Veteran 60 Minutes reporter Charles Wooley is copping some searing bulk heat over an interview with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, which aired last night, that is now facing criticism of being decently sexist at best, and intensely creepy at worst.
Wooley’s profile of the Kiwi PM got off to a rocky start from the moment he began his introductory voice over, noting that he has “met a lot of prime ministers in my time. But none so young, not too many so smart, and never one so attractive.” Yikes.
The profile continued, featuring shots of Wooley walking down the halls of New Zealand’s Parliament House, with the journo stating he was “smitten” with the PM, describing the world leader as “like no-other” and one who is “young, honest, and pregnant.”
And from there it fell completely down the drain.
The profile, a joint one with Ardern’s partner Clarke Gayford, turned particularly green when Wooley inexplicably began probing the NZ First Couple for the gritty specifics of their pregnancy.
It began with Wooley asking the Prime Minister, who is pregnant with her first child, when the baby was due. But it was a quip about the kid’s exact date of conception that got both Ardern and Gayford’s brows wrinkled.
With an unexpected – but very exciting – pregnancy, when @jacindaardern gives birth in June, she’ll become the first elected female western leader to have a child in office. #60Mins pic.twitter.com/mCB9rxeT81
— 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) February 25, 2018
Unsurprisingly, the response to the piece – which focused largely on Ardern’s private life and not her policies – was somewhat less than complimentary.
I assumed #60mins would have a second half of the Jacinda interview after the break that talked about her policies and political achievements. But… nothing. All we got was sexist comments about her looks and baby talk. Ugh. Absolutely shitful journalism… *changes channel* 🙄
— Priscilla (@trisgilla) February 25, 2018
Commenting on @jacindaardern‘s level of attractiveness, doesn’t seem to be at all relevant to her ability as a nation’s leader #60Mins
— Emily George (@emily_a_george) February 25, 2018
The 60 Minutes Jacinda Adern puff piece is just ick. Charles Wooley has already called her the most attractive PM he’s ever met and asked about when she had sex to fall pregnant. pic.twitter.com/JKzhFfm74y
— Ryan Sheales (@RyanSheales) February 25, 2018
Hey Charles Wooley you fucking dinosaur! 🦕☄️ pic.twitter.com/1bT51ksPOy
— The Wicked Fox of the West (@FoxyLustyGrover) February 25, 2018
I don’t remember 60 minutes wasting an interview talking about pregnancy with Tony Blair when he was PM & soon to be a new parent.
‘Sexist, creepy’: Jacinda Ardern’s 60 Minutes interview angers New Zealand https://t.co/FUk6Sp3ex4
— Mike Cullen (@MikeCullen73) February 26, 2018
Me: “I wonder how 60 Minutes Australia is going to profile our new Prime Minister?”
Charles Wooley: *giggles* “You had sex!”
— Simon Duprier (@SuperiorMind) February 25, 2018
https://twitter.com/nzandywright/status/967873150380752896
Creepiness is Charles Wooley asking the NZ PM about the conception of her child. Dude.
— Abstalavista (@abstalavista) February 25, 2018
60 Minutes is yet to issue any official comment on the criticism, but needless to say the optics on it aren’t exactly good.
