A Working Class Hero Is Something To Be

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From top: Conor McGregor this week; Terry McMahon

Finally the Irish media’s coverage of Conor McGregor is being called out. Not all journalists are guilty but the words, “racist, homophobic and misogynist”, are to be found on the casually manicured fingertips of way too many hacks.

As journalists drop grenades like popcorn onto sticky carpets of porn theatres everything is incendiary and every accusation justified. Anybody who does not immediately subscribe to someone’s notion of appropriate behavior is a racist, a homophobe or a misogynist.

Words have lost all meaning and the real victims are forgotten. Extremism is the norm and you better keep up with the vernacular lest you find yourself fatally accused by some rabidly censorious moral guardian.

Unless, of course, you are part of the controlling class. Then all bets are off. You can say and do whatever the hell you want. With impunity.

Take recently stepped-down Irish leader, Enda Kenny. Where were the hacks when Kenny knowingly, deliberately and publicly used the word “n****r”, or when he oversaw the dehumanisation of thousands of foreigners in Direct Provision centers? Surely Enda Kenny can’t be racist? Who knows? But Conor McGregor definitely is.

Where were the fancy words when Kenny’s unelected replacement Leo Varadkar ploughed a deep and ugly trench to incite class hatred in his ‘Welfare Cheats Cheat Us All’ campaign, or his since politically revised assertion that gay men weren’t fit to marry or raise kids? Surely a gay man can’t be homophobic? Who knows? But Conor McGregor definitely is.

Where was the outrage of the feminist wordsmiths when Labour leader Joan Burton viciously implemented austerity measures and slashed single parent’s allowance to leave an entire generation of working class women in abject poverty? Surely a woman can’t be a misogynist? Who knows? But Conor McGregor definitely is.

Where were all the journalism school graduates when it came to the countless verifications of state sanctioned racism, homophobia and misogyny?

Where were all the courageous click bait articles then? Kenny and his kind may have brought untold devastation to our country but at least they are our kind of Irish. Our kind of racists. Our kind of homophobes. Our kind of misogynists.

McGregor is not our kind. He’s not humble enough. Doesn’t genuflect enough. Won’t bow down and take it enough. A bit too working class.

It’s true that McGregor facilitated the tacit imprisonment of thousands of refugees, rendered thousands more homeless and presided over the suicides of another five thousand. Shit, sorry, that was Enda Kenny.

But McGregor did declare gay men unfit to marry and raise kids. Shit, sorry, that was Leo Varadkar. McGregor definitely set out to eradicate the basic rights and capacities of innumerable working class women. Okay, shit, sorry again, that was Joan Burton. But McGregor, he…he…he uses street language.

What exactly has Conor McGregor done? Through unparalleled hard work, brilliant business acumen and balls big as church bells he has become a global phenomenon and given pride back to the same working class that that trio of governmental hustlers are trying to destroy.

Yet, according to multiple Irish scribes, McGregor is the racist, homophobic, misogynist and the other three are the kind of folks you should aspire to have your son or daughter become.

Who knows how this fight with Mayweather will unfold? McGregor is not perfect. But he is like nothing we have ever seen out of Ireland.

Yes, he uses street language, but it’s in a game where everybody understands the rules. If you are busy taking offense on behalf of other imagined folks then you know nothing about this breed of competitive sport and those folks don’t want you being offended for them anyway.

McGregor has a big mouth. By design. The haters pay to see it shut and the lovers pay to see it proven. A supreme athlete and a competitor beyond compare, they call him Mystic Mac for a reason.

I have four kids and if they grow up with a fraction of McGregor’s courage, pragmatism and accountability I’ll be the proudest father on the planet.

If, however, they grow up with the systemic racism, homophobia and misogyny of our controlling class I’ll be the father with his head in his hands wondering how the hell we became such cowards? There are too few modern heroes in Ireland. But Conor McGregor is definitely one.

So, if you hacks, pumping out your bile on behalf of your newspaper bosses, can look up from your unfounded accusation for two seconds, here are two simpler words in the working class vernacular that you can add to your too light journalistic arsenal: Fupp you.

And to you, mister McGregor, for the profound hope and inspiration you have given to our nation, and to the world, here are two simpler words: Thank you.

Terry McMahon is a homelessness activist, acting coach and award-winning film director. Follow Terry on Twitter: @Terrymcmahon69

Top pic: Reuters

Earlier: From Glen To Glen

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117 thoughts on “A Working Class Hero Is Something To Be

    1. Tony

      I’m confused. Is McGregor homophobic, racist and misogynistic or not? Nowhere in this article is it made clear.

        1. Gorev Mahagut

          Apparently Mayweather used a homophobic slur against McGregor, and McGregor claimed to be “half-black from the belly-button down” and called Mayweather “boy” (a term with some baggage in the world of American race relations).

          The real moral of the story is: if you’re resorting to the old “he’s not as bad as Enda Kenny” defence, you’ve already lost the argument.

  1. Dingus

    I was going to read this. But then I remembered that I have far too much self-respect than to subject myself to anything from this untalented blowhard.
    Literally the only think worse than his filmmaking is his writing. And he made Charlie Casanova.

    1. Zoella

      + 1 I was thinking of doing an MA in screenwriting until I discovered he was one of the teaching staff. I could teach him, poor fella. I tore up the application and left my moolah in the bank.

          1. Drogg

            Ha ha ha I’m just pointing out that the person you are belittling has actually put their work out there and has done very well out of it, even though I’m not a fan I respect his ability to do that you on the other hand have put nothing out there in an artistic sense but feel that you can’t learn something from someone who has. So…..

  2. Jetpack Mc Nutter

    It is very funny all the same to see a large portion of the population come over all Dublin working class in the build up to a McGregor fight. The same Poopbags who mock the very existence of such folk. It’s just brilliant to see them [having to] coat tail a skanger. Delicious. Don’t worry you little posh dinklers, you can go back to mocking them (once you’ve sobered up again) next week.

    1. postmanpat

      Don’t you mean posh “prigg” isn’t that was BS changes naughty words too. Can we us Rick with a P now? Happy days!! Let me check ..”.prick”… (ill check back later! )

    2. MoyestWithExcitement

      +1 I especially like how they talk about uncivilised “UFC fans” when we all know what they really mean.

    3. Rob_G

      I hate to break this to you, but UFC is exclusively for scobes, middle class people wouldn’t dream of watching it. Why, the very idea!

      1. Daisy Chainsaw

        Too busy watching WWE soap operas er rcompletely not rigged and set up “fights”. Desperate Houswives with lycra and ‘roids.

  3. Eamonn Clancy

    Game, set and match Mr McMahon. The second line of the second paragraph should be cast in bronze and hammered deeply into Traitor’s Gate arch at Stephen’s Green.

    1. RT

      *Fusiliers’ Arch. Thankfully it survived the “architecture revisionism” of the revolutionary period

  4. postmanpat

    Why the fudge do our F words , C words and S words get changed by the Broadsheet bots (and their human allies?) It make us sound like a bunch of fupping grass holes. It cant be a decency thing, because the articles are full of curse words often enough. Come on Broadsheet. Let us curse too!! (also this article was uninteresting and a waste of time to read, it was like Terry was trying to be edgy in a preachy Ray D’Arcy kind of way)

  5. Ger Nalist

    Where to even start with this piffle.
    Leo Varadkar is not an “unelected” taoiseach – let’s start there. The taoiseach is elected by the Dail. The Dail elected Leo. Therefore he is taoiseach

    1. TheFerg

      Yep, +1. This craze of Leo-Bashing is bizzare. He launches a campaign to prevent people defrauding the state and suddenly he’s creating a “deep and ugly trench”. My middle-class buddy “Dave” and his misses did it for a few months during the downturn, still feels quite guilty about it.

    2. Noel Gallagher

      Let’s see – Leo has one third of the support of a party, that has one quarter of the support of the two thirds of the people still participating in our “democracy”
      I’m going to generously calculate this as 6% support.
      But, if you’re happy with that…..

  6. Nigel

    Seriously have they still not fought? Or are they still fighting? Can’t they work it out over a coffee?

        1. Harry Molloy

          sure they have to hate him for something. a bit harder when he’s a gay but we’ve learned that doesn’t count unless your a leftie.

          (are we near finished with this right left poo yet ?)

  7. newsjustin

    “A bit too working class.”

    I’m working class, as were my parents. This isn’t how respectable working class people behave themselves.

    I’m pleased for Conor McGregor, that he’s earned a lot of money. But he’s not to be held up as a working class role model, quite the opposite.

    1. Dhaughton99

      I was working in a Deis school last year and one of the students had a “my hero” project on the wall. One was a photo of McGregor kicking another in the face with blood pouring from a wound. I couldn’t understand why the teacher allowed it.

      1. Gary

        that badly drawn head is s ymbol,of the system that this child subconsciously feels assaulting his spirit.

    1. Noel Gallagher

      Not until they stop looking down their no a&e and actually do something to help the situation…

    1. Daisy Chainsaw

      Careful, he’ll be back on with a copy/paste filthy fingered mea culpa and an offer to top himself.

  8. lois

    I’m betting on mcgregor to win I don’t care if he does it wish I had half his courage .that was a brilliant article I really enjoyed reading it

    1. Andyourpointiswhatexactly?

      I was introduced to “ask me slash” recently but it’s too rude to say, really.

  9. Goodnight Ireland

    He is not a working class hero. He wears the Irish flag not for pride in representing it, but as prop in his show. It’s all about him and making money.

    He is an excellent business man though.

  10. Charger Salmons

    “Terry McMahon is a homelessness activist, acting coach and award-winning film director ”

    Terry who ? Never heard of this attention-seeker before reading this article.When I say article I got to about the fifth paragraph and gave up.Stapling my foreskin to a passing bus would be more interesting.

    1. Nigel

      I think I csn safely speak for everyone whrn I say that it would be more interesting and hilarious than everything for all of us.

  11. Niamh

    ‘Where were the fancy words when Kenny’s unelected replacement Leo Varadkar ploughed a deep and ugly trench to incite class hatred in his ‘Welfare Cheats Cheat Us All’ campaign, or his since politically revised assertion that gay men weren’t fit to marry or raise kids? Surely a gay man can’t be homophobic? Who knows? But Conor McGregor definitely is.

    Where was the outrage of the feminist wordsmiths when Labour leader Joan Burton viciously implemented austerity measures and slashed single parent’s allowance to leave an entire generation of working class women in abject poverty? Surely a woman can’t be a misogynist? Who knows? But Conor McGregor definitely is.’

    Where were the fancy words? Pretty much everywhere, with the significant exceptions of the Indo, Sindo, and Times. For obvious reasons.

    Terry, sweet Jesus, please bone up on the Left before you start wading in with your suddenly-enlightened-teenager schtick. Just because you don’t listen to women on the Left doesn’t mean we didn’t comment, criticise, and document Burton’s crimes at length.

    1. missred

      I’m thinking the same, there have always been working class women and men outraged by all of the things detailed by Terry above – both in mainstream and alternative media. As if he’s the first to point these things out. It’s ludicrous that he thinks he’s the only one to notice.

      As for Conor, well, I admire what he does, his work ethic, business sense and success. It doesn’t mean he hasn’t said racist and misogynist things along the way and is immune to criticism for them. People have criticised him more because he is more influential in his quotes than boring old politicians, especially to kids. The whole “his persona is a game and everybody understands the rules” thing applies to most adults who get it, but it doesn’t wash with his very young fans who take what he says as gospel.

  12. rotide

    It’s amusing how terry’s brand of poop never fails to annoy literally everyone right, left and centre. He’d be the worlds greatest troll until you realise it’s not an act. He really does think this is gore vidal level stuff.

    1. Johnny Keenan

      Rotide yer sickened because Terry is more popular than you and all yer nameless poxy Trolls. Put yet head up so we can see the kind of person you really are

      1. A snowflake's chance in hell

        in fairness I much prefer Terry’s ranting screeds to your mindless drivel Johnny

  13. nellyb

    McGregor is as much working hero as Bill Cullen. Why hasn’t Bill been pronounced such? Not hot enough? not internationally successful? not wrapping irish flag around his torso often enough (if ever)?
    I like McGregor, he’s accomplished fighter, he keeps to his business, decent marketeer and money maker, but beatifying him? Please.

    1. Rowsdower

      Isnt Bill Cullen a charlatan who has racked up millions in debts and has had most of his businesses fail horrifically?

  14. pedeyw

    “you know nothing about this breed of competitive sport” this particular argument has been pretty consistently been thrown at me whenever I dared criticise McGregor generally. That and that I’m being classist. Essentially he’s saying you can’t have an opinion unless you’re a fan in some way.

  15. Seamus Ryan

    “Where were the hacks when Kenny knowingly, deliberately and publicly used the word “n****r”, or when he oversaw the dehumanisation of thousands of foreigners in Direct Provision centers?”

    As I remember, they were writing quite a few stories about both.

    So I’d say they were at their desks, typing, seeing as you’re asking.

  16. badatmemes

    In the immortal words of John Lemon, ‘…a working class hero is nothing to be…’
    …hang on a minute… Good heading. Top notch Bodger!

    Like most people I didn’t get it first time.

    PS.
    McG down , 3/4th round.
    Put money on it.

    1. badatmemes

      I was going to post a video, but ye know yerself…

      Yeah…

      …moderation.
      At it’s best it’s an inconvenience. I won’t grant you that benefit.
      I’ll dinky doo you for as long as it takes. The inconvenience is yours’.

      This is chess.
      I love and always allude to alliteration, literally, ..
      I haven’t won a game yet, because I avoid games.
      I don’t play Chess.

  17. badatmemes

    PPPS, or whatever number we’re on now…

    I never knew there was a symbol on my keyboard until a few minutes ago.
    – does that make me appear clever or stupid?

    Just askin’

  18. Johnny Keenan

    McGregor does his talking in the ring. He bought into this ‘trash talk’ and now he has to follow through. He has already acknowledged that he had a few ‘slip of the tongue’ incidents. He may not be perfect but he is certainly flying the flag as an amazing Irish sports man.
    When Mike Tyson was in his prime in the mid 80’s I was hoping that an Irish guy might contest him for the world title. I was 11 when I wanted that to happen. Ya see sport captures the passion and imagination of young lads. McGregor getting into the ring to take on the best boxer of a generation is a phenomenal feat in itself. McGregor because of his mouthy attitude has already earned him over $100 million. This is called playing the game. When he says ‘we are not here to take part we are here to take over’ that’s getting the punters and himself revved up.
    This will have the whole country buzzin with excitement.
    So regardless of what happens on Saturday night/Sunday morning in Vegas, McGregor will come out of that ring as a stalwart Irish man who gave it a go.

    Great article Terry. Your observations on the public reps are completely accurate and need to be highlighted again and again to show how they operate.

    1. badatmemes

      Jeezus Johnny, talk too much from your own perspective much or what?

      Any ‘fighting’ is NOT a sport, It’s SHOWBUSINESS.

      NEXT WEEK…
      Two bulldogs. Which one do YOU think will still be alive next Wednesday? Do you even care?

      I blame the promoters, and I consider you as a ‘member’ of their crew.

      but yeah…

      1. Johnny Keenan

        Memmes do ya think Rugby is a sport? It’s physical pulling dragging eye gouging hard hitting ear pulling clothes lining and that’s jus in the sin bin

      1. badatmemes

        Hang on a moment…cha, cha, cha…
        That reminds me me of ‘Cherry Oh Baby’, and that reminds me of this…

        I’m not good at posting links.
        perfect giddiman champion sound
        Stick that in your YouTube search an’ fall ova’
        (It’s the ‘Cherry Oh’ riddim that yu luv all ready.)

        Im drunk.

  19. badatmemes

    Flip your algorithms dot com.
    What I actually said was, ‘@hashtag #symbol.’
    @hashtagnovice.com

    Don’t fight with me… I’ll fall asleep.
    I’m warning you…

  20. Sarah McCarthy

    It seems impossible to celebrate each other, mostly it seems you try and bring people down to size and put them back in their place. No wonder you have self-esteem issues,have a massive drink problem, drug and depression issues. Ireland has a huge Mental health problem and I think it has something to do with your attitude towards each other. It is a small protective country, but by not opening your arms to each other and celebrate each other you are creating a toxic environment and that helps no one not even yourself.

    It seems the psyche is off balance, maybe the catholic church is still fupping with your mind. .

    Well done Conor!

  21. Dave Joyce

    What a pathetic arese licking article.

    McGregor a “working class” hero???? WTF, he espouses the worst of excess like Yuppies and this idiot is lauding it.

    He stands up for HIMself won’t bow down or genuflect enough………is this clown for real?? He will certainly do if the right people are in front of him

    However most disturbing of all, is the assertion that his kids could even aspire to be ANYTHING like that big mouth who is NO role model for any youngster!!

  22. j9

    Even aside from the content (which is laughable) this is a terrible piece of writing … “As journalists drop grenades like popcorn onto sticky carpets of porn theatres everything is incendiary and every accusation justified.” … Just brutal … uafásach…

  23. Sarah McCarthy

    If there was a Begrudgery Olympics, Ireland would win gold every time!

    Both men are very successful at what they do! You just sit and bitch online about people that you could only ever dream about being half as good as.

    Lets see your winning fights and produced films?

    1. Zoella

      Are you familiar with the idea of discernment, Sarah? I’ll be shouting for McGregor but I don’t rate Terry McMahon. That does not make me a begrudger.

      1. Sarah McCarthy

        Discernment is also good judgement and sensitivity to others. To critic some-ones work because you are educated in that field is one thing, but to have a pop at some-one on-line cause you don’t like them is churlish (I am saying that because of the Yacht comment).

  24. Kingkyouwillrise

    Writes article/goes viral/gets call from Vegas/”Terry, c’mon out for the fight! “/” Broadsheet you beautiful sublime bastard!”

  25. :-Joe

    Good man Terry, nothing wrong with a bit of passion and expressing yourself, however misguided it may seem to the people of the interwebs…

    Just like McGregor’s bad game plan to try and box the most overpaid wife-beating world championship pugilist athlete in history while over-estimating a serious lack of cardio vascular stamina….

    …instead of staying much lighter at 155lbs and trying to use his loose, flowiy, precise and masterful counter striking abilities with a Jeet Kune Do approach and the philosophy he said he believed would work that had me bought and sold on whole-heartedly…..Fupp it. It was nice to dream for a while and watch a new type of circus for a change….

    Either way. we all make mistakes sometimes…

    :-J

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