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2016: DONALD J TRUMP is President-elect of the United States. Discourse in the United Kingdom has been reduced to, “Poppies are good, immigrants and judges are bad.” Gary Lineker has somehow emerged as the sole voice of reason and empathy on social media. Prince Harry is literally pleading with the tabloid press to stop making racist remarks about his girlfriend. Kim Kardashian West hasn’t tweeted in 38 days.
In other words, everything has gone to shit and we don’t even have a heartwarming sports spectacle to serve as a distraction from the hellscape we find ourselves in.
So, how do you think RTÉ’s The Late Late Show, one of the most consistently popular programmes in Ireland and the longest-running chat show in the world, has chosen to tackle these horrifying developments? By inviting a panel of reasonable, intelligent people to dissect the current political climate? By chatting to some Washington correspondents? By just ignoring it altogether?
Not quite.
So you’re saying that a former Apprentice contestant who has previously likened refugees to “cockroaches,” described gypsies as “feral animals,” and was praised by a certain Donald J Trump for writing about the UK’s so-called “Muslim problems” is going to be given a platform on Irish television on this of all weeks?
The Late Late Show has always been welcoming to Katie Hopkins. She has made three appearances on the show since 2014. Each time, she has expended energy giving out about baby names, fat people and stay-at-home mothers. You know, the real enemies.
For a time, this was Katie Hopkins’ bread and butter. But with creepy right-wing nationalism in vogue again, Hopkins has adjusted her rhetoric and aligned herself with the likes of UKIP’s Nigel Farage.
Instead of demonising overweight people, she now tweets disparaging remarks about the father of Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian toddler found washed up on a beach in 2015. Instead of being weirdly obsessed with Katie Price, she writes columns blaming black teenagers for their own murders. Instead of ragging on children named Chantelle, she blasts employment schemes promoting ethnic diversity.
Rather cynically, this has proven to a savvy career move on Hopkins’ part. She has a regular Daily Mail column. She hosts her own radio show on LBC. And she’s frequently invited on television programmes like The Late Late Show to espouse her racist, sexist, classist views.
Why? Because they know she’ll incite a reaction and apparently that’s what television is all about nowadays. Reactions. Outrage. Stirring the pot. It’s why Brendan O’Connor’s Cutting Edge lets George Hook rant incoherently about Hillary Clinton and it’s why David McWilliams allows Ann Coulter to discuss banning immigrants. And it’s how the world has ended up with Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as two of the world’s most influential political figures.
If I believed for one minute that Ryan Tubridy might seriously challenge Katie Hopkins, I might not be so opposed to the whole stunt. But her previous appearances on the show have seen Tubridy treat her like a gas divil with no filter.
Oh Katie, you’re just terrible. Lads, isn’t she some divil?
For instance, during a 2014 appearance, a female audience member was trying to explain to Hopkins that you can be both happy and fat. The first words Hopkins said to this woman? “You’re not hard to spot.” Tubridy’s response to Hopkins was as weak as you’d expect. “That’s just mean,” he whimpered with all the conviction of a newborn kitten.
And… that was it.
So you’ll understand why I have little faith in RTÉ and The Late Late Show to adequately grill Katie Hopkins on her dangerous, xenophobic views. Perhaps I will be proved wrong, but I highly doubt it.
In fact, I imagine it will go like this: On Friday night, Ryan Tubridy will tease Hopkins’ appearance with glee. (“She’s back to ruffle feathers!”) Hopkins will say horrible things, give out about political correctness and defend Donald Trump and Brexit. Maybe she’ll kiss an audience member or maybe Tubridy will mess up her hair.
Viewers will give out about her on social media. Others will claim that she’s saying that she’s merely saying what everyone is thinking. Irish media publications will cover the appearance (and inevitable outrage) on Saturday. This will all be regarded as a “win” for The Late Late Show and she’ll be back in six months time to troll us all over again.
Because it’s 2016. And that’s how we do things now.
Amy O’Connor writes about popular entertainment and culture on DailyEdge.ie and on her Medium blog.
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Career choice and career often turn out to be two different things.
@Brendan O’Brien: When i done my leaving cert in 1999 i got very low points. I was never collage material any way. I done an apprenticeship in fitting and welding. I have worked all over the world building bridges, tunnels and oil and gas refinery’s. Home now and mortgage free at 36. Collage is not the be all to success. Even people who do poorly in school can be successful if they choose the right career.
@Jamie Jj Tobin: fair play to you Jamie – you are right – its not for everyone. but whatever you do, it is important to commit to it and take your opportunities as you seem to have done. good example for many in the next few months…
I know someone who always wanted to be a doctor but didn’t get the points so their parents (very ambitious) persuaded them to aim for teaching, I remember the father telling me “nice secure government job”, I told him if their heart wasn’t in they would regret it. Either way they did a science degree. The second it was done they turned around and used graduate entry to get into medicine.
If you want something bad enough, there is a way.
I work in a supermarket as a checkout supervisor, not the most glamour job in the world but I love it! I meet new people every day, I like to talk alot so that helps :) and I’m a good problem solver, I had good leaving cert results but money for college was a factor but I have to say I love where I am pays the bills let’s me live a decent life and I’m never hungry I could ask for more..
@Conaire DeBhairduin: What are your views on the potential of automation replacing all check outs in supermarkets over the coming years. Is this something that worries you?
@will: boom!
@will: who’ll check the check outs?, who’ll check the check out check out?
@iohanx: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrmMk1Myrxc Nobody apparently!
I was in a terrible place mentally, recently diagnosed and placed on medication, but was told that completing the leaving cert was my best option. I passed everything, did brilliantly in the only subject I cared for, but still not enough points to get into college. I went to further education, it was close and affordable and would give me a taste of what I could be in for from college. I completed the level 5 with a partial due to coming off of the medication and instability, then spent the next 3 years working after I moved up to Dublin. Got work hours reduced and reduced and reduced until I couldn’t afford rent, and had to move back home. Did a level 6 this year with Distinctions in all subjects, now looking to move on to do an English Bachelors at 24 and then go into teaching.
Took me 6 years before I found out what I wanted to do.
@Shannon Mcg: good luck, don’t give up!
My career advise at school was,
“You may as well emigrate, there is nothing here for you.”
So I did, and had a great time before eventually returning.
@Brian McDonnell: I did the same but without having been given any advice. It forced me to become independent at 22 and was a very positive life lesson.
@Brian McDonnell:
how long ago? Just curious, as members of my family were told and did the same in the eighties.
@Denis Moynihan: Yeap….the career choice was work elsewhere or the dole here, so any job would do, from warehouses to offices, building sites to factories. As long as I could pay my way I wasn’t too fussy.
@P.J. Nolan: Late 80′s.
The notion that when you sit your leaving cert is when you should make your career choice is totally outmoded and ridiculous anyway.
@Conor Paddington: the way careers change and jobs change, continuing education is vital. 46 and still don’t know what to do.
My parents supported me in every step I took to get my degree but they always said that the subjects I picked to study at college was my own choice.
@davo gazeley: exactly.
Left school after a not so great leaving cert about 30 years ago, went to UK and became a Telecom Engineer in London – - 5 years later became a Commercial Diver in the Middle east – - 6 years later did a degree in Computers as a mature student and now working in the IT area. My parents did not influence me but they always had my back which is the most important thing and thats what I will try to do with my children. Do your best in the exams but try not to get worked up on it (its hard I know).There are so many avenues you can go down when choosing a career and you will change as it suits. Just be there for the kids when needed with a helping hand and supportive guidance.
The number of points I got in the leaving decided
My mother was a stripper and my father a debt collecter. I became a priest. They’re still struggling with the shame of it.
Me uncle Paddy. He gave me his old van and a gallon of diesel and said:
‘There you go kid – the world is your oyster’
I never looked back.
No. For most people, only themselves know what they want to do
My parents were very supportive of any choice I was to make. They didn’t inspire the career I would take, but they inspired me to be hard working, ambitious and to do exactly what I wanted and they would support me as much as they could. I couldn’t have asked for better.
No one’s parents should directly influence or choose their child’s career or CAO. It is up to the individual to choose a path they are interested in. Advice can go a long way, but it is ultimately your life and your choice.
TBH I don’t care what career my kids choose. I will be proud of them regardless. Though I did dissuade my daughter from putting nursing and midwifery as her first choices along with help from the guidance counselor. Weighing up pay, working conditions, social life, family life, benefit packages and so on. She has stem subjects at her 5 top options. Nursing and midwifery as last resorts.
@Lily:
So you did influence her decisions
@P.J. Nolan: not really, the guidance counselor did. I told her what i thought but she was adamant to do midwifery that was until the guidance counselor told her the realities of her choice and explored stem subjects. So really it was the guidance counselor who influenced her cao choices. I can’t force her to choose any subjects neither would I want to, it’s her life to live how she pleases. If she dose midwifery I’m sure she will be happy and I’ll still be proud though probably worry if she is eating enough, getting her legally required lunch breaks and so on.
Generally when a parent says one thing, kids do the complete opposite.
Dissuading her was just me pointing out all the bad bits of the job. But she didn’t listen until the guidance counselor advised her not to go for it. The guidance counselor didn’t know my thoughts but I was delighted that we were on the same wavelength and convinced her to do stem subjects. She really did help. Had the guidance counselor told her to stick with nursing I could accept that too.
I have much respect for people in health care. It’s a noble job.
@Lily: Jesus Christ will you go and tell that girl that she can do anything she wants! It doesn’t matter about money and life balance when you love what you do! How dare you influence a young person away from what she is telling you what she wants to do! I work long hours, weekends and not for amazing pay but with great people. I’d prefer my child was a nurse than working in a stable, well paid banking role or many others instead of working among the kindest hard working people around. Give her the approval to change her mind and don’t live through her!
Yeah my Ma was a huge influence ‘Get off your arse and get a job, you lazy shite’ worked wonders.
@Dermot Lane: Same here. Best of luck son and don’t come back was about the jist of it.
Now I have kids I finally understand.
As the first person from my all-girls secondary school to do engineering of any sort in college it’s fair to say I wouldn’t have even considered it if my father hadn’t been an engineer. As he was a computer engineer we always had technology around the house so I had far more experience with computers than anyone else in my school. Heck when my primary school got a photocopier for the first time I was put in charge of it rather than any of the teachers and I was only 10.
I wouldn’t say parents but older sisters and brothers as well as their friends where able to give realistic advice. If you know what you want at 17 I’d almost be worried about you. It’s tough to know at any age.
Parents were supportive of my choices but never told me what I should do. School was useless, they wanted me to follow one of my parents path and do the same degree as one of them and any attempts by both me and my parents to explain that wasn’t what I was interested in fell on deaf years. Just had to grin and bare it with them while doing my own research outside school.
@ztoical: same happened from my guidance counselor. She swore I should be an accountant. Had to have her look at my last maths tests so she could understand how wrong she was.
Yes, I decided at age 17 I would never be a parent, clergyman nor have anything to do with “mental health,” whatever the f. that is…
@Paul Jennings: I take it you’re not working in comedy?
No it was the computer that told me to be a taxidermist or wig maker… Oh the 90s…. coincidentally years later I am now a careers adviser trying to add a bit more thoughtfulness to the process
I think a mistake some make is they choose a course they will enjoy rather than a career they will enjoy. If i was going back to college this is what i would tell myself before i choose a course. Dont do what you will enjoy in college because you will only be in college for 3 to 6 years, whereas you will be working for thirty years.
When I was applying to university in 1989 my father told me not do computer science as it was “played out” things worked out ok but imagine getting into the field almost 30yrs ago. Still bring it up whenever I can
Had shite career guidance teacher but other teachers were much better at proposing options that suited my aptitudes. Parents worked in the hospitality industry – they only wanted me to have a 9-5 job with weekends and bank hols off – never tried to push particular subjects
Ffs, no. No one did. My choice was my choice… I’m not one who would ever be “influenced” by anyone, family member or not…
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