Kerry Packer: 1937-2005

December 26, 2005 7:02 PM

Kerry Packer died last night in his home at the age of 68. Love him or hate him, he certainly had a huge impact on Australian media.
posted by Serial Killer Slumber Party (16 comments total)

Let's hope his lovely son takes over the family business.
posted by tapeguy at 7:12 PM on December 26, 2005

The Dark Side of Kerry Packer.

Come on, all y'all obit posters; give us something meaty to go on, please.
posted by mediareport at 7:28 PM on December 26, 2005

Christ, anyone else want to die today?
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 7:43 PM on December 26, 2005

Meta.
posted by mediareport at 7:46 PM on December 26, 2005

I was at a PBL VP's house a few years ago in Utah. He told me a good story about when he went gambling with Packer in a Vegas high limit poker room.


Packer is sitting at a table, playing poker, when this loudmouthed, fat, brash Texan comes and sits down next to him. The Texan initates a conversation:

"Hey bwoahhy, my name's bob jones*. I own the largest chain of Buick dealerships in all of Texas....
I'm worth 50 million dollars."

Packer's reply?

"Toss you for it".


Classy.

---

* not his real name.
Also, Excuse the somewhat fawning-over-the-rich tone this story implies: Packer was a grade A ballbusting robber baron......... But he told a Texan asswipe to fuck off........in style.....so that's a few cents against his big karmic overdraft
posted by lalochezia at 9:41 PM on December 26, 2005

?!
posted by nevercalm at 9:48 PM on December 26, 2005

We installed the original slot system at Crown. That group is a bunch of ball-busting SOBs but at the end of the day they were fair and nice folks.
posted by b_thinky at 12:21 AM on December 27, 2005

I can't believe the Australian cricket team went out this morning wearing black arm bands. Shameless ass-kissing my the Channel 9 morning show hosts, fine, but decking out the cricket team in black arm bands? Come on! So he invented one-dayers, that's hardly the fucking cure for cancer.
posted by Jimbob at 12:31 AM on December 27, 2005

So when the inventor of the cure for cancer dies, the Australian cricket team will come out with black armbands on?
posted by Wolof at 1:14 AM on December 27, 2005

i have no doubt that he was an extraordinary person, even if he was horrible or respectable, but i must admit that his death is rather exciting just to see how his empire survives... or if it crumbles.

although $5 says it'll crumble.
posted by a. at 1:23 AM on December 27, 2005

So when the inventor of the cure for cancer dies, the Australian cricket team will come out with black armbands on?

Mate, they seem to wear black armbands to commiserate Warney's latest hangover.
posted by Jimbob at 2:17 AM on December 27, 2005

Lay off Warney, mate. He's been done for sex (stupid tattletale bitch's fault), drugs (Mum's fault), and gambling (they was giving out money for nothing!), and in my book that's the only trifecta that matters.
posted by Wolof at 2:29 AM on December 27, 2005

Is he still dead? It's been a few hours...
posted by strawberryviagra at 3:22 AM on December 27, 2005

Is he still dead? It's been a few hours...

You fools, as we speak, his body is on ice and his mind is awaiting transfer to a suitable young host.
posted by Meridian at 3:40 AM on December 27, 2005

Pick me! My head is empty and ready to receive his reptilian brain! Also, my pockets are empty and ready to receive his reptilian money!
posted by the quidnunc kid at 8:25 AM on December 27, 2005

So he invented one-dayers, that's hardly the fucking cure for cancer.

And he was behind the adoption of those horrid colourful outfits in place of whites, no? If so, can they be abolished now that he's dead? Stupid pajamas.
posted by jack_mo at 9:46 AM on December 31, 2005