IRA Issue Complaint To RTE Over Love/Hate

[Guest Connolly]

IRA Issue Complaint To RTE Over Love/Hate

 

Love/Hate has grown to become one of the most watched and popular Irish TV series. Depicting the dark underworld of crime in the country’s capital, the show touches on a variety of violent and disturbing themes. The show has secured a solid fan base, but some people claim that it is glorifying drug dealers and criminal gangs in the city and is not reflecting the true hardship and tragedy that comes with a life of crime.

 

Complaint

 

RTE has already received a number of complaints about the show, but the latest letter received has many in the Donnybrook studios worried.

 

The IRA are the latest group to have expressed concerns over the show and made their opinions known this evening a head of the latest episode.

 

A letter, with an attached brick, was found carefully placed behind a broken window, in the studios main reception area. The IRA are said to have issues with the show’s portrayal of the republican gang. Their letter commented:

 

"Love/Hate’s characterization of IRA members as alcoholics, rapists, drug users and abusive family men is grossly inaccurate and blatantly offensive. The show’s preoccupation with IRA members being involved in petty disputes, love triangles and drug running is the furthest thing away from the republican cause. Our members are honorable, honest family men, fighting for a cause much bigger than that expressed in this show. We ask that you cease to portray us in such a light."

 

The letter went on to threaten legal action against the state broadcaster if they continued with their “gross misrepresentation” of the republican organisation. RTE have yet to issue a response to their latest complaint, but are expected to do so early tomorrow. Some are suggesting that they may give up Craig Doyle as a peace offering in light of the complaint.

 

http://www.thepotato.ie/2012/11/ira-issue-complaint-to-rte-over-love-hate/

[Guest Connolly]

Anyone watching it?

 

Goebbels would be proud.

[Fodla32 3,692]

I very much doubt if the IRA was behind this message. The idea of them taking legal action against the station is ridiculous. But, I wouldn't be sorry if the IRA took more usual Republican action against this vile nest. The writers and producers of this slanderous program should not go unchallenged. I'm in favour of artistic freedom, but this is not art. Its plain old slander.

[Fodla32 3,692]

Anyone watching it?

 

Goebbels would be proud.

 

I rarely watch RTÉ. Any time I'm in a room with RTÉ going on in the background, I usually feel myself wanting to vomit. It's difficult to imagine how RTÉ managed to collect such a staff of third rate hacks, without a brain cell between them. Even if you went around the pubs of Ireland, hiring the worst drunks you could find, you would inevitably end up with more talent and integrity than the what we see in the RTÉ staff.

[Laoch na nGael 611]

How could the IRA take legal action against RTE lol?

Would they turn up to court in balaclavas and all ffs.

[Lugh Ildánach 2,352]

I very much doubt if the IRA was behind this message. The idea of them taking legal action against the station is ridiculous. But, I wouldn't be sorry if the IRA took more usual Republican action against this vile nest. The writers and producers of this slanderous program should not go unchallenged. I'm in favour of artistic freedom, but this is not art. Its plain old slander.

 

This is from a wind-up website a chara

[Lugh Ildánach 2,352]

I actually enjoy the show, but it is essentially tabloid garbage (not sure what that says about me lol)

 

Not content to portray the fictional Dublin CIRA leader as a rapist, last night the rape victim said it was like being raped by the devil. From a propandaist's point of view, pure genius!

 

What is very dangerous is the mixing of the tabloid elements with some very realistic aspects, for example some of the language used at the graveside oration would be very familiar to anyone who has attended such an event. People associate with the realistic aspects and then make the leap into believing, even in a sub conscious way, that the fantastical stuff is also real. Very dangerous.

[Guest Connolly]

The part that I thought particularly disgusting was the scene of the Special Branch at the commemoration taking photographs, and the comments by the criminals along the lines of "look isnt it disgraceful the branch harrassment" and so on.

 

It almost serves to legitimate/justify the real and existing harrassment of republicans in real life in the eyes of the public.

 

While the public are content with sitting on the couch with popcorn watching a fictional entertainment programme like this, the programme is creating a view that real and existing political oppression and harrassment is justified.

 

It is one of the most dangerous pieces of television iv watched.

[Guest Connolly]

This is from a wind-up website a chara

 

Shhhhh

[Fodla32 3,692]

I actually enjoy the show, but it is essentially tabloid garbage (not sure what that says about me lol)

 

Not content to portray the fictional Dublin CIRA leader as a rapist, last night the rape victim said it was like being raped by the devil. From a propandaist's point of view, pure genius!

 

What is very dangerous is the mixing of the tabloid elements with some very realistic aspects, for example some of the language used at the graveside oration would be very familiar to anyone who has attended such an event. People associate with the realistic aspects and then make the leap into believing, even in a sub conscious way, that the fantastical stuff is also real. Very dangerous.

 

The hope is that the residual sympathy for Republicanism in Working Class areas can be destroyed, by subliminally linking the IRA with the Catholic church, i.e. traditional values covering a reality of sex abuse. As I said, those who have concocted this programme should be regarded in the same way as a British soldier is regarded in Ireland. Indeed, the writers and producers of this programme are more dangerous enemies. Some weak minded people complain about Comrade Stalin sending "artists" to the gulag. Can anyone say that the gulag would not be far too good for these RTÉ rats? As the CPIR increases in strength, we will need to make it a priority to directly combat the RTÉ rats. I believe the Republican Movement made a very great error in allowing these rats to feel free to propagate any and all slanders that come into their twisted minds.

 

At the very least, a demonstration outside the homes of the producers would be very appropriate. These rats should realize that their actions will not go unopposed. This garbage is produced by Octagon Films, and the rats who produced it are Simon Massey, Suzanne McAuley and James Flynn.

[Lugh Ildánach 2,352]

The part that I thought particularly disgusting was the scene of the Special Branch at the commemoration taking photographs, and the comments by the criminals along the lines of "look isnt it disgraceful the branch harrassment" and so on.

 

It almost serves to legitimate/justify the real and existing harrassment of republicans in real life in the eyes of the public.

 

While the public are content with sitting on the couch with popcorn watching a fictional entertainment programme like this, the programme is creating a view that real and existing political oppression and harrassment is justified.

 

It is one of the most dangerous pieces of television iv watched.

 

I'm not so sure about this. The characters that you are steered towards having sympathy for in the programme are the criminals, even Nidge, who although psychopathic, has a lot of humour built into his character, so by them expressing disgust at the branch and other garda harassment, I think this engenders an antipathy towards the gardai, although not much is made of it, but i certainly didn't get the impression from watching it that the garda harassment was in any way being endorsed, although maybe I'm just biased There were much more offensive aspects of the progammre in my mind, particularly the mindlessness of the Republicans, whether that was in the violence (the rape, and the biting of yer man in the pub), or the jumping around like cretins without their shirts on, beating their chests (as if, like)

 

We see all these storylines and kind of values in the papers every day, the worrying thing is that they have managed to turn this into television, with decent production values, acting and music which is resonating with a lot of people, and allowing them to take their tabloid driven fantasies to the next level. Its no wonder that the gardai have explicitly praised the programme as being "realistic". This is a definite attempt to portray reality in a way that suits the establishment. But it has some considerable subtlty and I think that's what makes it most dangerous.

 

I wouldn't be for protests against the makers, I think that would feed into the kind of stereotype that they are trying portray, even the stereotype that is portrayed by the above piss-take article. I think its simply incumbant on Republicans to increase their presence in working class areas, and then the working class will see for themselves that Republicans are nothing like the image that is trying to be painted.

[Fodla32 3,692]

So you would give TV producers carte blanche to slander any attempt at Revolutionary action in Ireland? That is a massive concession to the enemy. What would justify this concession? Is it not, ultimately, fear of the media?

 

Going back in time, its clear that programmes like Harry's Game did enormous damage to PIRA. After a while, people accepted programmes like this as the true image of Irish Republicaism. Even the Republicans themselves eventually accepted this image of themselves as fighting an utterly futile campaign, and only doing it because they lacked the courage to admit to themselves that they couldn't win. Next step was the GFA.

 

I assure you that if we are serious about Revolution in the 21st century, we will have to confront the enemy in all his forms - including his media hacks. This is why the Bolshevics had to confront the power of the clergy. The Russian clergy were doing exactly the work the bourgeois media does now for the ruling class. If we don't have the determination to confront today's clergy, i.e. the bourgeois media, then we should just stop wasting our time now.

[Lugh Ildánach 2,352]

I'm not saying that they shouldn't be confronted, but I think the better way to confront them is to confront them within people's reality, rather than sticking to the arena that media is most comfortable in. A protest can easily be distorted, solid revolutionary action in working class communities is much harder to distort. The PIRA was not demonised within its own communities, nobody in West Belfast or South Armagh thought that Harrys Game was an accurate reflection of Republicanism, they didn't need to be told what the reality of republicanism was, because they could see it all around them. If we expand the communities that Republicans are active in, then the media can say what they like, the people will know different. That's the kind of freedom of speech that I support, when speech is relegated to what it is, only speech. If we do not build within communities and provide action, then speech fills that vacuum. That is what gives the media its power. Only by taking away its power do we truly confront it.

 

In the communities that this programme targets (ie, working class Dublin communities), people have very little experience of Republicans. Indeed, their experience and limited knowledge of Republicans largely relates to the drugs issue. Of course they know about the north, but they don't see that as extending into their daily lives. The extent of Republican activity in Dublin outside of this sphere is extremely limited. If we don't want to be painted in that light, then we need to make the reality different. A protest outside RTE ignores the true root of the problem, we have as much a part in the blame here as the media do.

[Fodla32 3,692]

I'm not convinced that nobody in West Belfast thought Harry's Game was an accurate reflection of Republicanism. At the end of the 80s and the start of the 90s there was a catastrophic collapse in confidence in the Republican struggle. Of course, the collapse of the USSR had a lot to do with that. But, so had a very intense and subtle media campaign against Republicanism itself. The core of this media campaign was an attack on the idea that the IRA was fighting for anything at all. And this remains the core of all Brit and free state propaganda.

 

Why should the media be sacred cows that can't be touched? This is an outdated idea. As we saw in Libya and Syria, the media took direct part in the destruction of these countries. The media were and are combatants. They should be regarded as such. They can no longer hide behind the veil of neutrality. They tore that up a long time ago. Again, look at Syria. The imperialists do not agree with you. They blocked Syria's national broadcaster from the satellite it was using. They also blocked Press TV in Europe. Syrian actor, Mohamad Rafea, was brutally murdered by the rats in Syria - RTÉ cheerleads these murderers. RTÉ considers it OK to torture and murder an actor, if he dares to oppose imperialism.

[Lugh Ildánach 2,352]

Why should the media be sacred cows that can't be touched? This is an outdated idea. As we saw in Libya and Syria, the media took direct part in the destruction of these countries. The media were and are combatants. They should be regarded as such. They can no longer hide behind the veil of neutrality. They tore that up a long time ago. Again, look at Syria. The imperialists do not agree with you. They blocked Syria's national broadcaster from the satellite it was using. They also blocked Press TV in Europe. Syrian actor, Mohamad Rafea, was brutally murdered by the rats in Syria - RTÉ cheerleads these murderers. RTÉ considers it OK to torture and murder an actor, if he dares to oppose imperialism.

 

I'm not saying that they are a sacred cow, I just think there are better ways to tackle them on this. As for Libya and Syria, protesting against RTE is the only weapon we really have, since we are not in Libya or Syria, but when it comes to tackling perception about Republicans in Dublin, we have a lot more effective tools at our disposal.

 

If we don't do the groundwork and prepare people to challenge what the media tell them, then all the protests in the world will not get your message out, because the message will be distorted by the media.

[Fodla32 3,692]

I'm not saying that they are a sacred cow, I just think there are better ways to tackle them on this. As for Libya and Syria, protesting against RTE is the only weapon we really have, since we are not in Libya or Syria, but when it comes to tackling perception about Republicans in Dublin, we have a lot more effective tools at our disposal.

 

Yes, certainly, that's true, but, in general, I feel that once we are strong enough we need to confront the hacks right up to their ugly bought faces. The front line should be everywhere. There should be no hiding place for these rats. However, we are not strong enough yet, and since CIRA doesn't seem willing to take any action against these rats, its not our place to do it.

[Lugh Ildánach 2,352]

Yes, certainly, that's true, but, in general, I feel that once we are strong enough we need to confront the hacks right up to their ugly bought faces. The front line should be everywhere. There should be no hiding place for these rats. However, we are not strong enough yet, and since CIRA doesn't seem willing to take any action against these rats, its not our place to do it.

 

Certainly a chara, once there are greater numbers of people politicised, the contradiction between the masses and the media will become more apparent, and will no doubt take on the character of the war that it is.

[Frithbheart32 377]

Heres afew interesting facts about love/hate,

 

The guy who plays the 'IRA leader' is actually in real life a former small time drug dealer who left Ireland after being put out of his home by the CPAD/IRA.

 

Some of the worst most vile tabloid hacks including a women who claimed to have interviewed the late Alan Ryan and stated he was a moron despite having no proof of this alleged interview, are constantly on the set 'advising' and play extras such as guards(there is pictures to prove this),

Alan Ryans sister highlighted this and confronted the hack in question through facebook and the coward reported it to the Gaurds.

 

All the actors come from affluent South East Dublin, Wicklow and one main cast member from Portarlington,

RTE still using sliver spoon fed Anglo middle class types to play 'tough Northsiders'.

 

One of the writers is the brother of a Special Branchman.

 

Actual people involved in the drug scene were hired to make the show 'realistic' and the content belieavable.

 

So the whole argument 'its only telly', is bollox, its a live action version of a Paul Williams book, complete propaganda exercise against republicans and RTE cashing in on working class woes as usuals.

 

I dont find the show paticular good either in terms acting and realism,

Coming from working class background myself I dont identify with any of it, be it the accents, clothing style, content etc

 

Its exactly what it is, a pack of Private school educated sheltered suburban types trying to pretend they know the ins and outs of working clsss Dublin and it comes accross exactly that.

 

What would Donnybrook D4 based RTEs pampered princesses know about the real world anyway!

 

The truth is republicans areant as stupid as portrayed(give or take afew eejits here and there) and the drug barons are far more monsterous

[Dumbledore 154]

Tbh I love the show, it's the best thing RTÉ have ever come up with.

 

But does anyone know why the IRA man cracked the necks of all them pigeons? I know tis great propaganda, but even still, it makes no bloomin' sense!

[Fodla32 3,692]

Tbh I love the show, it's the best thing RTÉ have ever come up with.

 

But does anyone know why the IRA man cracked the necks of all them pigeons? I know tis great propaganda, but even still, it makes no bloomin' sense!

 

 

I only watched the last episode, and I considered it to be entirely trite and without imagination. Sean McGinley really hammed it up, doing a parody of all the crap shows he has played "IRA thugs" in for the BBC and UTV. This ham actor is now a rich man from all the "IRA thugs" he has played for the Brits. To the Brit mind, McGinley IS the IRA. Frithbheart32 sums it up nicely when he says that its a crowd of third rate D4 types trying to play at being tough. I'd have to say, its a very long way from RTÉ's best effort. TG4 consistently does far better work than this. But, what's most objectionable about the whole thing is its core message, which is that there is absolutely nothing progressive or worthwhile to be found among the Irish Working Class. It is a total denial that the Working Class is the Revolutionary class. Everything is reduced to the level of private and pathological greed and viciousness. Even the love story is entirely pathetic and without saving grace. The so-called hero of the piece doesn't even have the courage to fight for human love - not to mind have any ideas about changing the structure of society. And those who we would expect to have some ideas about the structure of society, i.e. the Republican Movement, are reduced to mindless thugs, with nothing in their heads at all - except a few worn out clichés to cover their wanton criminality. None of this may be happening at the conscious level in the minds of the producers and directors - I doubt if they have any idea of the structure of society themselves - or even if there is such a thing. As far as they are concerned, they are making slick entertainment, with good looking actors and easy to understand themes, that can be sold on the international media markets at a profit. But, all the Irish comprador class - and their footmen in the media - have a very keen nose for sniffing out their class interest, and any potential threat to it. That is particularly so in the case of the powers that be in RTÉ.

 

All in all, there is no love in this show, and the only real hate in it is the hatred of its middle class producers for the Irish Working Class.

[nico 2,875]

Tbh I love the show, it's the best thing RTÉ have ever come up with.

 

But does anyone know why the IRA man cracked the necks of all them pigeons? I know tis great propaganda, but even still, it makes no bloomin' sense!

 

This is common practice a chara. I know plenty of men who have pigeon lofts and this was the best way to humanely kill them, whether they are diseased or not wanted anymore.

For me, that part in the show was very moving.

 

I also think people are looking into the show a bit too much, yes, its bias, but then again, everything that comes out from RTE is.

 

And at the end of the day, the people who it matters to most will, and do, understand, that this is not a reflection on republicanism as a whole.

[nico 2,875]

It should also be pointed out, that Love Hate is just one show of many, that neglect to portray society as it really is.

Coronation Street, Eastenders, Fair City, etc..are all shows that have been running for years, and have all, in some way shape or form, been responsible for distorting people's perception on reality.

[Dumbledore 154]

I only watched the last episode, and I considered it to be entirely trite and without imagination. Sean McGinley really hammed it up, doing a parody of all the crap shows he has played "IRA thugs" in for the BBC and UTV. This ham actor is now a rich man from all the "IRA thugs" he has played for the Brits. To the Brit mind, McGinley IS the IRA. Frithbheart32 sums it up nicely when he says that its a crowd of third rate D4 types trying to play at being tough. I'd have to say, its a very long way from RTÉ's best effort. TG4 consistently does far better work than this. But, what's most objectionable about the whole thing is its core message, which is that there is absolutely nothing progressive or worthwhile to be found among the Irish Working Class. It is a total denial that the Working Class is the Revolutionary class. Everything is reduced to the level of private and pathological greed and viciousness. Even the love story is entirely pathetic and without saving grace. The so-called hero of the piece doesn't even have the courage to fight for human love - not to mind have any ideas about changing the structure of society. And those who we would expect to have some ideas about the structure of society, i.e. the Republican Movement, are reduced to mindless thugs, with nothing in their heads at all - except a few worn out clichés to cover their wanton criminality. None of this may be happening at the conscious level in the minds of the producers and directors - I doubt if they have any idea of the structure of society themselves - or even if there is such a thing. As far as they are concerned, they are making slick entertainment, with good looking actors and easy to understand themes, that can be sold on the international media markets at a profit. But, all the Irish comprador class - and their footmen in the media - have a very keen nose for sniffing out their class interest, and any potential threat to it. That is particularly so in the case of the powers that be in RTÉ.

 

All in all, there is no love in this show, and the only real hate in it is the hatred of its middle class producers for the Irish Working Class.

It was a disappointing finale to be fair. No fluidity to it. But if you watched even just one series I don't know how you wouldn't love it. I think it's so class.

 

In relation to propaganda about the IRA, they do have quite a few truths. They explicitly say throughout the third series that the IRA never deal drugs, that they hate dealers etc. The propaganda point comes in from the actions of individuals. For example all the IRA men discussed how much of a hero to Ireland that murdered guy was, when he had actually raped a girl. That helps to criminalise and make the IRA seem awfully scummy. If the supposed best is a rapist, they must all be utter scum. Also, it paints the IRA as knuckledraggers without a brain cell between them.

 

However, you become attached to the main characters, who in reality are the lowest of the low- they are drug dealers. In real life they are hated, on this show they are almost the good guys- even the Gardaí are the enemy. That is standard of most gangster shows though- I remember watching the Sopranos and the cops were made out as awful scumbags, with the respectable Sopranos being the good guys!

[Fodla32 3,692]

It should also be pointed out, that Love Hate is just one show of many, that neglect to portray society as it really is.

Coronation Street, Eastenders, Fair City, etc..are all shows that have been running for years, and have all, in some way shape or form, been responsible for distorting people's perception on reality.

 

 

 

Very true, a chara. You never see a Socialist in a soap. Socialism simply doesnt exist in soapland.

[Fodla32 3,692]

It was a disappointing finale to be fair. No fluidity to it. But if you watched even just one series I don't know how you wouldn't love it. I think it's so class.

 

In relation to propaganda about the IRA, they do have quite a few truths. They explicitly say throughout the third series that the IRA never deal drugs, that they hate dealers etc. The propaganda point comes in from the actions of individuals. For example all the IRA men discussed how much of a hero to Ireland that murdered guy was, when he had actually raped a girl. That helps to criminalise and make the IRA seem awfully scummy. If the supposed best is a rapist, they must all be utter scum. Also, it paints the IRA as knuckledraggers without a brain cell between them.

 

However, you become attached to the main characters, who in reality are the lowest of the low- they are drug dealers. In real life they are hated, on this show they are almost the good guys- even the Gardaí are the enemy. That is standard of most gangster shows though- I remember watching the Sopranos and the cops were made out as awful scumbags, with the respectable Sopranos being the good guys!

 

I suppose this is a general problem with TV today. Anything complex is considered to be too complex for the average person to understand - so the producers go for caractature simplifications. Now, a very large part of the problem here is the intellectual standard of those being given high positions in RTÉ, the Abbey Theatre, etc. The standard is very very low, and these people tend to pick people to work under them who are technically very competent, but utterly devoid of talent or originality. That was a trend that Bob Quinn had already condemned in the 1960s, when he resigned from RTÉ over advertisers being given a say in program content. The problem has become far more chronic today. New programs are designed to attract particular groups of advertisers - not to talk to the Irish people about themselves. With a show like Love and Hate, because of the very large cost, RTÉ will also pitch the programme at foreign TV channels. So, in effect, the Irish viewers are only a small part of the overall consideration.

 

But, I do feel that the constant media drip feed of anti-Republican propaganda needs to be taken more seriously by Republicans. When was the last time RTÉ showed the British army as scumbags? When was the last time RTÉ showed Republicans as anything but scumbags?

 

And since I mentioned the Abbey, the constant refusal of the Abbey to produce anything in Irish is also, in effect, anti-Republican propaganda. The message is that Ireland is an Anglo-Irish country, and is happy with that status. If we are a happy Anglo-Irish country, then Republicanism is clearly alien to the Irish people.