The Whine Line Mentality

Red_Marauder

I have been listening to the radio a lot lately. Radio 1 is pretty good current affairs and general interest listening until you get to about 2pm each day.
Suddenly, as if from nowhere, all intelligent thought goes out the window and an inane festival of whingeing and despair descends upon the national broadcaster, hosted by Talk to Joe.

Why do we devote an hour of prime time listening to people grumbling about the cold, the wet, taxis, Brian Lenishan's personal VHI cover, the panto they missed, the fact that banks make you place your small change in bags - some of the pettiest things that any able minded adult should be able to cope with without having to talk to a dull, perpetually commiserating, radio host for sympathy?

I have a lot of friends who work in customer service where complaints about relatively trivial matters regularly descends into "I'm going to ring Joe Duffy over this". Why do so many people feel like they have to resort to the maternal bosom of a complaints show to address their personal gripes instead of doing something about it themselves?

Obviously there are some cases where serious topics are treated appropriately, but a lot of this show seems to be concerned with petty problems that people have made little or no attempt to rectify themselves, but resort immediately to calling up liveline. Is it just me or does the popularity of this show confound anybody else?

ytareh

No,I love it although rarely get the chance to listen.In fact it usually makes me ANGRY at whatever more often than not GENUINE reason to whine the caller is on about ...

Overheal

Call Joe Duffy, or, Start a thread bashing on Americans to forget what you were mad at.

RiverWilde

Many people ring the likes of Joe Duffy to air a grievance that they feel would not otherwise be dealt with in a fairly or quicktly through the usual channels. Unfortunately there are numerous instances where the utilisation of public opinion is the only avenue left to someone in such a situation.

Riv

OutlawPete

Red_Marauder wrote: »

Why do we devote an hour of prime time listening to people grumbling about the cold, the wet, taxis, Brian Lenishan's personal VHI cover,?

Live Line is about the only show that politicians fear.

Someone gets on that show and it can snowball to them getting a lot of pressure.

Not that it changes much but I do like it when real issues are brought to air on then show.

There is feck all other places where the public get to have a voice.

Overheal

OutlawPete wrote: »

Live Line is about the only show that politicians fear.

You mean he hasnt been bought off yet

Red_Marauder

OutlawPete wrote: »

Live Line is about the only show that politicians fear.

Someone gets on that show and it can snowball to them getting a lot of pressure.

Not that it changes much but I do like it when real issues are brought to air on then show.

There is feck all other places where the public get to have a voice.

I would say politicians pay far more attention to shows like Prime Time, which deals with systemic failures and inaptitude in a more impartial, less reactionary, manner, and still manages to fire public opinion.
But you are right about the snowballing effect. People seem to get angry about things on that show that a few hours previously, they may have had no opinion about. I firmly believe that negatvity is contagious and this explains a lot of the popularity behind the show.

OutlawPete

Red_Marauder wrote: »

I would say politicians pay far more attention to shows like Prime Time.

I see your point but I think your wrong

Here's why.

Politicians are well prepared for Prime Time and the like. They can go on there and waffle.

Shows like Liveline are something they can't control.

If someone goes on there and says that their daughter is dying on a trolly or that their son had an xray and got the all clear and four weeks later he died - it has a massive impact.

Suddenly you have a dozen families all on embarrassing the government.

When that young twit rang Liveline from his cell - within days the government were falling over themselves to say they were bringing in new laws etc.

Not that they cared or anything but they will do anything rather than lose face.

The media are the only ones with power and Liveline seems to be able to strike them into action more than any other show I can think off.

The Late Late used to be like that but now it has a monkey at the helm unfortunately.

Kevin Bacon

Listened to it once after Joe said "ahh Jasyus that's terrible..." for the 15th time I switched it over.

Absolute tripe of the highest order. People like it I'd say because they can engage in the national pastime of moaning about everything.

Red_Marauder

OutlawPete wrote: »

Politicians are well prepared for Prime Time and the like. They can go on there and waffle.

Shows like Liveline are something they can't control.

I'm thinking in particular of Prime Time Investigates. Things like the Lea's Cross scandal, the isse of child mental health services and the junior minister Tim O'Malley losing his seat, planning and corruption issues, are just some of the things that caused huge public reactions and government action.
The thing is, they don't resort to cheap tabloid tactics that is a constant feature of Joe Duffy's candidly populist radio programme.

Tchaikovsky

This show is symptomatic of the "somebody else is always to blame" culture.
WHEN DID PEOPLE BECOME SO IMPORTANT, EH!?

OutlawPete

Red_Marauder wrote: »

I'm thinking in particular of Prime Time Investigates. Things like the Lea's Cross scandal, the isse of child mental health services and the junior minister Tim O'Malley losing his seat, planning and corruption issues, are just some of the things that caused huge public reactions and government action.
The thing is, they don't resort to cheap tabloid tactics that is a constant feature of Joe Duffy's candidly populist radio programme.

I'm not saying I am fan of the show or that Joe Duffy is anything but a pompous prat but the show does have a very high listenership and it has the power to effect change.

There is a very high level of moaning on the show.

It would be so much better if they chose what stories were covered with a little more skill.

Aidric

JONJO THE MISER

I love Liveline, ive actually been on it myself once, talking about price increases in Tesco last year.

jif

the irony of this thread :pac:

Mahatma coat

I remember listening to Live Line when it was Marianne Finnucane Presenting it, that was some hard hitting Interview with real clout and integrity, I did hear an episode with Joe the last time I was home, and remember thinkin 'Ya know That Gerry Ryan really isnt the most useless Cnut on radio!':EEK:

jd007

Red_Marauder wrote: »

Why do we devote an hour of prime time listening to people grumbling about the cold, the wet, taxis, Brian Lenishan's personal VHI cover, the panto they missed, the fact that banks make you place your small change in bags - some of the pettiest things that any able minded adult should be able to cope with without having to talk to a dull, perpetually commiserating, radio host for sympathy?

Is it just me or does that just sound like a normal day on After Hours?

marcsignal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pGcE7IvCTs

Nodin

OutlawPete wrote: »

Live Line is about the only show that politicians fear.

Someone gets on that show and it can snowball to them getting a lot of pressure.

Yes, it helps lead to knee-jerk reactions and legislation over crap, because some whinger got the other whingers in a whinging frenzy. Now in fairness, its more civillised than 'rule by angry mob with pitchforks', but thats about it.

OutlawPete

Nodin wrote: »

some whinger got the other whingers in a whinging frenzy..

Where else is there for people to air their views to the nation but the Liveline show?

Seems to me, if people keep their mouth's shut, we have a load of posters saying "typical Ireland, people afraid to complain" and yet when they do complain they are then labeled "whingers" and "whiners"

The real problem with this country is that we have a nation full of f**king begrudgers who just want to criticize people 24/7.

FlutterinBantam

I read that post a few times and still can't make any fcuking sense of it

OutlawPete

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

I read that post a few times and still can't make any fcuking sense of it

My post?

FlutterinBantam

The very one.

OutlawPete

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

The very one.

Edited.

FlutterinBantam

OutlawPete wrote: »

Where else is there for people to air their views to the nation but the Liveline show?

Boards.ie !! Yes you are correct there

OutlawPete wrote: »

Seems to me, if people keep their mouth's shut, we have a load of posters saying "typical Ireland, people afraid to complain" and yet when they do complain they are then labeled "whingers" and "whiners"

The real problem with this country is that we have a nation full of f**king begrudgers who just want to criticize people 24/7.

I see your point now, we are just begrudgers who just criticise and do nothing
ourselves.

You have something there sure enough.

Tks for that sir.

OutlawPete

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

Tks for that sir.

Not at all, you're quite welcome.

Nodin

OutlawPete wrote: »

Where else is there for people to air their views to the nation but the Liveline show?

Seems to me, if people keep their mouth's shut, we have a load of posters saying "typical Ireland, people afraid to complain" and yet when they do complain they are then labeled "whingers" and "whiners"

Like the woman from Galway, who was talking about drunken students, and how this never happened in her time..... Did anyone pipe up to say 'Now hang on...' or 'This isn't new...'...no, not a bit of it.

Theres frequently no balance, just unadulterated, endless whining, by old biddies and gobshites, with 'Joeeeeee' there condascending over it all.

OutlawPete

Nodin wrote: »

Did anyone pipe up to say 'Now hang on...' or 'This isn't new...'...no, not a bit of it.

Did you phone in?

I'm not saying the show is perfect or even close to it.

But it is there and I think that is a good thing.

Latchy

OutlawPete wrote: »

Where else is there for people to air their views to the nation but the Liveline show?

Seems to me, if people keep their mouth's shut, we have a load of posters saying "typical Ireland, people afraid to complain" and yet when they do complain they are then labeled "whingers" and "whiners"

The real problem with this country is that we have a nation full of f**king begrudgers who just want to criticize people 24/7.

Very good point with a helluva lot of truth to it .

OutlawPete

Latchy wrote: »

Very good point with a helluva lot of truth to it .

It was the caffeine.

Tis my truth serum

edvedfan

I don't think Joe Duffy handles some of his calls well though, so I can't understand why it's the first place think of going. Sometimes he can be very dismissive of his callers. Like if a mother rang in about a son who needed a life changing operation, he'd be like is it a son or a daughter you said you have? a few minutes later, it doesn't seem like he listens.

It's just the biggest depression session ever! If you listened to it everyday, you must start to feel like the world hates ya.