When did fiction become stranger than fact? The answer would appear to be when an Australian television production company gets hold of a cracking true story and beats it beyond recognition in the interests of light entertainment.
Such was the case with Blue Murder 2, the Endemol Shine production which screened on the Seven network on Sunday and Monday nights.
In the past couple of days I’ve spoken with a number of people who knew Rogerson well. Their reactions to the show veered between giggling cynicism and mouth agape bafflement.
The great shame is there was one hell of a story there to tell but it got murdered. Hence the title, I suppose.
Full column here.
“The House” with Annabel Crabb, Mr Insider, for anyone who missed the 1st episode. Excellent imho.
http://tinyurl.com/ybulzu6b
Here you go Jack:
In Defense of Cigarettes
http://www.weeklystandard.com/in-defense-of-cigarettes/article/2009188
We have reached such a fever pitch that it’s easy to succumb to nostalgia, wondering whether the world was more civilized when everyone smoked. Sure, correlation does not imply causation. But maybe we’d be better off trading one cancer for another: to put down our 24/7 hate machines (i.e., our hand computers), and to pick up a pack of cigarettes, offering to share one with somebody you don’t love, or even like. Head outside—that is, if you live in a city that still permits smoking outside—and have a conversation with them. See how it goes. The surgeon general isn’t the only one who should be worried about clearing the air.
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On the weekend I explained to the girlfriend that smoking cigars was my version of meditation.
The only thing any government needs to do in relation to cigarettesor indeed any ‘sin’ is provide information sufficient to allow informed choice. Sure a givernment may also tax these things but there has to be a limit.
That isn’t enough when it comes to ruthlessly marketed addictive products, because the marketers will counter information with their own disinformation. The tobacco industry denied cancer links for decades, paid off scientists and destroyed their own data. Even recently they were circulating false claims that plain packaging had increased smoking rates.
One of the most effective tools against this is removing the ability to market such products, as the plain packaging laws and earlier advertising bans have done.
As an aside, there is an eerie similarity between tobacco disinformation and AGW denial. In some cases the resourcing comes from the very same groups, e.g. the Heartland Institute.
Just as Big Green funds much of the overhyped rubbish re AGW. You cannot have it both ways on the AGW debateJOH. There’s big money these days in being green!
As a scientist for tobacco for a few years, I didn’t ever get any offers of a payoff, nor did I hear of any others receiving such offers. I also didn’t see any destruction of data. I did read about the lobbying antics of the Heartland Institute, though.
I reckon it’s strange that there’s so much antipathy towards tobacco, but not so much towards alcohol, particularly from doctors. Last time I checked, no one wanted to beat up on their girlfriend after smoking a few ciggies.
It all boils down to the personal choices we make, although it’s reasonable from a policy perspective to send a price signal that covers the externalities of public purse health costs related to tobacco.
Well put as usual TO. Reason you’re one of my favourite bloggers.
ThIs SSM issue is now a political football and on reflection it seems to me that the ABS survey may now be the only way to get the ball kicked into touch at least.
1) it is clear that a vote in parliament will get up. Therefore Turnbull, even though he advocates marriage equality, cannot let it happen – because it will spell the end of the Coalition, and his government along with it.
2) Even though he once approved of a plebiscite, Shorten realises there is a chance the No vote could win. So he doesn’t want a plebiscite anymore. He realises SSM is his big chance to get into the Lodge if he could pull it off.
If the ABS survey produces a No, Shorten will win the next election campaigning on introducing SSM.
The Gen Y and Z are going to have to make sure they pick up a pencil and know where a postbox is located
If it’s a Yes, Malcolm may be saved.
A conscience vote (unless I’m confused, he’s keeping that option open in the event of a Yes vote) is always going to win anyway.
It’ll happen eventually – but this game of football is a disgrace – on both sides
Forgetting about the Shorten factor for once, this ridiculous postal plebiscite is an insult to democracy. It’s not even binding FGS.
For Turnbull to call himself a ‘strong leader’ on this is a joke.
However SSM becomes a reality I hope he’s haunted by what he’s given up to be PM & whom history will remember as a profound failure.
It’s way past time for Turnbull to die on his feet rather than live on his knees.
It’s been a messy business. Bella, that’s for sure.
I think most just want it done and dusted. Hopefully those saying they will boycott it will think twice about that. Because they will shoot themselves in the foot. I notice Justice Kirby changed his mind about having nothing to do with it during the course of the day too.
I still find Shorten’s duplicity nauseating. Trying to sit on both sides of the fence in his desperation to get to the Lodge.
I’m sick of the lot of them actually.
I hate to say it Boa as I despise her nose in the air attitude to all she considers plebs but Anne Summers gave a reasonable insight as to why we should vote to Fran Kelly as I was driving to work yesterday morning. That of course was when Fran wasn’t constantly interrupting her. Essentially she maintains there are 3 groups.
1./ Those that do not like the idea and they will probably vote as they are ideologically opposed therefore having the impetus.
2./ Those that are ambivalent and may or may not vote.
3./ Those that a pro SSM. If we do not vote then statistically the pool of those for SSM is greatly reduced. It will then be used by the first group to bash everyone on the head with.
I hate the way the Coalition have gone about this but changed my enrolment to my new Brisbane address this morning so I get a say.
Mr Insider, we had hoped to be able to watch the full excellent series of “Blue Murder 2” however with increasing mutterings coming from Kim Jong un feel we had better start construction in the backyard of our Bomb Shelter! I note in the USA a whole industry has sprung up around building such shelters. Kim saying now he will be attacking Guam “any time now”. Goodness how far down should we dig one wonders?
http://tinyurl.com/yd6nssgd
I was mightily relieved to note that Tasmania falls outside the radius of the range of Kimmie’s ICBM’s , HB!
Everyone will want to move down to Oaky oaks as Dismayed quaintly calls this state. (which I quite like actually – it conjures up images of nice green forests for me!)
So no bomb shelters happening. Just nice peaceful walks on the mountain for me 🙂
Is it still possible to have the best of both worlds, historically accurate true crime dramas/comedies and lots of lovely gratuitous nudity?
I’m sure both can be found any day of the week in the hot spots of our major cities, Rhys
Roberson got away with too much for far too long with many enablers who were probably happy to take a cut of the action.
I read Huckstepp by John Dale and it was fascinating stuff, tragic but fascinating.
A brilliant show, Mr Insider, and who cares if a bit of “licence” has been used, its all about entertainment and of course ratings. Superb acting by all especially by Richard Roxborough. I don’t know Roger Rogerson and I don’t want to know him , he is a disgrace and is finally where he should be. I salute the Police who go about their jobs in a proper and decent way. Great show, big thumbs up and we are looking forward to the next episode.
Correction , Richard “Roxburgh”, stunning actor imho.
I watched it mainly because I enjoy Richard Roxburgh. Must say, the Jamie Gao thing was two minutes right at the end – after 4 hours of viewing Almost an afterthought.
I presumed that the producers assumed we had all followed it avidly in the press at the time and didn’t need the finer details. Bit odd.
What an actor is Richard Roxburgh, Boadicea, and his role in RAKE a classic too. Cheers.
Its jumped the shark. Producers time and time again fail to recognise when a program has passed its use by date. The Simpsons had by season five. Remember Minder? Towards the end it was just a repeat, week in week out of “Arfur gets Terry into trouble” . I was pleased to hear Martin Clunes saying that there would be only one more series of Doc Martin after this year.
Go out on top.
I’ve not seem any of those shows, Jack but am a firm believer in fact being stranger than fiction. The prosaic crime can be compelling.
What I don’t get is an ex cop carrying on like an amateur.
Beyond that, Jack I don’t agree with your overall view of the young chap who was murdered. Yes he was young, but I find it hard to reconcile bright and well educated and murdered at 20. He was a patsy. Ok, a greedy and ambitious one.
Fortunately I have Midsomer murders to watch and restore my faith in old fashioned detective work
No, he wasn’t a patsy. He was a player. There was some talk that Mr Gao was going to the NSW Crime Commission and that the Chinese crime syndicate deliberately put him in harm’s way. After Rogerson and McNamara murdered Gao, they took the ice Gao had brought with him. It had a whole sale value (not a street value) of more than $700,000. Funnily enough no one chased up the lost drugs. Make of that what you will.
Going to the commission to spill the beans voluntarily?
No doubt the drugs have been sold and the profits distributed.
I’m guessing that’s the Neddy bloke in the pic.
He’s a 20 year old student with almost 3 kilograms of crystal meth in his possession at the time he was murdered and he’s a patsy? At very least he’s engaged in commercial drug supply which in NSW comes with a 20 year jail sentence. I happen to know he was involved in two abductions where victims were tortured. This evidence was presented at trial. Best not to talk about things you know nothing about, Milton. Opinions and arseholes, right?
I’m happy to accept that he was not a patsy and admit I was wrong, Jack. A throwaway line and no biggie for me. Getting involved in big bad business obviously has big bad consequences, as Gao and Rogerson found out.
No problems. No matter who he was and what he’d done, he didn’t deserve to be murdered in cold blood but some very solid sources of mine are saying there is a bit more to his demise than has been raised in evidence in court or reported in newspapers.