Who Thinks Ross O'Carroll-Kelly Books are Funny?

ClovenHoof · 10-03-2014 05:09PM #1

I mean, apart from people who work for the Irish Times. I was cat sitting for a friend while they were on holiday and he had few books and there was The Shelbourne Ultimatum and the Oh My God Delusion.

To say they were cringe worthy would not cover it. Not funny in the least, and more along the lines of a kind of self-impressed RTE mentality of 'gosh! I am so witty and clever!".

Can anyone explain to me the appeal of these books?

Winston Payne · 10-03-2014 05:12PM

The video in your sig is unavailable.

I've never read a Ross O'Carroll-Kelly book but I'm partial to the covers. They make me smile in the same way a terrible joke does.

kneemos · 10-03-2014 05:12PM

Ross O Carol Kelly.
Ryan Tubridy....possibly.

Legs.Eleven · 10-03-2014 05:15PM

Your friend obviously likes them if he has a few of the books in the house.

gramar · 10-03-2014 05:16PM

I've read a couple and to be honest they were a good laugh.

kneemos · 10-03-2014 05:19PM

Was it a valuable cat or something?

ClovenHoof · 10-03-2014 05:19PM

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

Your friend obviously likes them if he has a few of the books in the house.

He has very poor taste in general. Nice man, but does everything the radio and TV tells him to do. He likes Westlife and whoever last won X Factor.

His favourite song is by Bryan McFadden, the cak about 'Grew up in the heart of Dublin."

Ihatecuddles · 10-03-2014 05:19PM

I think they are hilarious!!

Taking the stairs the same way you'd take the Seoige sisters....two at a time

Franticfrank · 10-03-2014 05:20PM

I've read them as well - sure it gets a bit repetitive and ridiculous but I enjoyed them. Just don't take it too seriously.

131spanner · 10-03-2014 05:20PM

I've read most of them, all bar two or three, and I think they're very funny

Penny Tration · 10-03-2014 05:20PM

I've read all of them, and love thrm. Harmless, slapstick humour.

Thataone · 10-03-2014 05:21PM

I dunno, I've never taken any particular offence to them and do actually think they can be funny... in a cringy way. But perhaps I like them because I've just moved from the arse end of bog land, culchie central, to south Dublin so it's slightly cultural

gugleguy · 10-03-2014 05:21PM

I don't get the Ross OCaroll "humour" because I don't know the inside jokes between Irish Times or RTE staff.

Idbatterim · 10-03-2014 05:23PM

the books are absolutely top notch hilarious. Some of the stuff he comes up with had me nearly in tears on multiple occasions. The satire is unreal, it is a lot funnier if you actually know the kind of people he is mocking and the places mentioned in the books...

Rough Sleeper · 10-03-2014 05:27PM

Yeah it was kinda funny around the beginning of the 2000's when the Celtic Tiger was in full swing. It's a one-trick pony and I'd imagine the kind of people who still find it funny (12 books WTF?) are the same ones who still make jokes about "ironic" moustaches or shout "Ah heor, leave it ouh" in pub smoking areas .

sabat · 10-03-2014 05:29PM

Southside rugger-buggers should be an open goal for satire but the books and columns just don't have that real element of truth to make them funny- they're just a collection of clichés and stereotypes spun out. I've never heard someone say "roysh" - it sounds more like reight with a hard t on the end.

Standman · 10-03-2014 05:29PM

mauzo! wrote: »

I think they are hilarious!!

Taking the stairs the same way you'd take the Seoige sisters....two at a time

Ah a Seoige sisters joke, that would have been hilarious 10 years ago!

wp_rathead · 10-03-2014 05:30PM

Love first few when he was in school - kinda got bleh afterwards

elefant · 10-03-2014 05:31PM

Idbatterim wrote: »

the books are absolutely top notch hilarious. Some of the stuff he comes up with had me nearly in tears on multiple occasions. The satire is unreal, it is a lot funnier if you actually know the kind of people he is mocking and the places mentioned in the books...

Pretty much the same for me. Absolutely love them.

jimgoose · 10-03-2014 05:31PM

I think they're hilarious. Excellent piss-take of the whole Celtic Tiger, Yummy-Drummy, We're-The-New-Bel-Air malarkey.

Legs.Eleven · 10-03-2014 05:34PM

I read one because I'd nothing else to read and a couple of articles and I had my fill after that. Found it reasonably funny-ish but as others have said, it's a one-trick pony. Not my cup of tea as humour goes.

thegreatgonzo · 10-03-2014 05:37PM

I loved the first 4 books and then I kind of lost track of them, I haven't read the more recent ones.

anncoates · 10-03-2014 05:40PM

It's a moderately funny joke stretched far too long.

Ihatecuddles · 10-03-2014 05:42PM

Standman wrote: »

Ah a Seoige sisters joke, that would have been hilarious 10 years ago!

Eh...it was probably written years ago! Just one that stuck in my head.

Carry on being a smart arse though, I'm sure all your books are way better

Cienciano · 10-03-2014 05:48PM

I read about 5 or them and thought they were excellent. He's funny on twitter too.
If you can't handle the legend that's ok op.

Femme_Fatale · 10-03-2014 05:49PM

Found the idea really funny in the early days. Some people didn't realise he was a parody too and their reactions were particularly gold. But yep, wearing thin at this stage IMO.

c68zapdsm5i1ru · 10-03-2014 05:57PM

I enjoy the weekly episode in the Irish Times, but I don't think I could read a whole book about him. But there's a lot of accuracy in Paul Howard's portrayal of a certain type of Blackrock College/St Michael's shallow idiot (apologies to the many intelligent nice people who also went to those schools) who judges everything by appearances and looks down on people who have actually achieved far more of substance in their lives but don't drive a BMW and wear designer shades in the middle of January and have a high salary job in daddy's company.
I have to say though, he's become a bit nicer as he gets older. But I can still only take him in small doses.

4zn76tysfajdxp · 10-03-2014 05:59PM

ClovenHoof wrote: »

He has very poor taste in general.

In friends too?

padd b1975 · 10-03-2014 06:00PM

Jumped the shark when Ronan came along.

tomh1736 · 10-03-2014 06:01PM

I find them hilarious. I think the humour from Ross and his outlook on life has got better and funnier in the later books ie the ones with his kids in them. It translates well to the stage too. Will defo be going to Breaking Dad when it opens at the Gaiety

happypants · 10-03-2014 06:02PM

Love the books, I've read them all. As a previous poster has said they're hilarious if you're familiar with the type of characters and places mentioned in the books. I've lost track of how many times I've tried to hold in a laughter fit on public transport whilst reading!!!

"Hilary swank has teeth like a rocking horse"

Who Thinks Ross O'Carroll-Kelly Books are Funny?

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