Let's all take Blindboy seriously now...

RGDATA!

Prune Tracy wrote: »

The Rubberbandits were falling over themselves on St Patrick's Day over some self loathing tweet about how terrible and oppressive and anti women Ireland is (yeah, it's like ****ing Syria)

does Ireland have to be like Syria for his statement to be true? Did he try to make any comparison between Ireland and Syria?

Boom_Bap

Boom_Bap wrote: »

This is where I think he excels. He is able to take a difficult complex subject and turn it into something that is easy to digest and understand.

Yes, young men thrown on the economic scrap-heap by global neo-liberalism just need to learn how to let a woman take them out for dinner.

Fantastic insight, not patronising at all.

Rumpy Pumpy

One of his short stories was printed in the Sindo yesterday. Turgid stuff. I think it was trying to be satire, but it completely missed the mark. Type of shïte you’d expect from a creative writing class.

frozenfrozen

Deleted User wrote: »

Yes, young men thrown on the economic scrap-heap by global neo-liberalism just need to learn how to let a woman take them out for dinner.

Fantastic insight, not patronising at all.

the idea was that they would stop killing themselves because they might just see that they have been thrown on the economic scrap-heap by global neo-liberalism and now find themselves unable to offer the same thing to partners as their fathers did; That they could try to become OK with the idea of not being the sole breadwinner in a relationship.

Prune Tracy

RGDATA! wrote: »

does Ireland have to be like Syria for his statement to be true? Did he try to make any comparison between Ireland and Syria?

It is insulting to people who have to live in Syria and Yemen and the like, to say that Ireland is oppressive and anti women.

That doesn't mean there is anything wrong with measured criticisms (there are things to criticise - although blaming us today for history is just illogical) but perspective is sorely needed from a lot of Irish people today.

DickSwiveller

Sleeper12 wrote: »

We sent Dustin the Turkey to the Euro vision!

I'm not a rubber bandits fan but he actually speaks for a generation of people. He is the Gay Byrne of this generation. He actually makes sense a lot of the time. His haunted bread was a brilliant statement

"He actually speaks for a generation"

What does this even mean? Who appointed him spokesman?

Odhinn

DickSwiveller wrote: »

"He actually speaks for a generation"

What does this even mean? Who appointed him spokesman?

Better him than Bono

DickSwiveller

Odhinn wrote: »

Better him than Bono

I'll take neither if it's all the same.

frozenfrozen

frozenfrozen wrote: »

the idea was that they would stop killing themselves because they might just see that they have been thrown on the economic scrap-heap by global neo-liberalism and now find themselves unable to offer the same thing to partners as their fathers did; That they could try to become OK with the idea of not being the sole breadwinner in a relationship.

I wonder if it occurs to blindboy that "I have nothing to offer a woman" actually translates to "no woman is interested in me"?

Ironically this is a pretty transparent case of a successful man failing to 'check his privilege'. It's easy for someone like Blindboy (or me) to be comfortable with a woman buying us dinner. He doesn't have anything to prove, he isn't chippy about having nothing, he has a fulfilling life - and presumably no problem finding women willing to buy him dinner either (unemployed men in Limerick might not find it so easy).

He might want to think about that before offering such vacuous blandishments on the telly.

buried

OnDraught wrote: »

What about on here where virtually nobody is using their real names or pictures in their avatars? Not much point being here at all if you need real faces and names to take a conversation seriously.

Some audiences can't handle somebody like this lad in the cultural limelight or having some semblance of fame if that audience doesn't know exactly who he is. He can't be chased about by a pitchfork gang back to his gaff if it all goes tits up for him. That's the real problem here :pac:

Riddle101

I don't think their opinions are less valid then anyone elses. You might not agree with their opinions, but they're standing up for what they believe and are given a voice to certain issues. It's easy to attack them for their look/image but I wouldn't totally disregard what they have to say just for that.

frozenfrozen

Deleted User wrote: »

I wonder if it occurs to blindboy that "I have nothing to offer a woman" actually translates to "no woman is interested in me"?

Ironically this is a pretty transparent case of a successful man failing to 'check his privilege'. It's easy for someone like Blindboy (or me) to be comfortable with a woman buying us dinner. He doesn't have anything to prove, he isn't chippy about having nothing, he has a fulfilling life - and presumably no problem finding women willing to buy him dinner either (unemployed men in Limerick might not find it so easy).

He might want to think about that before offering such vacuous blandishments on the telly.

It's double edged. Women heard what he had to say too. Maybe some of them might cop on to the fact that they can't expect an unemployed man from Limerick to wine and dine her?

I think you're picking it up wrong anyway, it doesn't literally mean find a woman to buy you dinner and your life will be better. It's to become at peace with the fact that a woman can be in the position to buy you dinner. Some men would be physically unable to let a woman pay for their dinner because of pride or what they might think others would think about them if word got around that they couldn't pay.

He goes into detail about this in the original interview...

scopper

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

Does anyone have an answer to my question?

Has blind boy always worn a bag on his head. Even when they started out?

Yes, they always have.

Their identities are not exactly secret, they were art students back in the day so would tend toward liberal. There are photos of them without the bags though personally I think it's a clever way to be famous, but still anonymous.

goose2005

RGDATA! wrote: »

Who is he a parody of anyway?

Poor people

Saruhashi

If his opinions are contentious or controversial then the "plastic bag on head" gimmick can actually work quite well against his opponents. You lose credibility, I think, when you are seen trying to seriously debate a guy with a plastic bag on his head.

You can see this on Youtube quite a lot where people will do this mix of comedy and political commentary while using a "funny" avatar. Anyone who is looking to seriously take issues with the political points ends up looking like a dummy who is arguing with a cartoon character on the internet.

I'm gonna go there and suggest that it's a tactic Trump used very well in the long build up to last years election. A larger than life, ridiculous looking, not always 100% serious character who mops the floor with the opposition because even getting in a debate with him makes you look bad. The old "he brings you down to his level and then beats you with experience" thing.

Ficheall

I reckon the world would be a happier place if more of these public speakers had plastic bags placed over their heads.

Insect Overlord

Saruhashi wrote: »

I'm gonna go there and suggest that it's a tactic Trump used very well in the long build up to last years election. A larger than life, ridiculous looking, not always 100% serious character who mops the floor with the opposition because even getting in a debate with him makes you look bad. The old "he brings you down to his level and then beats you with experience" thing.

The problem with your suggestion is that Blindboy often operates on a level that is, arguably, above that of his critics. He's a very eloquent and well-read man. His thick accent seems to belie this, especially when it comes to people who haven't really listened to him before trying to argue with him.

Fr_Dougal

Sky King wrote: »

Imagine Fr. Dougal Mcguire, Dustin the Turkey and Fortycoats appearing our incisive current affairs shows discussing mental health with Alan Partridge adjudicating.

:mad::mad:

riffmongous

andekwarhola wrote: »

Mixed bag for me, insofar as I spend time thinking about it.

Some of his stuff makes me laugh and I want to approve of hin more than I do but there's a undeniable sliver of irritation there for me too.

There's a definite bang of Right On about it, not least when there's a blizzard of internet approval from certain types every time he opens his mouth.

That said, I could never fully dislike anybody that came up with the Trout Of No Craic.

Thank you for this, some serious tunes in those videos

Dannyriver

c_man wrote: »

Well a straight google search for Blindboy gets you his name and picture, among other details. So let's leave the anonymous thing aside as it's a non-runner, obviously anyone who's interested can seek him out. What we're left with is that the bag, mock accent et al is part of the character. You wouldn't seriously claim Shirely Temple Bar had the wig and all so yer man could shop in Dunnes in peace.

bull**** I know the guy well and have been out in Limerick with him many times and most people don t have a clue who he is unless you actually know him outside of the bandits. The people in the housing estate that he lives in don t even know bar a few who know him personally. Literally everything you have just said in your post about him is nonsense.

Dannyriver

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

I’ve come to consider him as a male version of Twink. Basically they wheel him out to fill a slot when they absolutely can’t get anyone else.

Read his book man,or even the review of it i ve linked below. Cant remember twink releasing a book that was lauded by critics and fellow writers and artists. or maybe I missed that one.

https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/book-reviews/demented-dishevelled-and-deeply-surreal-blindboy-boatclubs-book-will-shock-and-delight-36265267.html

buried

Listened to his podcast there, really enjoyed it. He reads a chapter of his book in the first episode. I'd say he's a Alan Moore fan, and that's fine by me because so am I. Will more than likely buy it now. Would definitely buy a audiobook version if he manages to narrate it himself. Thought provoking and entertaining stuff

tomwaterford

Dannyriver wrote: »

bull**** I know the guy well and have been out in Limerick with him many times and most people don t have a clue who he is unless you actually know him outside of the bandits. The people in the housing estate that he lives in don t even know bar a few who know him personally. Literally everything you have just said in your post about him is nonsense.

I won't link it....but a simple google who is blindboy rubberbandits gives an name and pic

DC??

Dannyriver

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

Does anyone have an answer to my question?

Has blind boy always worn a bag on his head. Even when they started out?

not when they were doing prank phone calls years ago as it wasnt necessary, but for their first live performance they decided to use it as they always wanted to remain anonymous and didn t want to go down the actual mask road so in a nod to their surreal comedy they went for the plastic shopping bag with the line that they wanted to attract women and women love shopping. Blindboy has spoken in interviews about how he loved what daft punk have managed to do yet staying relatively anonymous.

Insect Overlord

buried wrote: »

Listened to his podcast there, really enjoyed it. He reads a chapter of his book in the first episode. I'd say he's a Alan Moore fan, and that's fine by me because so am I. Will more than likely buy it now. Would definitely buy a audiobook version if he manages to narrate it himself. Thought provoking and entertaining stuff

He's narrated three of the stories now, one in each podcast. They're incredible. Very, very dark.

There's something bizarre about hearing references to very specific Limerick locations in works of fiction. I suppose for some reason I would have expected him to make up fake place-names.

Dannyriver

Rumpy Pumpy wrote: »

One of his short stories was printed in the Sindo yesterday. Turgid stuff. I think it was trying to be satire, but it completely missed the mark. Type of shïte you’d expect from a creative writing class.

Tell that to kevin Barry and Danny Boyle, 2 writers who actually achieved something in the field of art rather than being stuck here on boards criticising **** that s just gone over their head.

I love Sean nos

Sky King wrote: »

Imagine Fr. Dougal Mcguire, Dustin the Turkey and Fortycoats appearing our incisive current affairs shows discussing mental health with Alan Partridge adjudicating.

That sounds ****ing brilliant. When's it on?

Dannyriver

Boom_Bap wrote: »

The problem is that most people stop at the bag and have their opinion formed of him....never-mind even listening to him.

That just means they d their minds made up already, there s very little you can say to people like that that could make difference.

buried

Insect Overlord wrote: »

He's narrated three of the stories now, one in each podcast. They're incredible. Very, very dark.

There's something bizarre about hearing references to very specific Limerick locations in works of fiction. I suppose for some reason I would have expected him to make up fake place-names.

Yeah, I found it very much akin to Moore's novels such as 'Voice of The Fire' and 'Jerusalem', the vivid descriptions and stories of characters and places from someones actual home town and streets, dark warts and all. It was great to hear it done by a Irish artist and tongue. His talk about creativity and flow was also really interesting and motivating. Have the other two saved for later on tonight! Fair play to whoever brought the podcast up in here earlier

Jayop

3 of the top 5 threads right now on AH are complaining about people from the left having a voice and expressing it. These are the same people who will then cry about no-platforming and that yoke that was chucked from the SU for being an IONA stooge.

If anything is a parody of itself, it's this place and not yer man with the bag on his head.