Personal apology: I wish to apologise concerning my participation in the Waterford Whispers News item on the NYE show on RTE 1 on New Year’s Eve. Truly I am deeply sorry for the offence, distress and hurt caused. It was wrong for me. It was wrong of me. Aengus Mac Grianna.
— Aengus Mac Grianna (@Aengy2) January 5, 2021
This afternoon.
Further to the “approximately 3,500 emails and 1,250 calls” regarding the Waterford Whispers sketch segment in the RTÉ One New Year’s Eve countdown programme….
Via RTÉ News:
In the Waterford Whispers news report, God is described as being “the latest figure to be implicated in ongoing sexual harassment scandals”.
The sketch, which was presented by Mr Mac Grianna, has received thousands of complaints and as well as calls for it to be removed from the RTÉ Player.
The clip ended with a line that movie producer Harvey Weinstein, who is serving a 23-year sentence in the US for rape and sexual assault, had “requested for a retrial in Ireland”.
The sketch remains on the RTÉ Player, but a warning says that “viewer discretion is advised”.
Any excuse.
Mac Grianna sorry for offence caused by NYE sketch (RTÉ)
Snowflakes.
I didn’t expect anyone in RTE to have the courage of their convictions
I was just sent a clip of Savage Eye parodying the Catholic Church and it is a far more effective (and shocking actually) as a comedic sketch than the Waterford Whispers one.
Ah, I can see both sides to it.
A lot of very devout people still in this country and like you said there’s plenty of comedy taking the pee outta the church – always been a Savage Eye fan ;)
Probably was bad taste to have it as part of the official NYE countdown celebrations though.
Particularly to older people who were supposed to be looking after at the moment. The less stress on them the better.
.
Mocking the catholic church isn’t blasphemy though.
have we gone back to devalera’s ireland.
in fairness, it was one of the least offensive parts of the entire evening on RTE
Just seen that thanks to those compliants….some of the best stuff RTE has put out in years….not saying much really.
I find it very funny that when people mock the Christian faith there are those who immediately respond with “now do Islam” or something along those lines yet when people apologise for mocking the Christian faith those who were offended are snowflakes and should just get over it. It’s probably not the same people but it still amuses me.
“Now do Muslim” as I saw the other day.
doubly confusing if they say “Now Do Hindu” in a Cork accent
What’s a Hindu?
She lays eggs sir
I have a hen that can count her own eggs.
She’s a mathemachicken.
Hah!
it’s best to ” do ” them all, it’s just tricky at the same time
wait until we get the pfizer jab and grow the extra mickey
There’s little point parodying Islam to an Irish audience who barely know anything about it.
Ironically this sketch illustrates the ignorance of the snowflakes making those comments very well. Muslims believe in the virgin birth of the prophet Jesus so this parody applies equally to Islam.
Fair enough criticizing the Catholic Church, it’s a cesspit, but can we not all agree that a joke should never be made out of rape?
it was a joke about leniency to rape….
I’m afraid I’d have to take the South Park defence on that.
https://youtu.be/Rwv6bYuXA-s
…in fairness, it was Stephen Fry on with Gay Byrne that led to the removal of blasphemy as a crime from the constitution…this looks like RTE reverting to type as far as the church is concerned…the bishop says jump and RTE says ‘how high’…
and still no sign of Year Ending 2019 accounts
any chance RTÉ retiree and former Board member himself McGrianna would comment on that
No. If RTE got that many complaints about anything – chicken farming, Spanish fashion, coal miners, they would do exactly as they have done – issued a ” sorry to those offended” apology and let the fuss die down.
The Gay Byrne thing was funny as most comments on it were about ” look at Gay’s face!” Proof that many atheists must be atheist “at someone” for it to work for them.
…I’m an atheist…not a clue what you’re on about Justine…must be an ecumenical thing?
All the moving cribs whinging about a ficticious entity were proudly exclaiming Je suis Charlie Hebdo a while back when they were defending muh freeze peach to offend Islam.
Hypocrites.
c’mere Daisy
there’s plenty of that level of hypocrisy to go around with the freeze peaches set
tis even more virulent than this Covid.co.uk strain
Free speech doesn’t prevent anyone from apologising.
Its perfectly consistent to defend free speech and, at the same time, suggest that something is offensive and need not have been said (as opposed to can not be said).
Je suis Waterford Whispers.
…moi aussi…
Je suis Moi, tout court.
WWN should never have introduced that subscription – everything they’ve produced since looks desperate.