Australian singer Megan Washington has seemingly voiced what many were thinking in slamming radio presenter Kyle Sandilands as “embarrassing” following an awkward on-air chat with New Zealand’s Lorde.
“Kyle Sandilands: You are embarrassing. Please retire. You have enough money. Please go away,” wrote Washington in a Facebook post yesterday that swiftly the approval of her nearly 70,000 followers, gaining over 4,000 ‘likes’ and shared more than 80 times on the social media platform, as FasterLouder reports.
Though the ARIA-winning songsmith does not directly mention Sandilands’ mawkish Lorde interview, many commenters have pointed out that Washington’s commentary arrives shortly after the “shock jock” grilled the New Zealand singer on his Kiis FM breakfast show. “Kyle Sandilands: You are embarrassing. Please retire. You have enough money. Please go away.”
Appearing on ‘The Kyle & Jackie O Show‘ program yesterday to promote her forthcoming Australian tour, Lorde was grilled by the breakfast host on her budding friendship with a certain American country-pop celebrity.
“Are you bringing your new bestie, Taylor Swift? I see you guys’ pictures everywhere. Are you guys like, uh, are you together now?” quizzed Sandilands. Without an immediate reply from the (probably dumbfounded) Lorde, Sandilands ‘clarified’ with, “not together as in lesbians: I’m not talking about ‘Ellen together.’”
An annoyed Lorde, no stranger to tackling sexism in her rise to fame, responds, “what do you mean… is there something wrong with lesbians?” Playing to his nature for controversy (and insensitivity), Sandilands chortled, “Oh my god no, I would love that!” before asking Lorde if she would confirm lesbian relations with Swift.
“Don’t even try it… It’s not working,” Lorde says before more awkward pauses in the on-air chat. (Listen to the extract below via SameSame.com.au)
It’s not the first (and unfortunately unlikely to be the last) time a female musician has been irked by the clumsy interviewing techniques of the media.
Earlier this month, Sydney-via-LA producer and performer Anna Lunoe wrote an impassioned social media post that went viral, calling for music media to take focus less on the gender in the industry, recounting how she “lost it” at an unnamed journalist’s borderline sexist approach in comparing her to Miley Cyrus.
“Cos we are both female?” questioned Lunoe; “Or for me to explain her behaviour like I must know what this complete stranger is doing because we both have boobs? Would you ask Tiësto what he thinks about Justin Bieber… cos they are both male?”
Regardless of their gender, both Lunoe and Lorde are headed to this year’s Coachella festival (alongside a strong contingent of Aussie artists), with the latter then headed Down Under for a national tour. The Grammy and BRIT-winning Lorde is playing her biggest headline venues as she tours Australian capital cities through April and May (dates and details below).
The same month, Washington is also returning to the live circuit, playing a series of intimate gigs in support of her new single ‘Who Are You’ in Brisbane and Melbourne. Washington will also be performing a headline slot at boutique food and music event, Lost Picnic, later this month, and you can bet that she won’t be appearing on Kyle Sandilands’ show to promote her music any time soon.
Lorde Australian Tour 2014
General public on sale from 9am local time, Friday 21 March
Thu 24 Apr – Melbourne | Festival Hall (All Ages)
Ticketmaster.com.au | Ph: 136 100
Sun 27 Apr – Adelaide | AEC Theatre (All Ages)
Ticketek.com.au | Ph: 132 849
Tue 29 Apr – Perth | Challenge Stadium (All Ages)
Ticketmaster.com.au | Ph: 136 100
Fri 2 May – Sydney | Hordern Pavilion (All Ages)
Ticketek.com.au | Ph: 132 849
Sun 4 May – Newcastle | Entertainment Centre (All Ages)
Ticketek.com.au | Ph: 132 849
Tue 6 May – Brisbane | Riverstage (All Ages)
Ticketmaster.com.au | Ph: 136 100
Frontier Members pre-sale via www.frontiertouring.com/lorde
Thu 13 Mar (2pm AEDT) to Fri 14 Mar (2pm AEDT)
(or ends earlier if pre-sale allocation exhausted)
Washington Australian Tour 2014 Dates
General public on sale from 9am local time, Thursday 6 March
Thu 3 Apr – Brisbane | The Rev (18+)
www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 438 849
Sat 12 Apr – Melbourne | Howler (18+)
www.h-w-l-r.com | 1300 724 867
Lost Picnic 2014
Sunday 23rd March 2014 – Loch Avenue South Area @ Centennial Park, Sydney
More info: www.lostpicnic.net
