George Hook speaks out after receiving hate mail.

Rhys Essien

Good response from him.He is giving the letter to the cops.Jasus some people must have nothing to do with their lives to resort to that crap.

cloud493

I'm not the biggest fan of Hook, but why does he deserve hate mail? Thats ridiculous, some people need to cop onto themselves, what gives them the right?
Morons.

Spunge

#rekt

Cookie_Monster

yet he's allowed spew vitriolic hatred of various group on the airwaves daily without consequence? Notably cyclists and the rugby team when they don't win.

Double standards Hookie, but sure what's new there.

Sheep Lover

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

yet he's allowed spew vitriolic hatred of various group on the airwaves daily without consequence? Notably cyclists and the rugby team when they don't win.

Double standards Hookie, but sure what's new there.

Are cyclists human though?

cloud493

Sheep Lover wrote: »

Are cyclists human though?,

I think we already know they're not.

Super-Rush

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

yet he's allowed spew vitriolic hatred of various group on the airwaves daily without consequence? Notably cyclists and the rugby team when they don't win.

Double standards Hookie, but sure what's new there.

Not even comparable.

Cienciano

I really dislike him as a pundit, but jasus, that letter went way way too far. Constructive criticism is fair game, personal insults is low, but letters like that are another level altogether.
Glad it was sent by normal mail though, people have been blaming the anonymity of the internet for stuff like that for a while

Fr_Dougal

Letter was written by a coward, anonymously.

For anyone that didn't watch the clip, the author told Hook that he'd should have committed suicide, and that there was still time to do so.

K4t

cloud493 wrote: »

I'm not the biggest fan of Hook, but why does he deserve hate mail? Thats ridiculous, some people need to cop onto themselves, what gives them the right?
Morons.

Deserve aint got nothing to do with it ~ Snoop

Also..

hoodwinked

you'd often see stuff like that spewed in the comment section on media outlets facebook comments or in social media forums, people seem to not only think it's ok but "Cool" to do so.

it is bullying, and one of the reason's i love boards policy of attack the post not the poster....

El_Duderino 09

cloud493 wrote: »

I'm not the biggest fan of Hook, but why does he deserve hate mail? Thats ridiculous, some people need to cop onto themselves, what gives them the right?
Morons.

I watch the bbc 6 nations coverage because I'm not a fan of the Irish pannell (except COS). But what is there to hate about him? Bang out of order. Let him retire in peace.

Cookie_Monster

Super-Rush wrote: »

Not even comparable.

No, I suppose it's not really. I mean a celebrity receiving hate mail, who would have thought. Just bin it as spam and move on, no need to bring it into the limelight and make a big deal of it.

Sheep Lover

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

No, I suppose it's not really. I mean a celebrity receiving hate mail, who would have thought. Just bin it as spam and move on, no need to bring it into the limelight and make a big deal of it.

Why?

Uriel.

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

No, I suppose it's not really. I mean a celebrity receiving hate mail, who would have thought. Just bin it as spam and move on, no need to bring it into the limelight and make a big deal of it.

I don't think he was making it a "big deal" in so far as it relates to him. Rather i think he used the opportunity to highlight a problem a growing and more serious problem with present day human life. He then goes on to appeal to the more vulnerable to "stand up and be counted".

I think if more "personalities" did the same it could reach out to more people.

Did you even watch the clip?

K4t

Am I the only one who thinks the letter is quite well written and kind of funny? In fact I think it might even be satirical. George is a big boy, and obviously very "certain" of himself so I'm sure he'll have had a good laugh about it. His response could be construed as more hateful than the content of the letter tbh.

edit: Obviously if his intention is to highlight cyber bullying etc., then that's a decent thing to do and best of luck to him.

MyPeopleDrankTheSoup

Spunge wrote: »

#rekt

lol'd hard. i dare ya to post it as a youtube comment.

jeez that was harsh abuse alright for George. but i read recently Claire Byrne got 'cyberbullied' as well. basically someone said in a comment on a journal article, not direct to her, that she was:

"She’s the worst interviewer I have ever seen. Good riddance"

Ms Byrne sent a private message to the poster, asking “if he had a mother, a sister, a wife who he would like to be abused in a similar fashion while they were recovering from childbirth”.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/beware/i-refuse-to-look-at-social-media-because-of-abusive-messages-rtes-claire-31083964.html

seems pretty tame to me and don't think it's bullying. ya need a thicker skin than that if you're in public eye

The_Valeyard

Lot of disgusting pond scum for humans out there. Hook is right, while he as a grown man and radio presenter can handle bile like that, teenagers or vunerable people cannot. A letter like that could push someone into a very dark place. Only cowards do something like that. Shame on them.

Stand up and speak out, talk to someone you trust or who can help you if this is happening to you.

crazygeryy

Celebs (if you'd Call George that) are open to criticism,they put themselves in the spotlight they need to be able to take it.
BUT this is vile vile stuff and i hope they catch the bastard that wrote it.

Wabbit Ears

Richard dawkins did it better (lots of bad language)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuowNcuGsc

Valetta

crazygeryy wrote: »

Celebs (if you'd Call George that) are open to criticism,they put themselves in the spotlight they need to be able to take it.
BUT this is vile vile stuff and i hope they catch the bastard that wrote it.

Correct and right.

That wasn't criticism, and anyone who says "get over it" "move on" etc. it implicitly condoning such vile behavior.

Baron Kurtz

It was probably a self-penned memo written in a moment of drunken sincerity

K4t

crazygeryy wrote: »

BUT this is vile vile stuff and i hope they catch the bastard that wrote it.

And do what with them exactly? What is the charge? As far as I can see, they simply suggest that Hook should commit suicide; not the nicest thing to say to somebody but not exactly a death threat either!

seamus

I think it's primarily down to some people being so miserable in their own pathetic lives that the only joy that they can get is knowing that they made someone else's day a little worse.

Kermit.de.frog

The worst thing about the internet is it has given an anonymous platform to the worst type of imbecilic, nasty, mentally unhinged idiots you could ever come across and before the arrival of high speed cheap broadband you would extremely rarely see their contributions to humanity.

seamus

K4t wrote: »

And do what with them exactly? What is the charge? As far as I can see, they simply suggest that Hook should commit suicide; not the nicest thing to say to somebody but not exactly a death threat either!

Sending abusive mail (by post, text or email) is in fact punishable in law.

Taxburden carrier

K4t wrote: »

Deserve aint got nothing to do with it ~









Was that not Clint in Unforgiven?

kneemos

seamus wrote: »

Sending abusive mail (by post, text or email) is in fact punishable in law.

Probably why it was by untraceable mail.

K4t

seamus wrote: »

Sending abusive mail (by post, text or email) is in fact punishable in law.

Is it abusive? Is it a once off letter or one of many, which could then perhaps constitute continuous abuse? If we started arresting and charging everyone for an abusive post, text or email in this context, then half the country would be guilty! It's quite funny imo, the opening line is a classic.

George handles it well, and gives back as good as he gets. No need for the law here.

Baron Kurtz

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

The worst thing about the internet is it has given an anonymous platform to the worst type of imbecilic, nasty, mentally unhinged idiots you could ever come across and before the arrival of high speed cheap broadband you would extremely rarely see their contributions to humanity.

A bit like Boards then.

conorh91

georgiecasey wrote: »

i read recently Claire Byrne got 'cyberbullied' as well. basically someone said in a comment on a journal article, not direct to her, that she was:



http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/beware/i-refuse-to-look-at-social-media-because-of-abusive-messages-rtes-claire-31083964.html

seems pretty tame to me and don't think it's bullying. ya need a thicker skin than that if you're in public eye

That's not all the poster said. According to the line immediately prior to the part you quoted:

The writer wanted her to take the maximum amount of maternity leave or not return to TV at all.

I can well imagine that if you're lying in a hospital bed after delivering seven pounds of baby through your body, you'd see red too. I'm not a big Claire Byrne fan but I wouldn't criticize her for quietly taking that poster aside.

What harm? I'm sure she'd take a similar stance if someone made that comment face-to-face at a party or a function, or after an RTE debate.

Thing is, the same internet poster would probably never dare say that to Claire Byrne's face.

The internet is real life, with the same repercussions. Spewing garbage and insults is no more acceptable here than face-to-face. People need to get used to that.

kneemos

K4t wrote: »

Is it abusive? Is it a once off letter or one of many, which could then perhaps constitute continuous abuse? If we started arresting and charging everyone for an abusive post, text or email in this context, then half the country would be guilty! It's quite funny imo, the opening line is a classic.

George handles it well, and gives back as good as he gets. No need for the law here.

Beyond abusive.More in the realm of a Psycho movie.

brevity

Some people are ****ing arseholes.

K4t

Taxburden carrier wrote: »

Was that not Clint in Unforgiven?

Could have been. It's a great line. Hate, hate speech, hate mail etc. will always exist. The great thing about it is you can either ignore it, highlight it and condemn it like George has done, or even give a little hate back. Hate speech = Speech I hate

MyPeopleDrankTheSoup

conorh91 wrote: »

That's not all the poster said. According to the line immediately prior to the part you quoted:

The writer wanted her to take the maximum amount of maternity leave or not return to TV at all.

I can well imagine that if you're lying in a hospital bed after delivering seven pounds of baby through your body, you'd see red too. I'm not a big Claire Byrne fan but I wouldn't criticize her for quietly taking that poster aside.

I'm a programmer and people have often said my code was the worst sh-it they've ever seen and I'm an idiot, and I brushed it off. criticism happens of your professional work. i'm male so I dunno what the equivalent of the maternity leave insult is.

K4t

kneemos wrote: »

Beyond abusive.More in the realm of a Psycho movie.

Nah not really though. The reactions here are hilarious however. Nearly equal to Hook's rant.

conorh91

georgiecasey wrote: »

I'm a programmer and people have often said my code was the worst sh-it they've ever seen and I'm an idiot, and I brushed it off. criticism happens of your professional work. i'm male so I dunno what the equivalent of the maternity leave insult is.

I was burgled last year and I didn't bother reporting it. Herself left a window open, they did no damage, and I know I'd only be wasting Garda time.

Relevance? None. It has no bearing at all on how others should react to the same crime.

The fact that you personally wouldn't take offence is irrelevant to people in her position. Especially so if you've never been in her (post-childbirth, high public profile) position.

kneemos

K4t wrote: »

Nah not really though. The reactions here are hilarious however. Nearly equal to Hook's rant.

If it was received by a vulnerable person it could be extremely damaging is the point he was making.

sh1tstirrer

Rhys Essien wrote: »

Good response from him.He is giving the letter to the cops.Jasus some people must have nothing to do with their lives to resort to that crap.

The Gardaí might be a better bet

Dirty Dingus McGee

Taxburden carrier wrote: »

K4t wrote: »

Deserve aint got nothing to do with it ~









Was that not Clint in Unforgiven?

It was

FalconGirl

K4t wrote: »

Am I the only one who thinks the letter is quite well written and kind of funny? In fact I think it might even be satirical. George is a big boy, and obviously very "certain" of himself so I'm sure he'll have had a good laugh about it. His response could be construed as more hateful than the content of the letter tbh.

edit: Obviously if his intention is to highlight cyber bullying etc., then that's a decent thing to do and best of luck to him.

Yes you are. The line was crossed bringing his family into it.

K4t

FalconGirl wrote: »

Yes you are. The line was crossed bringing his family into it.

http://www.episodegenerator.com/wp-content/uploads/WhoseLine.jpg

Son Of A Vidic

It must take a particularly sad and pathetic muppet, to invest some much energy into writing and sending a letter like that. Hook as a well known public figure, naturally conveyed his own viewpoint during his time on the airwaves. He is paid to be opinionated and indeed his listeners expected it from him. Unfortunately, the idiot who wrote that letter appears not to have the emotional maturity to understand this. And said idiot, also doesn't seem to realise that one can easily change the station or channel, if Hook or anybody else displeases them with their opinions.

El_Duderino 09

K4t wrote: »

Am I the only one who thinks the letter is quite well written and kind of funny? In fact I think it might even be satirical. George is a big boy, and obviously very "certain" of himself so I'm sure he'll have had a good laugh about it. His response could be construed as more hateful than the content of the letter tbh.

edit: Obviously if his intention is to highlight cyber bullying etc., then that's a decent thing to do and best of luck to him.

Oh no you're probably not the only one. There are probably lots of morons out there to keep you company.

It's a bullying letter which encourages suicide. Hylarious. Can't get enough suicide banter these days.

Seriously I envy your ignorance of suicide. I only wish I shared it.

Howard the Duck

A terrible thing to write to anyone. Just because someone is a celebrity doesn't mean they can't suffer from depression and other problems a letter like this could send someone over the edge. Bullying in any form is awful, i hope the person is caught and when they are i'm sure they will apologize and regret sending it.

Meangadh

I can't believe how blasé so many people are about this letter. If my father received a letter like that, no matter how high or low profile he is, I would be devastated. It's one thing saying he's a bad broadcaster/pundit or saying you wish he'd give up working- it's quite another to say he should have been aborted; or should commit suicide; or that your family would have been better off without you. Jesus Christ. What is wrong with someone who A) says stuff like that to another person, or condones it being said, or brushes it off as something insignificant???

It's absolutely inaccurate to say that he should expect this kind of thing or that he should just get over it because "sure doesn't he dish out criticism every day" or similar. I find him irritating and opinionated, and would never listen to his programme- but absolutely no way should he be subjected to such vitriol, bullying and abuse.

Anyone who has the time to write $hit like that to another person- I envy the vacancy in your life that allows you the time to firstly think so deeply about a person who really has no effect on your life (it's called an "off" button, you psycho) and secondly that you have the time to pen and post (suggesting a significant amount of thought going into the whole thing) such a pathetic spewing of verbal diarrhea- I'm baffled.

Fair play to George. If it helps someone else being subjected to abuse from a troll, then why not highlight it. I don't know if it's possible, but I'd love if they got to the bottom of it. Too many people nowadays think they can say what they like anonymously and never deal with the consequences. Pathetic.

Cold War Kid

A reaction is giving the letter-writer what they sorely want though. If George had shredded it and not said a word, it would have been the ultimate "f--- you" to the writer.
Instead, the letter causing a bit of a public stir no doubt has the writer absolutely delighted because it's mission accomplished.
It is just literally a piece of paper with words on it - from an anonymous coward, with horrible but unimaginative, generic insults that could be thrown at anyone by someone sad enough. I'd bet that person wouldn't dream of saying things a fraction as harsh to anyone's face, and might even be a normal, reasonable person "in real life". The letter shouldn't have so much power, in my opinion.

sh1tstirrer

It could be a publicity stunt to give George's ratings a boost. You never know these days.

razorblunt

I'm not saying it's completely warranted but Hook has enjoyed a career playing a character, employed to spout ridiculous rubbish and "opinions" (at least I hope its a character) and generally go against the grain for the sake of entertainment.
Do the likes of Pope, McGurk and O'Shea get this sort of mail?

I wouldn't have even bothered reading it, twould have gone straight in the bin.

Valetta

razorblunt wrote: »

I'm not saying it's completely warranted but Hook has enjoyed a career playing a character, employed to spout ridiculous rubbish and "opinions" (at least I hope its a character) and generally go against the grain for the sake of entertainment.
Do the likes of Pope, McGurk and O'Shea get this sort of mail?

I wouldn't have even bothered reading it, twould have gone straight in the bin.

Are you saying it's in any way warranted?

Streetwalker

The man is insufferable but didn't deserve that.