Quentin Kenihan is more than a beanstalk thorn in a bigot’s fairytale.

Courtesy © Yahoo!7 2013

Dicko is up to his nasty tricks again. But this was not a provoking, hilarious account about how reality television portrays a person who is physically disabled poking hysteria at the format of a singing talent contest. That is the furthest from what has occurred involving this former music producer/judge and a disabled man who captured Australia’s hearts and sympathies as a then four year old with a brittle bone condition. 

When the name Quentin Kenihan comes into your subconscious, almost in a spontaneous mind warp, you might remember Mike Willesee’s ground-breaking eighties documentary on a young boy’s painful deterrence in living with a severe physical disability. Quentin was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (similar condition as the late Stella Young had been diagnosed with from birth) and his longevity of life was not seen to be long lasting. Doctors told his parents he would not survive his first birthday. Then Quentin reached the big 1-0 and from thereon mortality gravitated as the diagnostic indecision to his health status.

But Quentin’s health status is not why I’m writing this in a furious scruple at Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson’s less than hilarious performance on ABC2’s Story Club program last Wednesday. The format described to me when I watched it on iView, features Australian comedians and entertainers sitting on a ‘large velvet chair’ and regale personal prospectives that trigger humour, wit and hilarity. Or as Ben Pobjie blatantly chimed in his Sydney Morning Herald TV Guide review, Story Club presents ‘comedy with a difference.’  In his second last paragraph Pobjie evaluated Dicko’s monologue found from his days behaving as ‘a c**t judge’ on Australian Idol and where his judging abilities rejected Quentin’s hilarious attempts at auditioning for a position as the ‘next Idol.’ 

As this ‘skit’ went to air, Dicko tore apart what mutual, light-heartened fulfilment Quentin benefitted when he produced the two-part ‘Quentin Crashes’ TV special during Idol’s third series in 2003. Institutional ableism was not the lone confession that Dicko had bellowed to those in the audience. Internal ableist overtones were also referred to. He said ‘sob stories’ was the formula which got Idol its juggernauting ratings. I’m bemused if Guy Sebastian, Anthony Callea or Jessica Mauboy thought that emotional upheaval or unbearable loss of relatives or friends would bag them the gong as Australia’s newest singing sensation.

Dicko snarled at Quentin ‘crashing Idol’ as  ‘cringing cowardice’ from the producers and went further to berate his efforts in singing Kermit the Frog’s The Rainbow Connection during the live auditions as ‘absolutely f***king rubbish.’ Bit heavy handed ain’t it Dicko? Quentin had intruded on this program for the very purpose of scripted hilarity.

Courtesy © News Limited 2013

Quentin rightly was outraged at Dicko’s character assassination of his acting and singing prowess, telling his fans on Instagram, ‘Sad and heartbroken about the lies that were said about me on ABC2 Story Club. I thought that I'd paid me dues … I thought I was understood as a person and as an artist. To be publicly (sic) talked about where my ability as an entertainer is questioned is unfair. I will rise above this. It will take time.’

What Dicko had little compassion on is where this newfound distaste he has for his former friend came from. I have had no personal visits from the Q-Man, but watching his film production work on YouTube and familiarising myself with his personal prospectives encompasses a poor attitudinal impression and a slap in the face from a egoistical minded man who was not who another one assumed had been behind his tough love exterior after tearing up broken dreams of unattractive, untalented singers. 

As Managing Director of ABC Television, including digital channel ABC2 and who is too Quentin’s employer, Mark Scott has a sworn duty to maintain a commitment on disability broadcasting. This precludes issuing a formal written letter of apology for poor Quentin and future content clarification relating to programs that normalise institutional or internal ableist overtones in any spoken dialogue, dialect or monologue. One thing that is not abetted, Quentin’s disability is not a beanstalk thorn that a bigot can use as comedic material to narrate his fairytale.

Remain strong Q-Man. We’ve got your back.

UPDATE: Dicko told Daily Mail Australia he knew nothing about Quentin filming his TV special on Idol in a three paged letter of apology: 'I am very sorry to hear that you are upset by what you saw ... I can assure you, I never intended to hurt you. I like you and admire what you have achieved.' Quentin disputes Dicko's sincerity as he knew what the premise was when 'Quentin Crashes' was produced.

UPDATE II: Dicko finally fronts up to what he has done:

I finally spoke to Dicko. Had a big chat. He apologised again & I have accepted it. I'm happy to close this chapter & focus on moving on.

— Quentin Kenihan (@qkenihan) January 11, 2015