At a recent concert, Aussie band Frenzal Rhomb played a set. At the end, Jackie O (of Popstars and Kyle & Jackie O’s Hot 30 infamy) was to introduce Shannon Noll as the next act. When she came onstage, Frenzal continued playing guitars and yelling obscenities about Australian Idol and Shannon. No matter how rude you may think this was, it doesn’t justify threats of violence. In fact, rudeness is all part of rock n roll. This is the transcript of a subsequent on-air discussion between Jackie O, Kyle Sandilands and Frenzal Rhomb's Whalley:
Sandilands: Just let me say, if it was me up there, it would have been on for young and old from the start.
Whalley: Okay, now for a start, I'd just like to say, Jackie - … were you aware that one of your security guards threatened our guitar tech with the threat of violence - as you're doing now Kyle, "it would have been on for young and old" as you say.
Sandilands: Yeah, yep.
Whalley: Did you know about that?
Jackie O: Yeah.
Whalley: That security guard came up and threatened us with actual violence? Do you endorse that?
Jackie O: What, what was...
Sandilands: Yes, well I do.
Whalley: You do? You endorse that? You would have come and punched on because we said something about Popstars and Australian Idol?
Kyle and Jackie O: No!
Jackie O: It wasn't about Popstars and Australian Idol.
Whalley: Because you felt that somehow we'd offended you, or not given you enough time to speak up. You were nine hours late for your show...
Jackie O: Well f**k mate, at least give me a chance to say something. Like, it's so rude to just come in and say f**k you, f**k Jackie O and play the guitar over me. I was only going to talk for like, ten seconds, seriously.
-The Kyle and Jackie O Show, Austereo network, 12 July 2004
This is not the Middle East or the US. Australia is a mostly peaceful country to live in. Let’s keep it that way. Kyle and Jackie O are rolemodels to many young people (I know because I have cassette compilations I made called “Queen Jackie O” and “Ugly Phil, King of all”) and currently they are setting a violent example.
I urge you to send one of the following emails to Kyle and Jackie c/o
If you really love the Hot 30 too much to boycott it, send them a letter as a bluff. If you never listen, send a letter anyway. Threats of violence are not an appropriate response to an expression of free speech.
Dear Kyle and Jackie O,
I’m not a regular B105 listener, but I do flick through to you a bit and enjoy your music. However, I am very concerned about the threats of violence you made to Frenzal Rhomb. What they did was rude, but you and your bouncers went too far. Bad manners does not justify violence in Australia. We don’t want to become the dangerous sort of place that the US and the Middle East are. I believe that you are setting a violent example to a lot of impressionable listeners. Like it or not, a lot of people look up to you (When I was a few years younger, I was one of them).
I wanted to let you know that I have removed your station from my presets and I will not listen to your station again until you call Frenzal Rhomb and apologise to them on air for threatening them and you make it clear that you do not condone this sort of violence. I am encouraging my friends to do the same.
Yours sincerely,
X.
Dear Kyle and Jackie O,
I’m a regular listener to your station, especially the Hot 30. I am very concerned about the threats of violence you made to Frenzal Rhomb. You normally set a good example for your young listeners, but this time you and your bouncers went too far. What they did was rude, but bad manners does not justify violence in Australia. We don’t want to become the dangerous sort of place that the US and the Middle East are. I believe that you are setting a violent example to a lot of impressionable listeners.
I wanted to let you know that I have removed your station from my presets and I will not listen to your station again until you call Frenzal Rhomb and apologise to them on air for threatening them and you make it clear that you do not condone this sort of violence. I am encouraging my friends to do the same.
Yours sincerely,
X.