During the Australia Unites: Red Cross Flood Appeal broadcast on Saturday night, two of Australia’s best-known TV personalities Grant Denyer & Ben Fordham locked lips for a kiss to raise 50 thousand dollarydoos.
The campaign aired across channels 7, 9 and 10 on Saturday night to raise some much-needed cash for Aussies in need. It ended up raising over $25,000,000 which is fab news.
It is especially fab when you consider PM Scott Morrison‘s half-assed response promoted Lismore residents to nick-name him “Slomo”.
Waitin for a mate
Norco ice cream factory in South Lismore. My brother makes ice cream here.
He has no home now.#slomo #lismore pic.twitter.com/xajL2JFA3F
— Sarah Moran 💃 (@SarahMoran) March 9, 2022
In the lead-up to the live kiss, Denyer told the studio he’d just received an unusual donation request.
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“We also just had a pledge come in earlier from another major Australian corporation that said they will donate $50,000 if I pash Fordo,” said the Family Feud host as per News.com.
“Are you sure this isn’t something you’ve cooked up because you want to kiss me?” quipped Fordham.
“What does ‘pash’ involve? Are we talking mouth open, closed?” asked co-host Amanda Keller.
Natalie Barr then answered “I think open mouth”.
Fordham then got out of his seat to face Denyer. The scene resembled somewhat of a cowboy standoff from a Hollywood Western film except the cowboys were wearing tailored suits. Pretty standard stuff, right?
The two hosts proceeded to kiss for an unexpectedly long period and ended up rolling around on the studio floor.
“That just happened, Australia. If you can’t donate $5 for that you don’t know what quality entertainment is,” Denyer said afterwards.
Thanks to everyone who has supported the flood telethon #australiaunites and thanks @grantdenyer for the pash rash 💋 pic.twitter.com/2qJlHFOkfd
— Ben Fordham (@BenFordham) March 12, 2022
The reaction from the internet has been mixed following the kiss.
That pash from @grantdenyer and @BenFordham will have to be the funniest things I have seen on tv this year 🤣🤣🤣 @Channel7 @Channel9 @Channel10AU #AustraliaUnites
— JAKE 🇦🇺 (@IncrediblyBozza) March 12, 2022
https://twitter.com/suzejeh/status/1502598730192543746?s=20&t=ORWM6vK209_hMVtshXadEg
@grantdenyer & @BenFordham ‘s pash may be one of the best/most hilarious things I’ve seen on tv this year!! 😂😂😂 #AustraliaUnites @Channel9 @Channel7 @Channel10AU
— EJ 💁🏼♀️ (@miss_emilyjane) March 12, 2022
In the year of our lord 2022, it definitely came across as quite jarring to see a company withhold a donation until two blokes kiss.
The jarring was intensified by the fact the donor in question was only referred to as a “major Australian corporation”. Why the mystery?
If this “major Australian corporation” were supportive enough to donate $50k, why would it withhold its name? Perhaps it knew getting blokes in heterosexual marriages to kiss on TV could be viewed as a bit stale and didn’t want to be associated with it? It’s anyone’s guess.
Humour is subjective so it’s true some folks watching along at home might’ve found the whole scene genuinely hilarious.
Others however, particularly those in the LGBTQIA+ community may have found the sitch insensitive as pointed out by Nicole Mugford on Twitter.
I feel you! I’m annoyed about Grant Denyer’s comment about the kiss being worth $5, like the LGBT community haven’t been fighting for rights for years. 🤬
— Melissa Blackwood 🌈🌸🌻 (@lilmissmel) March 12, 2022
If an Australian corporation wants to donate $50k to charity in the future, there are deffo easier ways which don’t involve dangling a carrot.
At minimum, if a corporation wants to engage in a little carrot-dangling, it should at least stand by its carrot. (This metaphor has become a little confused but you get what I mean…)
If you’d like to donate to the ongoing flood recovery efforts in NSW and Qld — we’ve put together a non-exhaustive list of organisations that are doing great work on the ground.
