Sandilands invited to visit Jewish Museum

09 September 2009 | 02:20:48 PM | Source: AAP/SBS

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Radio host Kyle Sandilands is no stranger to controversy. (AAP)

Controversial radio host Kyle Sandilands has been suspended from his station following comments he made about comic actress Magda Szubanksi.

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Sandilands sparked outrage for saying Szubanski could become skinny if she was in a concentration camp.

“There’s a huge difference between freedom of speech and being a decent human being,” Jeremy Jones, from the Australia/Israel Jewish Affairs Council told SBS.

“I don’t know whether he thought at all,” Jones added. "It’s very unusual to hear that kind of insensitivity from someone who has been entrusted with a position in broadcasting.”

“When someone’s mouth or brain is that out of control, you wonder whether they’re in the right industry.”

Jones said an invite had been extended to Sandilands to visit the Sydney Jewish Museum.

“It’s not a punishment, but it might help him to learn why other people don’t do this,” he said.

“You can make jokes about most things, but with Magda’s family … Sometimes it takes a shock to the system to realise you’ve done something wrong.”

Sandilands apologised for the comments late yesterday, saying he did not mean to cause offence.

His suspension comes only weeks after he and co-host Jackie O sparked a furore over a segment in which a 14-year-old girl, who was hooked up to a lie detector, revealed she was raped when she was 12.

Some major sponsors withdrew advertising from the Austereo group, the owner of 2DayFM, and Kyle and broadcaster Jackie O went off-air for two weeks.

Szubanski, who is a spokeswoman for a weight loss company, has lost 25kg since she appeared on the comedy series Kath and Kim.

Her family is of Polish origin, a country where many of the worst Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, were located.

Sandilands joked yesterday that Szubanski's work with the weight loss campaign was not finished.

"Magda could have another run out of it," he said on 2Day FM.

"She could get another season out of them, easy ... she's not skinny."

Jackie O suggested Szubanski might not be able to lose any more weight due to her build.

"That's what all fat people say," Sandilands replied.

"You put her in a concentration camp and you watch the weight fall, like she could be skinny."

Sandilands offered an apology late yesterday, saying he did no mean to cause offence.

"It was not my intention to upset anyone and I sincerely apologise to anyone offended by my comments," he said in a statement issued by Austereo.
   
Szubanski brushed off Sandilands' on-air comments, but said they were offensive to those who had suffered in concentration camps.

"I couldn't give two hoots about what Kyle says about me, but to trivialise what happened to people in concentration camps is abhorrent," she said in a statement.

The head of Austereo Group Ltd Peter Harvie has previously admitted he does not listen much to Sandilands and Jackie O.

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10 Sep 2009 21:31 AEST

Mark Simmonds

From: Brisbane

weight loss slur

I wish people would grow up. Concentration camps were terrible, but we can not always use that issue to silence people. Life goes on. Apart from the Jews, other ethnic groups have also suffered during WW2 and are still suffering. But those groups appear to be not important enough. There is no reason why certain groups have to be treated with silk gloves.

Agree (2 people agree)
Disagree (2 people disagree)
 

09 Sep 2009 22:06 AEST

lucindapm@bigpond.com

From: Elizabeth Bay

Foot in mouth disease gone rampant?

People in broadcasting should be people we wish to emulate, and not people with questionable senstivity and morals. All Sandiland's is doing is proving he is an ignorant prig, and this sad individual is making a reputation of having the most unfortunate foot in mouth disease....He represents all that is worst and most reprehensible, in the our broadcasting - Namely to captialise on the lives and misfortunes of others....with little remorse or discrimination betweeen ethical/unethical.

Agree (5 people agree)
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09 Sep 2009 18:44 AEST

marcus hynes

From: sydney

kyle Sandilands does it again!

If 2 day FM allows Kyle Sandilands back on air again after this indiscretions then the procedures they have meant to have been in place to stop his errors are a joke. Time for Kyle to go and i am mean off the air for good - he has had numerous chances to clean his act up and as for his sidekick Jackie O she just sits there and does nothing.

Agree (7 people agree)
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09 Sep 2009 17:28 AEST

Stan

From: Hobart

Who's really to blame?

I can only repeat what has already been said about Sandilands, but where was all this righteous, moral outrage when Alan Jones almost single handedly started a disgusting & embarrassing chapter in Australia's recent history - namely, the 2005 Cronulla riots! The double standards of the Australian public astound me sometimes. PS: Just remember that in commercial radio if Kyle didn't rate so highly, he wouldn't be on-air in the first place...

Agree (7 people agree)
Disagree (1 people disagree)
 

09 Sep 2009 15:38 AEST

Robert

From: Sydney

What a surprise...

Well it's only taken a few week's for this moron to find himself in trouble again. I understand that he's a shock jock and all that but seriously enough is enough! Apart from the concentration camp line...I mean who is Kyle to comment on someone's weight?? Have you seen yourself Kyle....you could afford to drop some kilos porky!!

Agree (9 people agree)
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09 Sep 2009 15:29 AEST

Rosemary

From: Sydney

Enough!

Get rid of this chap. He's just not worth the airtime.

Agree (9 people agree)
Disagree (0 people disagree)
 

09 Sep 2009 15:23 AEST

stuart walsh

From: ashburton

mr

I am not at all surprised by this bigots opinions. These sorts of callous comments are made by neo nationalists like him all the time, then they defend themselves by tellling people not to be to prudish. Well im sorry but the ideas of an enlightened society to not equate to a free for all. You are still a member of a community and PUBLIC BRODCASTS of this type are absulutely out of line. If the old conservitive adage "freedom is responsiblity is correct then lets see some. (responsiblity).

Agree (5 people agree)
Disagree (0 people disagree)
 

09 Sep 2009 15:15 AEST

stuart walsh

From: ashburton

mr

I am not at all surprised by this horrid little man and his supporters. they seem to embody a disturbing neo nationalism that has emerged in Australia over the last 10 years. Individual freedom and the ideas behind enlightened thinking are not meant to be a free for all. As a community member and public broadcaster this human being has a responsibility to be, responsible. If the conservative adage "freedom is responsibility" is true then lets see some (responsibility, that is) Sack the bonehead

Agree (6 people agree)
Disagree (1 people disagree)
 

09 Sep 2009 13:36 AEST

Richard

From: Melbourne

Shock horror, shock-jock shocks

He's a shock-jock - these comments are designed to offend.
Offensive comments get media attenyion and media attention is ratings.
By constantly reporting on his 'misadventures' the Australian media is playing right into his and Austereo's hands.
If Austereo was really sorry for the comments he made, he would be sacked, not suspended.

Agree (9 people agree)
Disagree (2 people disagree)
 

09 Sep 2009 12:06 AEST

James

From: Melbourne

Mark?

Mark, Magda's Polish...she's not Jewish.
The only person ranting about the Jews is you... they're not mentioned in the article at all.
Given Poland lost around 50% of their population to the war, it's really not the case that life goes on (it's difficult when you're dead).
I think your prejudices are showing through, but why let the facts (or the article) stop your anti-semitic, pro-Holocaust rant.
Sieg Heil much?
Best you head over to the Herald Sun website, I suspect it's more your... level.

Agree (13 people agree)
Disagree (5 people disagree)
 
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