Richard Moore's Straight Talk Columns

Galliano unfashionable fit with Nazism

8/3/2011

LIVING in the fashion world you are allowed to be outrageous.

In fact, one would suggest you are encouraged to draw attention to yourself, with fabbo hair, delicate features and sibilance-exuding lisps.

Fashion houses fight duels with handbags at 10 paces to get the latest young thing.

So what would it take for French fashion house Christian Dior to get rid of its star designer?

Well, it seems John Galliano over-stepped the mark when he got stuck into a couple at a Parisian bar, hurling anti-Jewish abuse at them.

During the incident the plonker said ``I love Hitler'' and glorifed the mass-killing of Jews in the Holocaust.

Despite his Italian-drink sounding name, Galliano is actually British, and showed himself to be a complete tosser in several ways.

Firstly, he was caught on film being a drunken dork.

Secondly, he abused people while wearing a large felt hat.

Thirdly, he professed love for a guy who couldn't grow a decent moustache.

Lastly, he showed that just because he could design leather outfits, frilly knickers and lovely shoulder pads, all while wearing ever-so fabulous makeup, he knows bugger all about history.

After being asked ``Are you blond, with blue eyes?'' the 50-year-old Galliano, who should know better at his age, told the stunned couple ``No, but I love Hitler, and people like you would be dead today.''

Charming.

Also moronic, as one Adolf Hitler, head Nazi and mass killer not only hated Jews. Hitler loathed Slavs, communists, liberals, journalists and ... homosexuals.

So John, one would suggest you wouldn't have lasted long under Herr Hitler's regime.

Fortunately for us all, Galliano has been sacked - yes, kicked out the Dior.

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While agreeing that recycling is an important idea I think sometimes some folk lose sight of what is worthwhile and what is not.

Take for example the three companies that are investigating whether waste toner from printer cartridges can be re-used on roads.

The idea is great in theory.

Apparently, if the study proves correct, Ricoh, Croxley Stationery and roading firm Downer will help cut the volume of imported crude oil by turning the ex-toner into bitumen.

Brilliant. So we can all traipse into toner banks around the country and deposit our old cartridges for the greater good.

However, and this is the fly in the fine print, how much is going to be recycled?

Um, well, it seems the project could divert as much as 15 tonnes of waste residue toner a year away from landfill and into bitumen.

Or about 15 trailer loads.

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I read a tale at the weekend that had me sobbing into my bacon and eggs.

It was all about that poor little Westpac runaway Kara Hurring - one half of the couple that fled to Asia when their dopey bank gave them a $10 million overdraft, rather than the $100,000 asked for.

Well little Kara seems to have either spent up all the dosh - they eventually got away with about $6 million - or got homesick for the Land of the Long White Shroud and flew back last week.

She was welcomed by a fair old number of coppers and is facing a number of charges over her escapade. But that doesn't stop her seeking sympathy because she's now living in a basic Auckland flat, is alone and scared.

Oh gee, boo hoo.

The only thing most people will criticise Hurring for is being so stupid as to return home when she could have lived the life of Reilly in Asia.

Dumb as a box of rocks.

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NOW here is a horrendous thought.

Guess who may put their hands up to be the next Republican presidential candidate?

Let me give you a bit of a clue.

He's famous, he's rich, he's bankrupt, he's rich again, he's on the telly and he has a catchphrase known around the world.

Can't guess? Okay, last clue.

He has a fantastic thatch of hair.

Yes, you got it ... Donald Trump.

The man famous for his Apprentice shows may be wiggling his fingers in the air at the Republican convention saying ``Pick me, pick me!'' and, by all accounts would prove a popular candidate with a poll-topping 26 per cent rating.

You can imagine Donald being on the phone with Iran's feral leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He'll be telling him to stop the nuke programme while his finger itchily moves over the US' big red launch button.

Next thing he'll be saying ``okay Mahmoud, I've heard enough, you're fired!''

richard@richardmoore.com