Friday, September 17, 2010

There's pink, and then there's PINK!

Okay, so no one should laugh when they’re watching a report about homes being resumed. I get that. But is the Aussie sense of humour really on its last legs?

I was watching Nine News the other night and there’s this item about the Queensland State government’s plan to ‘resume’ - compulsory purchase, the Brits call it - about 60 properties in the Yeerongpilly area of southern Brisbane, to make way for a new railway station.

The camera zoomed in close on a few poor unfortunates who’ll be worst affected (I’ve come to expect that when my heart strings are being tweaked for me), such as the hair-dresser who’s worked hard to build up her clientele in the area, and a property developer with a half-built apartment complex who doesn’t know if he’s Martin or Martha any more. I could feel the emotion.

But I kinda lost it when the mature (for want of a better phrase) lady resident blasted onto my screen. Don’t get me wrong – I feel for her, too. Honestly, I do. She’s just finished refurbishing her home and this announcement couldn’t come at a worse time for her.

But she’s wearing her hair bright pink, almost in a punky ‘what-the-hell-are-you-lookin-at?’ style. It goes with her bright pink top, though, and her bright pink lippy.

‘She likes her pinks bright,’ I say to myself.

And there’s nothing wrong in that – she can wear anything she likes, and adopt any look she wants.

Here’s what killed the interview for me, though. The reporter asked her what she thought of the government’s announcement. And she said...

‘It’s shocking.’

But nobody else laughed. Absolutely no one. Not the cameraman. Not the reporter. Not the couple of anchors back in the news room. Not even the weatherman.

Now, I feel for these poor Yeerongpillyites, I really do. But, come on. There’s more than enough bad stuff going on in this ugly big world that’ll depress us. I reckon we should all take every opportunity God sends us to have a good going belly laugh.

Unless you work for Nine News, of course. Very professional.

Not even a smirk.

2 comments:

  1. Hah!!!! Leave it to you, Jack, to 'get' it. Hehehe...

    Just one question... 'resume' and 'compulsory purchase'... is that the same thing which we Americans call 'taking by eminent domain'? If so.... maybe I should shut up now, before I shock the pink right out of you.

    :o)

    It's a power that is abused way too often, and I could tell you stories... man, oh man, could I!

    Anyhoo... thanks for the chuckle. :o)>

    xoxo
    Kaz

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  2. heh...good to hear from you, Kazza. Yeah, it's a government buy-out of people's homes. It's disgusting. You know, they demolished a church in Kenmore (west Brisbane) a few years ago - to make way for a couple of new lanes on a road. A church. It's disgusting.

    Anyhoo, I'm bordering on a rant there, so I'll give up now.

    Thanks for stopping by.

    --YPJ

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