FF lashes out at RTE over news report on Cowen painting prank

[myk]

The Taoiseach's office lodged a complaint with RTE last night over a news report of prank paintings of Brian Cowen being hung in Dublin art gallaries. FF TD Michael Kennedy went one further and called for the RTE Director General to resign over the issue.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQsR09ER4Yk"]YouTube - Brian Cowen Nude[/ame]

Fianna Fáil TD Michael Kennedy last night called on RTÉ director general Cathal Goan to consider his position. The report “represented a gross insult to the position of An Taoiseach, not to mention a personal affront to the dignity of the man himself”, Mr Kennedy said in a statement.

The item “was obviously seen as a piece of entertainment – biased and partisan entertainment”, and raised “serious questions about the agenda at play in the RTÉ newsroom”, he added.

RTÉ apologises for news item on Cowen nude portraits - The Irish Times - Wed, Mar 25, 2009

As RTE isn't broadcast where I live, I didn't see the report. What was it like?

Are FF so worried that these pranks will damage the reputation of the Taoiseach. It would seem to me that these paintings may be more effective satire than many of our current Scrap Saturday wannabes; the Emergency or Nob Nation.

Of course it should noted that RTE quickly bent to FF pressure and withdrew the news report and issued an apology.

[Limerick Lad]

The fact that someone was able to hang an unauthorised painting irrespective of the subject in The National Gallery of Ireland without immediately being discovered is news and RTE were perfectly correct to report it.
This could just as easily have been an attack on one the valuable paintings housed there and shows an unbelievable laxity in security at the National Gallery.

[LDF]

It's amazing what these FF TD's and our current Taoiseach find offensive. The removal of the cervical cancer vaccine is not offensive, the pathological lies of Ahern were not offensive, the fact that Cowen was asleep at the wheel for four years as Minister for Finance was not offensive.

The longer FF remain in power the more alike an African dictatorship they become. You can banjax the country but don't insult the dear leader. It won't be long before Dobbo is reading the news in military uniform and the top news story on RTE is how svelte and healthy looking the dear leader is.

The sooner we get rid of this shower of ba$tards the better.

[Ballyfermot Man]

Ok so the report one could say was more than slightly tongue in cheek... but balance that with all the smoozy coverage FF have received from RTE over the years... their complaints about the report are pathetic to say the least. I actually thought the same report was a good one and hillarious..

RTE is stuffed full of FF lovies.

[He3]

FF has many like-minded allies internationally in its valiant struggle to uphold standards on TV.

TV network boss arrested after broadcast of 'salacious images'

25/03/2009

The manager of an Afghan television network who refused to censor images of women dancing in short skirts has been arrested.

Afghan Deputy Attorney General Fazel Ahmad Faqiyar said Emrose TV's Fahim Khodamani was detained for airing overly salacious content.

Khodamani was arrested on Monday for refusing repeated requests to obscure images of women dancing in short skirts or outfits with low necklines.

The Taliban, which practices an extreme version of Islam, banned television and other forms of entertainment that it deemed un-Islamic when it ruled the country in the 1990s.

It also required women to cover themselves under an all-encompassing burqa.

Irish Examiner | TV network boss arrested after broadcast of 'salacious images'

[Digout]

It was a light hearted piece at the end of the news programme, happens in most normal countries. This is a banana republic and its getting worse by the day. If I did not run my own business here I would be gone ages ago.

[myk]

If I did not run my own business here I would be gone ages ago.

what does your business do?

[Victor Meldrew]

Needless th say it's on the front page of the Torygraph:

Irish Taoiseach ridiculed in 'lavatory' painting - Telegraph

Apparently it's on a few proper papers as well...

Indo,
Times,
BBC,
China Daily
NY times
London times
Guardian



When the complaint breaks he'll look like an even bigger gobsh1te

[Dillinger]

There was an inscription on the bottom:


'He served the people, all of the people, 'to the best of his ability.'

[revereie]

Thought it was a good piece and newsworthy myself. I can understand why he's peeved - but thems the breaks.