Thursday, October 30, 2014

Did Jian Ghomeshi's "Q" Radio Show Appeal to the Young and Hip?

Not so much, really. According to an article in the Financial Post,
Contrary to popular belief, Q isn't attracting a younger audience to public radio, at least not in the U.S. ...more than half of Q's audience on Public Radio International is older than 55, a figure that's comparable with public radio audiences in general.
That said, in light of the latest revelations, I think Ghomeshi's P.R. strategy--claim it was all consensual and nothing more than good dirty fun--is all wrong. If he still wants to have a career, he should admit he has some issues (engendered his own feelings of worthlessness and because he was treated like an outsider during his teenage years because he was born in Iran; you can read about it here) and check himself into a rehab program for sexual addiction and anger management. Some time after that, sufficiently contrite (or at least pretending to be), he can come back and pick up where he left off.

Isn't that how it's done in the U.S.?

Update: The slapping, punching, choking and biting--that's not the creepiest part of the story. This is:
Two of the women who allege they were physically assaulted also say that before the alleged assaults in his home he introduced them to Big Ears Teddy, a stuffed bear, and he turned the bear around just before he slapped or choked them, saying that “Big Ears Teddy shouldn’t see this.”
If these chicks had had their wits about them--which, under the circumstances, may be too much to expect--they should have retorted, "If Big Ears Teddy can't see it, then I'm outta here."

Update: I'm kind of with Tarek Fatah on this one:
At times, my fellow Canadians alarm me. 
When three anonymous women allegedly have kinky sex with radio celebrity Jian Ghomeshi and are allegedly physically and/or verbally assaulted by him, the country goes into a tizzy. 
However, when three anonymous Toronto girls are recruited by Islamic State to marry ISIS fighters overseas who are warring against Canada, and are subsequently rescued by our security agencies and released back into the community, Canada yawns. 
While Canadians were distracted by the Ghomeshi affair, the Senate Security Committee heard from RCMP and CSIS officials about the threats we face at the hands of homegrown jihadists.
Unless Big Ears Teddy is into jihad, I think the stuffie and his owner are a prurient sideshow at best (or at worst).

Update: My favorite line about the scandal (so far): "In Beijing, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said she is stunned by the allegations."

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