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Let's all take Blindboy seriously now...

Sky King

People do know this is a character right? And not an actual person?

Does it strike anyone else as strange that a made-up persona with a fake voice, parody accent and a fking plastic bag on his head is treated like a normal, regular person in debates and current affairs TV shows? And given the same credibility and respect as an actual real person?

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

Or discussing the 8th amendment and feminism with Mrs Brown, The Bottler and Podge and Rodge? It would be treated like a joke (obviously), but when the prank phone call making, glue-huffing, spastic hawk-toting Blindboy talks serious we all suddenly have to sit up take it seriously.

If I was asked to debate on the same show as a parody character I'd be more than a little pissed off.

By all means share your story on mental health or offer an opinion on our education system. But for fk sake would you give us and the other people on the show the respect of doing it yourself, in a real voice? Without a fking bag on your head?

Alternatively if you prefer holding on to the bag, you could try going back to... you know... being funny. And less preachy.

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Prune Tracy

He just grasps whatever is considered the "right on" position at a given time. 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) and "we" are all responsible. Few months later whinging about "the Brits" and Ireland is better.

Brian?

c_man wrote: »

Ah that Willie o'Dea song was pretty funny. Problem for them was that there's a certain geographic boundary to how far jokes about Limerick and drugs go (things didn't work out on C4 for example) so no international breakthrough, and people here got pretty bored of the hole schtick. Yeah, we get it you singing about yokes and robbing stuff... *snore* So that led to the pivot to where they are now i.e. right-on, PC stuff. It's given them a huge new audience and devoted following.

I had a look at their Twitter during the last "controversy" about them. Wow. Apparently anyone who expresses the sentiment that they're not funny anymore is a right wing troll. Says them anyways.

You know things worked very well on C4 for them? So much so they got a series on ITV. They’ve also sold out many shows in he UK and did well at the Edinburgh festival.

Say what you want, but they’ve been very successful in the UK. There’s this weird narrative about the Rubberbandits that they’ve never been successful outside Ireland, that has zero basis in reality.

c_man

Boom_Bap wrote: »

What's the problem with wanting to stay anonymous before or after he gets on/off stage?

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.

andekwarhola

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.

Boom_Bap

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.

Dude, I'm just badly repeating what he has said as to why he wears it, and I can understand why he does it based on what he has said.
And I don't think that Shirley Temple Bar is a suitable comparison either.

[Deleted User]

Boom_Bap wrote: »

What's the problem with wanting to stay anonymous before or after he gets on/off stage?

Has his character always worn a bag over their head even in the early days?

I did ask already but you just replied with another question. I also stated I don’t know much about them.

Brian?

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.

Your shotgun approach to debating is quite entertaining.

The Rubberbandits shouldn’t be listened to, we get it. No need to keep trotting out more reasons.

I for one am entertained by their comedy and enjoy their social commentary. I don’t give a fig about the bags.

Well, I do like that one of them wears a bag from JCs in Swords. That’s pretty great.

Sky King

lawred2 wrote: »

You do know that he's not a fictional character in a TV program right?

Yes he is.

Brian?

Sky King wrote: »

Yes he is.

You need to learn the difference between a fictional character and a persona.

Cee-Jay-Cee

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.

lawred2

lawred2 wrote: »

You do know that he's not a fictional character in a TV program right?

Sky King wrote: »

Yes he is.

Sky King wrote: »

...Is it always easy to draw the distinction between when he is saying something deadly serious or just completely taking the piss? It might be easy for you or me but it may not be for the feeble minded fans he has that he impresses with the big words.

hmmmmm

[Deleted User]

Does anyone have an answer to my question?

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

[Deleted User]

Willie O Dea, Bag of Glue, Blackman, Up the Ra, classic tunes

buried

'Hipster or a Hobo' is great tune too! Didn't know he had his own podcast out, going to download that now for the listen later! Nice wan AH

Sky King

Brian? wrote: »

You need to learn the difference between a fictional character and a persona.

Perhaps I do. I have the same problem being lectured to in a fake accent by either to be honest.

c_man

Brian? wrote: »

You know things worked very well on C4 for them? So much so they got a series on ITV. They’ve also sold out many shows in he UK and did well at the Edinburgh festival.

The show was cancelled though, aye? And the Fringe? Yeah, you could put money on more than half the audience being Irish. C'mon, I've lived there through around 5 or so. You get all the usual Irish acts over and they do well with the Irish there. That's the case and there's nothing wrong with that.

The Rubberbandits shouldn’t be listened to, we get it.

Don't believe I ever said that...

No need to keep trotting out more reasons.

Oh thanks... Is that back seat modding? Who's permission should I ask to post in future, yours or the lad who claims he's so enlightened that he doesn't even see the plastic bag?

topper75

Ush1 wrote: »

They were funnier when they left out the preachy bull****e and actually did comedy.

Yeah sadly a lot of comedians over the years tipped over into "They all love me. So logically, I must share my ideas for the world with them".

I once saw a Steve Hughes show - first half funny all good. Just like I had hoped. Second half was like some sort of students union discussion of world politics. I wouldn't have got money back so no point in asking.

frozenfrozen

Everyone on television is a character, the bag just makes someone so obviously a character that more gob****es become aware of the fact that they are a character.

[Deleted User]

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.

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

Insect Overlord

DickSwiveller wrote: »

What do you expect in an infantile society? The fact that this clown is taken seriously shows what a state we're in.

I think you should educate yourself on what exactly it means to be a "clown".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clown

It is a tremendous art-form. Even David Bowie adopted a clown persona for some of his most interesting work.

Blindboy Boatclub may have become famous off the back of some songs that people find funny, but there should be no question about his ability as an artist.

Boom_Bap

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

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.

frozenfrozen

Listen to the intro of this episode of his podcast: https://www.acast.com/blindboy/thebournevillechorus

Addresses exactly what is being discussed here..

Stone Deaf 4evr

I dunno, everyone treats the Healy Raes like they're real people not playing characters, why do we have to single out poor blindboy?

chrissb8

The whole point that he can be taken seriously in a plastic bag is what he's trying to get at. Infact I'd say he's an inverse of what we're used to. Men in suits with serious faces talking laughable bulls**t to us. What he's saying is to actually listen to him and don't worry about what he looks like or how he presents himself physically. The idea that we need to be dressed up or propped up in a certain way to be taken seriously when the truth doesn't matter where it comes from. Because it's the truth nothing more or nothing less. I respect that alot. Infact not many people could go on a talk show and hold their own in the get up he puts on.

Also what is wrong with his stances on feminism and the repeal campaign he's right. Alot of young men have a huge amount of respect for him for using his voice to talk about mental health and the issues of feminism to men. He's not a champion but he's said it himself he's had issues with his own mental health and sees a perceived wrong in the trivilisation of mental health in Ireland. And is he wrong? How many young men in Ireland are committing suicide or suffering alone. He's using his voice for something extremely important and not going away. If someone is articulate and has what looks like to me alot of relevant and important things to say their appearance means nothing. Would it matter if he was wearing the bag and was on radio or even in the newspaper?

I would have more people dressed in ridiculous outfits if we could get half the brain blindboy seems to have. This is just another case of get off your high horse and down with the rest of us. You can guess I'm a big fan of his and you can ascertain how wrong you are in thinking he's talking nonsense when he has so clearly struck a chord with many and his "arrogant" msgs of a more utilitarian Ireland. God forbid.

[Deleted User]

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.

Gay Byrne did the same thing 40 years ago for a different generation.

Have to say I don't get the plastic bag but if the man makes sense then he makes sense. It's easy for older generations to knock the bandits.

johnnyryan89

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

Has his character always worn a bag over their head even in the early days?

I did ask already but you just replied with another question. I also stated I don’t know much about them.

Yes

Boom_Bap

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

[Deleted User]

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.

what do you expect..He's got a plastic bag on his head..

draiochtanois

This post has been deleted.

OnDraught

Sky King wrote: »

Perhaps I do. I have the same problem being lectured to in a fake accent by either to be honest.

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.