Ross O'Carroll Kelly & Legacy

[adamirer]

I came across R'OCK at book 4 (the brilliantly funny ps: I scored the bridesmaids) a few years ago and it is undoubtedly a fact that Paul Howard has created a new Irish literary icon, although Ross is one for the masses, like Pa Rabbitte, from the Roddy Doyle books, rather than the high intellectia of the likes of Joyce etc.

Now before the literary police jump on that, what I mean is, the Ross books, like Doyles Barrytown works, are very accessible to the masses, in a way the classic of Irish literature aren't. But what I was wondering about was what the R'OCK legacy will be on Irish youth. This character, begun in the late nineties as a parody of the emerging uber-elite rich celtic cubs (part of the Popes Children era), while encapsulating everything wrong with the D4 culture, has evolved over the books from being a soul less label wearer, only concerned with sex and status, to being a seriously flawed but sympathetic character.

The irony which was obvious in Howards first works, mocking these silver spoon kids who had no sense of independence or the value of money has drifted to where Ross is almost an icon that people will aspire to. I'm not talking about (hilarious) bits of the books that people might copy, like 'pretty pilfering' or 'ex's and ohs', but how what started as parody moved scarily close to reality in the first 5 years of the 2000's. The Ross lifestyle became quite achieveable.

As a teenager from 1990-1996, my generation grew up being aware of money, fame, lifestyles to aspire to - but it was all through hard work and talent. Be it a Branson, O'Reilly, Cantona, Cobain, U2... there was a sense of the substance over the style... How you got there mattered. Those how achieved - actually ACHIEVED something. It wasn't on a plate. Now, for the next wave, the veneer of celebrity is all present. They see Big Brother, Ok, Hello, Jordan, Jade Goody, kerry Katona and slop like My Super Sweet 16, Cribs and the myriad of fame based reality programmes.. and suddenly success isnt measured by achievement, its measured by cash and fame.

Ross, a superb mockery of the 'elites' in our society, has become an anti-hero. He is more loved by those he clearly parodies than by any other. Howard tells stories of the adolation he/the character gets when he does talks, particularly at the 'rugby schools'. Has R'OCK become an icon - undoubtedly (and deservedly) but has he also become in his own way, a character that many of our youth will aspire to be like...

a frightening thought...


ps: if you havent read the books, start at book 4: I scored the bridemaids is the ideal jumping on point and then go back to the start, reading through... very entertaining summer reading.

[sauntersplash]

The joke really wasn't all that funny anymore by the time book two came around as far as I could tell.

I always found it interesting though that the core demographic of readers of these books are exactly the wallies he is poking fun at. And they don't seem to realise at all.

[EoinMn]

I always found it interesting though that the core demographic of readers of these books are exactly the wallies he is poking fun at. And they don't seem to realise at all.

I doubt they don't realise it.
Sometimes people enjoy having the p*ss taken out of themselves.

[Munion]

Ross is hardly a character to emulate. By the end of the series he's isolated, lonely and has achieved nothing. His friends have gotten on with their lives and find him an embarrassment.

I love the series. It's fluffy and light and the odd scene is generally hilarious. Easy holiday reading.

[sauntersplash]

Sometimes people enjoy having the p*ss taken out of themselves.

Not the 'Southsiders' I know. If there's one thing the Celtic Tiger washed out of this country it was the ability to laugh at yourself.

[JCSkinner]

The Wes disco crowd treat R'OCK as their bible.
The nadir came when a crowd of entitled ruggers took to daddy's cor and actually did drive through Tallaght waving money out of the window and shouting about the horrors of poverty.
At that point, Howard should probably have retired his character, given that he had entered the territory of inspiring the sort of behaviour he once satirised.

[sauntersplash]

The Wes disco crowd treat R'OCK as their bible.
The nadir came when a crowd of entitled ruggers took to daddy's cor and actually did drive through Tallaght waving money out of the window and shouting about the horrors of poverty.
At that point, Howard should probably have retired his character, given that he had entered the territory of inspiring the sort of behaviour he once satirised.

Precisely.

[adamirer]

The Wes disco crowd treat R'OCK as their bible.
The nadir came when a crowd of entitled ruggers took to daddy's cor and actually did drive through Tallaght waving money out of the window and shouting about the horrors of poverty.
At that point, Howard should probably have retired his character, given that he had entered the territory of inspiring the sort of behaviour he once satirised.

Thats exactly what I was getting at. ROCK might not be an ideal person to emulate, but doesnt stop people doing it. i mean, look at Jordan - utter skank, ********************ed up kids, collapsed marriage or Kerry Katona, but people still lap that stuff up and would want to copy them and their lifestyle.

There will be many a thesis written about the ROCK influence on the modern irish youth going forward. And for those who don't see the glamourous 'element' to it, he's rich, big house, shags lots of women, in good shape and last i read (we need to talk about ross), is going through further redemption and is a caring father to his kids.

The challenge is to get past the 'roysh' and excessive labelling of the first book or two, they definitely peaked with books 3-5... before he bought lillies.

[drbob1972]

The Wes disco crowd treat R'OCK as their bible.
The nadir came when a crowd of entitled ruggers took to daddy's cor and actually did drive through Tallaght waving money out of the window and shouting about the horrors of poverty.

i know more than a few who have done same / similar in certain parts of Dublin, though generally in their own cor's

At that point, Howard should probably have retired his character, given that he had entered the territory of inspiring the sort of behaviour he once satirised.

yes but by then he'd become rather accustomed to the royalties that R'OCK was generating, i doubt that i know someone under 40 who doesn't have the books, etc, thats gotta be a nice little earner

[MsAnneThrope]

The nadir came when a crowd of entitled ruggers took to daddy's cor and actually did drive through Tallaght waving money out of the window and shouting about the horrors of poverty.

But didn't the Tallaght Boys go to D4 themselves, steal the rugger buggers' daddies' cors in retaliation and drive around the ostentatious leafy suburbs, waving cans of Dutch Gold out the windows, shouting "I done yer moth!"? If not they should have. Just to even it up and all that, and set the stage for another enthralling away leg in D24 the following weekend