RTE radio actually interviewed Graham Linehan wonders will never cease

[GrandMarnierChocolate]

Hope I'm doing the link properly www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22320256/

Amazed that they interviewed him. They tried to focus on would you ruin your life again given the chance? but he got a lot of good points across. Very nice addition at the end that Belongto and teni didn't accept their invitation to speak on the subject.

I had deleted my RTE app but might return to them for news if I think I can trust them to bring all news impartially.

Well, the whole thing was an investigation into whether Graham is just awful or having a breakdown, which was the usual angle. No interest in what he was saying.

Thanks for the link.

Just to add for anyone who is interested the Sunday Telegraph has interviewed him (again?) as a financial article https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/father-ted-graham-linehan-comedy-trans-finances-marriage/

Available to read at https://archive.ph

I made a complaint to RTE about the nature of the ‘interview’. It was a hijacker’s attempt.

very inter That TENI & Belingto s wouldn’t go on the programme.

I think it's notable that they had him on at all, so that's a positive step at least.

As much as I admire GL, he really doesn't present his arguments well, and can be so combative & bombastic in approach - which he was here, thought to be fair, he tempered himself as if went on (kept personalising his points to the interviewer with 'you' but then corrected this).

Agreed it was notable that there was no-one from BelongTo or TENI willing to be interviewed.

I agree it's a step forward for Graham to have a platform at all. Ostracising him clearly hasn't made everything he has to say incorrect, so he's successfully bringing this whole conversation into the public sphere. This is what is needed, even if it's still imperfect.

I'm not in any way ever going to tone police anyone who stands up to this, not least because I think it's a way of not engaging with the argument and trying to humiliate people into shutting up. I'm incredibly grateful to people who are taking risks I can't. Also, I think that having a variety of voices from a variety of backgrounds with different ways of presenting the points and different concern and emphasis shows one thing: most people, regardless of background or concern are just not on board with this when they get a chance to speak.

I'm not in any way ever going to tone police anyone who stands up to this

I haven't had time to listen to this interview, but on another thread some were commentating that his manner of speech and assertiveness worked against him.

Were I in his position, I would just be exploding all over the place. Even when talking about it as an issue (not about how I have been impacte) at get a bit over the top. He isn't representing a campaign. He is talking about his own life and what he has lost. Given the extent of that I think he is remarkably restrained!

And I am not even cross that he doesn't think FWR is worthing visting any more!

He is talking about his own life and what he has los*t
*
He doesn't really do this tbf; and he doesn't acknowledge he has 'lost' anything - his position is that he had no choice.

He is deeply upset, understandably, at erstwhile friends & collaborators abandoning him, as he sees it.

I think it's more nuanced. For all that I agree with him, he is blunt - not in his tone - but in his presentation of the arguments, in a way that say, Kathleen Stock, handles with dignity, calmness, and always going back to facts. Not in anyway that I disagree, but GL's emotion often comes to the fore & he tends towards polarising statements.

Interestingly, Stephen Donnelly was interviewed afterwards and he was asked about whether lobby groups such as TENI should have such influence. GL was referred to as part of that question.

Emm - Kathleen Stock is a professor.

He is a comedy writter.

Bring it on I say.

I thought he was great actually - constantly asking the journalist why he did not cover it? Why he is isn't worried about the young Irish man who went to Tavistock? Why the focus is on his style rather than the issue.

It will definately get a few people wondering.

Go Glinner! Tough Crowd is the first book I've been able to read in two sittings for many years.

Stephen Donnelly is such a disappointment. During the Recession he seemed like a voice of sanity , talking truth to power. Just another machine politician now.

Yeah, his response was a to avoid the question while going on about the importance of the lobbying groups for policy.

Typical. Our elected representatives need tax payer funded lobbyists to tell them what to think.

I remember some hapless twit in Waterford - I think - who had a woman teaching him communication skills. She was on twice his salary. But I foolishly thought Donnelly , or eg Boyd Barrett , might be able to use their own judgement.

@EnoughIsay

What's your point about KS being a or

Sorry posted in error.

.. your point about KS being a professor, and GL a comedy writer? One isn't inferior to another & in respect of the point I was making, both involve intelligent, articulate people well able to communicate.

The issue with GL is the lack of nuance and some personalised attacks - which isn't to take away from the correctness of his position.

With regard to the use of 'you' to the interviewer (which he did draw back from as the interview went on) it is unfair to try and make it personal. He can speak about the media or RTE as an organisation, with complete fairness on that point (that they don't cover the issues).

I agree about Stephen Donnelly - though I've never rated him

Though interestingly, a relative who's a hospital doctor says he's very good & on top of the issues in person (unusual to hear that said, mostly medics don't rate politicians).

He is intelligent and if he on top of the medical brief....just needs to locate his spine.

Graham Linehan was interviewed on The Hard Shoulder, the drivetime show on Irish station Newstalk, last Thursday. It's long and I only caught the end on a repeat yesterday.

Report with transcripted excerpts : Transgenderism 'far more powerful than the Catholic Church' - Graham Linehan
Podcast links: "If you tell the wrong joke, your career could be over" - Graham Linehan
MP3 download

Thanks @Genesis1v27 . Will give it a listen later.
Transgenderism is certainly more powerful than the Catholic Church in 2023. More like the Church of the 50s , when you'd be scared to challenge its dogmas.

Newstalk has allowed a balance of views to be presented on this issue on the past. One presenter in particular has spoken out repeatedly to say the concerns of parents need to be listened to. There have been numerous segments on this week but haven't caught many of them in full. One interview I did catch with a trans non-binary person was fully supportive and "how can people be so mean" but I hope raised questions for listeners about the ideology. Interviewee never mentioned their sex but it was glaringly obvious from their voice and conversation. Interviewee spoke about not fitting societal expectations of boy/girl, not fitting in, low self esteem, medically required surgery that made them feel less of a (their sex), non-binary but having surgery to "correct" their body, wanting to compete in their sport but not in male or female categories and how an organisation was going to accommodate them, preferred pronouns should be used & don't want to speak to people who won't use preferred pronouns but also said it took them a long time and a lot of practice to get their own pronouns right (accent suggested 1st language is one which is highly gendered). Oh yes and I nearly forgot the major red flag....hadn't questioned their gender at all until suggestion they may be trans was raised by a psychologist/counsellor/psychotherapist (can't remember which) that they saw to help come to terms with the initial medically required surgery! How many vulnerable people has this therapist harmed by putting that suggestion to them???

Thanks for the link, I’m listening to it now. I’m surprised by the framing of this interview by the host - for him it’s all trans rights not women’s rights AND it was daft the number of content warnings he gave listeners before the interview was played 🙄

I listened to the interview and Graham got a some relevant information out, which was good, but the interviewer was determined to talk about personal regret and why Graham can’t just be nicer when he’s fighting for women’s right.

The tone policing questions and the prompting him to bemoan his life are driving me mad, so god knows how Graham keeps his cool with them being put to him repeatedly.

Lazy interviewing (but not as adversarial as I was expecting).