Bringing goodness into question

Afriend recently mentioned just how annoyed she was with ‘intereviewees’ responding to questions with “Good question”.

As Aladdin noticed 2000 years ago, once the Genie is out of the bottle there’s no going back, and I cannot ‘unhear’ this common, indeed ubiquitous expression, particularly evident during radio interviews but only marginally less so in TV interviews.

Vasse Felix Margaret River Filius Shiraz 2022, $30. Typical WA shiraz that doesn’t bowl you over and you think ‘yeah, it’s alright”, but then proceed to have another glass, and another, and… then you realise what a smart shiraz it is. 9.3/10.

Vasse Felix Margaret River Filius Chardonnay 2023, $29. Dang, would have given this to the Old

Why do they do this?

Good question. When you hear the phrase, you know immediately it is not, for two reasons.

Firstly it is a weak ploy to massage the ego of the interviewer and make them feel clever, which is important for wrongdoers being interviewed because it has the subtle effect of softening subsequent questions.

However given that politicians and corporate types too who have done

Man, Filius means ‘son of’, except he’s not a fan of chardonnay. Perhaps he would be of this? It’s very approachable without a hint of snobbishness. Next time, Dad. 9.4/10.

Vasse Felix Margaret River Filius Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, 2023, $26. Sometimes a simple SBS is just what you need when you’re doing Wordle while watching something bad or greedy never answer media questions anyway, it’s a wonder they bother with the strategy, except for the second reason, that it buys valuable seconds during which they can choose the correct evasive phrase, such as “the question we really should be asking is…”.

Or if the questioning is getting dangerously close to the truth, the phrase “good question”, will be followed immediately with “but we need to have a mature the river fow. Don’t have to think about it, comment on it or look for something else. 9.2/10.

Vasse Felix Margaret River Filius Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, $30. Quintessential is such a great, if awkward word, and this is a quintessential, thankfully not at all awkward cabernet, in that quintessentially clever debate about this”, which, to reprise a recent column, basically is code for “our plan is ridiculous and eyewateringly expensive but please don’t point this out and laugh at us”. A common refrain during discussion of the Coalition’s nuclear plan.

Another defection is “we had a robust discussion”, which is political and corporate speak for there was much chest-beating, table-thumping, fngerpointing, swearing and other childish abuse before

WA style. And for only 30 bucks! Imagine what Vasse’s posh ones are like? 9.5/10.

Vasse Felix Margaret River Heytesbury Chardonnay 2022, $120. $120 may seem like a lot for a bottle of wine, and it’s no comfort to think that there are people out there to whom it is not. Sometimes I wish I was one of them, but most the PM or CEO told everyone to ‘F-off’ and did what they wanted anyway.

Of the many other statements in the modern media landscape which have evolved to disguise the truth, “has my full support” is possibly the most paradoxical.

“We have announced an enquiry”, says a bit more and basically is a confession that “yes, we have stuffed up and we need time to fnd a scapegoat”. And give us back that bonus thanks, Mr of the time I just try to ridicule them and act like I don’t like stuff like this. But I do. 9.6/10.

Vasse Felix Margaret River ‘Tom Cullity’ Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec, 2020, $200.

You might need a bit of corporate greed to get one of these and it is somewhat surreal to think that people actually spend $200 on a bottle of wine, until you realise Australians regularly spend 5 times that for a Grange or Hill of Grace. That you shouldn’t drink any of them for perhaps another 5-10 years, compounds the surreality. Expensive and it smells and tastes like it. 9.7/10

Joyce.

“We have announced a royal commission”, is next level “we have stuffed up”, and we hope to have left the country/government/ corporation by the time the truth is revealed. Where is Scotty these days anyway?

But enough of politics and corporate greed, what have we been drinking this week?

Good question.

5 Ingredients

• oil spray

• 4 (English) muffns, halved and toasted

• 120g shaved leg ham