About as funny as queuing up for passport control.
With regards to the most serious news about Anglo-Irish relations in the climate of Brexit, the UK cabinet have finally published their proposed backstop wording.
“The UK is clear that the temporary customs arrangement, should it be needed, should be time limited” and this time-limit has been issued as December 2021. The UK will discuss this matter with the EU.
The announcement came just two hours after Leo Varadkar said that a time-limited arrangement would be unacceptable to Ireland.
With regards to Brexit, as stated previously, there has already been a sizeable increase in the amount of British citizens that have applied for an Irish passport which is understandable.
On this note, the topical comedy show Tracey Breaks the News recently featured a sketch where they championed the merits of UK citizens getting an Irish passport – a ‘Paddy Passport’ as they put it.
Granted, we understand – and hope – that main focus of the ‘joke’ was aimed at Brexiteers and the environment that Britain has now found itself in, but much like the SNL sketch featuring Saoirse Ronan, it’s just bad.
It’s your own prerogative to deem it offensive or not, but from an Irish perspective, it’s just really, really bad.
Frivolous ancestry to Ireland, Irish people willing to get married just so British citizens can get a passport and lines like: “I’m still European so don’t feckin’ hate” all feature.
There’s also a very odd joke about the recent referendum on the Eighth Amendment.
Hell, we’re all capable of taking a joke but we’re not sure what the hell this even is.
Here’s a look at the sketch itself and some of the replies.
Panicked about post-Brexit passport queues? We got you… 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/Xcz7U7CICj
— BBC Comedy (@bbccomedy) June 4, 2018
The reaction has been interesting to say the least with one Twitter user defining it as ‘shockingly bad.’ Take a look.
What’s the subtext here? Do they think we are asking loads of Brits to take Irish Passports?We’re not.Brits have Irish in them due to colonialism and emigration caused by yere elite.This sketch could have done with an Irish person to help with the writing https://t.co/YZzHRylKSK
— The Blindboy Podcast (@bbboatclub) June 6, 2018
But further, what's the joke? Where's the subverted expectation, the novel turn, the expectation confounded? It's sixth form agitprop with bad accents and good wardrobe. Stage Irish Paddyface with all the jokes removed.
— The author, Séamas O'Reilly (@shockproofbeats) June 6, 2018
Colonialism is fecking gas craic altogether.
— JonathanXavier😎🔫 (@jonnyboydublin) June 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/FourTwoThreeOne/status/1004662795609178112
Oh noooooo. Not funny just bad
— EveCT (@EveChambersYarn) June 7, 2018
Not offensive at all. Just not funny.
— 🌈 Spelled with a See (@SeeMack_ie) June 7, 2018
I'm not offended by this. it's just terrible.
— Dean Murray (@TheDeanMurray) June 6, 2018
https://twitter.com/kieranmullen5/status/1004463326070476805
On the other hand, some people enjoyed it.
I genuinely can’t believe so many Irish here found this offensive. I know humour is subjective but I thought it was funny, and also thought the joke was on Brexiteers. Do we Irish have a genetic predisposition to skin as thin as medieval parchment?
— Philip Nolan (@philipnolan1) June 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/ImAdamAM/status/1004448484777447424
Each to their own.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
