Thursday, December 06, 2007

One a Drunken Fool, The Other Retired


Laws and Carlton, originally uploaded by ddbsweasel.

Recently retired John Laws gave a drunken spray to Bob Rogers and Derryn Hinch. The duo had the bad taste to sit in a nearby restaurant to Laws and Carlton.

Rogers is such a sweet guy.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lawsie lashes out at lunchtime
By Fiona Connolly
JUST three days into his retirement, a long lunch yesterday turned ugly for John Laws, who caused a scene with a foul-mouthed attack on two of his former radio rivals dining at a nearby restaurant.

Celebrating a farewell lunch for his personal assistant Jodee Borgo with 2UE staff at Woolloomooloo Wharf's Otto restaurant in Sydney, Laws attacked his long-time radio rivals Derryn Hinch and Bob Rogers who were dining at nearby Salon Blanc restaurant.

"He walked over to the table, put both hands on the table and said: "You two are despicable c...s," according to Hinch.

Fuelled with alcohol, Laws blasted Hinch at the top of his voice, calling him a "failed alcoholic", "a hypocrite and "a c...", Hinch said.

"Mediated" by his 2UE colleague Mike Carlton, Hinch claims Carlton appeared "embarrassed" by Laws' spray, pleading with him to leave the restaurant and return to their party.

He said diners were "gobsmacked" by Laws' behaviour.

Still at the restaurant at 5pm yesterday, Laws and Carlton told a different story, making light of the incident.

"I said, 'Derryn, there's something you should know about yourself and then I said what I said, which shouldn't be repeated," Laws said.

"It was a very quick exchange. I told him he looked like an armpit transplant, he's always looked like, but the unbelievable thing is that after I insulted him, he just sat there."

Asked what possessed him to launch the attack, he said Hinch had been making nasty comments about him for years and he was no longer going to take it.

Hinch said he could only guess that since retiring Laws was feeling "starved of oxygen".

Rogers said that, having this week turned 81, it was the most enjoyable lunch he'd had in years.

"I thought for a second he was going to hit Hinch. I couldn't believe it. I thought it was wonderful. At this stage in my life I thought it was wonderful to have such enjoyment," he laughed.

While the 2CH mornings presenter had been beating Laws in recent ratings surveys, Laws said his beef was with Hinch, not Rogers, who was a "decent old bloke".

Playing down the incident, which was replayed by 2UE colleague Steve Price on air yesterday afternoon, Carlton said Laws had simply been offering Hinch "some career counselling and a character reference".

"I thought here's a man whose had this wonderful career, why is filled with so much hatred?" Rogers said last night.

"I think he was seriously drunk and certainly out of control," he said.

According to Hinch, Rogers tried to make light of the insult by suggesting Laws called them weasels. Hinch said Laws then repeated his insult.

"I thought I was going to wear a drink. I don't know where it came from. He was so bitter," Hinch said.

"Reptilian is the word I would use to describe him."

Laws' anger towards Hinch, Rogers and Price follows reports they referred to him as egocentric at a recent 40 Years of Talkback Radio function.

"The three real offenders in this category of jerk or weasel ... is the strangely screwed-up Bob Rogers; the holier-than-thou failed alcoholic, the fungus-faced Derryn Hinch; the other is (2UE's) own risible dwarf, Steve Price," Laws told his listeners.

Anonymous said...

Three sides to the story
from news.com.au
HERE are three accounts of what happened yesterday between the "raging diner-saurs". So who do you believe?

JOHN LAWS' VERSION:

DERRYN has spent half his life taking pot shots at me so I thought I'd retaliate.

He's called me the pock mark, the prince of pain and he's been very personal and I don't let people get away with that sort of thing.

I said, "Derryn, there's something you should know about yourself" and then I said what I said, which shouldn't be repeated.

It was very quick.

I've got to tell you, if somebody had said to me what I said to Derryn I would have been out of my chair so quickly you couldn't blink - but he just sat there.

I told him he looked like an armpit transplant - but the unbelievable thing is that after I insulted him, he didn't rise, he just sat there.

I proved to myself what I've always thought, that Derryn Hinch is a weasel.

Bob sort of laughed. He's a decent old bloke.

I don't mind rivalry but Derryn's a nasty weasel. And I'm sorry to say what Mike has said is all true.

DERRYN HINCH'S VERSION

I CAME up to Sydney to have lunch with Bob Rogers and we were sitting there when suddenly Bob said John Laws and Mike Carlton were approaching.

Laws walked over, put both hands on the table and said: "You two are despicable c...s"

Bob tried to make light of it and said, "I thought on air you called us weasels".

Laws yelled. "No, no. You're not weasels, you're despicable c...s"

Laws was loud enough to be heard several tables away.

And then he launched. "Look at you, you're a failed alcoholic," he said to me.

"Well does that make you a successful one?" I said.

I think the Wild Turkey had flowed a few times before hand. I know with perfect clarity what was said because I was the one person there who wasn't drinking.

It must have gone for four or five minutes at least.

Carlton, to be fair, was acting like a mediator, he said, "C'mon John" and finally dragged him away.

MIKE CARLTON'S VERSION:

IT WAS one of the historic confrontations in Australian radio. The word went round the station that Hinch and Rogers were dining at a lesser restaurant down the track.

Laws got a bit cranky at that and thought it might be a good idea to offer them some career counselling and a character reference.

He marched down like the charge of the f...ing Light Brigade, cannon to the right of him, cannon to left of him.

"John," I said, "Don't do it. Whatever you do, try to restrain yourself John."

But he wouldn't listen. So he descended upon the table.

Silvery-haired Bob Rogers, 81, fell back. Hinch, the Human Headline, hit back and accused Laws of being a "corrupt old c...".

Laws said words to the effect of "I wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire" and off it went.

Hinch failed to respond to Laws' aggressive attack, flailing feebly for the napkin.

Laws offered to smack them both in the mouth but the offer was declined.

Anonymous said...

I suggest Australia don't know half.... about the 72, going on 73 "öl Reptilian!" There's still, a VICTIM he has NEVER BEATEN, despite... loads of "POISON"!!!!