Pat Kenny and RTE Frontline: Audience member goes defcon 5

Welcome to the new media world. Minutes after Pat Kenny gets abuse from an audience member and it’s on YouTUbe:

Update: Higher quality version:

I’m now off to sue an old woman about a field…

31 Responses to “Pat Kenny and RTE Frontline: Audience member goes defcon 5”

  1. Bill says:

    Is there anyone else who thinks this is the same guy from the “Unions don’t like feedback, do they” post ??

  2. Donal says:

    Must say Pat dealt with it very well. But then again he is getting quite practiced at this!

  3. Bill says:

    Definitely Practice! How many nutjobs did he have to deal with on the Late Late Show like…

  4. Enda says:

    Oh man, I think I missed a good show.

  5. […] 12:53 am on November 10, 2009 Reply Tags: ireland (155) I’m now off to sue an old woman about a field… […]

  6. metin2 yang says:

    Oh, I think I missed a wonderful performance.

  7. Kate says:

    Donal, handled it well?! He belittled his audience member for having the gawl to say what a large percentage of the population are moaning about all the time! I think Mary Hanafin reacted well, as she said it’s important that everyone has a voice but Kenny just laughed at him – what an arrogant a*%hole!

    OK, the guy went off the wall, and totally overused the word “pontificate”, but he has a point and the wages of RTE presenters are what everyone has been complaining about for ages. He had the balls (and the craziness) to seize his opportunity and say it straight to Pat’s face – if only everyone else had the backbone to do the same. If only the rest of the government could have turned around to O’Donoghue and all the FAS buddies and bawl them out of it in the same way.

    Our taxes are paying for Kenny’s wages and as a result, that guy had every right to say what he said. He didn’t do himself any favours to say it in the manner he did – but desperate times…….

  8. Brendan says:

    Is Frontline morphing into The Jerry Springer Show?

  9. Ralph Smith says:

    Alan is on Today Fm with Ray Darcy at the moment. He comes across as quite the space cadet.

  10. Ruairi says:

    There is no excuse for not respecting people in my opinion. Pat Kenny’s wages are determined by commercial factors.

  11. Noel Rock says:

    I like that he corrects himself between a week and a year, as though THAT was what was going to make him look bad.

    I feel like I recognise him…

  12. I think Mary Hanafin reacted well, as she said it’s important that everyone has a voice but Kenny just laughed at him – what an arrogant . THAT was what was going to make him look bad.

  13. average joe public sector says:

    Not the most elequent of speakers but makes a fair point. ‘They’ are not all in RTE these highly (over) paid public sector workers. Alan dukes?

  14. Sadhbh says:

    Whoever in the production team is responsible for screening audience members is having a very, very bad day today!

  15. Pat O Neill says:

    Whats next. A Paternity test for the Politicians when they on the show. Bring it on.

  16. Kate, I was just about to say the same. He didn’t ‘handly it well’, he just blew the guy offf until he was hauled away.

    The guy admited to some mental health issues in his past on the Ray Darcy show this morning.

  17. darren hop says:

    that man only said what everyone wanted to say fair play to him put that man in the dail at least he speaks the trought

  18. Aisling says:

    Fair play to him !!!! FAIR PLAY TO YOU IF YOU ARE READING THIS!!!
    And if he is the guy in the other clip he has every right to voice his opinion.
    we’ve listened for long enough to them telling us whats what, covering up their mistakes …..and the state they’ve left US in but they still have their nice pay cheques at the end of the month !
    we should all take a leaf out of this mans book….sing from the same sheet….

  19. At risk of ignoring your point, can I take the opportunity to correct an error in your headline and kill a mistaken meme.

    Defcon 5 = peace.
    Defcon 1 = war.

    See http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DefconFive

  20. I really couldn’t care. One day you’ll leave a constructive comment I hope. Might kill you though.

  21. Jackie McCarry says:

    Fair play to that guy on Frontline.He voiced the opinion of the people.

  22. Conor says:

    That guy has an interesting point, but our taxes do not pay for Pat’s wages. The license fees and advertising revenue he brings in for being one of RTE’s top draws is what pays his wages.

  23. Donal says:

    Katie, Donagh,

    I still think Pat dealt with it well, what was he supposed to do? He made light of the situation and left him have his say for the most part. I agree with a lot of what yer man said, especially the “off to sue an old lady about a field” but it was a better reaction from Pat than say the ripping up of Toy Show tickets like he did last year. I don’t think Pat has any right to tell us how we have to take cuts when he and his like (Gerry Ryan grrr) are creaming it from our tv licence fees!

  24. richie says:

    good on the guy for haven the balls to say it the way it is…………..pity there aint a few more guys like this

  25. Trina says:

    What a hero.

  26. Tim says:

    Live telly, brilliant!

  27. Ber says:

    Well done to this guy and i also think what a hero! Pat Kenny is over paid. The Minister sat there in her tailored clothes knowing that she wont have to live on €204.00 per week. She will continue to receive a fat cheque with expenses every year. Today a friend who had not received any s/w payments (dole or rent allowance) in several weeks was without any money to buy food. He was living on a box of mash (you know the stuf you add water to). This man used to have a job. How dare these people pontificate about tighening our belts. Remember Mr. Haughey, who once stated we were living beyond our means…while he was buying Shirts in France and dinning in the finest restaurents. What a sham ..we have Nama, Fas, Banking debts…….When do we stop paying for their mistakes!

  28. Jimmy says:

    Yep, there’s all that and more, wait till they cut social welfare, childrens allowance, o o pension. These people live in different planets with their high pay, (Marian Finucane). Lost me own job lately – absolutley nothing going. thanks you guys- i owe you one.

  29. Martin Brennan says:

    Dear Pat,

    Any chance of a Frontline discussion on the financial waste (~1.3 Billion) incurred in maintaining a dead language (Irish).

    Even a discussion on the reason why the high cost of translations are needed to be carried out on actions/discussion taken by governments, county councils etc.,. —- no body reads them.

    An example is, to publish one page in English cost 4.0 euros while publishing the same page in Irish cost 94.0 euros. This is just one of the many stupid wastes caused by trying to maintain a dead language.

    Would it be better if this money was spent on the health service, handicap children, schools etc.,? It’s absolutely lunatic given the state the country is in.

    Regards,

    Martin

    ps 1.3 billion is 43% of the required cut in the budget for 2010.

  30. daragh says:

    why cant politicians pay their own expense’s out of their vast salarys,i earn 350 a week,and have no choise but to pay all my expense’s out of my meagrewages.do they have any pride or shame