PDA

View Full Version : Des Bishop: Joy in the Hood



Pages : [1] 2

A face
16/01/2006, 12:42 PM
He is on telly tonight at 9.30pm from Knocka in Cork !!
The guy is doing great work imo .... fair play to him.

dcfcsteve
16/01/2006, 1:05 PM
Saw his show on the 'comedy project' in Ballymun last night.

Interesting enough. His work should have a very positive impact upon the small group he chose to get involved.

Other than that, however, the prog seemed happy to reinforce the old stereotypes of the area. Kids on bikes ripping the feck out of the grassed-over areas, hoods hoofing things off balconies. The Cork one looks like it'll be just the same - giving exposure to joyriders etc.

So I think his show has the potential to do more harm to an area than good - helping a very small griup of individuals, whilst simultaneously projecting an overwhelmingly negative image of where they live. We all know that there is a lot of positive development happenign within Ballymun. And I also refuse to believe that anyone other than Des Bishop is doing good work in the area, or that there aren't positive images/role-models he could've shown. But nah - hoods make better telly.

pete
16/01/2006, 1:09 PM
Last week episode only held my attention for few minutes so can't review. Its hardly altruistic social work as primary goal is tv show that might have bonus of improving locals lot.

Macy
16/01/2006, 1:28 PM
We all know that there is a lot of positive development happenign within Ballymun.
Just have to make the point, the Ballymun development company (I forget the official name) isn't held in high regard by the locals. They've been giving out about lack of facilities (still) for locals, lack of consultation over the developments, public housing disrupted for longer than private, closing of public amenities and opening up of expensive private ones instead etc etc.

Or by positive, do you mean putting lots of fenced off estates full of houses that people from the area can't afford? Or renaming parts of Ballymun "Santry Cross", so these middle class people don't have to put up with the name, let alone mix with the locals?

On the programme, they may be the old stereo types, but tbh I think it's good to show that things haven't changed in parts of this country. People have got apathetic about social deprivation, just because they've never had it so good they assume that everyone else is on the gravy train. It’s good that people have a reality check imo.

dcfcsteve
16/01/2006, 1:48 PM
Just have to make the point, the Ballymun development company (I forget the official name) isn't held in high regard by the locals. They've been giving out about lack of facilities (still) for locals, lack of consultation over the developments, public housing disrupted for longer than private, closing of public amenities and opening up of expensive private ones instead etc etc.

This almost always happens in large redevelopment projects. The organisation that developed the Docklands in London was villified left, right and centre. The body charged with looking after redevelopment of the former army bases in Derry city centre is already very unpopular, before anything concrete has even been proposed. No-one likes change - particularly if it doesn't meet their own narrow needs and/or idea of how things should be. Redevelopment inevitably also involves making some decisions that will be unpopular.


Or by positive, do you mean putting lots of fenced off estates full of houses that people from the area can't afford? Or renaming parts of Ballymun "Santry Cross", so these middle class people don't have to put up with the name, let alone mix with the locals?

Ballymun was rightly recognised - both in Ireland an internationally - as a feckin sh!thole. It was a widely used case stusy of failed urban planning (as, coincidentally, Tallaght is also). It was badly planned from the start, and then left tio disintegrate with no attention from the authorities until the area no longer 'worked' - requiring its wholesale re-design/redevelopment. The fact that that redevelopmenbt is finally occuring is what I call 'psoitive'. I am personally all for mixed housing in areas - regardless of whether or not they have a fence. The alternative was to leave Ballymun as it was, or to redevelop it as the same place but with newer houses. Ballymun needed massive and creative change to counteract its negative image. Simply swopping flats for houses wouldn't have succeeded in doing this.


On the programme, they may be the old stereo types, but tbh I think it's good to show that things haven't changed in parts of this country. People have got apathetic about social deprivation, just because they've never had it so good they assume that everyone else is on the gravy train. It’s good that people have a reality check imo.

But the show DIDN'T highlight ANY social deprivation !! Think about it - what did it show ? Large groups of kids razzing around on motorbikes and quad-bikes (social deprivation my arse - they ain't feckin' cheap !) ; a group of hoods with an angle grinder trying to saw one of the doors to their own flat in-half. Most of the people involved in the project had jobs- some of them very good jobs - whilst the others seemed too young (16yr old girl). Where exactly was the social deprivation highlighted ?? :confused:

Macy
16/01/2006, 3:16 PM
Ballymun was rightly recognised - both in Ireland an internationally - as a feckin sh!thole. It was a widely used case stusy of failed urban planning (as, coincidentally, Tallaght is also). It was badly planned from the start, and then left tio disintegrate with no attention from the authorities until the area no longer 'worked' - requiring its wholesale re-design/redevelopment. The fact that that redevelopmenbt is finally occuring is what I call 'psoitive'. I am personally all for mixed housing in areas - regardless of whether or not they have a fence. The alternative was to leave Ballymun as it was, or to redevelop it as the same place but with newer houses. Ballymun needed massive and creative change to counteract its negative image. Simply swopping flats for houses wouldn't have succeeded in doing this.
But the housing isn't mixed. It's a straight swap for the people out of the flats, and it's brand spanking new Santry Cross (not addressed or called Ballymun) estates for the influx of new money. They don't mix, they're not together, so how is mixed housing?

The alternative was to truely involve the local community in how they wanted to redevelop the area, what they wanted, what facilities they needed. This simply wasn't done.


But the show DIDN'T highlight ANY social deprivation !! Think about it - what did it show ? Large groups of kids razzing around on motorbikes and quad-bikes (social deprivation my arse - they ain't feckin' cheap !) ; a group of hoods with an angle grinder trying to saw one of the doors to their own flat in-half. Most of the people involved in the project had jobs- some of them very good jobs - whilst the others seemed too young (16yr old girl). Where exactly was the social deprivation highlighted ?? :confused:
Large groups of kids doing what they wanted, young lads axel grinding derelict flats and chucking stuff off them. Your right, sounds like an average afternoon Blackrock to me.

dcfcsteve
16/01/2006, 4:18 PM
But the housing isn't mixed. It's a straight swap for the people out of the flats, and it's brand spanking new Santry Cross (not addressed or called Ballymun) estates for the influx of new money. They don't mix, they're not together, so how is mixed housing?

It's a reality of life that you wont get large numbers of the wealthy middle class happily living immediately cheek-to-cheek with the poor working class. That's life. When people buy a house, they're just as interested in the immediate neighbours they're 'buying'. With this in mind, therefore, the next best thing for social cohesion is to locate different social groups (i.e. not individuals) as geographically close together as you can, in a patch-work formation. That recognises the fact that any higher degree of social cohesion is night-on impossible to enforce, and is preferable to the previosu planning modesl of having massive swathes of poor and well-off housing situated independently with little or no interface-interaction (e.g. Ballymun).


The alternative was to truely involve the local community in how they wanted to redevelop the area, what they wanted, what facilities they needed. This simply wasn't done.

That's a fair point - the locals should've at least felt they were being involved. The problem, however, is often to do with the funding (i.e. the private sector). Those who are paying for the majority of such projects understandably want to be able to call a lot of the shots unhindered.


Large groups of kids doing what they wanted, young lads axel grinding derelict flats and chucking stuff off them. Your right, sounds like an average afternoon Blackrock to me.

Had it been a gang murder outside Annabels, would that've sounded more Blackrock to you....? :eek: I'm sorry, but bad behaviour is NOT evidence of social deprivation. There are obvious and more powerful indicators of social deprivation. Where was the coverage of facilities, or the lack of ? All they showed was the Axis, which is an excellent facility. Where was the lack of shops ? Where was the mention, let alone analysis, of unemployment rates ? What about school attendance/success rates ? Single and/or underage
parents ? Mental health indicators ? Crime rates ? Drug statistics ? These are all things that Ballymun suffers from, and are all much more accurate indicators of social deprivation than a group of kids revving around on expensive motor and quad bikes. But the only thing they did show that Ballymun suffers from is young loutishness. The show clearly had no interest in show-casing social deprivation - just in presenting/reinforcing the stereotype of the area in order to boost the 'worthiness' and 'bravery' of Des Bishop's 'project'.

finlma
16/01/2006, 4:30 PM
Other than that, however, the prog seemed happy to reinforce the old stereotypes of the area. Kids on bikes ripping the feck out of the grassed-over areas, hoods hoofing things off balconies. The Cork one looks like it'll be just the same - giving exposure to joyriders etc.


He's just showing what happens in the area Steve. You hardly expect him to show the kids of Ballymun helping Grannys to cross the street.

dcfcsteve
16/01/2006, 5:30 PM
He's just showing what happens in the area Steve. You hardly expect him to show the kids of Ballymun helping Grannys to cross the street.

I agree with you. But he's only showing one very narrow facet of what happens in Ballymun.

If he really is interested in highlighting social problems and social deprivation - as has been argued on here - then why is he only focusing on a few instances of anti-social behaviour ? There's much more to deprivation than acting the maggot.

I bet it's just to provide the 'mean streets' backdrop to justify his choice of the area. Let's face it - if he rocked up in Foxrock to do the very same show, it just wouldn't be interesting television. He needs to focus on the 'scary' side of Ballymun in order to make his show seem worthwhile/interesting. It's therefore not a genuine effort to highlight the areas many problems, as is being claimed. This leapt out at me whilst watching the show.

sligoman
16/01/2006, 7:06 PM
Any of ye watch it? First episode was last week and it was the Ballymun comedians, it's on again tonight with the Cork fella's. Should be good stuff! He was on "Tubridy Tonight" last Saturday with three of the comedians. Eric Lalor is the best I've seen on the show so far. Des had him with him at his show in Sligo a few months ago and he was class:D, especially for someone who's not being doing it that long.

Conor H
16/01/2006, 7:33 PM
Its good enough alright to look at these areas and how he's worked with them......cork should be alright aswell.The actual comedy part of the show though is just like Bishop-CRAP!
He hasn't ever made me laugh!

Spudd
16/01/2006, 8:20 PM
Des Bishops supposed to be a comedian? i allways thought he was a tv presenter.:rolleyes:

The Stars
16/01/2006, 8:36 PM
ya i'll be watching tonight...good enough but not near as good as The Work Experience.

Bosco
16/01/2006, 10:25 PM
Its a comedy show!Sure its set in deprived areas were social problems are evident but what you are all forgeting is that the shows main aim is to make people laugh,whether it be the people of ballymun,tuam etc or the people watching at home.Its barely a half hour long,if Bishop included dcfcsteves list of subjects which need highlighting then there would be very little time left for comedy,leave that to prime time.

dcfcsteve
16/01/2006, 10:54 PM
Its a comedy show!Sure its set in deprived areas were social problems are evident but what you are all forgeting is that the shows main aim is to make people laugh,whether it be the people of ballymun,tuam etc or the people watching at home.Its barely a half hour long,if Bishop included dcfcsteves list of subjects which need highlighting then there would be very little time left for comedy,leave that to prime time.

I agree with you ! But read the title of this thread and some of the comments above....

sligoman
16/01/2006, 11:28 PM
Spudd and Conor, out of interest, have ye ever seen Des Bishop live?

Conor H
17/01/2006, 8:08 AM
No.....im sure your going to say he's good live but i have never seen Peter Kay,Ricky Gervais or Tommy Tiernan live and i go into stitches watching them on the TV!

ccfcman
17/01/2006, 8:42 AM
Bit unrealistic portrayal of Knocka, there are far nicer and far ourgher areas there.

Also I couldn't understand the comedians, ie. were they actually all from Knocka or joking about Knocka, 'cos there were no scumbags or anything which I asssu7med he'd have had wanted to. Very disappointing I must say

Peadar
17/01/2006, 9:35 AM
Very disappointing I must say

Disappointing? Perhaps! The alternative was some shíte about how the Dubs are rubbish at Gaelic Football.

The Dubs must be the only county who can have a documentary on their season, even though they're crap and win nothing.

Another waste of taxpayers money!

pete
17/01/2006, 10:46 AM
Saw most of the episode from Cork last night. Wasn't impressed, show seemed too short & never got going...

Roadend
17/01/2006, 10:56 AM
Standup comedy is very hard to do and to think he can make these people good enough in a few weeks, given he's rubbish himself, is just stupid.

NY Hoop
17/01/2006, 11:25 AM
Disappointing? Perhaps! The alternative was some shíte about how the Dubs are rubbish at Gaelic Football.

The Dubs must be the only county who can have a documentary on their season, even though they're crap and win nothing.

Another waste of taxpayers money!

Eh Leinster Champions pal. What have ye won in football recently? FYI Galway and Westmeath had the same documentary a while back. But hey as long as you can spout the same old anti Dublin bias :rolleyes:

KOH

sligoman
17/01/2006, 11:33 AM
What have ye won in football recently?Eh, they won the Premier Division;).

Peadar
17/01/2006, 11:46 AM
What have ye won in football recently?

I think winning your 30th Senior Hurling title is a far greater achievement than winning a Leinster title.

As a county, we had greater success than any other last year.

Dublin will continue to be beaten and retaliate by claiming that GAA is for culchies anyway.

Did Dublin win any national titles last year?

NY Hoop
17/01/2006, 11:49 AM
I think winning your 30th Senior Hurling title is a far greater achievement than winning a Leinster title.

As a county, we had greater success than any other last year.

Dublin will continue to be beaten and retaliate by claiming that GAA is for culchies anyway.

Did Dublin win any national titles last year?

Hurling is played by less than half of the 32 counties at a serious level therefore a football All Ireland is worth more.

"Dublin will continue to be beaten and retaliate by claiming that GAA is for culchies anyway." This statement shows how clueless you are. That chip must be weighing you down.

KOH

Clifford
17/01/2006, 11:54 AM
Really enjoyed last nights show, not going to win a Golden gong or whatever, but the joy it gave the ginger lad and the fun that was had that night of the show had to be seen to be believed. Locals here were buzzing waiting to see it and the pubs were packed and everyone I've met loved it. The main thing is no one takes themselves too seriously here and that's what counts.

People that think it's done damage to any of the areas so far had better realise that bog 2 on a Mon night is not watched by millions (barely thousands) and most people who watched it wanted to see it cos of Des or for a laugh only. If you want to delve deep into the psyche of these places (or Douglas for that matter) get out there themselves and do something interesting like Bishop has done. It cracks me up all the armchairs/barstoolers giving grief when they haven't the imagination or inclination to do such things themselves.

I think both shows so far have shown the areas for what they are, superbly tight knit communities who take life with a pinch of salt and are able to laugh at and with themselves. Hat's off to the lads and ladies who have taken part, that's one hell of a tough thing to do.

Peadar
17/01/2006, 12:18 PM
Hurling is played by less than half of the 32 counties at a serious level therefore a football All Ireland is worth more.

Yeah, that's right, half the country can't Hurl therefore football is better.
Nice one!

"Football" is a joke!
All it is these days is Northern teams throwing the ball to each other.

If they ever ban them from kicking lumps out of each other, the game could be played wearing flip flops because they sure as hell don't use their boots for kicking the ball.

You must be completely depressed, NY Hoop, being a hoop and a Dub GAA fan! Get out your history books and weep for past glories.

NY Hoop
17/01/2006, 12:26 PM
Yeah, that's right, half the country can't Hurl therefore football is better.
Nice one!

"Football" is a joke!
All it is these days is Northern teams throwing the ball to each other.

If they ever ban them from kicking lumps out of each other, the game could be played wearing flip flops because they sure as hell don't use their boots for kicking the ball.

You must be completely depressed, NY Hoop, being a hoop and a Dub GAA fan! Get out your history books and weep for past glories.

Not what I said. Hurling is an incredible game but a football All Ireland is more meaningful simply because it is played by all the counties bar Kilkenny.

As for the rest of your comments about football:rolleyes:

No depression here. We're the best run club in the country and the glory days will come again. At least we have history.

KOH

Peadar
17/01/2006, 12:28 PM
At least we have history.

All you've got is history.

The history of many clubs rolled together under the same name.

Dublin12
17/01/2006, 12:30 PM
The Dubs must be the only county who can have a documentary on their season, even though they're crap and win nothing.



Leinster Champions;)

NY Hoop
17/01/2006, 12:37 PM
All you've got is history.

The history of many clubs rolled together under the same name.

Lot more than history son.

And coming from cork your second comment means you are either slow or have memory problems.

KOH

sligoman
17/01/2006, 12:47 PM
Who gives a fcuk about gaelic or hurling. This thread is about Des Bishop's programme ffs. Their is a thread in "Other Sports" about this Dub documentary, use that to fight with each other!

pete
17/01/2006, 12:51 PM
Who gives a fcuk about gaelic or hurling. This thread is about Des Bishop's programme ffs. Their is a thread in "Other Sports" about this Dub documentary, use that to fight with each other!

Moderator:I agree. Stay on topic folks.

anto1208
17/01/2006, 1:34 PM
I agree with you. But he's only showing one very narrow facet of what happens in Ballymun.

If he really is interested in highlighting social problems and social deprivation - as has been argued on here - then why is he only focusing on a few instances of anti-social behaviour ? There's much more to deprivation than acting the maggot.



its a 25 min long show about finding stand up comics , not to highlight or sort out all the problem s of ballymun etc ... they filmed things that happened while he was there nothing was taken from archives so if guys trot by on horses then thats what was shown if joy riders went by thats what was shown .

he stayed in each place for 3 weeks he only showed what he encountered he didn't make stuff up, edit anything unfairly or try to sugar coat any of it

he is getting slated this morn on the radio for showing a joy rider, some one said he was trying to run down the area !! FFS

sligoman
17/01/2006, 1:40 PM
The one in two weeks time should be good. In Tuam with the travellers:D. Although, I'm really looking forward to the one with the loyalists in Belfast:D.

A face
17/01/2006, 6:15 PM
he is getting slated this morn on the radio for showing a joy rider, some one said he was trying to run down the area !! FFS

The only ones trying to run anyone down are the joyriders .... do the people that complained just think it should never be mentioned or something. Is anyone that mentioed it or highlights it all trying to run the area down aswell ??
It not like nobody knows it actually happens.

dcfcsteve
17/01/2006, 6:23 PM
its a 25 min long show about finding stand up comics , not to highlight or sort out all the problem s of ballymun etc ... they filmed things that happened while he was there nothing was taken from archives so if guys trot by on horses then thats what was shown if joy riders went by thats what was shown .

Anto - please read along with the thread. I agree with you.

Other people here have been trying to cliam it was something otherwise - .e. some sort of attempt to highlight social problemms (which is what the heading of this thread used to say until I referred directly to it). I've been pointign out that it is far form that.


he stayed in each place for 3 weeks he only showed what he encountered he didn't make stuff up, edit anything unfairly or try to sugar coat any of it

How do you know nothing was edited 'unfairly' ?? :confused: Editing obviously involves leaving a lot of stuff out. This is television - it's all about making an interesting and captivating show. That usually involves focusing on stuff purely for dramatic effect/to build your own narrow story. Are you suggesting they would've left out visually interesting stuff, and instead focused on the mundane just to give a balanced view....? :eek:

Lim till i die
18/01/2006, 12:58 PM
Southill in Limerick This week :p

The programme is also an excellent study for anyone who was interested in the different accents thread awhile back :)

Macy
23/01/2006, 11:16 AM
Other people here have been trying to cliam it was something otherwise - .e. some sort of attempt to highlight social problemms (which is what the heading of this thread used to say until I referred directly to it). I've been pointign out that it is far form that.
Well I got into it because you said it was just showing the sterotypical view if though the reality was different to what he showed. As I said way back, I think people are ignorant about what goes on in these areas still. I think it's woken people up that there is still social deprevation and joy riding and not everything is sweetness and light in Ireland in 2006. That is all, not that Des Bishop is the new social campaigner for Ireland 2006.

A face
24/01/2006, 8:31 PM
Southill in Limerick This week

I only caught the end of it when they were all on stage, but for what its worth, i thought they were far better comedians than the lads in Cork. Fair play to them. What did the people from Limerick think of it ??

adamcarr
24/01/2006, 10:32 PM
Last nights episode was quality.

Unreal Madrid
25/01/2006, 12:40 AM
I only caught the end of it when they were all on stage, but for what its worth, i thought they were far better comedians than the lads in Cork. Fair play to them. What did the people from Limerick think of it ??

Average but made the front page of the local before it was shown as Mary Dundon , who is the spokeswomen for the Limerick Co Ordination office ( basically she comes on the telly whenever another one of the ' Fueding Gangs ' shoot each other to tell us what a wonderful city we live in and that we are safe as long as your name is not Keane / Dundon / McCarthy / Ryan) sent Des a letter. She invited Des to come back to see the 'Real Limerick'. Des had a right go on how this was the problem, that the community of Southill are biased against when seeking employment or if they just want to go to town for a few beers. Here we had our media representitive, persuming that the show would put Limerick in a negative light, detach Southill from Limerick before the show went on air. :o What a tit

rebs23
25/01/2006, 9:42 AM
Show is definitely getting better as it goes on. One on Limerick was excellent, good entertainment. Pity it isn't longer and there isn't enough of the people doing the stand up.

Macy
25/01/2006, 10:35 AM
Pity it isn't longer and there isn't enough of the people doing the stand up.
I have a feeling that's because they haven't been that good? I suppose next week from Tuam will tell, as I believe one of the blokes has gone on to the circuit since...

klein4
25/01/2006, 1:15 PM
I only saw the limerick one but one of them(the one who said he was arrested) was as good as any comedian you would see and a total natural.
its a good idea for a show. the way he has explained it is that he wanted to do something that would interest him. It was never meant to be some social experiment.

Hulsey
25/01/2006, 1:20 PM
Anyone else not find Des Bishop funny?:confused:

jebus
25/01/2006, 3:44 PM
Thought the Limerick one was the best of the lot for two reasons:

1) The Limerick comedians were far far funnier than their Cork or Dublin counterparts

and

2) Des Bishop actually hit on the fact that this show should have a lot about the area in general, rather than the Ballymun and Knocka episodes were it was all a bit, 'ah look at the scumbags, they're alright at the end of the day'. I thought the best part of the Limerick programme was when Bishop was talking about Limerick was being negative about everything, that all he hears is 'we can't do that, no-one will come, etc.' Which is what Limerick is all about these days, not our fault because after years of the Irish media telling us how bad the city is and how we're all just thieves and murderers we've had to become negative to try and protect ourselves from this constant media bias against us

klein4
25/01/2006, 5:02 PM
Which is what Limerick is all about these days, not our fault because after years of the Irish media telling us how bad the city is and how we're all just thieves and murderers we've had to become negative to try and protect ourselves from this constant media bias against us

this is possibly the funniest thing I have ever read on here....:D

Rory H
25/01/2006, 5:26 PM
Southill in Limerick This week :p

The programme is also an excellent study for anyone who was interested in the different accents thread awhile back


it was funny....they all had funny accents like you:p :D

Lim till i die
26/01/2006, 9:12 AM
it was funny....they all had funny accents like you:p :D

Hey, if you looked close enough you could see my house :p

Personally thought it was the best one so far but then maybe I'm a little bit biased. Like the way he brought up the negative attitudes, a sadly spot on observation.