Does anyone else find it a bit strange that this kind of paddywhackery-ridiculing is somewhat acceptable in marketing contexts? Spotted on the salaryaftertax website

by Try_It_Sometime

30 comments

  1. No. To be honest life is a lot happier when you don’t let little things like that bother you. It’s not going to change so I wouldn’t waste my mental energy.

    You should Try_it_sometime

  2. Oh my god man, I’m so sorry you had to live through that. I hope you’re ok x.

    Sorry if you think I’m being a dick. But I’ll let you in on something. Just stop letting it bother you and you’ll actually be a lot happier. Who gives a fuck at the end of the day? There’s so much worse going on. If it bothers you just brush past it and let it go. Starting a crusade against it or looking for validation about how we are victims of this etc. It will do nothing to actually help you or make you feel better?

    Imagine the Aussies starting a crusade against crocodile Dundee references or lads with blonde hair and corks hanging from oversized hats in fosters ads? Like it’s a low form of advertising but let’s not get too excited here?

  3. I can’t make my mind up whether as a group we’re above being offended by this kind of thing or if we have so internalised it that we’re afraid to be offended.

    It bothers me for what it’s worth.

  4. Nah I don’t care. I think it’s mildly amusing

  5. I’m not personally offended but I can’t imagine doing the same thing to other nationalities or ethnicities.

    For some reason Irish people and culture can be made fun of. Being drunk, loving potatoes, the accent “Tirty tree and a turd” etc…

    People imitating your accent when they hear it or tell you an Irish joke where the punchline is “Irish person is a thick eejit” are common things to happen when outside of Ireland.

    And these people would never do that to other nationalities or ethnicities.

  6. Most people I know couldn’t give a shite, some even embrace it. All I know is that there’s a serious amount of money to be made from paddywhackery through American tourism, so what’s the harm? There’s a lot better things to be offended by.

  7. Dublin’s biggest tourist attractions are the Guinness and Jameson tours. We don’t mind playing up the hard drinking stereotype when it suits us.

  8. I hate it.

    The leprechaun is a British invention to dehumanise and degrade the irish.

    And st patrick brought christianity to Ireland and that worked well, right? Tuam babies anyone?

    And now, it’s used to perpetuate the drunken stereotype.

    We should celebrate our independence, not the day someone who was trafficked to ireland, decided we were savage and came back to educate / enlighten us.

  9. I guess because Irish people know it’s not true and it’s not done with malice. It’s playful, it’s silly and goofy on purpose to play to a stereotype.
    Clearly a joke so as an Irish person, I’ve no issue with it. There are way more serious issues in the world than a silly joke

  10. I never liked the leprechaun or drinking or potato images. Potatoes come from South America, Alcoholism is from germans, and balding redheads is a Scottish inbreeding thing.

  11. I’ve never been a fan of it its old timey minstrelisation and I hope it becomes less acceptable as time goes on.
    As an Irish woman with red hair having a bunch of curly red wigs being hawked to all the foreigners for St Patrick’s day every year its bizarre.

    The innate fear of not being “offended” is just as weird, you’re allowed to not like things or think they’re weird, noones going to come banish you

  14. Stick him on a scrambler and have him do wheelies to broaden the target audience.

  15. I’m not too bothered by this example but the history of hibernophobia is quite depressing. British media (mainly newspapers, posters, sketches etc.) historically endorsed the ‘bumbling, drunkard Paddy’ image to dehumanise and humiliate the Irish. It prevails today in some posh circles but who cares honestly – we have a pretty positive image elsewhere and even if we didn’t, I’m proud to be an Irishwoman. 

  18. Because humor (even suspect humor) is more valuable than fragility.

  19. A wise man once said do not let others manipulate your emotions, because that way they can manipulate you.

    His name was Bruce O’Lee.

  21. Calm you helmet stop trying to get offended over nothing , Jesus Christ people are so fuckn precious these days

  22. I don’t get offended by it but I do find this shit cringe af.

    Also tbh it got kinda uncomfortable when I lived in the states and the same people I see everyday kept making the same comments and I could no longer to fake laugh I was just bored by the ignorance

  23. TBH if someone dresses like that they are making themselves the joke.

    They know it’s a stereotype so just laugh along at the ridiculousness of it all

  25. Every nationality has a visual shorthand like this.

    Scotsman? Kilt and bagpipes. Frenchman? Beret, striped shirt and a bag of onions. German? Lederhosen and a big mug of lager.

    It’s all bullshit but it serves its purpose, identifies the nationality you’re talking about or aiming your content at with striking viusal appeal.

    As long as it’s not intended to insult or harm there’s no harm in these stereotypes and I don’t find them offensive in the slightest.

  28. Honestly I reckon a lot of cultures may dabble to some extent – I can imagine some bratwurst eating bloke in lederhosen selling insurance or some shite on German TV for example

  29. Here I am clicking till my finger is bloody trying to get the feckin video to play…ya bastard!

  30. Doesn’t bother me at all but I don’t like the double standards.

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