Paul Hickey: Rarely tied up with formal wear

Readers can help The Hits choose the best song ever. Will Elvis feature? Photo / File

WHen it comes to clothing, I tend to go for the casual look and feel. Nothing like a pair of jeans and a tee right?

But while I enjoy my casual clothes, I'm not averse to dressing up every now and again. I recently MC'd an event and with the gig came a tux complete with a necktie. The tie was the first thing to get thrown aside. Too formal and, in my opinion, they come across as pretty stuffy and old school.

Why is it some people still think that to be authoritative, respected or trusted, men have to be seen in a tie?

Remember the debate when John Campbell turned up on TV without a tie?

He soon had one back on, but by the end of his show he was tie-less again and looking far more like a real person. Over on the other channel, Mike Hosking is the same. The other night there were three former All Blacks on TV all wearing ties discussing the game that the ABs were about to play. They just looked wrong. Surely they don't need to be wearing a tie to prove they can analyse a game?

All to their own I suppose, but I prefer to keep it real with most of the population.

Santa Claus
One of the best parts about my job is the opportunity to be a bit of a "Santa Claus" or maybe even a "Fairy Godmother" (or I suppose that should be a "Fairy Godfather").

Competitions and giveaways have always been a staple part of a radio station diet, and I never tire of making listeners extremely happy with some amazing prizes, because let's face it everybody loves something for free, even if you have had to do something that may be a little silly to get it.

Yesterday on The Hits we gave away two dream trips to see Taylor Swift live in Australia, and tomorrow we have the final draw of our big "Shop To Win" competition at Rotorua Central.

One lucky Rotorua person will win a $4000 Shopping Spree at Rotorua Central, and then the chance to win a new Suzuki Swift from Grant Johnstone Suzuki on Fairy Springs Rd. It will be another Santa Claus moment.

And the best?
What do you reckon is the best song ever? It is one of those questions which I think you need to answer without hesitation! The more you think about it, the more confused you get as more and more songs start infiltrating your mind with great hooks and personal memories.

Right now on the Hits, we're on the search for The Best Song Ever, but it's up to you to help us decide. We want you to head to our website at thehits.co.nz before Sunday night to nominate your song. Then starting Monday we're putting the top songs head-to-head every hour in a knockout battle until we find The Best Song Ever!

Paul Hickey is the host of the locally based 9am-3pm show on The Hits Rotorua 97.5FM. Follow on Twitter @paulhickeynz.