Stetsons and Stilettos

BuilderPlumber

Muahahaha wrote: »

Jaysis this is on again at the moment, its such a laugh

They moved it from Sunday to Tuesday I notice. From the description of this episode, it is a combination of woeful modern country (more accurately paddywhackery pop) plus reality dating shows, both which are overrepresented as it is on Irish TV. Would not be surprised if 'Dean Valentine' from the Tubridy Show popped up.

afatbollix

This week was about trucks. No love going on except for some lads loving and shining there trucks.

George White

Oh, god, they are running out of material.
Yes, truckers can be country fans (i.e. my dad) but the two aren't mutually exclusive.

BuilderPlumber

George White wrote: »

Oh, god, they are running out of material.
Yes, truckers can be country fans (i.e. my dad) but the two aren't mutually exclusive.

More reality drivel. The soundtrack will NOT be songs such as Terry Fell's Truck Driving Man or Moon Mullican's Truck Driver's Blues you can be sure and it will be Ritchie Remo singing some modern drivel about trucks.

One famous truck driver did like old county along with blues and gospel. His name was Elvis Presley and I don't think he'll be featured on Stetsons and Stilettos either.

Asus X540L

Love this show, it's more about crazy culchies looking for a wife and or the ride, than country music!
It's awesome though

George White

I do have inklings to watch it - simply to do what the League of Gentlemen and lots of comics/writers do - which is to take influence from these grotesques.
The League of Gentlemen were influenced by the likes of A Change of Sex (the 1981 doc about transsexual Julia Grant - the main takeaway being her incredibly outspoken/anti-trans surgeon).
The thing is the "jiving scene" is an incredibly small part of the country scene, it's basically a few hundred people along the border.

BuilderPlumber

George White wrote: »

The thing is the "jiving scene" is an incredibly small part of the country scene, it's basically a few hundred people along the border.

This whole modern paddywhackery pop thing is a small part of the 'country' scene. I know 1000s of people who love country music including myself but NOT that stuff. That stuff is tame and is the opposite to the proper blues based country music of America and the heartfelt emigration songs typical of the original Irish country music.

What this modern scene is instead is 'country' for the reality TV generation. It is done like this: remember Lee Mulhern in his boybands or Lee.M techno electropop act? Well, he's Lee Matthews now singing paddywhackery pop. Remember Jim Devine on that talent show? He is now doing paddywhackery pop.

Paddywhackery pop, boyfolk, boycountry, stageirishpop or irish bro country are all names one could call this appalling scene. Just don't call it proper country music and don't promote this tripe to the detriment of proper country music.

George White

Alleycats TV have also stopped getting back to me. I think I sent them too many letters.

BuilderPlumber

I also get the feeling this whole TV exposure of this woeful scene is more of a continued mockery of 'culchies' by our media. All these modern ex boyband singers and talent show contestants with popstar hairstyles do not look the part of being people who have any real love of rural Ireland but who mock the clichés of rural Ireland in their neo-paddywhackery acts. Songs like Hit da diff, Slip da clutch and The Farmer Wants A Wife are typical of this type of thing. Sadly, our media do not seem to know the difference between supporting and mocking rural Ireland!!

Grab All Association

Up until 10 years ago TippFm was a great radio station to listen to. Played 70s/80s/90s music. Now it’s only full of this bs. Nathan Carter, Big Tom and others. Thurles had Feile festival and today it only has country festivals. This whole country music thing started in Cavan, Longford, West Meath and has spread throughout the country now.

Asus X540L

Some crazily negative comments on this show.

It's just a few nutters enjoying themselves.

One feels there's an element of jealousy

AndrewJRenko

Nice to see that Fr Noel Furlong hasn't lost his touch with the young people

George White

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

I also get the feeling this whole TV exposure of this woeful scene is more of a continued mockery of 'culchies' by our media. All these modern ex boyband singers and talent show contestants with popstar hairstyles do not look the part of being people who have any real love of rural Ireland but who mock the clichés of rural Ireland in their neo-paddywhackery acts. Songs like Hit da diff, Slip da clutch and The Farmer Wants A Wife are typical of this type of thing. Sadly, our media do not seem to know the difference between supporting and mocking rural Ireland!!

h yes, I used the term "culchie TV" and they thought I meant it negatively. And I did in their terms. But what I meant was that the lowest common denomimator stuff is "culchie TV". Not all television for culchies is "culchie TV". There can be good stuff. But we're not all ****wits.

BuilderPlumber

Grab All Association wrote: »

Up until 10 years ago TippFm was a great radio station to listen to. Played 70s/80s/90s music. Now it’s only full of this bs. Nathan Carter, Big Tom and others. Thurles had Feile festival and today it only has country festivals. This whole country music thing started in Cavan, Longford, West Meath and has spread throughout the country now.

That's the problem. This modern country drivel has come to dominate most local radio stations. If they kept to singers of Big Tom's era, it would be better because at least they were singing sensible songs but today's scene with every blondie ex boyband and ex talent show singer at a loose end combined with DJs who think they can write songs, there is nothing sensible or decent being offered most of the time.

BuilderPlumber

Asus X540L wrote: »

Some crazily negative comments on this show.

It's just a few nutters enjoying themselves.

One feels there's an element of jealousy

One has every entitlement to be negative about these things. It is not about jealousy but about the fact is WE are paying taxes to fund this drivel that most of us do not even want. I would have no objection to this IF it was promoted along with other forms of music or types of TV but modern country music and reality TV are given over-exposure to the detriment of other types of music and TV. We have to pay a TV tax to RTE so we should be given more respect.

Not everyone is into brainless reality drivel and music with no message. There are intelligent people watching TV too. I remember one Sunday in particular in the last couple of years and on RTE most of the evening was a constant diet of reality TV with this thing, The Voice of Ireland and either Dragon's Den and Room To Improve on topped off with The Week In Politics. Not one of them would be what I'd call good TV for a Sunday. Worse, they would even show them on a bank holiday. When Room To Improve is the best of this lot, things are dire.

BuilderPlumber

Another point I'd make here is the contrast between an overdose of this modern country paddywhackery drivel on TV versus local radio. I have no objection to it on local radio for 2 reasons: firstly, it would be all I'd expect from them. They specialise in playing silly parochial songs and the like. I don't listen to local radio and do not think they have any people in them who know about music and the audience listening to it actually do want this type of stuff. Secondly, I do not have to pay a specific tax to fund local radio.

TV is a different matter. The audience want much more than the local radio audience. Very little is given to audiences who want to hear most forms of music on current Irish TV. Most music programmes are about pop talent competitions or this paddywhackery drivel modern so-called 'country'. The odd time they show a concert, it is usually one of these types be it a Westlife concert or a concert by Mike Denver. Glor Tire is just an excuse to combine yet another talent competition with concerts by modern 'country' paddywhackers in a glorified pub in Galway. It surely is time to do something else and support other forms of music and also to get away from these reality and competition based models too.

BuilderPlumber

Another thing I would add about this awful scene is the fake happy clappy social gatherings TV like to show of it. This Stetsons and Stilettos shows us all the lighthearted and happy side of it which is not the true story. From those I have met who are genuinely into it, the direct opposite is true. I met a woman from the Northwest of Ireland and she was a combination of a religious nutter and had diagnosis of severe mental illness. While this was not her fault, she could get very hurting of one sending abusive messages and playing nasty mindgames. Think the Lucy Mallon character from Fair City (the actor who played her was even from the same general area, north Longford. This woman I knew was from the county next to it a few miles from Newtownforbes where Lorna Quinn came from). She was obsessed with modern country acts from the Northwest mostly. I met another woman from a bit further South and the same thing. A carbon copy. Then there were men who believed in spirits living alongside them who they could communicate with and hypnosis fanatics into it too. I feel people who are into modern country also tend to be into mediums and there is always something lacking in their lives.

Asus X540L

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Another thing I would add about this awful scene is the fake happy clappy social gatherings TV like to show of it. This Stetsons and Stilettos shows us all the lighthearted and happy side of it which is not the true story. From those I have met who are genuinely into it, the direct opposite is true. I met a woman from the Northwest of Ireland and she was a combination of a religious nutter and had diagnosis of severe mental illness. While this was not her fault, she could get very hurting of one sending abusive messages and playing nasty mindgames. Think the Lucy Mallon character from Fair City (the actor who played her was even from the same general area, north Longford. This woman I knew was from the county next to it a few miles from Newtownforbes where Lorna Quinn came from). She was obsessed with modern country acts from the Northwest mostly. I met another woman from a bit further South and the same thing. A carbon copy. Then there were men who believed in spirits living alongside them who they could communicate with and hypnosis fanatics into it too. I feel people who are into modern country also tend to be into mediums and there is always something lacking in their lives.

Wtf

brian_t

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Another thing I would add about this awful scene is the fake happy clappy social gatherings TV like to show of it. This Stetsons and Stilettos shows us all the lighthearted and happy side of it which is not the true story. From those I have met who are genuinely into it, the direct opposite is true. I met a woman from the Northwest of Ireland and she was a combination of a religious nutter and had diagnosis of severe mental illness. While this was not her fault, she could get very hurting of one sending abusive messages and playing nasty mindgames. Think the Lucy Mallon character from Fair City (the actor who played her was even from the same general area, north Longford. This woman I knew was from the county next to it a few miles from Newtownforbes where Lorna Quinn came from). She was obsessed with modern country acts from the Northwest mostly. I met another woman from a bit further South and the same thing. A carbon copy. Then there were men who believed in spirits living alongside them who they could communicate with and hypnosis fanatics into it too. I feel people who are into modern country also tend to be into mediums and there is always something lacking in their lives.

With opinions like this you are in a minority of one.

The majority of TV viewers love reality TV shows. They are ordinary, well-balanced and perfectly sane people. And certainly not the brainless idiots you say they are.

I, by the way, never watch reality TV and I've never watched Stetsons and Stilettos.

BuilderPlumber

brian_t wrote: »

With opinions like this you are in a minority of one.

The majority of TV viewers love reality TV shows. They are ordinary, well-balanced and perfectly sane people. And certainly not the brainless idiots you say they are.

I, by the way, never watch reality TV and I've never watched Stetsons and Stilettos.

With regard to reality TV, it depends on the show. I know Big Brother is very popular. Do not watch it though but it definitely is popular. RTE's efforts will have their following but a lot of people will not be liking them. Dragon's Den, Room to Improve, etc. serve niche audiences.

Country music is genuinely popular in Ireland but most people favour the older styles or else Garth Brooks. Most people do not want this modern silly drivel and I think we are all sick of RTE forcing boybands at us.

There is a reason why viewers are falling for shows like Tubridy's on a Friday night. There is a reason for the rise of Netflix and other such services.

Sure, there is a big audience for reality TV and a much smaller audience for modern country music but everyone else is not catered for most of the time. Music is not well catered for by current Irish TV. There is a focus on all this lightweight stuff the whole time and on performers who can only sing one type of thing. This is an offput for most music fans.

Asus X540L

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

With regard to reality TV, it depends on the show. I know Big Brother is very popular. Do not watch it though but it definitely is popular. RTE's efforts will have their following but a lot of people will not be liking them. Dragon's Den, Room to Improve, etc. serve niche audiences.

Country music is genuinely popular in Ireland but most people favour the older styles or else Garth Brooks. Most people do not want this modern silly drivel and I think we are all sick of RTE forcing boybands at us.

There is a reason why viewers are falling for shows like Tubridy's on a Friday night. There is a reason for the rise of Netflix and other such services.

Sure, there is a big audience for reality TV and a much smaller audience for modern country music but everyone else is not catered for most of the time. Music is not well catered for by current Irish TV. There is a focus on all this lightweight stuff the whole time and on performers who can only sing one type of thing. This is an offput for most music fans.

What do you do in your spare time if you don't mind me asking, Plummie m8?

neirbloom

brian_t wrote: »

With opinions like this you are in a minority of one.

The majority of TV viewers love reality TV shows. They are ordinary, well-balanced and perfectly sane people. And certainly not the brainless idiots you say they are.

I, by the way, never watch reality TV and I've never watched Stetsons and Stilettos.

There's a few reasons why the networks love making these kind of shows, Dirt cheap to make (in most cases), fill up the schedule's handy and they'll always seem to cater to some kind of audience unlike a lot of serial programme's especially in RTEs case which can be hit or miss most of the time and if one of these shows is a hit in one country its pretty easy to replicate elsewhere and so on.

George White

Went to Castleblayney and realised, "Nah. There isn't really anything to say about country n Irish. THAT is why there is so little written, why Stetsons is the way it is, why Margo's book when not hinting at dodgy business is mostly boasts about US stars. YES, there might be a few freakish relics but everyone is dead, old or uninteresting. Everything that'd been or needs to be said behind the scenes has been said. There are stories but they are tied into the troubles. Plus everyone takes it far too seriously. On the bus up I met by an expat Dub who told me not to be so flippant because the locals don't see it as a bit of light ent fluff but something akin to a religious experience, because like late era Northern Soul, it is the dancing that counts. They call it the Vegas of Ireland, but I noted that Branson was a fairer comparison. She also said that never tell a boyfolk act they are not country or they will get very angry.

BuilderPlumber

George White wrote: »

Went to Castleblayney and realised, "Nah. There isn't really anything to say about country n Irish. THAT is why there is so little written, why Stetsons is the way it is, why Margo's book when not hinting at dodgy business is mostly boasts about US stars. YES, there might be a few freakish relics but everyone is dead, old or uninteresting. Everything that'd been or needs to be said behind the scenes has been said. There are stories but they are tied into the troubles. Plus everyone takes it far too seriously. On the bus up I met by an expat Dub who told me not to be so flippant because the locals don't see it as a bit of light ent fluff but something akin to a religious experience, because like late era Northern Soul, it is the dancing that counts. They call it the Vegas of Ireland, but I noted that Branson was a fairer comparison. She also said that never tell a boyfolk act they are not country or they will get very angry.

I'd add that the alternative forms of Irish country music especially the bluesier one are kept out because of the media's preoccupation with this modern drivel. Boyfolk acts need to be told they are not country. Let em get angry if they like, they should not be pretending to be a genre they are not. Their anger shows their insecurity.

BuilderPlumber

Asus X540L wrote: »

What do you do in your spare time if you don't mind me asking, Plummie m8?

Plenty things. When it comes to entertainment, CDs, downloads, DVDs and so on offer all the stuff the TV is lacking.

George White

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

I'd add that the alternative forms of Irish country music especially the bluesier one are kept out because of the media's preoccupation with this modern drivel. Boyfolk acts need to be told they are not country. Let em get angry if they like, they should not be pretending to be a genre they are not. Their anger shows their insecurity.

That's what struck me about the industry when I visited. The whole place reeked of insecurity.

George White

Just messaged a lot of those guys on twitter - publicly. I didn't want to do it, to come across as a troll, but I just wanted to tell them. I think I might sounded ruder than I imagined.

Ol' Donie

Can anyone tell me what the stilettos have to do with anything? Isn't the footwear of choice for Country & Western the Cowboy boot?

Please tell me, it's wrecking my head.

George White

It's what the jiving wives wear.
The sorts Peter Kay describes here - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2ny7d

BuilderPlumber

Ol' Donie wrote: »

Can anyone tell me what the stilettos have to do with anything? Isn't the footwear of choice for Country & Western the Cowboy boot?

Please tell me, it's wrecking my head.

The answer is this is NOT country music. It is a paddywhackery boyfolk tubridist equivalent of music.