Australian journalist says comment on Irish in Sydney was ‘a joke’

ricardo1

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/asia-pacific/australian-journalist-says-comment-on-irish-in-sydney-was-a-joke-1.2675611

An Australian journalist caused offence to the Irish down under and some people at home by writing in a paper that damage caused by a storm to some beach in a suburb of Sydney for once wasn't caused by the Irish.

After the Berkley balcony collapse The New York Times printed a story about Irish students on J1 visas in America being a source of embarrassment.

Insensitive as it was at the time to print this a day after the balcony tragedy and as blatantly racist and generalising the Australian journalist was is there some truth and real embarrassment here for the Irish?

Or is it just young Irish people having a bit of banter abroad like every other young person?

Winterlong

Could we stop getting offended for a bit?

tomwaterford

I could see the funny side to it....if ya get upset with every sarcastic/quick comment...



Well you wouldn't want to work where I do

Armchair Andy

Shur wasn't it great weather here the last week? We had to send the storms somewhere!

The_Kew_Tour

Irish people get outraged too much.

He may have a point too.

WoollyRedHat

Winterlong wrote: »

Could we stop getting offended for a bit?

No, how dare you!!!

Dave0301

ricardo1 wrote: »

An Australian journalist caused offence to the Irish down under and some people at home by writing in a paper that damage caused by a storm to some beach in a suburb of Sydney for once wasn't caused by the Irish.

Gave me a chuckle anyway :pac:

Timberrrrrrrr

People offended over an obvious joke, It just gets worse.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Teyla Emmagan

Mildly amusing and only offensive to those who go out of their way to get their knickers in a twist.

SEPT 23 1989

Get a life should have been his only comment to the Irish Times

hairyslug

IM SO SO ANGRY

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

Grr.

Elemonator

It doesn't take much to "offend" people these days. Seems someone needs to be offended about something purely for entertainment purposes more than anything.

My retort would be that it would be more likely the Australians themselves, seeing as they are all descended from prison convicts. I'm knowingly being controversial and so was the journo. Nothing to get offended over, nobody died after all.

stoplooklisten

What more would you expect from a bunch of criminals?

Junkyard Tom

*throws potato angrily* :mad:

Radiosonde

Do people think jokes can't be offensive? If an Irish journalist came out with a similar one-liner, substituting the Irish for Travellers ("damage to town not caused by Travellers for a change") do people think it would be ok?

5starpool

If the truth is offensive to some then that's their problem.

jjpep

Its only rasict if the person is from a group or country or culture etc that is above the group they're talking about.

In this case, its amusing.

Two Tone

Radiosonde wrote: »

Do people think jokes can't be offensive? If an Irish journalist came out with a similar one-liner, substituting the Irish for Travellers ("damage to town not caused by Travellers for a change") do people think it would be ok?

The journalist might be telling the truth in the case of some towns but there would be outrage. It's a difficult one because even if it's the truth, it's a bit inflammatory and polarising. I would not doubt for a moment that the Irish are among some of the worst for anti-social behaviour abroad. I know I'm not among them and many Irish aren't, but unfortunately there is a sizeable contingent that let Ireland down. I personally don't see anything offensive about what the journalist said (more than a grain of truth) but I can also see how it isn't very professional for a journalist to be provocative.

With regard to people getting offended "today", I don't think people are any more prone to being offended than 30 years ago (BBC banning Relax) it's just that it seems more prevalent due to the internet. There is a new type of offended person now though, the perpetually-getting-offended-by-people-being-offended person. Like the easily offended, they also search for/make up stuff, but instead it's examples of people being outraged by something.

Radiosonde

jjpep wrote: »

Its only rasict if the person is from a group or country or culture etc that is above the group they're talking about.

In this case, its amusing.

By that logic, as Japan is not considered "beneath" Ireland in any way, it would not be racist for the Irish to call the Japanese slanty-eyed Japs.

Back in the real world, that would be outrageously racist.

Maireadio

Whilst it was quickly established that the Berkeley balcony collapse was not the fault of the students, some of the stories I've been told by returning J1 students make me realise why a conclusion was jumped to.

I remember a 22 year old PhD student telling me grinningly about his recent J1 summer (he went the summer after his finals) and how they wrecked the house they were staying in. I was like ---> :eek: He was 22! Not a child. How could he think this was fair to the landlord? He had lived at home during college and was continuing to do so for his PhD so I think he was very clueless about responsibilities.

Allinall

Irish people getting offended because they're not blamed for something.

Gotta love it.

Cee-Jay-Cee

ricardo1 wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/asia-pacific/australian-journalist-says-comment-on-irish-in-sydney-was-a-joke-1.2675611

An Australian journalist caused offence to the Irish down under and some people at home by writing in a paper that damage caused by a storm to some beach in a suburb of Sydney for once wasn't caused by the Irish.

After the Berkley balcony collapse The New York Times printed a story about Irish students on J1 visas in America being a source of embarrassment.

Insensitive as it was at the time to print this a day after the balcony tragedy and as blatantly racist and generalising the Australian journalist was is there some truth and real embarrassment here for the Irish?

Or is it just young Irish people having a bit of banter abroad like every other young person?

The ones that have remained behind aren't much better. Show the fcukers a bit of sunshine and they converge in parks and beaches with their beer and make sh(i)te of the place.

Jimoslimos

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Young backpackers in drinking and having fun shocker. The "antisocial drunken antics" in the Eastern Suburbs are pretty tame compared to what goes on in Kings X - usually by the locals.

Two factors contribute;
1) A sensationalist tabloid media (thanks Rupert!)
2) Rich snobs in the Eastern Suburbs concerned about house prices.

Two Tone

It's extremely dishonest to say it's just young people drinking and having fun and craic and "a bit of banter" (as the opening post said) if places are getting trashed and people are being a public nuisance with fighting and excessive noise through the night. People can drink and have fun without having to resort to the latter.

It is not just Irish people of course though.

Ruu

Just "banter" like. That makes it all okay.

osarusan

The more houses are smashed up, the more epic the banter is.

fatknacker

Who's offended? Are "the Irish abroad" a legitimate victim group now?

XR3i

i'm moving to oz next week

going to be working as a lifeguard o nbondi beacj,

gonna be on de tele next year

nullzero

This is an outrage, I'll never watch neighbours or home and away again, not to mention that I'll never eat barbecued food or drink their terrible beer again, and the next time I see a marsupial I'm going to punch it in the face, bunch of self important convict descendants.

Dyr

In fairness racism and general obnoxiousness is the closest thing the australians have to a culture, leave them be

Jimoslimos

Ruu wrote: »

Just "banter" like. That makes it all okay.

Nobody's saying it is, but if you were to believe the tabloid media reports most of Sydney would be akin to downtown Baghdad. It really isn't. This report actually paints a more accurate description
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/feb/05/sydneys-fun-police-have-put-out-the-light-of-the-nightlife-the-citys-a-global-laughing-stock

The areas that usually crop up in these reports (Bondi, Coogee, etc) are fairly affluent or border extremely affluent areas. Worse trouble out west is generally ignored.

FWIW if you want to see large scale destruction, drinking and anti-social behaviour, go during Mardi Gras (fairly much akin to Dublin during St Paddy's day but a bit more flamboyant). Now imagine the journalist said the following

“Sydney demolished over the weekend and for a pleasant change the gays aren’t to blame.”

beach_walker

It's alright lads, I pranked him saying I was from the International Drainage Commission. We won't be hearing from him for a while depending on how fast he can pedal.

brandnewaward

firstly , I would hardly call massood a journalist....he's a wannabe sports commentator that has a very cringeful 5 minute slot on a Radio station.Facts dont interest him much , just loves fuelling transfer rumours.
Secondly , he's dead right , Anyone been to Coogee on a sunday after the sun goes down will see how much trash is left behind.
Whoever got offended should really wash the sand out of their vaginas

Two Tone

Jimoslimos wrote: »

Nobody's saying it is, but if you were to believe the tabloid media reports most of Sydney would be akin to downtown Baghdad. It really isn't. This report actually paints a more accurate description

I am not one for criticising Irish people without substance - there are weird such comments on the thread about the 9/11 dog which I do not understand (and I assume they are from Irish people!) but it is not unreasonable to say Irish people tend to be way too messy (to the extent that other people are affected) on nights out abroad (ditto British people). I agree it is best to leave out inflammatory comments about specific groups in a published article though.

Rothko

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Irish people get outraged too much.

FTFY

XR3i

osarusan wrote: »

The more houses are smashed up, the more epic the banter is.

it's not funny but i remember renting a flat one time in berlin with a gentleman from rochdale ,

as soon as we paid the few months rent and deposit and the renter was gone out the door your man from rochdale kicked in the oven door and attacked the kitchen woodwork with a knife :pac:

meepins

ricardo1 wrote: »

Insensitive as it was at the time to print this a day after the balcony tragedy and as blatantly racist and generalising the Australian journalist was is there some truth and real embarrassment here for the Irish?

There's real embarrassment here alright.

Bambi wrote: »

In fairness racism and general obnoxiousness is the closest thing the australians have to a culture, leave them be

Look Mommy, I'm being snarky on the internet.

Two Tone

Bambi wrote: »

In fairness racism and general obnoxiousness is the closest thing the australians have to a culture, leave them be

Irony intentional?

lawlolawl

So, this thread ends up with the usual excuse-making for the ****ty behavior of boozed up Irish having the "craic".

It's not fun for everyone. In fact, it is an excuse for obnoxious and anti-social behavior and we need a boot up the hole as a nation over our conduct in public when we are enjoying ourselves, particularly when alcohol is involved.

We seem incapable of having a good time without taking it too far and then getting offended when someone calls us on our nonsense.

whisky_galore

brandnewaward wrote: »

Secondly , he's dead right , Anyone been to Coogee on a sunday after the sun goes down will see how much trash is left behind.

Don't have to go so far as Coogee, you should see the masses of sh*te people leave after them in their own towns and cities and then they expect someone else to come along and pick it up after them. No respect for their own place, let alone someone else's.

We Irish are far too thin skinned. Rising to the bait every single time.

Radiosonde

lawlolawl wrote: »

So, this thread ends up with the usual excuse-making for the ****ty behavior of boozed up Irish having the "craic".

It's not fun for everyone. In fact, it is an excuse for obnoxious and anti-social behavior and we need a boot up the hole as a nation over our conduct in public when we are enjoying ourselves, particularly when alcohol is involved.

We seem incapable of having a good time without taking it too far and then getting offended when someone calls us on our nonsense.

Which of course doesn't apply to most Irish people abroad, who don't do any of those things. "The Irish" are not collectively responsible for the behaviour of drunken backpackers who happen to be Irish. Blaming an entire community for the misbehaviour of some is wrong.

rubadub

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

Mildly amusing and only offensive to those who go out of their way to get their knickers in a twist.

you should be ashamed of yourself, the acceptable term is "gender neutral underwear in a twist"

Two Tone

Radiosonde wrote: »

Which of course doesn't apply to most Irish people abroad, who don't do any of those things. "The Irish" are not collectively responsible for the behaviour of drunken backpackers who happen to be Irish. Blaming an entire community for the misbehaviour of some is wrong.

I don't think he meant that though - just the Irish who are messers.

Radiosonde

Two Tone wrote: »

I don't think he meant that though - just the Irish who are messers.

He didn't make any distinctions.