AIBU?
To find James O'Brien LBC presenter a condescending twat
Movingout · 29/05/2013 10:36
Am I the only one that finds LBC radio presenter James O'Brien infuriating. Whilst he has the face for radio he does not have the voice; but worse, I hate the way he patronises callers that are obviously less educated and less articulate than he is. He sounds like a patronising bully and it makes for uncomfortable listening. Unlike Nick Ferarri he has zero charisma.
mpje · 12/02/2016 12:27
I guess it works in the short term, but i'm more inclined to just switch it off at ten these days
"I care alot about animal welfare, but I adore eating fois gras"
I post on 7 different forums, and he would get banned in 10 mins of posting the stuff he spouts on the radio.
PrincessMouse · 12/02/2016 13:01
Live in Yorkshure but I do listen to some LBC. I like Nick F. I find Janes O'Whats his name beyound irritating. There is no debate unless you agree with his position. Which isn't a debate is it? But the most annoying thing is when he starts a discussion with "I have a question... I have seen something and need to discuss... I am genuinely confused, I don't know what to think." Then he proceeds to lead callers into saying what he wants them to say and belittles/berates those with a differing views. His an arse.
If I am listening to LBC and I hear him say that I normally am switch over to Five Live or anything else.
walshbouchard · 10/05/2016 12:07
Actually James Ob is not that educated, his childish rants and his patronising tones to everybody who phones in who doesn’t share his world view is a laugh a minute , no one who is rational takes him seriously his assertion that all things Islamic are wonderful and great and all things white and European are evil xenophobic and racist is a sign of a poorly educated individual who has read too many socialist books
To deny that Islam has not got a problem is frankly ridiculous to deny that islam in the UK will never be a problem is wishful thinking , as maybe the majority of muslims are peace loving but so were the japanese population in WW2 and as such they are largley irevevent .
Denying that Isis is not islamic , that sharia courts dont trump british courts in muslim areas is a betrayal of the muslim female victims of those courts , as rotherham was a betrayal of all those cildren at the hands of ( moderate muslim taxi drivers )
Lottapianos · 10/05/2016 12:45
He is a muppet, often bullies and patronises callers, bulldozes anyone who doesn't agree with him, and is nowhere near as clever as he thinks he is. Nowhere near. You need a sickbag to hand if he starts talking about marriage or parenting, which is often.
That said, I find it impossible not to engage with his show. He's totally brilliant at what he does - stirring up debate and winding people up. And just occasionally, he fights a good fight, like against UKIP or in support of the junior doctors.
I absolutely cannot stomach Mystery Hour though. Its the smuggest thing I've ever heard and annoys me more than all of the other LBC hours of the week put together
Seren2013 · 04/06/2016 07:57
James O'Brien IS a condescending twat. He has the most pedestrian, sophomoric ideas, but he attempts to mask them with the condescension (as when he hangs up on callers who he takes the "high moral ground" with), and use of unnecessary "big words", some of which he makes up, like saying "generalistic" instead of "general." What a moron!
Can't stand that racist, sexist pig Nick Ferarri, too. How do these people get hired to be on the air?
pigsDOfly · 04/06/2016 08:42
Because, Seren if they were pleasant, people with reasonable views instead of smug, bigoted arses, nobody would get riled up by them and call in to attempt to ague with them and there would be no programme.
Unfortunately, what the callers who disagree with them don't take into consideration is that the presenters are the ones who can disconnect them when they - the presenters - are losing the argument, and clearly they love the power.
I stopped listening to them all years ago. If I want to listen to the rantings of a load of twats I'll sign up to the BNP.
cotties · 30/06/2016 17:35
I had the misfortune to hear James O'Brien on the radio around lunch time today. I was aghast at his rudeness, prejudice, ill manners and biased attitude to an older lady called Bobbie I think her name was. He absolutely slated her for trying to put forward good points about Boris Johnson. He shouted her down, refused to listen to her and was downright disrespectful in his attitude. I think he should be hauled before a disciplinary committee and reprimanded. His rudeness was outrageous. If he was my son and had spoken to me like that I would have boxed his ears and sent him to bed. Sadly rudeness seems to be tolerated theses days. I have never heard such uncharitable comments as I have recently over Brexit. I am ashamed that we have brought up such a discourteous and ill mannered generation.
Sedgewick · 01/01/2017 10:36
James O'Brien...Infuriating in his strange ability to be right on almost every single point yet deliver it in a way that only serves to irritate those which he most needs to convince.
He's clever, honest, blunt and full of integrity, his problem has always been that he complacently fails to realise most people aren't like him. (Maybe they can't afford to be?)
Lately, he is realising that human beings, perhaps the most selfish creatures on the planet, rarely respond to logic or a sense fairness.
I don't see James O'Brien as a champagne socialist. He just wants people to be valued for who they are, not what they are. Is that left wing? Isn't that just human decency?
He speaks of the irony of wealthy business men like the Trumps and Farages of this world, speaking for the working class. How those two must laugh as poor white people are manipulated into fighting immigrants for a tiny piece of the pie, while the wealthy elite - men like Farage and Trump are taking 9/10ths of the pie.
James O'Brien is a lonely voice speaking the truth to a society that seems determined to keep kicking itself in the face. And, yes, if someone kept punching themselves in the face, in front of you, you too might start sounding patronising in your inability to understand it.
He is a dying breed - I wonder if he knows it?
cfcglen · 23/01/2017 20:50
I cant stand James O Brien.
He thinks only his viewpoint is right despite twatting around pretending some caller has swayed him etc etc
He goes on and on about Brexit, as though anyone who voted out is an idiot.
Same now with Trump.
Then he prattles on about how he can prove this and that.
I hate the man so much.
I listen to all other shows but turn him off immediately now.
Ubertasha2 · 24/01/2017 01:50
Can't stand the idiot. He is smug, condescending and disrespectful of others with differing views to his own. And I hate his deep, low cockney accent- it really irritates me.
LOVE Iain, Nick Ferrari and wish I had a dad like Clive 😀 Also (and I am prepared to bear the brunt of many a tut), but adore Katie H and Nigel F- they are hilarious!!!
Sedgewick · 24/01/2017 04:39
I'm sorry, but you can't call James O'Brien an idiot in one breath, and in the next say you like Katie Hopkins and Nigel Farage - and expect to retain any credibility. That's a big compliment to James that someone who likes them, hates him! He is everything they are not - honest, intelligent and someone with integrity.
SeaWitchly · 24/01/2017 07:16
I think the best you can say about James O'B is that he seems intelligent compared to the other LBC presenters.
I also think he comes across as a rambling, egotistical tosspot. The type of arrogant a-hole I would avoid at a dinner party.
He is very opinionated and talks over his callers... after asking them to call in to 'please explain something to me' or 'help me make sense of' whatever and then he proceeds to talk over them and patronise them and belittle them.
And I don't know why he is touted as 'left wing', he is centre right at the very least I would have thought
And yes, hate the 'Mrs O'Brien' schtick too.
RachelRagged · 24/01/2017 09:21
Not listened to LBC in years but used to have it on in the kitchen on and off.
Nick Ferrari
James O'Brien
Sandi Toksvig and Bonnie Langford lunchtimes
and somebody whose name I long forget who had a theme song of Broken Wings ,, some sort of radio agony aunt.
They are who I listened too , And another man saturdays but forget his name.
EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 24/01/2017 09:51
Nick Ferrari has charisma
I like debate radio but I like to hear both sides of an argument even if I disagree I don't care what political side presenters are I prefer a neutral presenter. Its too shockjock radio for me
But I think he is really good on Newsnight when interviewing politicians
Ubertasha2 · 24/01/2017 11:14
I bet bloody James is gormlessly gloating at the Brexit development- can't bear to listen!! I just pray that he doesn't become a huge political star in the future - at least I can switch him off at the moment!!
And yay to Steve Allen- like Katie and Nigel he is v v amusing!
Sedgewick · 24/01/2017 20:10
Yeah, I think the problem with James O'Brien is that he never resorts to cliche or simple solutions to complex questions. You kind of go on this journey with him as he explores pretty unprecedented times.
It's difficult for someone intelligent, who questions everything, to compete against pat answers and minority blaming rhetoric like Katie Hopkins and Nigel Farage.
James O'Brien does not have sound-bites - just good old fashioned facts glued together with a desire to see the world a better place for everyone -not just the elitists - unlike tax-avoiding Trump and Farage.
I think left-wing can be simply summed up by a desire for everyone to have a piece of the pie. O'Brien certainly wants that. It's a shame that having an education invalidates his views in some eyes, whereas city slicker Farage and billionaire-born Trump can claim to represent the masses and the people swallow it.
You have to admit, it doesn't make any sense.
I'm thrilled to have a voice of reason, like O'Brien - if nothing else it's refreshing. There aren't many voices like his around.
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.