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Phone wreckers are idiots

  • 18-10-2007 1:31am
    #1
    Firetrap
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,442 ✭✭✭


    Anyone remember the ad which ran sometime in the early to mid 80s as a campaign to discourage vandals from wrecking telephone boxes. Anyone under the age of 15 won't have a clue what a phone box is, of course:D

    The ad was a reworked version of Pink Floyd's Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) and had a gang of teenagers marching along a street at night-time singing lines like We all want to use the phone/Hey! Stupid! Leave that phone alone. Hilariously, they caught a leather jacketed phone vandal in action and of course he was shocked to find himself surrounded by yoofs singing a Pink Floyd song. Said vandal was played by Eanna McLiam, an actor who played Johnny One in Fair City for a few years. The best bit of course was Bob Geldof saying "Phone wreckers are idiots" at the end.


Comments

  • #2
    Dudess
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37,215 ✭✭✭✭Dudess


    Yep, remember it well. Even as a small child (I would have been about six) I thought it seemed rather po-faced and sanctimonious.


  • #3
    stovelid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,252 ✭✭✭✭stovelid


    Agreed.

    Think I was about 12 or 13 so being told not to do something by a Boomtown Rat with a posh accent just made you want to do the opposite.

    I think the ad also ran in the phone books?


  • #4
    Degsy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,397 ✭✭✭✭Degsy


    I hated Bob Geldfof for doing that,a hatred that hasnt abated to this day!


  • #5
    stovelid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,252 ✭✭✭✭stovelid


    Degsy wrote: »
    I hated Bob Geldfof for doing that,a hatred that hasnt abated to this day!

    Motive for Live Aid: rehabilitating Bob with the public?


  • #6
    Davedubh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 186 ✭✭Davedubh


    Yes remember it well.Dont know if it had much effect.


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  • #7
    Dyr
    Registered Users Posts: 23,246 ✭✭✭✭Dyr


    ha ha, jesus, l loled as soon as i saw the topic title. Was that bob geldof?

    ah the golden era of irish safety ads, we wouldnt of made it to puberty but for their stern warnings. Anyone remember the animation of the dogs going on a sheep killing rampage??


  • #8
    Dudess
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37,215 ✭✭✭✭Dudess


    Bambi wrote: »
    ah the golden era of irish safety ads, we wouldnt of made it to puberty but for their stern warnings. Anyone remember the animation of the dogs going on a sheep killing rampage??
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055081271
    That animated dogs/sheep one is definitely buried somewhere deep in my memory.


  • #9
    Kat1170
    Registered Users Posts: 3,588 ✭✭✭Kat1170


    I remember an ad with The Rats 'Don't like mondays' about drinking too much/Taking Drugs over the weekend. AFAIR the punch line was 'Thats a sick way to live'. Anyone else remember it.


  • #10
    Brian Capture
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 827 ✭✭✭Brian Capture


    I remember it. The south Dublin DORT drawl.

    Geldof came across as a sanctimonious middle class w*nker and above all, should be judged for this advert as opposed to the other stuff.


  • #11
    The Chessplayer
    Registered Users Posts: 1,318 ✭✭✭The Chessplayer


    Firetrap wrote: »
    Anyone remember the ad which ran sometime in the early to mid 80s as a campaign to discourage vandals from wrecking telephone boxes. Anyone under the age of 15 won't have a clue what a phone box is, of course:D

    The ad was a reworked version of Pink Floyd's Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) and had a gang of teenagers marching along a street at night-time singing lines like We all want to use the phone/Hey! Stupid! Leave that phone alone. Hilariously, they caught a leather jacketed phone vandal in action and of course he was shocked to find himself surrounded by yoofs singing a Pink Floyd song. Said vandal was played by Eanna McLiam, an actor who played Johnny One in Fair City for a few years. The best bit of course was Bob Geldof saying "Phone wreckers are idiots" at the end.

    That Johnny lad from Fair City - the very same chap who was nailed to the snooker table in The General. I always thought that chap would make a great character actor - he plays the part of a gormless idiot really well.

    Twenty years later and Geldof is still acting the prick. Will we ever see the back of that lad?


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  • #12
    The Chessplayer
    Registered Users Posts: 1,318 ✭✭✭The Chessplayer


    Brian Capture wrote: »
    I remember it. The south Dublin DORT drawl.

    Geldof came across as a sanctimonious middle class w*nker and above all, should be judged for this advert as opposed to the other stuff.
    The gas thing is that Geldof had no talent at all. Having been in a Chesney Hawkes-type one-hit-wonder band, he heads over to Africa and makes an absolute killing for himself.

    "Goys come on! These people are loike really dying and stuff. I'm going to say fock on telly." Somehow Geldof became a multi-millionaire, when we all know that he should be no more than a judge on one of those poxy talent shows with Phil Coulter and the like.


  • #13
    Brian Capture
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 827 ✭✭✭Brian Capture


    The Chessplayer wrote: »
    That Johnny lad from Fair City - the very same chap who was nailed to the snooker table in The General. I always thought that chap would make a great character actor - he plays the part of a gormless idiot really well.

    He was also in The Snapper. Sharon's brother Craig. Threw a dustbin through Burgess' window.


  • #14
    ClarenceOveur
    Closed Accounts Posts: 40 ✭ClarenceOveur


    Was he not Jimmy in Fair City who worked in the Garage?


  • #15
    DublinWriter
    Registered Users Posts: 9,555 ✭✭✭DublinWriter


    The Chessplayer wrote: »
    Somehow Geldof became a multi-millionaire,
    ...by co-founding TV production company Planet 24 and having numerous successes with shows such as The Big Breakfast.

    Y'is are all such a bunch of begrudging feckers! How dare he have a successful music career, raise millions for Africa and have a highly successful business career when he should have stayed in Dun Laoghaire and been a barman.

    No wonder he lives in London!


  • #16
    blah
    Registered Users Posts: 938 ✭✭✭blah


    But I thought he lost all his money in that Live Aid thing?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xSuwInt_No


  • #17
    An Riabhach
    Registered Users Posts: 1,672 ✭✭✭An Riabhach


    Brian Capture wrote: »
    I remember it. The south Dublin DORT drawl.

    Geldof came across as a sanctimonious middle class w*nker and above all, should be judged for this advert as opposed to the other stuff.

    Always hated Geldof-hate him even more since he became an ex-pat,anglicized himself and became a "Sir".
    Wogan can be mentioned in the same light.Both of these "sirs" were given the freedom of there native cities-and for what???How dare they groan and bitch about Ireland when they can't be bothered about the country that made them.

    Phone wreckers are idiots.Geldof is an even bigger idiot.By the way Bob-we say "eejit" over here.


  • #18
    darkdubh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,628 ✭✭✭darkdubh


    I remember when they launched that ad there was a short bit in the news with Bob examining a phonebox that had been vandalised and he was going."They even tried to burn it" or words to that effect and they showed the phone and it was all melted.


  • #19
    Degsy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,397 ✭✭✭✭Degsy


    darkdubh wrote: »
    I remember when they launched that ad there was a short bit in the news with Bob examining a phonebox that had been vandalised and he was going."They even tried to burn it" or words to that effect and they showed the phone and it was all melted.

    The phone box on my road was constantly being set on fire..even when the phone itself was removed they continued to petrol bomb the concrete shell.


  • #20
    hardCopy
    Registered Users Posts: 5,969 ✭✭✭hardCopy


    Degsy wrote: »
    darkdubh wrote: »
    I remember when they launched that ad there was a short bit in the news with Bob examining a phonebox that had been vandalised and he was going."They even tried to burn it" or words to that effect and they showed the phone and it was all melted.

    The phone box on my road was constantly being set on fire..even when the phone itself was removed they continued to petrol bomb the concrete shell.

    Up until about 4 years ago we still had one opposite my parents house. The windows were still getting kicked in at least once a month. Once we got mobiles we had great fun ringing the payphone when people were walking past.


  • #21
    The Idyll Race
    Closed Accounts Posts: 367 ✭✭The Idyll Race


    Degsy wrote: »
    The phone box on my road was constantly being set on fire..even when the phone itself was removed they continued to petrol bomb the concrete shell.

    Darwin awards, anyone?


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  • #22
    darkdubh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,628 ✭✭✭darkdubh


    http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/new-ifi-player-never-seen-bob-geldof-s-phone-wreckers-ad-now-you-can-1.2790805


  • #23
    dan1895
    Registered Users Posts: 4,597 ✭✭✭dan1895


    Was only when Wogan got mentioned that I realised I was reading a 5 year old thread.


  • #24
    darkdubh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,628 ✭✭✭darkdubh


    Guy wrecking the phone is yer man who played Johnny One in Fair City,he was also nailed to the pool table in The General.


  • #25
    An Riabhach
    Registered Users Posts: 1,672 ✭✭✭An Riabhach


    The fella who says "Don't Get Cut Off" at the end sounds like Mark Cagney.


  • #26
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,373 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    An Riabhach wrote: »
    The fella who says "Don't Get Cut Off" at the end sounds like Mark Cagney.
    Yeah, pretty sure it was him.

    2 more geldof ads, music is by Jan Hammer, who did the miami vice music.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEqxhN8FCrc


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEDg4xb2fSU


  • #27
    The Crowman
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 991 ✭✭✭The Crowman


    darkdubh wrote: »
    I remember when they launched that ad there was a short bit in the news with Bob examining a phonebox that had been vandalised and he was going."They even tried to burn it" or words to that effect and they showed the phone and it was all melted.

    Here's that very news report with Bob from RTE archives.

    https://www.rte.ie/archives/collections/news/21216597-telephone-anti-vandalism-campaign/


  • #28
    branie2
    Registered Users Posts: 10,288 ✭✭✭✭branie2


    I remember seeing the ad on TV


  • #29
    Rosie Rant
    Registered Users Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭Rosie Rant


    I vaguely recall the ad. There are a few phone boxes in the town I live in. The one across the road doubles as a toilet on mad Saturday nights apparently.


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