Helen Razer

Helen Razer (born 6 July 1968) is a Melbourne-born and Canberra-raised radio presenter and writer. She is the author of four non-fiction books and a columnist with the Australian version of "The Big Issue" and Melbourne newspaper The Age.

Employment and controversies

Razer was a prominent broadcaster on national Australian youth radio station Triple J from 1990 to 1998. Partnered for most of that period with comedian Mikey Robins on the breakfast program, she was noted for her use of polysyllabic words and riot grrl-esque pronouncements.

In 1998, Razer left Triple J due to the prolonged attentions of a young delusional male stalker. In the same year she appeared on the "Australian Story" program to describe the experience. In 2002 she became a programmer for Joy FM, Melbourne's gay and lesbian community radio station. [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/06/13/1023864315212.html]

Razer has been employed, since 2005, as presenter of the Sunday arts program on the 774 ABC Melbourne radio station. It was announced by that station, in October 2008, that she is expected to finish in this position before the end of the year as "part of a freshening of program formats" [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/10/02/1222651268473.html] . This announcement came two weeks after a controversial interview, on 7 September 2008, with Steven Berkoff. On the 15 September 2008 episode of ABC TV's Media Watch program, the presenter, Jonathan Holmes, accused Razer of patronising Berkoff in the interview by referring to him as "dear" and asking how good was the play he was on the radio "to flog". She finally called him a curmudgeon and then cut him off. [http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s2365254.htm] Razer writes features for "The Age" [http://www.theage.com.au/news/books/stranger-than-science-fiction/2005/07/18/1121538914100.html] and the "Sydney Morning Herald" [http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/cant-buy-no-satisfaction/2005/07/10/1120934125020.html] and is also a regular contributor to the online Crikey current affairs website. She has also previously been an opinion columnist with "The Australian" newspaper. ABC biographical information indicates that she is currently writing a work of fiction.

Razer is reputed to have instructed Kurt Cobain to purchase new clothes given that he had made money from his musical success. At a Hole performance in 1995, Courtney Love informed the audience that she would soon "punch that Heide (sic) Razer out like a fucking kangaroo."Fact|date=October 2008 It was reported in the "Sydney Morning Herald" in 1996 that she had stormed out of a television taping after calling talk radio host Stan Zemanek a "witless right wing cunt".Fact|date=September 2008

As a writer Razer has been criticised for her overuse of arcane words. ABC TV's watchdog program "Media Watch" lampooned her in 1999. [http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s42977.htm] . Her recent works have abandoned the bombast of which she stood accused in favour of a leaner and more professional approach [http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/a-time-of-fear-and-loathing/2006/12/01/1164777791900.html] .

Bibliography

*cite book | authorlink= | coauthors= | year=2001| title=Gas Smells Awful: The Mechanics of Being a Nutcase| edition=| publisher=Vintage| location=Australia | id=ISBN 1-74051-095-X
*cite book | authorlink= | coauthors= | year=1998|title=Everything's Fine: A Beginner's Guide to Thwarting Primary Nihilism| edition=| publisher=Random House | location=Australia | id=ISBN 0-09-183925-4
*cite book | authorlink= | coauthors= | year=1996| title=In Pursuit of Hygiene| edition=| publisher=Random House| location=Australia | id=ISBN 0-09-183258-6
*cite book | authorlink= | coauthors=Mikey Robbins | year=1995 | title=Three Beers and a Chinese Meal | edition=| publisher=Random House| location=Australia | id=ISBN 0-09-183072-9

Further reading

* [http://beta.austlii.edu.au/au/other/IndigLRes/car/1996/4/wtpag15.html Interview with Helen Razer Triple J Radio Announcer on Aboriginal Reconciliation(1996)]
* [http://www.nla.gov.au/apps/search/osearch?term=helen+razer&action=MultiSearch&mode=search Razer's catalogue entry in the National Library of Australia]
* [http://www2b.abc.net.au/guestbookcentral/list.asp?guestbookID=337 Book Blog] with Lloyd Cole

References