A case of delayed reaction?
Sure Sonia Kruger's comments might not have been her best foot forward. But why the delay in reporting this?
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
A joke by Sonia Kruger made during last Sunday’s live to air edition of Dancing with the Stars has made it into the press -six days after it happened.
In comments referring to her Melbourne Cup dress, Kruger said a “sweat shop of illegal immigrants” was slaving away on her wardrobe, before turning to musical director Chong Lim asking “How is the family Chong? Alright?”
Admittedly it might not have been the smartest thing to say. While Kruger and Lim may have a boisterous friendship after eight seasons on the Seven show, it did ignite complaints on Seven’s own messageboard.
But why has it taken a newspaper six days to decide its newsworthy? After all, The Daily Telegraph notes, ‘more than 15 viewers called Seven’s switchboard after the remarks went to air.’
TV Tonight noted the comments by Kruger in story on messageboards and forums on Wednesday, as indicative of what the hot talking points were.
“I certainly didn’t say anything with any intention for it to be racist,” Kruger tells the newspaper.
“Chong and I are in a friendship that we poke fun at each other all the time. In all honesty political correctness does get up my nose … I poke just as much fun at myself. I would never ever, ever want to seriously offend anyone.”
It’s a shame there wasn’t a story on the amount of feedback and calls Seven has taken over dropping Prison Break for three weeks.
Still, controversy or not, the show just got a nice little headline the day before it’s big finale.
Source: The Daily Telegraph
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- Tagged with Dancing with the Stars, Prison Break
30 Responses
As someone of Asian descent I found it very offensive. It’s very comparable to the denials that the ICB and Harbhajan Singh made about his racist comments and denying that they were racist. I am sure that many people who do believe it was just a joke have no idea what sweatshops are like and what people have to go through in there. More importantly, there is no idea of why they have no choice but just to do so.
Wow – Chong said he didn’t care? do you honestly think he would say something about one of his stars to his shows and against his employer. It’s the reason why many females and people from ethnic backgrounds don’t speak up against sexual and racist discrimination – because they realise it’s going to be an uphill battle.
Remember, it’s not whether it’s intended to be discriminatory but how the recipient feels – and although it was directed at Chong it offended a great number of people… but hey… why should I care really – if Harbhajan Singh said it wasn’t supposed to be racist then it wasn’t and it shouldn’t be a big deal hey….
I think Chong Lim made the joke before the show with her and probably said jokingly (in a self-deprecating way) she is keeping his relatives busy in Malaysia.
It slipped out, she thought it was be better to refer back to Chong for support after letting it slip out… no big deal.
But she doesn’t seem to have the “I’m on TV” filter, where if everyone on TV was making jokes about sweatshops and asians, then we’d be fast back-tracked to a 1980’s or 1970’s mentality.
I think the joke was harmless and cheeky in a non-PC kind of way, but she should be careful to keep aware on her impact on hundreds of thousands of people and continued progressiveness in Australia.
I love Sonia … she is brilliant!
Last night’s joke about Mark’s hairpiece was priceless!
Jack!
Let me get this straight? It takes the newspapers almost a week to pick up on something Sonia Kruger said, but it only takes a few hours for something Sam Newman says to grab the headlines. Why is that? I’m not defending what he says, but Sonia saying something like that, then asking Chong Lim a question like that, is pretty bad to say, on live television, even if it’s intended to be a joke. Maybe she should be named Sam Newman’s apprentice. 🙂
“I am an asian an found the joke not at all offensive” errr….congratulations? your own background isn’t relevant. Her words were inappropriate and while the jest was aimed and Chong (who, yes, is Asian), the offensive part of her comments were not about Chong, nor about Asians, but about “illegal immigrants” slaving away at making her dresses.
So the fact that Chong didn’t care and you as an Asian don’t care is entirely irrelevant!
Meanwhile, the fact that a popular person on a live TV show would make light of the fact that there are people working in horrendous conditions to make clothes like hers, is disgraceful, and she should know better.