Noted Famine Historian Finds 'Nothing Humorous' about Channel 4's Proposed Comedy 'Hungry' - The Wild Geese2024-03-28T22:54:47Zhttps://thewildgeese.irish/forum/topics/noted-famine-historian-finds-nothing-humurous-about-channel-4-s?commentId=6442157%3AComment%3A137468&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThe Minnitts of Anabeg is a f…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2015-07-02:6442157:Comment:1635532015-07-02T21:53:56.678ZAlan Brownhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/AlanBrown
The Minnitts of Anabeg is a feature film based on a true story from the famine era.
The Minnitts of Anabeg is a feature film based on a true story from the famine era. There is nothing remotely fu…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2015-04-12:6442157:Comment:1530632015-04-12T15:19:20.994ZThat's Just How It Washttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/MaryThorpe
<p>There is nothing remotely funny about the supposed Famine ; it was not a famine ; it was genocide - as per the Hague convention 1946.</p>
<p>If the 'subject' was going to be a documentary or a film about the supposed Famine ; showing the British Establishment as the instigators of the cruel and harsh regime - that perpetrated the terrible atrocities on the landless cabin dwellers; tenants etc ; then I may ;</p>
<p>As a comedy ; Noooooooooooooooooooo not ever </p>
<p>There is nothing remotely funny about the supposed Famine ; it was not a famine ; it was genocide - as per the Hague convention 1946.</p>
<p>If the 'subject' was going to be a documentary or a film about the supposed Famine ; showing the British Establishment as the instigators of the cruel and harsh regime - that perpetrated the terrible atrocities on the landless cabin dwellers; tenants etc ; then I may ;</p>
<p>As a comedy ; Noooooooooooooooooooo not ever </p> This just in:
http://www.iri…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2015-02-22:6442157:Comment:1454792015-02-22T18:51:47.621ZPatdee Mullarkeyhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/PatriciaDMullarkey
<p>This just in:</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/Britains-Channel-4-says-Irish-Famine-comedy-proposal-will-go-ahead.html" target="_blank">http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/Britains-Channel-4-says-Irish-Famine-comedy-proposal-will-go-ahead.html</a></p>
<p>This just in:</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/Britains-Channel-4-says-Irish-Famine-comedy-proposal-will-go-ahead.html" target="_blank">http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/Britains-Channel-4-says-Irish-Famine-comedy-proposal-will-go-ahead.html</a></p> Thanks for the comment Patdee…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2015-02-06:6442157:Comment:1424992015-02-06T15:45:45.550ZLonniehttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/Lonnie
<p>Thanks for the comment Patdee. I left Ireland when I was 24. I was born and raised there, so I too am affected by the Great Hunger. Notice that I am refusing to call it a famine, because it wasn't. There was food in Ireland but it was being exported. So it was an imposed shortage of food, not a famine. I am sensitive to the atrocities of the Great Hunger, but I still think that if the sit-com is presented in a way that highlights the fact that members of the British parliament wanted to…</p>
<p>Thanks for the comment Patdee. I left Ireland when I was 24. I was born and raised there, so I too am affected by the Great Hunger. Notice that I am refusing to call it a famine, because it wasn't. There was food in Ireland but it was being exported. So it was an imposed shortage of food, not a famine. I am sensitive to the atrocities of the Great Hunger, but I still think that if the sit-com is presented in a way that highlights the fact that members of the British parliament wanted to eradicate the Irish by starving them, then there is a sensitivity to the subject matter. And you are absolutely right, not everyone will find it "funny" ..... but free speech is tricky, as you said. And the reason I struggle with this is because it is such a painful and sensitive area of Irish history. An area that was taboo for academics to discuss honestly because of a fear that their careers would be stalemated. I have been to the Great Hunger Museum in Hamden CT many times, in fact I was there when the exhibit was in Quinnipiac University, and I learned things from that exhibit that were not in my history books when I was growing up. Was it fear of insulting the English government that caused this censorship of the facts? Things like the fact that a tribe of American Indians gave more than the Queen of England towards the Great Hunger relief fund during the years of the hunger. Was it fear that knowing this would reignite violence and hatred? Probably. But to use censorship like this insults the audience. Let them decide for themselves, and with debates and critical thinking the audience will hopefully come to a better understanding of the true facts of the famine. And who knows, maybe thats what will happen with this sit-com, and possibly nobody will find it funny at all and it will get cancelled, if it ever even gets made. Free speech is important to me, because censorship presumes that the audience are all idiots. I grew up in a country that censored tv viewing heavily, and I totally disagree with it. RTE was notorious for its censorship, and it was an attempt of behalf of the Church and the State to keep the people like sheep. I don't come to this decision of "yes" let Channel 4 do the sit-com lightly, but my hope is that the audience will not be sheep, and will grasp that this is a painful topic, decide whether it is funny or not, and the whole thing may or may not even make air time.</p> There are limits to all "free…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2015-02-06:6442157:Comment:1426612015-02-06T13:58:15.120ZPatdee Mullarkeyhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/PatriciaDMullarkey
<p>There are limits to all "freedoms." We can walk around town, but are restricted from killing another pedestrian. We have responsibilities to those whom we share the world. Free speech is tricky. Do you believe children should be allowed to view pornography in magazines? Do you believe hate speech against Jews should be allowed in a synagogue? Perhaps this seems extreme. But, to us who have relatives who died horrible deaths during The Great Hunger, it is just as extreme. What if a comedy was…</p>
<p>There are limits to all "freedoms." We can walk around town, but are restricted from killing another pedestrian. We have responsibilities to those whom we share the world. Free speech is tricky. Do you believe children should be allowed to view pornography in magazines? Do you believe hate speech against Jews should be allowed in a synagogue? Perhaps this seems extreme. But, to us who have relatives who died horrible deaths during The Great Hunger, it is just as extreme. What if a comedy was made of 9/11 and the planes going into the Twin Towers? If you lost family in a disaster, how would you feel for it to be made into a sit-com (low on the entertainment food chain). A joke at the expense of the people buried along the road, mouths green from eating grass. The Great Hunger was an intentional effort to end the Irish, after so many efforts by the English. I really get tired of the argument if Mel Brooks can do it....Sorry. Each case needs to be judged on its own merit. There have been enough people who have expressed their anguish over this. A sit-com? That's pornography of violence. That said, I can sincerely appreciate that you are struggling with it. It shows you are a thoughtful person. That can't be said for the people who suggested the idea.</p>
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<p></p> Daniel,
You noted that you wr…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2015-02-05:6442157:Comment:1423792015-02-05T23:20:10.758ZBrendan Flynnhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/BrendanFlynn
<p>Daniel,</p>
<p>You noted that you wrote to TG4 which is an Irish Language Station whereas it is Channel 4 in England that is proposing to air the comedy on the Great Hunger.</p>
<p>I would have expected an answer similar to which you received from TG4. You may not have received a response from Channel 4.</p>
<p>Is it possible you wrote to the wrong organisation ? No big deal for me but just wondering here.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Brendan</p>
<p>Daniel,</p>
<p>You noted that you wrote to TG4 which is an Irish Language Station whereas it is Channel 4 in England that is proposing to air the comedy on the Great Hunger.</p>
<p>I would have expected an answer similar to which you received from TG4. You may not have received a response from Channel 4.</p>
<p>Is it possible you wrote to the wrong organisation ? No big deal for me but just wondering here.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Brendan</p> I have been reading the respo…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2015-02-05:6442157:Comment:1424822015-02-05T22:09:58.030ZLonniehttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/Lonnie
<p>I have been reading the responses to this and I am really struggling with saying no, because I believe in free speech. I know it is difficult to imagine anything funny about the Irish Great Hunger, but when the subject of genocide is handled by veterans like Mel Brooks, we do learn more. There is power in laughter.</p>
<p>David McSavage from <a href="http://vimeo.com/116061360" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Savage Eye</a> did a small skit on the Great Hunger in one of his previous…</p>
<p>I have been reading the responses to this and I am really struggling with saying no, because I believe in free speech. I know it is difficult to imagine anything funny about the Irish Great Hunger, but when the subject of genocide is handled by veterans like Mel Brooks, we do learn more. There is power in laughter.</p>
<p>David McSavage from <a rel="nofollow" href="http://vimeo.com/116061360" target="_blank">The Savage Eye</a> did a small skit on the Great Hunger in one of his previous shows. But the whole message was that an out of touch with reality ruling class had no mercy on the native Irish, unless they became protestants.</p>
<p>I really am struggling to say it should be stopped. I don't know. This one is a very tough call, but I do think that if the project is handled with the intent to show how governments can make disastrous decisions and people can suffer greatly because of it, yes, I do think it should go ahead because of free speech. Maybe people will learn something en-route.</p> I have written to the powers…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2015-02-05:6442157:Comment:1425882015-02-05T17:47:21.329ZDaniel Williamshttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/DanielWilliams
I have written to the powers that be at TG4 regarding their proposed "comedy program","Hungry", not expecting any response. To my surprise, they did respond promptly, stating they had no plans to air the program and that they would always take into account the feelings of their viewers before airing any program. One would have to question, why develop a program if there were no plans to air same? Have they money to spend on . . . Nothing? I don't believe them for a minute. They'll wait for an…
I have written to the powers that be at TG4 regarding their proposed "comedy program","Hungry", not expecting any response. To my surprise, they did respond promptly, stating they had no plans to air the program and that they would always take into account the feelings of their viewers before airing any program. One would have to question, why develop a program if there were no plans to air same? Have they money to spend on . . . Nothing? I don't believe them for a minute. They'll wait for an opportune moment. How could starvation be funny? Could a comedy be made of the Jordanian pilot burned to death? How about a comedy of the plight of the Syrian refugees? Or, perhaps the Charlie Hebdo victims? No, these couldn't be qualified, they're not the poor and misery-stricken Irish, and these only to those neighbors, the British, for they were of a superior class of Persons. The butcher's bill has yet to be paid. Cynthia,
Thanks for your link…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2015-02-05:6442157:Comment:1426472015-02-05T17:00:14.571ZDolores Rogershttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/DoloresRogers
<p>Cynthia,</p>
<p>Thanks for your link. I'm an actor, voice artist and writer. I'm building a website, but here are some links in the meantime:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpuDVDqMPqw" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpuDVDqMPqw</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1245667/" target="_blank">http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1245667/…</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>Cynthia,</p>
<p>Thanks for your link. I'm an actor, voice artist and writer. I'm building a website, but here are some links in the meantime:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpuDVDqMPqw" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpuDVDqMPqw</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1245667/" target="_blank">http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1245667/</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Seattle-Radio-Theatre/173853249301358" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Seattle-Radio-Theatre/173853249301358</a> (I'm Vice President of Seattle Radio Theatre)</p>
<p><a href="https://www.voices.com/people/DoloresRogers" target="_blank">https://www.voices.com/people/DoloresRogers</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>All the best,</p>
<p>Dolores</p> Dolores,
Do you have a web si…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2015-02-05:6442157:Comment:1423692015-02-05T16:46:47.706ZCynthia Nealehttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/CynthiaNeale
<p>Dolores,</p>
<p>Do you have a web site? I'd love to learn more about your work. My web site is <a href="http://www.cynthianeale.com" target="_blank">www.cynthianeale.com</a>.</p>
<p>Dolores,</p>
<p>Do you have a web site? I'd love to learn more about your work. My web site is <a href="http://www.cynthianeale.com" target="_blank">www.cynthianeale.com</a>.</p>