the US and Canada have questioned Castle-Hughes' ``suitability'' to play the mother of Christ. The father of her baby is Bradley Hull, 19, her boyfriend of three years. But Castle-Hughes has described herself as thrilled to be pregnant and said she had made the film ``in a state of grace''.
Playing Mary, a ``sweet, strong and courageous'' figure, had been ``a source of spiritual richness''.

It would be like having an athiest playing Jesus, a woman playing Joseph.

Keisha is a talented actress, but surely there should be some roles kept appropriate for the setting. I just don't think this is one of them.

The Loss of the Don

The master of the Political flip flops has flipped his last flop as leader of the somewhat lost National party. Don Brash stepped down today as leader of the party after months of fighting off rumours of leadership challenges and speculation that his leadership was in doubt.

Well, now its gone. Dubbed by his former Chief of Staff as the nations political Mr Magoo, here is a short chronology of some of his biggest flip flops.

• Says he went easy on political rival Helen Clark in a television debate because she's a woman.
• Tells a United States delegation a National government would get rid of New Zealand's iconic ban on nuclear powered ships by "lunchtime".
• Says that if he had been in US President George W Bush's shoes he too would have sent troops to Iraq.
• Holds a press conference on leaked National emails without proper knowledge of their contents - or even taking a copy of the emails with him.
• Later in the same week allows himself to be photographed symbolically walking a plank.
• Is photographed trying to awkwardly clamber into a stockcar - despite questions having been asked about whether he is too old to be prime minister.
• Denies any knowledge of the Exclusive Brethren's anti-Labour and anti-Green election pamphlets but later admits he met with them both before and after the election. Some of his senior MPs say the "whiff of association" with the Brethren hurt National's chances of winning the election.
• Sparks post-election leadership debate himself by making confusing statements over whether he wants to stay on as leader of the National Party. (couldnt make up his mind)
• Attacks the Labour Party in areas where he is himself vulnerable, such as the sanctity of marriage despite his having admitted to having an affair and not denying another.
• After being attacked by one of his MPs at a caucus meeting over his fitness to lead the party given rumours about his personal life, he confirms the troubles and sparks a media hunt by issuing a statement that his marriage is in difficulty.
• Upsets Maori by questioning whether Maori remained a distinct indigenous people given there were "few, if any, fully Maori" left.
• Gets an interim injunction preventing the publication of emails he said were stolen from his personal computer. That stops Nicky Hager's book from being published, but makes it look like he has something to hide, so he does a U-turn to let the book be published.

So...There it is. Don Brash, former Reserve Bank Governer, (appointed there by the way by a Labour Government back in the 80's, leader of the opposition for just over 3 years, now...will likely take a backbench or middle bench position.