Yuck!
I was going to write an angry piece about Irish-Americans and how each St Patrick’s Day they happily indulge, for the amusement of the rest of America, every demeaning, insulting and degrading stereotype of the Irish invented since the Famine. Would African-Americans so easily paint their lips white and put on a minstrel show? Would Chinese-Americans typecast themselves so quickly as Fu-Manchu or Charlie Chan? I think not. Anyway that was before I read this excellent piece on Salon.com by Aine Greaney which says everything I wanted to say and does so much better than I could.
More Yuck!
Beyond words!
I am a relative newcomer to the US – this is my second St Patrick’s Day here -however I find most of the celebrations verge on offensive !!! I would love to take a role on those committees who decide who marches and under what theme – taking part in the Philadelphia parade I was walking behind dancing nuns ?? WTF ? How is that remotely irish ??
The other thing I detest is the ” we’re all irish on st patrick’s day ” no you’re damn well not !
I could continue this rant for hours but Ed i’m with you in you’re loathing of this americanised catastrophe !!
The only positive I have is at least I can carry the natiional flag around in the US – this doesn’t happen in the North of Ireland where the Irish Flag is actually banned from St Ptrick’s Day Celebrations !!!
Did you notice that the Irish Voice/Irish Central has been expressing annoyance recently about the persistent association in the public mind of Irishness with heavy drinking? Niall O’Dowd and his pals object strong to this stereotypical view of those who (as they might put it) wear the green. Yet what do we find in today’s online issue? A banner add for the new Irish movie, White Irish Drinkers; an encomium on the delights of Guinness (“the good stuff … Irish mother’s milk”); and a piece on how to recover from “the dreaded Saint Patrick’s Day hangover”. Not that any of this prevented the site from reminding readers that Mayor Bloomberg continues to be “haunted” by his recent observation that the Irish (me included, I’m afraid) drink too much.
if i had to compile a list of the most loathsome irish-americans in new york, o’dowd would certainly top the list.
You might not believe me Ed, but I’d agree with you about O’Dowd. A carpet bagger.
Ed,
Thanks for your kind words about my Salon.com post on St. Patrick’s. As you could see from the commentary, it struck some rabid nerves out there … hmmm … I fear that anything even bordering on civil public discourse is a thing of the past. But thanks for your feedback and your own post. Who *is* that old cailleach (photo) in the bleedin’ dickie bow? : – )