Paisean Faisean Presenter Objects to Gay show

ateam · 21-05-2007 3:58pm #1

The presenter of TG4's Paisean Faisean, Aoife Ní Thuairisg, has objected to a special gay themed programme for the show based on religious grounds.

According to the Sunday Independent, Ni Thuairsg is a Jehovah's Witness. It believes that homosexuality is wrong and once the prospect of a gay show was raised, she let her feelings known on the subject and as a result the gay show has been dropped.

merritt · 21-05-2007 4:10pm

Wow. Seriously uncool.

She might have a point though. I also object to gay people on television having to dress each other in clothes from Dunnes.:D

Iktomi · 21-05-2007 4:18pm

Can't see the big deal, surely she's within her rights to object if she should wish to.
I doubt that her opinion is the sole reason the show was cancelled.

That numerous religions are opposed to homosexuality is hardly groundbreaking news.

Goodshape · 21-05-2007 4:54pm

ateam · 21-05-2007 5:26pm

Iktomi wrote:

Can't see the big deal, surely she's within her rights to object if she should wish to.
I doubt that her opinion is the sole reason the show was cancelled.

That numerous religions are opposed to homosexuality is hardly groundbreaking news.

I think it's a little disappointing though. I would have liked to have seen a gay version of the show and the presenter seems to have put a stop to it. Fair enough she has religious views on the subject, but she should be professional.

Boston · 21-05-2007 7:01pm

Anything to back up these claims? I thought TG4 was trying to market itself as an alternative TV station akin to old C4. This would seem to go against that.

Goodshape · 21-05-2007 7:12pm

It is being reported in a few places :
http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/10434299?view=Eircomnet&cat=National

(well, eh, one place at least)

Boston · 21-05-2007 7:39pm

awh well,

cotwold · 21-05-2007 7:47pm

ateam wrote:

I think it's a little disappointing though. I would have liked to have seen a gay version of the show and the presenter seems to have put a stop to it. Fair enough she has religious views on the subject, but she should be professional.

I think the key word here is professionalism. Surely her religious views shouldn't interfere with the production of the show.

Marshy · 21-05-2007 8:23pm

cotwold wrote:

I think the key word here is professionalism. Surely her religious views shouldn't interfere with the production of the show.

Yeah but come on, professionalism on TG4, that'd be the day.

Iktomi · 22-05-2007 8:22am

Goodshape wrote:

hee, excellent cartoon there goodshape.

cotwold · 22-05-2007 10:16am

Incedently, is anyone who watches the show really freaked out by those semi-erotic glances she gives the camera and that wierd thing does with her eye????? Its entertaining but more than slightly creepy.

lemonead · 22-05-2007 10:27am

i have to say i like the show and would really have liked to see a gay show done. i don't agree with her views that homosexuality is wrong quite clearly but on some level i can understand how if she did the show against her own morals and values how much it could upset and distress her. s much as i would have liked to see a gay show part of me understands her wishes not to be forced into doinvg something in her job which goes against her clearly staunch religious beliefs. big pity we wont get to see it though.

MicraBoy · 22-05-2007 1:46pm

Well she seems to have no problem having gay boys on so long as they are pretending to be str8. :rolleyes:

fletch · 22-05-2007 2:57pm

cotwold wrote:

Incidentally, is anyone who watches the show really freaked out by those semi-erotic glances she gives the camera and that wierd thing does with her eye????? Its entertaining but more than slightly creepy.

Yes you're not the only one! She really winds me up how she has that fake smile plastered on her face as she struts down the street with a confidence that makes you wish she would trip over her shoelace and fall face-first into some vile human excrement.
Other than that, love the format of the show and would have welcomed a gay twist on things. Much in the way that I enjoy watching the gay episodes of Up Next on MTV.

MicraBoy wrote:

Well she seems to have no problem having gay boys on so long as they are pretending to be str8. :rolleyes:

Yes I recall watching an episode before where there was a very camp gay guy on the show with an interest in fashion, what was that all about?

4red · 26-05-2007 6:54pm

Fairly astonished by some replies to this post...:-

"ah, sure,it's only TG4"

"most religions are opposed to homosexuality"

TG4 is not a Catholic TV station, in fact it's funded my many iniatives which are linked to your tax euros....(BCI etc.)

....yet some of you think it's par for the course that a presenter (who may easily influence the content of a particular programme) has a homophobic bias which affects programme-making.

I'm aware this story is just that, a story, and unprovable. Yet I feel it casts a slur on TG4 who I previously believed to have a modern, liberal agenda.

Come on TG4, make a statement regarding this matter, and in doing so you may alienate less potential viewers of your station!

Boston · 26-05-2007 7:14pm

Better a christian fundamentalist then the ****e RTE put out for that Bingo thing.

Edit; They did make a statement, it was in that link Goodshape provided

Stark · 26-05-2007 8:21pm

Jesus saves. Saves us from clichéd, stereotypical TV. Personally I think all these "Queer Eye for the straight guy" shows can be fun, but ultimately they're just re-enforcing gender stereotypes and making things more different for heterosexual males who have an interest in fashion.

I don't agree with her motives for wanting the show canned, but she may have put forward a good argument for not having a fashion show that focuses on the sexuality of its presenters. TG4 did state that her objections weren't the sole reasons for not going ahead with the show.

iBoards · 26-05-2007 8:54pm

Stark wrote:

Jesus saves........<all the way down to>....... ahead with the show.

I agree wth you Stark. Whilst her motives are dubious at best, do we really need another stereotypical image of gay guys forced down our throats.

Boston · 26-05-2007 9:32pm

iBoards wrote:

I agree wth you Stark. Whilst her motives are dubious at best, do we really need another stereotypical image of gay guys forced down our throats.

You've a choice not to watch, no one is forcing anything onto you.

iBoards · 26-05-2007 9:58pm

Boston wrote:

You've a choice not to watch, no one is forcing anything onto you.

True of course, but don't you get tired of the old clichéd stereotypes ?

Aard · 26-05-2007 10:48pm

"My main concern was the show, I felt the show was strong enough and didn't warrant any change to the format.

"That the idea was taken off the table along with many others doesn't mean that the show wouldn't be done or that I wouldn't be presenting it."

^According to Aoif.

I agree with her; no point changing the format for it's own sake. Personally, I'd like to what the other ideas were...

Hagar · 26-05-2007 11:00pm

Jayziz folks, if you want everbody to accept the diversity of your lifestyle surely you have to be able to accept their lifestyle choices also?

Not everybody accepts the gay lifestyle/culture.
Do you think they should be forced to?

iBoards · 26-05-2007 11:17pm

Hagar wrote:

Jayziz folks, if you want everbody to accept the diversity of your lifestyle surely you have to be able to accept their lifestyle choices also?

Not everybody accepts the gay lifestyle/culture.
Do you think they should be forced to?

Reminds me of the Big Gay Al 'Scout' episode

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cripple_Fight

Boston · 26-05-2007 11:34pm

Hagar wrote:

Jayziz folks, if you want everbody to accept the diversity of your lifestyle surely you have to be able to accept their lifestyle choices also?

Not everybody accepts the gay lifestyle/culture.
Do you think they should be forced to?

Well there is an issue of public funding, and if their unwilling to provide for a gay audience, they should receive money from the public. However I'd question if a show like the one describe would be more about pandering to stereotypes then actually providing for a gay audience.

Paisean Faisean Presenter Objects to Gay show

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