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Irish radio presenter censured for calling Susan Boyle a 'freak'

13

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 27,944 ✭✭✭✭4zn76tysfajdxp


    Dudess wrote: »
    I think it's hilarious how people who jeered at her suddenly felt sorry when they heard her voice... because of course it would have been ok to jeer at her if her voice wasn't good.

    I think it's absolutely disgusting. "Ugly people are only worthy of our respect if they're able to sing, otherwise let's make fun of them mercilessly on television."


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,488 ✭✭✭pikachucheeks


    walshb wrote: »
    I am not pro censorship, but in radio and tv, there does have to be some standards, rules and guidelines. I think Byrne was out of order on this one. Maybe Gerry Ryan needs a little of what Byrne got.

    It's not good enough to simply use the argument, "If you don't like it, don't listen or look or read."

    +1.

    One of the golden rules of radio is to never express a personal opinion, especially if it's negative. It just gets you in trouble.

    She's perfectly entitled to her opinions, but to vocalise them on air isn't the smartest idea.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 178 ✭✭sexdwarf


    +1.

    One of the golden rules of radio is to never express a personal opinion, especially if it's negative. It just gets you in trouble.

    She's perfectly entitled to her opinions, but to vocalise them on air isn't the smartest idea.

    Exactly. Also, bottom line is...she's a journalist. She wasn't hired to spout her personal prejudices on the radio.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,933 ✭✭✭hinault


    walshb wrote: »
    She called the lady a freak; noting to do with it being a freak occurrence.

    She meant that the lady was a freak, and if you were trying to clear Byrne, you may use the whole "freak show" defence, but that would be weak.

    "It's because she's a freak that she is up there"...that is pretty straight forward to me

    Add in "She's not right in the head," and it seals it

    Agreed.


    You gotta wonder why so many people here feel the need to try to defend Byrne?

    Byrne's comments were unambiguous.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 121 ✭✭Teddy Chips


    Glad to see Claire Byrne get a slap on the wrists. Nobody gives a toss about your ill informed opinions love so keep 'em to you and your friends down the local Friday night.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 827 ✭✭✭Wolflikeme


    Osu wrote: »
    She's not a freak. She's big boned. And Ugly. And wretched. And minging. And extremely ugly.

    Yeah like Grotbags. That witch that used to be on ITV. Though I think Susan Boyle's more of a freak - in that I reckon even Grotbags has had a ride in her life.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 27,252 ✭✭✭✭stovelid


    but to vocalise them on air isn't the smartest idea.

    In fairness, it's not exactly Jeremy Paxman we're dealing with in this instance.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,241 ✭✭✭Sanjuro


    Oh sweet jesus, who cares? I mean, is this something that should really be news in any shape or form? The X Factor is just a combination sideshow/ end of the pier talent show hyped up to give gormless morons a vicarious taste of fame. Utter rubbish promoting marginally talented, and sometimes completely talentless rubbish, all designed to squeeze pennies out of prats.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,194 ✭✭✭✭IvySlayer


    Sanjuro wrote: »
    Oh sweet jesus, who cares? I mean, is this something that should really be news in any shape or form? The X Factor is just a combination sideshow/ end of the pier talent show hyped up to give gormless morons a vicarious taste of fame. Utter rubbish promoting marginally talented, and sometimes completely talentless rubbish, all designed to squeeze pennies out of prats.

    Britains Got Talent :pac:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,949 ✭✭✭✭IvyTheTerrible


    IvySlayer wrote: »
    Britains Got Talent :pac:

    Tomayto, tomato.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,369 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    Sanjuro wrote: »
    Oh sweet jesus, who cares? I mean, is this something that should really be news in any shape or form? The X Factor is just a combination sideshow/ end of the pier talent show hyped up to give gormless morons a vicarious taste of fame. Utter rubbish promoting marginally talented, and sometimes completely talentless rubbish, all designed to squeeze pennies out of prats.

    We all know that, but this isn't an analysis of sh1te for the masses, it's about some ignorant tit referring to someone as a freak on the radio.:P


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,689 ✭✭✭✭OutlawPete


    IvySlayer wrote: »
    It was Britains Got Talent actually. Get it together Pete. :pac:

    Oops :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,239 ✭✭✭✭WindSock


    IvySlayer wrote: »
    Britains Got Talent :pac:
    Tomayto, tomato.


    Ooh. Fight between the dreaded Ivys. IvySlayer & IvyTheTerrible? Who will win?

    I like Claire Byrne, she is no more opinionated than Ivan Yates. But feck it who cares, she was a guest on the Tom Dunne show at the time, and yes, these 'talent' shows are little more than freak shows. Anyone who hasn't watched them to laugh at the tools auditioning is lying.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,949 ✭✭✭✭IvyTheTerrible


    WindSock wrote: »
    Ooh. Fight between the dreaded Ivys. IvySlayer & IvyTheTerrible? Who will win?

    Dun dun dunnnnn...ooh the suspense!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 27,252 ✭✭✭✭stovelid


    As said, she is marketed as a freak, albeit a rehabilitated one.

    The whole Susan Boyle construction was carefully predicated on the idea of a golden voice trapped inside a (supposedly) freakish body. The artful handling of her during and after suggested a benevolent mining operation: the experts being duty-bound to mine the (as said, quite pedestrian) seam of talent from her freaky shell. The excruciatingly staged volte-faces when it transpired that this freak can sing put one in mind of the flying scene in Dumbo: corny vindication and schmaltz. They're no fools on that show.

    That said, I doubt Claire was promulgating any theories when she called her a freak. It was more than likely strictly ohhmygoood stuff.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,598 ✭✭✭✭Aidric


    Let's start the hate Byrne campaign.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 27,252 ✭✭✭✭stovelid


    Aidric wrote: »
    Let's start the hate Byrne campaign.

    She's hot though.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,369 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    She could be given the job of welcoming the queen and Phil, I'm sure that would go down well.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,594 ✭✭✭bonerm


    stovelid wrote: »
    She's hot though.

    So is Susan Boyle. She's very good looking for a woman of her age.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,537 ✭✭✭✭rossie1977


    sexdwarf wrote: »
    Exactly. Also, bottom line is...she's a journalist. She wasn't hired to spout her personal prejudices on the radio.

    now if only the folks working on rupert murdoch's tv stations had that mindset


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,689 ✭✭✭✭OutlawPete


    bonerm wrote: »
    So is Susan Boyle. She's very good looking for a woman of her age.

    There's a woman in Newcastle getting out of prison soon you might be interested in ;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4 mikel78JH


    Bring back Ger Gilroy.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,798 ✭✭✭✭DrumSteve


    I would.

    i know what your thinking and yes.















































    I would do claire byrne.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,594 ✭✭✭bonerm


    OutlawPete wrote: »
    There's a woman in Newcastle getting out of prison soon you might be interested in ;)

    Oh do tell me more........


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,689 ✭✭✭✭OutlawPete


    bonerm wrote: »
    Oh do tell me more........

    Here's a pic :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,241 ✭✭✭Sanjuro


    ejmaztec wrote: »
    We all know that, but this isn't an analysis of sh1te for the masses, it's about some ignorant tit referring to someone as a freak on the radio.:P

    Fair enough! :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,594 ✭✭✭bonerm


    OutlawPete wrote: »
    Here's a pic :)

    Nice. Handy in the kitchen too I see? I like that.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,438 ✭✭✭TwoShedsJackson


    Ivan Yates called some fool who won a reality show or something a twat on air this morning, hardly the height of professionalism :rolleyes:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 208 ✭✭AttackThePoster


    +1 point for Ivan Yates.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 37,214 ✭✭✭✭Dudess


    In my opinion, it's just another cog in the patronising wheel of condescension generated by the "SuBo" phenomenon - people feeling sorry for her, treating her like a victim, insisting everyone "go easy" on her, assuming any criticism of her voice, dress sense etc is a go at her intellect, when all this does is serve to marginalise her rather than include her. This is a form of treating a person differently, and thus reinforcing their "differentness". When it comes to being called a freak, criticism of dress sense, criticism of how she does her job, e.g. Kate Moss is fair game... so why shouldn't Susan be? There's just this assumption she's really sensitive and vulnerable - maybe she isn't? She's probably a bit naive and innocent, sure, but that doesn't mean she can't stand up for herself.

    Bottom line is: when she sang on Britain's Got Talent, she was set up - massively. This dowdy, overweight, middle-aged, virginal non-looker (bully's wet dream or what?) who's a bit "special" was dressed like a woman in rural Ireland in the 1950s, she didn't have make-up on, she didn't even have her lip waxed ffs... the producers knew she'd be absolutely crucified. That's the "freak" Claire Byrne is talking about - the phenomenon created by Britain's Got Talent, not Susan Boyle the woman with a mild intellectual disability (very mild it seems - I wonder how much of that is also a creation of the press). It's obvious that performance was very much intended as a circus, side-show type act - that's more of a reflection on the BGT team though, not Susan Boyle herself.


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