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Lawsy, what a man. You know what I mean.

Daniel Piotrowski

by Daniel Piotrowski

03 Oct 01:35pm

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Filed under: Alan Jones, John Laws, Radio, Shock Jocks

54 comments

Like tens of thousands of mothers across the country, my mum constantly had the John Laws Morning Show on every morning when I was growing up. 

Hello, world. Picture: ABC

I’m not sure the content of what he said mattered all that much. Because god, his voice - it’s so fantastic (and so was his opening theme).

That’s what a lot of us who watched Leigh Sales’s interview with Lawsy about the Alan Jones saga last night were reminded of. He was ever the performer. The sunnies at the start, asking Sales “if she enjoyed it” at the end.

I’ve got some insight into Lawsy - my older sister, Alison (also a journalist), worked for Lawsy at 2UE as a junior producer during his last years behind the golden mike there.

Talking about the ABC interview yesterday, Alison told me it felt like she’d walked into another world when she started to work for him in 2005, just out of uni.

She said: “I would’ve loved to have worked for him in his hey day, because god only knows…

“At 70 something years of age, he would still party harder than anyone else, he could drink anyone under the table and he was razor sharp.”

“He was an absolute gentleman. He’s one of the very few men I can think of who would always be conscious when there was a woman in the room - he wouldn’t swear, he’d make sure he opened the door for you. He was an old school kind of gentleman and you don’t really get exposed to that anymore as a young woman.”

Lawsy, he’s a man from another time. My sister’s only regret was that she didn’t work for him during his hey-day.

It was a genius interview get for 7.30. Lawsy’s probably the only man who had some experience in Jones’s shoes, facing a huge backlash for saying something stupid. He certainly saw the irony in the situation. Although he showed some sympathy, Lawsy condemned Jones’s remark as “careless” and “cruel”.

Lawsy’s now a meme and a remixed video is doing the rounds calling him a “Pimp Daddy Sex Robot”. Truck yeah, Lawsy. Let’s hope those golden tonsils keep tinkling for quite a while yet.

A couple of choice tweets about the interview last night…

Channel Ten’s Tracey Spicer: “Is that (a) glass of Valvoline John Laws is holding @abc730?”

Author Benjamin Law: “Good lord. Those final seconds of the @leighsales interview with John Laws are both wrenchingly hilarious and alarmingly post-coital.”

Comments on this post close at 8pm AEST.

Most commented

54 comments

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    • Steve says:

      02:20pm | 03/10/12

      It will be a real shame when all the “characters” on TV and Radio are humbled into PC silence by the virtual social media lynch mobs.
      + Im enjoying seeing Fairfax take a swipe at Jones falling sponsorship numbers,  now there is a company that is having REAL problems with advertising dollars, wouldn’t have any thing to do with the PC tripe that Fairfax serves up day after day would it?

      Reply

    • St. Michael says:

      03:02pm | 03/10/12

      I loved the interview.  It was one of Sir Les Patterson’s best performances ever.

    • Steve says:

      03:18pm | 03/10/12

      Adam, Adam, Adam, you must live in very, small little world.
      In the real world, where adults live, there are far more “unaceptable” things going on every day.

    • Rolls Canardly says:

      03:30pm | 03/10/12

      err, Adam. I can understand that you’re excited enough to make a comment on the punch and put your email address in the wrong box, but truthfully, it does get more unacceptable than that. Quite a bit more, in fact.
       
      Nobody with half a brain is buying into the hysterical reaction to Jones’ remark other than the usual suspects with their particular axes to grind. Gillard is no stranger to smear, and nor are any of the ALP front-benchers trying to milk this thing for all it’s worth.
      What’s far more unacceptable to me, is a government lying and spinning through it’s teeth as it racks up record debt on the back of record spending, as it’s revenue shrinks. All the while telling us what a fantastic job they’re doing, despite a plethora of evidence to the contrary. And all the media, and Labor can concrentrate their considerable resources on, is what Alan Jones said about a woman he doesn’t have much time for at a private function.
       
      So yeah, buddy. There’s plenty that’s more unacceptable than that.

    • Adam says:

      04:05pm | 03/10/12

      There are far more unacceptable things going on. Where did I say anything different? It doesn’t change the fact that on a fundamental level what Alan Jones said was one of the lowest things one person can say about another person, multiplied, that it was few weeks after she lost her father.

      Labor, Liberal, left, right, bias this, bias that, PC, abcd….

      It’s above all that.

    • acotrel says:

      05:11pm | 03/10/12

      Nothing gives me the shits more than some fool talking with the voice of authority !

    • Gregg says:

      07:18pm | 03/10/12

      @acotrel
      You just keep that toilet sit glued to your bum and you can be continuous.

    • Old Cobber says:

      05:48pm | 04/10/12

      C’mon, Acotrel. Nothing more than an"Authority” talking like a fool!.  See mirror!!.      What can you say about Leigh Sales?  Shafted in 3 interviews this week——As Schoolgirl taking a stern lesson from Head Turnbull on NBN Co;  Junior reporter lectured by Trainer Tanner in Political process; TV Handmaiden at the foot of tycoon Director Laws.  Seriously, are the Chimps running our A B C ?

    • Fred says:

      02:04pm | 03/10/12

      Leigh Sales…an embarrassment.

      Reply

    • Gordon says:

      02:44pm | 03/10/12

      hopefully yes Fred…to those who turn up unprepared or spouting spindoctored rubbish. As is her job.  If you want a cheer squad for your own ideas I’m sure you can find one somewhere.

    • Tom says:

      03:22pm | 03/10/12

      Problem is she only attacks one side whereas 50% of the ABC taxpaying contributors don’t pay her to do that.

    • Rolls Canardly says:

      03:13pm | 03/10/12

      Good call, Fred.
       
      Sales just can’t seem to lift above the schoolgirl interview style, of which there are quite a few recent examples, and Laws’ interview was no exception.
       
      I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who felt the need to shower after such an appalling piece of tv journalism. Sales tried to prod the old boy several times to say something, anything nasty about the ABC’s ideological conservative (always conservative) enemy du jour, and he eventually had to spell it out for her by asking her what she wanted him to say.
      From there it went downhill to the truly unedifying, “was it as good for you?” moment at the end.
      For a show that promotes itself as ABC’s current affairs flagship last night can only properly be described as an “ebb”. I certainly hope she lifts her game into next year when the show will be required to provide some decent election material for those of us who don’t just blindly barrack for all things ALP

    • JoniM says:

      04:08pm | 03/10/12

      The problem for poor old Leigh was that she wanted to really give it to Jones and shockjocks in general, whilst Laws just sat there and treated her with disdain ! He wouldn’t offer any insights except to please his own ego. It was a ridiculous idea of interviewing a dinosaur narcissist and expecting to leave with a credible interview ! It was one of the most embarrassing interviews I have seen on 7.30 !

    • Kika says:

      04:44pm | 03/10/12

      Oh poppycock Tom - they give the ALP a good run for their money. Obviously you don’t watch the programme too often then?

    • Gregg says:

      04:48pm | 03/10/12

      Come on guys, at least it was good for a giggle and perhaps even Leigh enjoys some lighter times.

    • Will says:

      06:49pm | 03/10/12

      What a load of shit Fred. Sales sticks it to all her guests when warranted, regardless of their side of the political fence.

      You’re just pissed that she showed Tones up for the political Pygmy he truly is.

    • Booligal says:

      02:54pm | 04/10/12

      Can’t agree more - get back the guys who did her job while she was on leave

    • vox says:

      02:10pm | 03/10/12

      I proudly worked for John back in the day, and it was better then. Way back, when political comments were broadly left to those in that field, because Lawsy knew that his view was a dangerous view to project to the masses.
      “What sort of world would it be if everyone took my advice”, he would say, or something similar.
      I hung on every word last night and loved it. Still got it, has the Man.
      He and Jones are often mentioned in the same para. They shouldn’t be.
      He expressed political opinions later in his career, but never with invective, never with personal malice. And he so often prefaced his comments with, “It seems to me…”
      There wasn’t too much dogmatic rhetoric. He knew, (knows), that there is no “great authority”, just the collected thoughts of decent people contributing to the common good.
      Thank you John. You sly dog, I caught that last bit last night. “Did you enjoy it?”.

      Reply

    • Frank says:

      02:10pm | 03/10/12

      ok they weren’t sunglasses they are reading glasses and omg a glass of wild turkey and coke in ice and charming the pants off Leigh Sales, im sure she was a bit breathless after raspberry

      Reply

    • Barry says:

      05:07pm | 03/10/12

      How could she not be, she’s only human!

    • Frank says:

      02:28pm | 03/10/12

      Hes got Swag for sure! raspberry

      Reply

    • Brad says:

      03:24pm | 03/10/12

      That’s about as much abc as I can handle. 1:40 to long.

    • John says:

      02:49pm | 03/10/12

      Ah, Lawsy! What about the time he just about caused a run on the St George building society when he broadcast that a big building society “is going to go bust”? 

      It was total bullshit but that didn’t stop Lawsy. Did he get punished in an any way for saying this? Of course not. Lawsy wasn’t just above the law. Lawsy was the law.

      What a character.

      Those were the days.

      Reply

    • TheRealDave says:

      02:58pm | 03/10/12

      I like John Laws.

      Let me preface that by saying that I only started listening to him the morning after the Bali Bombings when I was anxious for news on the tragedy while driving around for work - but every bloody FM station was playing its inane chick pop and rap crap as per usual. I flipped to the AM band for the first time since like..the 70’s….and was looking for a News station when I got Lawsy. I curled my lip in a sneer and was about to change the channel…but I didn’t….and I’ve been a fan ever since.

      That aside, I have never agreed with everything he’s said. I’d venture to say it was around 50-50. Unlike nearly every single AM talback wanker I’ve listened to since - with the exception of Chris Adams here on 4BC occasionally, that man is a PROPER News man, but I digress….back to Lawsy…what I liked was that he gave plenty of time to opposing viewpoints and agreed to disagree with people. He gave them their say. He spoke eloquently with them and engaged with them instead of shouted at them and dictated. He didn’t agree with them and he called a spade a spade. I appreciate that. He had his fair share of wackos on there as well as only talkback can provide. And he did get cranky at times but on the whole he was a great interviewer and engaged his audience.

      So I’ll give the bloke his due and kudos as appropriate. Mentioning Alan Jones in the same breath as Lawsy is an absolute insult. Lawsy is in a class so far above Jones its not funny.

      Reply

    • St. Michael says:

      03:16pm | 03/10/12

      We know what you mean.

    • stephen says:

      03:22pm | 03/10/12

      He’s got a lot of gold on him, which must make him tip over in front of the dunny every time he watches one of his own replays eg. pissin’ in the wind.

      He looked like a dope from the landed gentry class. ... complete with the purple nose by the window.

      Reply

    • Stephen2 says:

      05:50pm | 04/10/12

      ahhh! bet that feels better now Stevie boy - AND they printed it too smile

    • Kika says:

      03:11pm | 03/10/12

      I grew up listening to Lawsy too thanks to my Dad being an avid listener when he worked on the road - not that he agreed with Lawsy or his views, but because his show was so goddamn hilarious. I used to love the loonies ringing in getting hysterical over things. I’ll never forget the lady who used to ring in and say the Hamburgler was stalking her and smashed her plates or something ridiculous. His show defined my afternoons after I used to ask Dad when he picked us up about the show and whether the lady with the Hamburgler problem called in. I even listened to him when I was at uni - I was hooked.

      I really enjoyed the interview. What a great perspective to hear from. The ending made me laugh too. He’s hilarious.

      Reply

    • Matthew says:

      03:58pm | 03/10/12

      What’s this about a golden “mike”?  It has always been a mic, Mike is a person that is never golden.

      I never grew up with John Laws and neither did anyone in my family, thankfully.  Talkback is horrible.  Old men with opinions that are often wrong, convincing every one of their sheepish listeners that they’re right about everything they say.

      Derryn Hinch’s flouting of the law by naming paedophiles is absolutely disgusting.  It makes a laughing stock of our laws and law makers and puts these people at risk (that may be innocent since they hadn’t yet been convicted or have served their punishment).

      Reply

    • nihonin & the Hand Jive Maidens says:

      04:33pm | 03/10/12

      I never grew up with John Laws and neither did anyone in my family, thankfully.  Talkback is horrible.  Old men with opinions that are often wrong, convincing every one of their sheepish listeners that they’re right about everything they say.

      Lucky you then Tiger, talkback has it’s place, as much as JJJ does, everyone has opinions and what pray tell are you trying to do here with your comment.

    • Gregg says:

      04:53pm | 03/10/12

      Don’t sweat on catching up with the times Matty, those golden ones and yes with a golden mike and the dulcet voice, they’re gone.

      I reckon you’re the kind of old stick in the mud that Lawsy would have just loved to have on talkback just to have even stickier mud covering more of you.

    • Steveo says:

      05:53pm | 04/10/12

      glad you were there to monitor which opinions were “right”  Matthew.

    • Geoffrey Chaucer says:

      04:07pm | 03/10/12

      Yes, you gotta love Lawsy. He still got it. One of the greats. A true blue.

      Reply

    • Wilma J Craig says:

      04:04pm | 03/10/12

      I thought he was already & long-since dead!
      Was that a Bundy’n'Coke he had in his hand?

      Reply

    • Gregg says:

      07:39pm | 03/10/12

      More like a good bourbon neat I’d reckon.
      I think it was a Wild Turkey brand or something like that he was rather partial to, maybe cash for drinking comments in form of free cartons.

    • the moor says:

      04:48pm | 03/10/12

      John Laws might think that Allan Jones comment was just careless but most of us don’t.  It was too much in keeping with his previous nasty and vindictive comments about Julia Gillard and he only got away with that nastiness because no one took him on over it.  Eventually though his big head got the better of him and he really overstepped the boundary of what most would think is acceptable.  The surprising thing is that it took so long for people to say enough is enough.  Give him a week or so though and he will be back at it.

      Reply

    • James says:

      06:01pm | 03/10/12

      Allan Jones’s comment was terrible, but then again, there are many terrible comments that occur within the scope of public discourse.  You only have to watch Question Time in parliament to see frequent examples of comments that are as bad - or worse - than anything Jones said.

      However, that really isn’t the point.  What we should be worried about is not what people say, but the way in which our laws at present punish people for merely saying something - not physically hurting people or inciting violence, mind you - but simply SAYING something, however stupid.

      Our biggest concern here shouldn’t really be Jones as such - he’s an idiot and hopefully his sponsor deals run dry - what we should worry about is the idea that a court in Australia can force someone to apologise.  Worse, that you can be prosecuted for stating an opinion.  Very slippery slope indeed.

    • acotrel says:

      05:14pm | 03/10/12

      But was he a Rhodes Scholar ? You lot are too easily impressed !
      ‘The system runs on BULLSHIT’ !

      Reply

    • Gregg says:

      07:24pm | 03/10/12

      Get back on that toilet seat.

    • John Mc kay says:

      09:58am | 04/10/12

      Never a Rhodes scholar he was a school teacher
      John Brennan morphed him into a radio slot
      Then he got caught out in the UK
      Which he has never adressed so maybe he is the real liar

    • Ben says:

      05:36pm | 03/10/12

      “He was an absolute gentleman. He’s one of the very few men I can think of who would always be conscious when there was a woman in the room - he wouldn’t swear, he’d make sure he opened the door for you. He was an old school kind of gentleman and you don’t really get exposed to that anymore as a young woman.”

      Watch out, a fragile woman is in the room! She can’t handle naughty words or having to open doors by herself!

      Reply

    • James says:

      06:37pm | 03/10/12

      Is that John or Sir Les Pattison !

      Reply

    • Swamp Thing says:

      07:32pm | 03/10/12

      I thought it was Sir Les - in passing. Closer inspection reveals otherwise.
      ‘Spose you can let yerself go on that kind of money, not like his butler will tell him the truth…..

      Reply

    • Bones187 says:

      10:49pm | 03/10/12

      Leigh sales, a one trick pony. Just badger and badger not allowing time for answers. Dumb really, but seems to impress some people.

      Reply

    • Brett says:

      08:41am | 04/10/12

      Interview of the Year!

      Reply

    • Psy-Ops GanganStyle says:

      10:58am | 04/10/12

      Lika Boss.  Was the best at what he did, all the ads sucked

      Reply

    • Geko says:

      11:03am | 04/10/12

      Don’t be fooled.
      This Faux Outrage Is All About Silencing Any Criticism Of The Left

      This vicious campaign to silence Alan Jones isn’t to stop him from ever again being rude.

      No, it’s to stop the 2GB broadcaster from attacking the Left.

      It’s also to smear Opposition leader Tony Abbott by association.

      It’s that cynical.

      But don’t tell me Jones’ noisiest critics have never heard anything so shocking from their own.

      Foreign Minister Bob Carr demands that Abbott apologises to Julia for unacceptable remarks by someone not even a Liberal, yet is silent when Bob Ellis, his long-time speechwriter, accuses Gillard of shedding girly tears and playing hooky by going home weeping after her father’s death.

      Immigration Minister Chris Bowen berates Jones for appalling comments but dismisses as a mere diversion his wife last month retweeting a text noting Jones was just eight years short of the average lifespan and sighing: “Patience my pretties.”

      The ABC has staged a hysterical group hate of Jones, yet ABC host Jonathan Green tweets Alan Jones to die contemptible and alone.

      Regular ABC guest Catherine Deveny can urge a sponsors’ boycott of Jones, yet tweets homophobic sneers at him - and still gets column space at The Age after saying of its former editor I hope he gets ar.e cancer.

      Labor can demand Liberals no longer appear on Jones’s show, despite being led by a woman whose staff whipped up a mini-race riot on Australia Day to falsely frame Abbott as a racist.

      Labor can sanctimoniously accuse Abbott of inciting Jones’ rudeness, yet have had a national president, Carmen Lawrence, endorse in writing a Rock Against Howard CD with tracks such as John Howard is a Filthy Slut and Gun Him Down.

      No abuse of Liberal leaders has been too extreme for the Left now feigning shock over Jones.

      The ABC’s Q&A auctioned shoes thrown by a guest at John Howard. The ABC hired Marieke Hardy even after she published comments (by a follower) telling her she should have taken a piece of glass and torn (Brendan Nelson’s) face to shreds.

      The hypocrisy here goes beyond mere partisanship.

      It is also sinister - an attempt to silence those whose true sin is not being offensive, but offensive to the wrong side.

      Reply

    • Bruce says:

      12:28pm | 04/10/12

      Yeah, but Geko he’ a flamin poofta and won’t admit it.

    • Valvo Bigot says:

      11:20am | 04/10/12

      To this this unrepentant bigot and his sponsor.
      I exercise my simple right to boycott, by refusing to buy the engine oil that he voices over for.

      Reply

    • Geko says:

      12:47pm | 04/10/12

      Valvo Bigot wrote “this unrepentant bigot “

      Huh?
      How is he a bigot.
      Examples please.

      Reply

    • JD says:

      12:52pm | 04/10/12

      Lawsy has still got it, download his daily podcast, he is still
      The king of talkback despite what the pretenders would
      Have you believe, all the pollies still talk to him unlike other talkback
      Stations and his wit is second to none despite being an ol fella..
      The radio world will be sadder once he gives it up..again.
      Radio is devoid of entertainers, the late anger inspiring Zemanek being
      Another.. Keep the dream alive John!

      Reply

    • Sigh says:

      02:32pm | 04/10/12

      Apart from this being a very ordinary article, I thought God was spelled with a capital G.

      Reply

    • Derek says:

      04:47pm | 04/10/12

      I thought that the ABC being financed by the tax paper was supposed to be balanced and im partial but it has for many years been in the control of the exreme left pushing socialist and green policies. There is therefore no justification for tax payer funding and it should be funded by the ALP and greens who it serves. Saved money would help balance the budget

      Reply
 
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