A PARROT THAT SWORE

Hokitika Guardian, 25 May 1928, Page 3

A PARROT THAT SWORE

BROADCASTING OONTRETEMI’S

A SHOCK FOR AIELBOURNE

SYDNEY, Alav 10.

Air Rupert Cooke, the one-time All Black, now keeper of the Beneonsfield Hotel at St. Kilda, Melbourne, was unwittingly associated last 'Sunday afternoon with one of tlio most unfortunate, as well as one of the most amusing, contretemps in the history of broadcasting in Australia. A talking cockatoo was put upon the air, and the bird so forgot him.sclf that be let out a string of oatlis that shocked even those listeners who are used to hearing the language of some Australians. .Mr Cooke is the owner of the bird, and it is only fair to say here and now that his connection with the incident ended there.

Fortunately, it was an amateur who tried the experiment of broadcasting the chatter of the bird—ail experiment lie is not likely to repeat in a hurry. He has a large circle who listen to liis programme, and to these people he has been full of apologies. Mr Cooke afterwards explained that hi.s eocaatoo usually behaved very well, and was roused to utter oaths only when lie was tormented. The bird is quite a local identity and usually had a place in the bar, and Air Cooke naively suggested that he might have learnt the oaths from the men who frequented the bar. Tt was for this reason that the bird was sent away from the hotel, and it was then that the amateur broadcaster heard him and was impressed with the idea of a broadcast.

“The bird impressed me as being the most wonderful talking cockatoo 1 had ever hoard,” he said. “The intonation of his voice was remarkably human, and I thought it would be a good idea to test it on the wireless. T hoped that the bird would behave himself, seeing that it was Sunday, but I should explain that up to then I had never heard him swear. AVe commenced about 2.15 o’clock. With his first oath Air Cooke grabbed the bird by tbc throat. He .became quiet, and we started again, hoping that the first expletive was only a slip. Me offended again twice, and finally it became necessary for me to make a very loud noise into the microphone, while Air Cooke closed down the cockatoo by force. Unfortunately the test was too good. The clarity was such that I have already received reports from more than fifty people saying that they heard distinctly every word the bird uttered. That is unfortunate.” The bird is 2S years old and has gathered a remarkable vocabulary, as the incident here recordlcd would indicate. Afiss Cooke says .he is just like a human—and there seems to bo some justification for her remark. Afcaiiwhile the bird is tlio subject of an official enquiry, in which the Chief Inspector of Broadcasting is the most interested person. As a complete apology was made over the air, it is not likely that any further action will be taken against the broadcaster.