Let's all take Blindboy seriously now...

CGI_Livia_Soprano · 22-09-2023 12:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121142499#Comment_121142499

It’s not extraneous information. He’s a performer, not some dry public intellectual, and his absurd false accent and costumes are a part of that performance. You and some other posters seem to think that he is above any criticism but I disagree.

Whatever about some posh middle class type putting on a fake skanger accent when he’s talking about smoking hash, him putting on the same affectations while he’s talking about some fairly heinous crimes is in very bad taste.

listermint · 22-09-2023 12:46PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121142630#Comment_121142630

Can you quote who said he's above criticism? That's a fairly absurd statement.

CGI_Livia_Soprano · 22-09-2023 01:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121142702#Comment_121142702

Can you quote where I claimed someone said that he is above criticism? It’s called an observation, friend, I don’t need an sneering middle-class comedian to make them for me after all.

When you resort to that kind of semantic arguments, you’ve lost the debate. Maybe you should consider going out for a walk yourself and mulling over the idea that some people simply aren’t as enamoured with Blindboy as yourself.

El_Duderino 09 · 22-09-2023 01:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121142579#Comment_121142579

If you like. I heard what he said bout Brand and it made sense to me.

No point repeating that it's different because Brendan O'Carroll usually presents himself as himself. If you don't want to understand that point then no amount of repeating it will change your mind.

El_Duderino 09 · 22-09-2023 01:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121142630#Comment_121142630

Above criticism? Hardly.

That's the only way he interacts publicly. The content of what he said about Brand was fine, in my opinion that's what's important to me. You seem more focused on the extraneous stuff. That's your right.

listermint · 22-09-2023 03:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121142759#Comment_121142759

'You and some other posters seem to think he's above criticism'

If you are going to have a legitimate debate about something you can't put words in people's mouths or sentences they didn't write.

You are evidently arguing in bad faith, that much is clear. If you cannot prove the statements you make to the people you are making statements about then don't make them.

As I said, absurd.

Brian? · 22-09-2023 04:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121142630#Comment_121142630

Above criticism? Definitely not.

Is your criticism justified? Definitely not.

if you think he’s saying the right things, who gives a **** if he’s dropping character or not.

taxAHcruel · 23-09-2023 06:13AM

Indeed. Thinking one critique is not valid is very very far indeed from thinking no critique is warranted. He, like anyone, is far from perfect. There are valid things to critique him about. This is just not one of them.

What appears to be going on here is something I realised about myself a long time ago and I matured past it. It was related to a comedian on the BBC called Harry Hill. I found him crass, base, silly and unfunny in the extreme and that his humor and character were extremely childish and simplictic. I questioned therefore why he was allowed on the Tele at all and was even quite annoyed he had a career at all.

Eventually I realised all of the above was _ my _ subjective reaction to him. And my subjective reaction was an attribute of me, not him. And therefore extrapolating from something true about me - into something that should be true about him was in fact what was childish and silly. I was - to put it mildly - being a complete arrogant dumbass.

A similar kind of thing is happening here. The user above finds the accent of the Blindboy persona "silly". That subjective reaction is an attribute of the user _ not _ of Blindboy. I don't find it silly. To be honest I do not "hear" it at all. It's just his voice. It neither pleases me nor annoys me. It just is.

But that user is extrapolating from that reaction into a negative critique of Blindboy issueing a serious statement in that accent. And is defendng that reaction/conclusion as warranted or fair. It is anything but. It is entirely the user's problem - just like Harry Hill being on the Tele was my problem. I grew up and got over it/myself though.

Brian? · 23-09-2023 08:24AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121145679#Comment_121145679

I agree with all of that. I’d take it one step further though. The criticism is based on him affecting a Limerick “skanger” accent while speaking about a serious subject. I think the poster would go further and diminish the opinion of anyone who genuinely has that accent.

There is snobbery involved. Only middle class comedians can be serious. But if they pretend to be not middle class, that’s a heinous crime. No one should want to sound working class.

Bur, to your point, that’s a subjective reaction of mine. Based on how people react to my working class accent that deepens when I’m stressed or annoyed.

listermint · 23-09-2023 09:07AM

I had to listen back to the Brand bit because of the comments above. Maybe I'm mad, but he doesn't do any of his limerick accent bits during it. He just talks normally like a limerick person would.

I'm getting the impression some people haven't spoken to anyone outside the pale.

Bizarre

Brian? · 23-09-2023 09:32AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121145898#Comment_121145898

I’ll be honest horse, he just sounds like most people from Limerick city to me. With some exaggerations sometimes.

But according to some posters he’s a middle class boy who’d never sound like that. So I can’t call them liars.

eightieschewbaccy · 23-09-2023 09:38AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121139628#Comment_121139628

He's discussed numerous serious issues with that accent. He didn't make light of the accusations or treat the women disrespectfully... Sounded like a honest statement.

Strumms · 23-09-2023 09:42AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121142630#Comment_121142630

Then by that logic he should just stick to performing.

because if he as that character delves seriously into social / health issues as he is doing he’s just going to be judged on what comes out of his mouth, no way to avoid it..

CGI_Livia_Soprano · 23-09-2023 10:39AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121145833#Comment_121145833

I think the poster would go further and diminish the opinion of anyone who genuinely has that accent.

That may actually be the most ridiculous supposition I have ever read on this site, it is eye-wateringly stupid.

Blindboy is a comedian whose persona started as a vessel for parodying working class people in Limerick. He has drifted away from that open mockery of the working class community but he is still enjoying the platform that he has garnered from that time, and he still speaks in an affected working class “skanger” accent to this day.

I am a person who is as working class as it gets and I am unashamedly sensitive about anyone from a similar background to myself from being parodied by sneering bad actors, even if they have somehow managed to rehabilitate their image like Blindboy has. Now he’s the “mentil hilt” guru all of his transgressions are forgiven.

I am really astounded at this idea that criticising Blindboy, a man who mocks the working class in his own city, is somehow also a criticism of the working classes themselves. He has literally built his career sneering at them.

Like I said before there are a few posters here who absolutely will not hear a word said against Blindboy, they will defend him to the ends of earth from totally fair criticism and then claim not to be a fan. It’s very funny and just so silly. They’re so silly.

Brian? · 23-09-2023 11:42AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121146114#Comment_121146114

It’s amazing the lack of self awareness you’ve shown in this post. Calling me stupid while posting absolute and total nonsense.

The Rubberbandits never mocked or looked down on working class people. As the other poster said that’s a subjective opinion that you’ve created. An opinion which, to use your own nomenclature, is “eye wateringly stupid”.

You’ve decided you don’t like the guy and instead of doing the sane thing you engage in weird critiques of him. It’s actually fascinating to watch

Now this is simple, please read it twice. I have no problem with legitimate criticism of the guy, but your criticism is not legitimate. Don’t like his podcast? Fine, either do I. I don’t find it particularly interesting. But criticism him for his accent. You’re being silly

CGI_Livia_Soprano · 23-09-2023 12:58PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121146269#Comment_121146269

The Rubberbandits never mocked or looked down on working class people.

I had to stop reading here. I suppose the song Hash Party where he puts on a “skanger” accent and sings about not having a job was a celebration, was it? Your arguments are obtuse.

Brian? · 23-09-2023 01:57PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121146489#Comment_121146489

You don’t know what obtuse means if you think I’m being obtuse.

Arguing that someone is an idiot or somehow slow is a cowards way to debate. Attack me as a poster instead of trying to argue the substance of the issue.

It’s exactly what you’re doing to Blindboy. Attack his accent, not what he’s saying.

CGI_Livia_Soprano · 23-09-2023 03:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121146713#Comment_121146713

First of all nobody called you an idiot, or stupid. Your arguments are idiotic, and stupid, not you. So is the idea that you would pull up anyone on their (correct) use of “obtuse” when you bandy around words like “nomenclature” incorrectly.

Nobody is insulting you personally, I don’t know why you keep interpreting that as such and repeating it. I’m certainly not attacking him personally either, merely the comic Blindboy persona that he presents to the world and the strict adherence to maintaining that persona even when he is discussing incredibly sensitive topics.

You and I and everyone reading this all know that the guy who portrays Blindboy started off by putting on a working class Limerick accent to take the piss out of a certain demographic in Limerick City. He likes to rewrite history a little bit (see his defence for the song Spastic Hawk where he pretended years later that he didn’t know “spastic” was an ableist slur) so he may well say now that that wasn’t his intention but it’s fairly obvious that he would be full of bull.

So when he (as his Blindboy persona in the Rubberbandits) releases a song called “Hash Party” where he affected a “skanger”/working class accent and said that he doesn’t have a job, do you think that was a celebration of the working class citizenry of Limerick City or do you agree that he was slagging them? Just a little bit? Go on be honest. What about Horse Outside? Was he praising the working class community of Limerick then?

Now this is very simple so don’t be such a silly billy and don’t resort to semantic arguments along the lines that he wasn’t targeting the working class he was only targeting scumbags or whatever. Just think about it, and please don’t come back to me with silly unfounded accusations of personal attacks. So silly.

listermint · 23-09-2023 07:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121147017#Comment_121147017

The accent he speaks in his podcast is his accent.

The singing voice he put on with his bandits music was put on.

I think you've a seriously poor ear for accents because you are fabricating working class accent (which is his). I don't think you've a notion what limerick people sound like. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you're a Dub, little travelled on this island.

CGI_Livia_Soprano · 23-09-2023 07:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121147716#Comment_121147716

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you're a Dub, little travelled on this island.

Swing and a miss 🏏

Edit:

The accent he speaks in his podcast is his accent.

By the way, this isn’t true. I have heard his real voice, and the accent he puts on when he’s performing as Blindboy is a put on.

listermint · 23-09-2023 08:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121147798#Comment_121147798

Not true,

That's his accent. But sure look can't be talking sense to someone that's being senseless.

H_Lime · 23-09-2023 08:39PM

78 pages about his feckin accent, get a grip.

Brian? · 23-09-2023 09:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121148133#Comment_121148133

Ah now, that’s not fair. There was a page about him wearing a bag on his napper.

H_Lime · 23-09-2023 09:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121148414#Comment_121148414

Unreal eh. These are the people I dread sitting next to at weddings.

El_Duderino 09 · 24-09-2023 12:15AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121148133#Comment_121148133

Ah, it's a bit more interesting than you'd think. Some people can focus on the meassage, some people can only focus on the speaker and can't see past it. It's the same reason why dumbed down news stations like Fox News only have dolly-bird reporters. If you want to reach some people, you just need to do it with style rather than substance. It's a well researched topic. See: direct vs circuitous routes to persuasion.

Brian? · 24-09-2023 09:18AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121148559#Comment_121148559

”I’ll tell you something for nothing …… and that’s a fact”

Usually something bigoted and very rarely a fact.

Brian? · 24-09-2023 09:26AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149247#Comment_121149247

I’m amazed by it.

In Ireland we indulge in it more than most places I believe. Working class people aren’t worth listening to because of their accents, but posh people aren’t worth listening to either. The ultimate sin is the be seen as “fake”, a middle class person affecting the accent of a working class person is the ultimate sin.

If I had any sort of sociology background I’d give it a study. But look at the media we’re exposed to. Every newsreader, radio DJ and journalist spoke in an accent that doesn’t really exist when I was growing up. It was so neutral I never heard it anywhere except on television or radio. Anne Doyle perfected it. I suspect, whether we like it or not, we’ve been conditioned to believe a neutral accent is the only respectable accent.

I say it in work life as well, the more senior the management the more neutral the accent.

Anyway, I’m rambling. But there’s an interesting discussion in here somewhere