In Australia, No Free Pass for Gordon "Butt-stain" Ramsay.

[logansrogue]

I barely need to tell you who Gordon Ramsay is. If I do, I consider you a blessed individual. In this day and age of arrogant asshole TV personalities, this man is something of an extreme.

Generally I ignore this fuckneck’s rabid behaviour, but he brought his crap onto my soil and attacked one of my own.

Now, I have had some choice epithets for Tracy Grimshaw at times. I have a loathing of most current affairs programmes aired after the news as they rarely cover anything of real importance. It’s a waste of airtime and generally a thinly veiled advertisement for whoever the network wants to schill that particular week.

A Current Affair, I will admit, is less on the nose than Today Tonight. And Tracy Grimshaw has actually covered some good things in the past. I remember that Channel Nine covered Anonymous’ activities with little paranoia, and put an unforgiving light on some of Scientology’s bullshit. So I have a soft spot for her from that time.

But even if it were the blonde woman on Today Tonight getting the heat, I would stand up for her. Gordon Ramsay’s candor is just too fucking reprehensible. Most people would say “Hah, he’s just being playful! A naughty guy!”

No, no he’s not. He’s seeking to further his fame and fortune, and when Tracie Grimshaw did not play his bullshit game, he attacked her on air. It was childish, manipulative and cruel.

You can see some of what happened here.

For the link-phobic I can sum up what happened thusly:

– Tracy Grimshaw interviews Ramsay on ACA. In the middle of the interview, he asks her what turns her on. She laughs, she blushes, and tries to get the interview back on track. Ramsay is not used to this sort of behaviour, or maybe he is but he doesn’t deal with it very well. To him, she’s clearly rebuffed his attentions on television and he’s embarrassed. So he attacks her by making fun of a little mole on her top lip. On. AIR. She laughs it off but she’s very embarrassed and he’s made a fool of her on air.

– At a book signing in Melbourne after the event, he badmouths Tracy Grimshaw in front of the audience there. He calls her various horrible things. Apparently he even showed a picture of a naked woman on all fours, with multiple breasts (more than one pair) and a pig mask on. He pointed to it and said it was Tracy Grimshaw.

– Tracy Grimshaw calls him on his bullshit on air. She says, “I’m not taking this shot. O yeah, U ugly, natch!”

– Ramsay does the equivalent of call her a humourless feminist. He’s clearly embarrassed by his behaviour, but being the arrogant prick he is, would never bring himself to actually apologise for his horrible behaviour.

– Wassat? Is that a smackdown from the PRIME MINISTOR?! (typo, but it’s funny so it stays). OOH BURN, SCROTE-FACE! I THINK IT IS!

I applaud for Tracy Grimshaw seeing his crap for what it was and NOT taking it. I applaud her for not letting it slide. I applaud her for calling the fucker out on national television and defending herself. I’m pretty sure Gordon Ramsay can get away with that shit elsewhere, but I’m relieved to see that in Australia, it wasn’t recieved light-heartedly, but with the gravity it deserves. Sure, we’re still a fucked-up country with problems of our own, but it makes me damned proud that when one of our reporters is treated so damned absymally, being dehumanised and belittled so horribly, that the Prime Minister takes time out of the very important affairs of running a country in the middle of an economic downturn to say to this buttwipe Ramsay, “STFU and STFD, jerkwad!”

It’s not much, but it’s something that made me feel like maybe, just maybe, it’s not a sea of misogyny and cruelty out there. There are some oases to crash at.

Crossposted at my blog.

Comments

[starfyre01.livejournal.com]

Gordon Ramsey is the shitstain on the underpants of society. He figures that since he's a celebrity chef, he can get away with being a temperamental, foul-mouthed jackass. I've seen the way that he treats people on a couple of his shows, and good God, why somebody hasn't reached over and smacked him across the room for his abominable behavior simply blows my mind. So good on the reporter (and the PM, for that matter) for telling him to STFU and take his shit elsewhere!

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

Makes me damned proud, Sandy. Damned proud!

[greteldragon.livejournal.com]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/09/2593491.htm

This has been my favourite bit about the whole thing.

That said, I quite like Gordon Ramsey, heavy swearing amuses me, plus watching him have James May and Jeremy Clarkson on his show was great entertainment.

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

OH DAYUMN, BOY BEEN TOLD!! Fuck, I love Julia Gillard sometimes, I really do!

I can understand his apoplectic rage when a restaurateur is wilfully negligent at his job in the ways of basic hygiene and good food production. Bad food can kill people. It is also an art form which bad food can also be insulting to.

There was no reason for this attack though, and I just can't forgive that kind of behaviour. But you know me. I'm the angry sort. :)

[triestine.livejournal.com]

I was happy in my pants when May beat him at everything, including cooking.

[greteldragon.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah that was brilliant. Watching May cook with that hair though was a bit cringey though. Hair and cooking don't mix good :P

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

Too true. I've found so many of my mother's hairs in my dinner over the years. She's such a brilliant cook though that we just shrug and keep eating. Waste ne, want ne!

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

Where was this? I may have to track this down and watch it. May <3

The swearing thing from Ramsay got old fast, although admittedly a lot of the time he was dealing with bloody idiots.

I don't know if I'd want to eat his food though, food should be made with love, not bad vibes. Give me a Jamie Oliver meal anyday.

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

You're absolutely right. The best meals I've ever had are from people that truly love their food. You can taste the tenderness and warmth in the meal. My Mum's advice on making good scrambled eggs? You have to tend to the eggs, be gentle and loving with the eggs. That's how you get good eggs.

[triestine.livejournal.com]

Does this work? (I'm in a library and YouTube is borked) -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKEPPw5Jd2M

[asweetdownfall.livejournal.com]

Dude. What a class act.

I don't get why people like him. He's an asshole, pure and simple. :|

Also, I love you Australia. *snuggles*

[zzzzsleep.livejournal.com]

Did you see that he's finally apologised?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jun/09/gordon-ramsay-australia-kevin-rudd
He's still a complete dickhead though...