Following on from main thread in Current Affairs about Tubs in general (now closed and mod suggestion that Entertainment category is more suitable).
Indeed, entertainment in certain respects is what Tubs has provided, albeit perhaps in a way not intended. And still awaiting 150k payback to the licence fee holder.
And of course, his new career in Virgin Radio which is imminent.
copying some frequent posters from original thread.
@Brendan Bendar
@Gen.Zhukov
@tom23
@thesandeman
@chrisd2019
@Ash.J.Williams
@RoTelly
@hawley
@Loafing Oaf
@Beechwoodspark
@NIMAN
@odyssey06
@fritzelly
@sxt
@jippo nolan
@supereurope
@Tow
@alzer100
@tobefrank321
@jmcc
@Hyperbollix
Cat-Mod: See post here regarding off-topic segues.
Who wrote a book that sold zero copies?
I can imagine Graham thinking everyone I interview has some work behind them with which I can talk to them about in front of the UK public. Where would he even start with Tubs in front of a UK audience?
"Hi everyone, this is Ryan whose Partygate style backhanders were found out so now he's slumming in the UK until he thinks it's safe enough to crawl back to his old job."
I reckon he tried to get a top up of some sort from Norton, be it a shoutout, or a few promo tweets…..
And I can imagine the response from Norton was;
no
Would you consider that a lot of "conceptual" art is the product of low-talent chancers and is aimed at people who wish to be considered sophisticated? :) (Vaguely remember a monkey's artwork being passed off as that of a great artist and fooling quite a few art critics.) Wonder what Tubridy thinks about Aristotle's second book of Poetics?
Regards...jmcc
Illustrator: "Calling it 'Ryan and the President' is a bit too much on the nose. How about we make the child look a little like you instead? "
RT: "OK. Can you also put adult me in the background?"
Illustrator: "Erm...well, that's still a bit...."
NK: "DON'T YOU KNOW WHO THIS IS????"
Or the Gardai 🙂
His salary is probably covered by Paddy Power and/or the syndications in Ireland.
Surely that can't be sufficient justification for taking on a guy they have no/very little confidence in as a presenter? My understanding is 10-1 is one of the most profitable but also competitive slots for any commercial radio station.
But long term he also needs to build an audience in the UK
But they must believe there is at least a decent chance he will do that, otherwise the hiring makes no sense. Virgin is a serious business after all, not some frolic of Chris Evans's...
And he's bound to meet some interesting people on the flights over and back.
Oh he would definitely meet some interesting people on the flights over and back, but he’ll never know that because it will be all Me, Me, Me, Ryan, Ryan, Ryan……
Id say he’d be a feckin nightmare to sit beside on a flight….
Id be plugging the headphones in for that sh1tshow…
It gets worse (from https://evoke.ie/2017/03/02/entertainment/ryan-tubridys-brother-garrett-book-launch)
Money.
Perhaps there's also a bigger picture with the Wireless Group (Virgin Radio's owner) wishing to sell its Irish radio stations and needing an Irish name to make them more attractive to a buyer? Virgin gets the advertising revenue and Q102 gets an ex-RTE presenter for much less than the previous RTE management thought he was worth. And guess who owns Virgin Radio, Wireless Group and The Sun and The Times?
A little odd thing I noticed is that he never (or I haven't heard him) mention another host on Virgin and a fellow country man... Graham Norton.
His brother Niall is a also apparently a leading Neurologist.
That used to be quite common you know - the favoured son would become a doctor, and the idiot brother would be sent off to work with RTE.
Eh I was joking but it’s still a mystery as to what virgin uk is getting out of this - it’s likely penetration into Irish radio so I assume they don’t give a darn about their uk audience right now on that station - it seems a bit lame though and it’s certainly not disruptive in that it’s not signalling a radical shakeup in Irish radio providers - people won’t stand for this sh1t - they’ll just turn the dial to a channel not broadcasting this rubbish
That's narcissism on a different level.
Instructions to the illustrator, "I want the little boy to look like me, and make me the journalist too".
Slightly sad and creepy.
His salary is probably covered by Paddy Power and/or the syndications in Ireland. But long term he also needs to build an audience in the UK as radio is very competitive there. So not much in it for them if he can't do that. Its obvious NK calls the shots and Tubridy goes where he's told. Go to Virgin, do 6 months and RTE will be begging for you to return, he was probably told.
Tubridy seems interested in holding onto some previous listeners from Ireland and staying relevant in Ireland.
Problem is a lot of traditional radio 1 listeners are loyal to the station and probably listen using traditional radios instead of through digital.
There's a risk he falls between two stools. It will be interesting to see what the Sunday listernership is in Ireland. There's a bit of anger in Cork about him cutting into a local show.
Perhaps Hirst is as overvalued as Tubridy, but that's for threads with dedicated fans.
I don't know how to include more than one quote in a post so I'll improvise.
@humberklog - lots of people on his Instagram account living in a parallel universe think the new show is the business.
@techman1 - I wouldn't agree that culturally he is dublin 4. Culturally he is Fianna Fail.
@Expunge - Yes, I'd say the whole thing must be traumatic for him. Leaving home at the age of 50 (elderly mother etc.) to live in a rented gaff and having to sing for his supper, possibly for the first time ever. A lonely station, no pun intended. What's driving him? He has had years of gravy from RTE, money banked... why not amble about, do an occasional podcast, light the Christmas tree in Clifden and enjoy the fruits of his fortune. Instead he has schlepped off to London on a hiding to nothing. I suppose a year there might broaden his horizons. And he's bound to meet some interesting people on the flights over and back.
Why would Virgin be going along with this plot? What's in it for them?
There’s nothing pretentious about recognising that one should understand a topic before dismissing it out of hand. Ignorance isn’t a virtue.
Absolutely not. Hirst, as anyone versed in contemporary conceptual art would know, is a recognised, genuine talent.
As anyone versed.... isn't that as pretentious as the bookman?
I think of lot of what we're seeing is a meltdown of hubris inflated by dedicated funding, be it in joke arts circles or the RTE canteen.
Perhaps he'd be a children's author though they'd probably get bored too. :) The illustrations should come with a spoiler alert as there seems to be an ex-RTE presenter in some of them pretending to be a journalist.
Only one good book? So Patrick and the President was just a warm up? (for anyone who hasn't seen it before check the illustrations in that link)
If I were to compare Tubridy to any artist, I would say he’s like Jack Vettriano. Competent, professional, successful in his own right, but unchallenging: basically wallpaper that appeals to the masses.
A lot of writers (professionals) and readers have a very different attitude to that of Tubridy. This is because Amazon Kindle allows a book to be sold globally without the hassle of printing and distribution. This has led to some series appearing on Amazon that precisely target their markets. (One that I can think of is currently up to book 70.)
A lot of print books can get remaindered (copies that don't sell are marked down and sold off by the pound or kilo to bookshops like the old Chapters bookshop in Dublin). From the reader's viewpoint, Amazon's site is always open. It is also possible to publish an ebook edition and a print on demand edition with Amazon. Don't think that Tubridy would be capable of doing that himself as he doesn't appear to have the skills. His books were with large publishers.
He probably has one good book in him: (with apologies to Spike Milligan) "RTE - My part in its downfall.".
Unfair on McSavage though. Probably not terribly likeable but undoubtedly witty. The silver spoon he was born with wal similar to Tubs' but , unlike the Dainty Little bugger, he effectively told his family to shove that spoon up their holes and went his own way
Regarding the bookworm persona, I think going back a few years, he just needed A persona as he seems to be not charasmatic or even interesting, he is bland, meh, so he needed "something" so bookworm it was because he reads a few books and so NK planted the seed for him to write a book, to go along with the persona so he did that, guaranteed publishing deal in Ireland, and now that all the persona he has. but it was built on a charade and he is milking it to death because he actuallly isnt interesting, or funny, or particularly clever, so bookworm is all he has. But anyone who is actually a bookworm can see through it. Ah I dont like tearing him down but thats my take on it. He isnt the first to make up an act to make a living.
Regarding the Irish guests, i bet he is desperately trying to get Cillian Murphy and Barry Keoghan on the show.
In a nutshell 😀
Far be it from me to psychoanalyze anyone from a position of complete ignorance of the field, but hey, it's an internet forum, lets go!
My tuppenny bit on this invented persona of "man of culture" from someone who we all know is doing olympic level spoofing is that Tubs is from a long line of achievers, high political office holders, academics etc. His own father was a MD / psychiatrist. I'd imagine there was always pressure on Tubs to do well academically and professionally. Perhaps the aspirations for him, whether explicit or perceived, weren't a good fit for him but he didn't want to be the lightweight or the eegit, the black sheep of the Andrews clan (that title taken by David McSavage!) so he has decided to keep up a facade of being a bookish, culture vulture
Yeah a few more sponsorship mentions are required:😀
Guinness Storehouse
Waterford Crystal factory
English Market Cork
Kilkenny Castle
Giants Causeway
The Little Museum Dublin
