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Clip description
Denton and co-host ‘Gwen from ABC Documentaries’ (Genevieve Lemon) introduce the episode topic, heroin.
Curator’s notes
This is part of a terrific extended sequence where Denton and ‘Gwen’ introduce the topic of heroin while at the same time dissecting Denton’s comic approach to serious issues.
Denton is in fine form here, giving humorous asides to the audience, arguing with Gwen on camera and mimicking 'earnest’ reportage styles. His energy and irreverence, seen to good effect in this clip, is a big part of his appeal as a presenter. Theatrical flourishes and short sketches are common inclusions in The Money or the Gun, such as the ’60s hippie who wanders across the set (played by Simon Dodd, one of the show’s writers) and the middle-aged couple humorously but effectively satirising hypocrisy about drugs.
This is also not the only episode that places Denton opposite a guest actor as a way of drawing out opposing viewpoints. Another example is ‘Guns: The Musical’, which explores the debate over gun laws through a musical-theatre romance between Denton and a woman with whom he can’t see eye-to-eye on the issue.
Genevieve Lemon played the title role in Jane Campion’s Sweetie (1989) and also appeared in Campion’s The Piano (1993).
