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A PETITION HAS been set up to remove the RTÉ show ‘The Centre’.
It demands that RTÉ immediately scrap the show as it encourages “abuse of transgender people”.
The petition has been set up by Dee Vansont.
Vansont told TheJournal.ie: “Most trans people have to try to stay below the radar to avoid harassment and protect friends, family and children.
So we have a very vulnerable minority with very little representation or support in Ireland and then RTÉ decides to make a transgender character the butt of a stream of bullying and vicious put-downs.
“The petition will remain open as long as RTÉ broadcast this damaging portrayal of how to treat transgender people.”
TheJournal.ie contacted the state broadcaster about the petition. RTÉ responded by releasing a statement, saying:
The Centre is a comedy full of exaggerated characters. Nualla is a Transgendered character accepted unreservedly by her co-workers and those who use ‘The Centre’, and while comical, is actually a positive LGBT character.
The attacks on Nualla come from one source – the repulsive Amanda Menton, who represents all that is wrong with society.In effect the exaggerated cartoon character of Amanda Menton is an equal opportunities offender – she insults ALL, she is sexist, ageist, fattest, elitist, bigoted etc. LGBT characters should not be treated differently.
This was the same statement released by RTE after the show received 24 complaints over the transgender character Nuala after the first show.
They added, “In terms of the petition, RTE welcomes feedback on our all programmes both positive and negative”.
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Where is the petition protesting on the grounds that its sh*te?
Ya can say shite jezza. Be grand
Would love to!…..
The app won’t post any profanity for me.
(sadly).
Aww man that sucks.
Your f*cking right it does!
I could always fill in the blanks for ya sir. My phone is a real badass when it comes to things like that
It really is brutal!!!
Can we have a petition to get Fair City of air, while were at it. But I have a better solution switch to different channel.
Or even RTE itself Stephen, save a few bob on the licence fee :)
(It is a shite channel in fairness)
Agree, dreadfully weak, unfunny, miserable rubbish. Who signs off crap like this, how much did we pay for it, just hideous bleary rubbish. Gender issues don’t even come into it.
I was being facetious William.
I love Fair City Stephan !!!
Here’s the petition @Jeremy – http://www.thepetitionsite.com/881/997/990/immediately-scrap-the-centre-because-its-shte/
It is hands down the worst show I’ve ever subjected my eyes too. Horrendously bad doesn’t even begin to cover it. Pure shite
RTE are improving then.
It’s a tad better than fair city alright :)
Programme is rubbish but I think some people are gone politically correct mad. Should grow up and get a life.
I agree. This is a comedy (supposedly) and it’s poking fun. If we can laugh at ourselves then we can give up. As a gay man I am happy to say that the idea of a petition is ridiculous. PC. Gone overboard.
If it was funny no one would care where were the same pc brigade for father ted? Etc.
Poking fun at one of the most discriminated against groups within Ireland. If they we’re poking fun at LGB people I wouldn’t really care. Go read TENI’s Transphobia report and then tell me this tripe doesn’t put a knot in your stomach!
TV networks and advertisement producers have been taking sly aim at trans people for the past two years. The reality is that the trans community is small and they’re an easy target because they’re not as vocal, due to their size, as the rest of the LGB community.
‘White middle-class man in “get over discrimination” shocker’
That’s not up for you to decide. You are not trans.
You are a gay man. You are not transgender. It’s really frustrating when middle class gay men think they can decide on queer issues as a whole. If anything there’s a precedent for you guys mocking us more than not(a la Ru Paul).
Could the petition also have anything featuring tubs, an hector and fair city as shows that we could hopefully see the back of
Thirty seven years ago, when we tolerated nothing, the League of Decency was outraged when a glimpse of naked female flesh was spotted in one episode of a drama series called The Spike. It was cancelled. Now, of course, we’re far more open, tolerant and accepting of diversity, humour (even if it’s shite) and other people’s ideas. Aren’t we?
It’s not just about what you’re open to, it’s about how vulnerable groups are depicted and how it affects them.
We’re not really being open to anything new here as transwomen have been the butt of jokes for the longest times. We’re not giving any new access or representation to any groups, it’s not progressive in any shape or form. It’s the same hetero/cisnormative standards as always.
“RTÉ in terrible comedy shocker!”
No shite!
What happened to the days of Don’t Feed the Gondalas, which was at least worth watching…
RTE hit an all time low when this was first aired.Who creates this crap?.
And we’re made to pay for it!!
I think it was written by the shaved ape they keep hidden in the fair city garage
Which part the content or comedy. If this was a sketch in father ted we’d be laughing till our sides split. Mmm one thinks….
Also a petition a long side scrapping it because its monumentally siiihhhttteeee
there is! – http://www.thepetitionsite.com/881/997/990/immediately-scrap-the-centre-because-its-shte/
Haven’t seen the show… But why have people become so sensitive? Whatever happened to taking a joke? Seriously, forcing PC on us is messing the county up… Just because the Germans have taken over doesn’t mean we have to adopt their sense of humour….
@Rosie Murray;
Die Deutschen würden wahrscheinlich lieben “Das Zentrum”!
I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware as a transwoman that I wasn’t a part of “this country”, but for me it’s hetero/cisnormative attitudes and general ignorant, insensitive small town thinking that ruin the country for me. What you call “PC” I call stepping into the 21st Century.
It’s an awful awful show and a criminal waste of my taxes
But…..
This type of hysteria and preciousness is just nonsense, the show is just a lame comedy and it actually does their cause more harm than good by behaving like this.
Relax . Petition was probably started by RTE to generate some non existant controversy in some attempt to boost veiwer numbers for this abortion of a show. Tis either this or they sell their souls to Satan .( again).
If you were trans you might understand why we are so “precious”. We live under constant fear of being mocked, ridiculous, attacked, fired, generally outed and abandoned by family, friends and loved ones. It is paramount that we display queer, gender nonconforming and trans* characters as positive role models instead of the same stereotype over and over.
#notyournuala
The show itself is pretty awful but having said that people need to lighten up for Gods sake !! A petition for this crap?? Really?? Think there are more important things going on in the world to worry about other than a character on a TV programme !! This kind of over reaction only does more harm than good!!
There will be a petition next to stop reruns of little Britain for the lads doing the “I’m a lady” sketches. PC gone mad!
When we complain about how we are represented, and how we affect us, and you call it “PC gone mad”, you are dehumanising us. You are telling us we deserve to be abused and killed, because we are less than human and that the idea of us being treated as equals is some sort of folly.
Its time we got rid of RTE. 260 million a year in licence fees and they have one good show to show for it (Love/Hate). Ridiculous
@Donal; Homeland?
I meant shows that they actually fund e.g fair city, love/hate, amber (lol!) and the show mentioned in the article
Should do away with Marty morrissey he shouldn’t be allowed on till after nine he frightens the kids he is too ugly for TV
So T.V isn’t ready for my character John Francy Cohen a Jewish Irish traveller who happens to be black and gay! Ah well back to the drawing board.
Does he have a limp and a glass eye too?
Not a great show, don’t think it’s as bad as some people are saying, but come on its only a laugh people need to relax the kacks
It is as bad as people are saying. It really is. Every character in it is offensively awful.
Still… It’s a paycheque for some, I suppose.
Have none of yas heard of a remote?? If yas don’t like it change the channel I’m sure yas all have more than the fuzzy 3 channels in this day and age. There’s far more offensive things going on daily
If I had a remote that could you know, erase the fact that I was attacked(at halloween of all times) by a group of skangers using the exact same sort of humour presented in these sorts of shows, then maybe you’d have a point.
Every character in it is not representing an equally vulnerable group. Some potrayals hit home harder than others. We’re still dealing with the “Dolphin argument” from the “Equal offending” South Park. It’s an actual real thing that people use against us and our rights.
Better off Scrapping de Whole thing not a bit funny
Seen an advert on TV for it another pure muck production from RTE , id sooner watch fair city ha..
Oh God people should get to f#%k over themselves and stop being so f€#king sensitive and PC! The show is bad, fair enough, but as regards the portrayal being “Transgender-Bashing”, etc, I actually know some “Nualas” to be honest, it’s fairly spot on!!!
That photo is very League of Gentlemen!
Never utter those words alongside the centre
I thought they were talking about The Clinic and that they’d stooped to having a male comedian playing a transsexual, very disappointing that it’s actually meant to be funny
Who watches that crap.
Apparently social justice warriors looking for things to be offended by
*tips Fedora*
I’d prefer to see a petition to scrap RTE.
Pure sh1te!
Surprised at how awful the show is!! Jennifer should have left the burkha on she might have saved herself the embarassment of being outed as part of the show. Could have damaged what has up to now been a good track record in comedy!!! Who indeed writes, produces and signs off on this muck!! The Walshes was also one of the most cringeworthy assaults on the senses! Cop on rte!!!
No harm if they did the same for fair city
Pure and utter shite
Scrap the whole show, it’s rubbish.
The image above looks like Alan Shatter in drag . Never heard of this programme but it looks like utter tripe. RTE’s usual programming concept of an idea that came to someone over the water cooler and everyone giggled so let’s throw money at it.
We can’t even watch a gaa match now either
The Walshes is so much better!
Television! The drug of a nation!
Bunch of privileged, obnoxious sheltered brats commenting on this. Stop telling activists how to do their job when the extent of marginalisation you’ve experienced is missing the Voice because you had to drive your Mam to the opticians. You are not oppressed, you have no idea what it’s like to be oppressed, you are not educated on oppression theory, trans theory, queer theory or anything like that and you should not be speaking on how these representations affect us if they do not affect you.
If you are not black, you do not get to decide what black people are offended by. If you are not gay, you do not get to decide what gay people are offended by. If you are not trans, you do not get to decide what trans people are offended by.
This is a really really simple concept that people are missing out on. Also, if you’re not an activist, you don’t get to tell activists what’s “hurting their cause” or this bollocks. This is a kneejerk reaction and doesn’t dictate the wider effect of activism and tackling problematic representations of vulnerable groups on television.
Can any of you eejits put yourself in my shoes for a second, having to read all these comments? If we protest pretty much anything, it’s PC gone mad. We are treated as less than human and our voices are mocked and erased, there is no stock put in anything we say. You can’t imagine what it’s like. And please don’t tell me you don’t have a problem “with the queers” if you’re making these kinds of posts. You don’t get to decide what problematic behaviour is if it doesn’t affect you. We are, generally, to some degree, educated on our own issues. You are not. If we get offended by something, we might actually have a reason for it. Daily Mail readers and 4chan kiddies skitting over tumblr blogs need not apply.
Petition for pure drivel on so call comedy via tax payers
Katherine Lynch’s co-writer is one of the people behind so is it any surprise that it is offensive unfunny rubbish.
It isn’t real…..
Give it an IFTA. It deserves to be put in the stocks and humiliated before the whole nation, like every other recipient the other night.
I’m very confused about the outraged caused by The Centre. I have seen and heard reports that this program encourages transphobia! Transphobia exists in our society as does racism, homophobia and many other ridiculous prejudices against minority groups (after watching I’m a Believer, I did not become a racist) we must have very little hope for the intellect of viewers if this is the case. Surely if anything this show has been a catalyst which has allowed a vehicle for these issues to be spoken about more openly. People are not going to become less or more transphobic from watching this program, if it exists, it exists. This program has only done a service by bringing these issues into the main arena and that is only a journey towards a positive impact in the Trans community, surely? P.S I saw the show the other night and the character Nuala was singing I am Beautiful and everyone was cheering for her and wanted her to win the contest as far as I can see there is great love for the transgender character. I can see no justification for the protest.
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