WTD hits the MSM
January 27, 2008Oh, dear. I’m so used to rambling away in my own little corner of the interwebs that it’s a shock when anyone actually pays attention. Apologies to Pat Kenny, who may have choked on his eggs this morning when he turned to page 6 of The Sunday Independent. For those of you unfamiliar with the paper, here’s a sample headline from today’s edition.
(I had to photograph it; no-one would have believed me otherwise.)
Pat, a plea. Don’t be too upset by either the news story or the original post. The Seinfeld interview was a car crash, but Larry King didn’t do too well either. Perhaps my original and somewhat harsh words were based on circumstantial evidence. I’ll quote Kieran who said in the comments on the original post “…To be fair, (Pat) is one of the most tenacious and assured political/current affairs interviewers in the country…” So, there! Quit the ‘Late Late’ with its confusing popular culture types and start the Irish version of Newsnight! After all, why be Partridge when you could be Paxman?
(P.S I love the way they printed photographs of Pat and I on either end of the piece (in the print version), like we were two prize-fighters about to rumble. And printing my subject heading as a direct quote was a typically disingenuous bit of journalistic jiggery-pokery. You stay classy, Jerome Reilly!)
Why, That\'s Delightful! 
[…] Speaking of non-stories, “Irish man from the telly has opinion about other Irish man from the telly” Posted […]
[…] world of The Late Late Show on his rather essential blog. Then The Sindo promptly turns it into a ’shocking’ non-story. Sigh… Say what you will about the bleedin’ interweb, but it’s providing the […]
I think your reply to this piece of exceptionally lazy journalism is too gracious by half.
Is it? The piece is a pretty weak example of shit-stirring, but I thought that was evident to anyone who clicked the link.
By the way, does anyone know what he means by “The attack on Kenny also suggests that the creator of Father Ted still has issues with the national broadcaster.” Why would I have issues with RTE? I’ve never been involved with them in any way!
Pat was obviously so upset that he was unable to turn up to work today, or for the remainder of the week if his stand in, Myles Dungan, is to be believed.
On the week of his 60th birthday and all? Shame on you, Graham. Shame. On. You.
I actually didn’t know it was his birthday. I feel bad about that.
Happy birthday, Pat!
Oh yeah. He has ‘no regrets’ apparently. Obviously this article was done before he opened page 6 of the Sindo yesterday:
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/no-regrets-for-chat-show-king-kenny-as-he-hits-the-big-sixo-1275660.html
God, the nerve of them! Saying you had put clips up and the Seinfeld one was included among them in order to “attack” him. As if you had some vendetta and were sitting typing away “And here’s 10 more clips to back up my claims – send them in! He’s shit!” It’s just a bare-faced lie!
More dirty tabloid tricks: A friend of a relative of mine was a journalist for the Sentinel in Stoke-on-Trent. He wrote some piece about a football match which caught the attention of a writer at the Daily Star, he asked if the piece could be used there. He said yes and told all his friends and family to buy a copy. He got paid but the article had the name of the Star’s own journalist on it, the very one who had called. He complained but was pretty much told that’s how it is and what are you going to do about it? I would have kicked up a massive stink. Especially after he went to work for the council – it would hardly harm his journalism career anymore.
I’d imagine that the reference to your ‘issues’ with RTE are based on the ‘fact’ that RTE passed on TED. Despite the fact that you have always denied that occured. Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.
Graham. I think it is wrong to attack the journalist just because he reported what you wrote on your blog, and you now feel embarrassed by it. It was a perfectly legitimate story and the use of your subject head was a direct quote from your blog.
Stand by what you said or withdraw it. Don’t shoot the messenger`, even if it is the blogosphere’s pet hate.
I don’t know why I am saying this, because I am a great admirer of your work.
Quick recap: rewriting my subject heading as a quote changed the meaning of what I said (it wasn’t, as you say, a direct quote), made a throwaway joke sound like a serious statement; the “He included clips from past episodes of the Late Late Show” line is a flat-out lie and the bit about my “still having issues with RTE” is based on an urban myth, something he could have discovered if he had bothered to do a bit of research. I stand by what I originally said (it’s why I reprinted it) but I object to the greasy coating it received from a lazy journalist.
Wow, so this is actually the blog of Graham Linehan. I’ve had you on my feedreader for a while, you’ve not made it into my ‘essential’ folder yet though, I should really pay more attention. I’m a massive father Ted fan! In the cover note to the script book you wrote that Seinfield and the Simpsons was a big influence. I bought a couple of Seinfield DVDs on the strength of that recommendation and loved them too. Do you like curb your enthusiasm? Sorry this is not really on topic.
I have ‘issues’ with it… I do prefer ‘Seinfeld’ for a lot of reasons.