Six reasons why Waleed Aly SHOULD WIN the Gold Logie

EM RUSCIANO is incensed over an opinion piece about Waleed Aly. So incensed that she’s written one of her own.

FOR some completely INEXPLICABLE reason, a column was released into the wild yesterday entitled “6 reasons Waleed Aly shouldn’t win the Gold Logie”.

You see, Waleed Aly has been nominated for Aussie TV’s top honour.

The post was on a website I won’t name, and yes I believe they are linked to the one you are currently reading my words on, so let’s just leave it there shall we?

If you MUST read it click here, oh and if you really feel like causing some blunt trauma to your eye sockets, read the comments section, that’s where the real heartbreak is at.

YEASH! STRAYA.

So let us get to the business of the day then, shall we? In my OPINION: Waleed Aly is the most important, influential and desperately needed person on Australian TV.

Waleed Aly speaks again ISIL / ISIS on Channel 10's The Project.

He is fearless, he is educated and he is passionate. He is a legitimately talented renaissance man that I can’t believe we possess, I am so desperately relieved that he is on free-to-air commercial TV, every night of the working week.

In the hope of resetting the balance to the universe and to also somehow counteract the stupid, I have written my own listicle.

So here are Em’s:

6 reasons why Waleed Aly SHOULD WIN the Gold Logie:

1. Finger work: For those of you who are unaware, Waleed plays a mean axe, he shreds, he makes the six strings his lady friends. The potential for a killer guitar solo during his acceptance speech makes me quiver with anticipation. Yes ... QUIVER.

2. Relevant: Waleed is capable of producing opinion pieces that go viral every other week. It is a rare month indeed if Waleed Aly isn’t trending on social media for some article he has written that has succinctly encapsulated a perspective most of us knew we had, but didn’t know how to articulate. People literally rush to share his words, so that they may be near them and somehow bask in their reflective glow.

Carrie Bickmore and Waleed Aly during the arrivals for Logie nominations.

3. Chemistry: His chemistry with Carrie and most of the guests that appear on his show is wondrous and rare. That being said, I like how he doesn’t hide his disdain for those celebrities he feels come up short in the integrity department. He also possesses the ability to pivot from a diatribe on terrorism to interviewing whichever movie star is in town to whore their wares. THAT IS A TALENT!

Waleed Aly on the cover of Men’s Style magazine. Picture: Men's Style Australia

4. Grace: Waleed has grace pouring out of every orifice, he would not turn up after a bender, to present a live television show, in the suit he wore to the Logies the night before, plain and simple. If there was a TV presenter Olympics I would send in Waleed without hesitation, you know he’d meticulously study, he would learn his opponents’ weaknesses, he would destroy them and he would look damn stylish doing it. I’d even back him over Anderson Cooper and WOLF Blitzen.

5. Brave: In a TV landscape of blah, here is a man who is not afraid to deliver insightful and well-thought-out monologues on tough issues. His ‘ISIL is weak’ speech received millions of hits on YouTube. He has also spoken out on domestic violence and the verbal attacks on AFL footballer Adam Goodes. When compared to his counterparts in Karl Stefanovic and Kochie, he is a revolutionary among drunk uncles. Soz Karl, I do love you, but dude, rein it in!

6. UFOs: If Aliens come, and they turn on the TV to somehow gauge if we’re worthy of saving or not, imagine what they might see. IMAGINE what is standing in the way of total obliteration! They’ll think we’re a nation obsessed with renovating, cooking and sending white celebrities into the African jungle. But maybe, just maybe they stumble across The Project and there he is! Our GUY! Waleed is one of the few vestiges of hope that perhaps proves we are capable of thoughtful conversation, he is the glimmer of integrity and dignity should a superior race descend upon us. He is who I would send to their leader should judgment day come!

We need more smart people on the TV and if giving them shiny gold awards encourages other smart people to go on the TV, give me a TV week voting coupon to mail in!

@EmRusciano