As Anthony posted below, Kevin Myers has got himself in a bit of trouble. The issue was discussed on Vincent Browne’s show last night. You can listen to it here with Real Player. Vincent became quite irate. Geraldine Kennedy and Myers were invited onto the show, both of whom declined.
Michael Higgins describes it as “totally unacceptable”, a “disgusting article”. He continues with: “It is quite a disgrace that Geraldine Kennedy isn’t willing to come on the programme”, “gratuitosuly offensive”, “the Irish Times has hit a low”.
Then begins a showdown between Vincent and Michael O’Regan of the Irish Times. I have noted the conversation here:
VB: How do you feel being associated with a newspaper that published this?
MOR: Kevin Myers I better say… Kevin is a respected and highly regarded colleague of mine for many years, a very very popular journalist, very accomplished, with a huge readership. Now he expresses a personal view in an Irishman’s Diary, as do columnists in many newspapers. Personally, personally, I disagree with him.
VB: The views are one thing, and many of us might disagree with the views. But what I want to focus upon is the use of the word ‘bastard’, with regard to children born to single parents. How do you feel about that?
MOR: Personally as a journalist I wouldn’t have used it. But I can’t…
VB: Is that all you can say?
MOR: No no, Vincent, I can’t…
VB: Is that all you can say?
MOR: But hold on a second now…
VB: The use of a deeply denigratory term about vulnerable people who have no moral culpability at all for the circumstance of their birth.
MOR: Personally I wouldn’t use it.
VB: Is that all you can say, ‘personally you wouldn’t use it?’ You don’t find this as deeply offensive, that you don’t think that maybe the Irish Times made a serious mistake in publishing this?
MOR: Well it could be argued that newspapers frequently publish the views of columnists.
VB: No no, the views themselves many people would find offensive themselves, that’s one thing. What we’re talking about is the use of the word ‘bastard’ – to talk about children.
Continued soon…
Comments
2 responses to “Myers losing it?”
how much of vinny’s mock horror is connected with myers reference to one of brown’s former bedmates, sinead o’connor?
oh, and as for vinny’s judgement on the standards in the irish times. this is the man editing a rag that hit a major lawsuit hurdle on it’s second or third hurdle, and who himself professes to know nothing about the appologies rte has to read out when they are adjudged to have made mistakes