Pointless programming from RTÉ

TV REVIEW

There are times when one has to wonder about the motivations behind the making of some programmes. Last Sunday night, with one eye on the road outside due to a flood warning and one eye on the telly, I was confronted with the question, why are they making this programme? I am talking about Battle of the Sexes, RTÉ’s two-part show where women talk about men and men talk about women in a studio in Montrose. The women’s end of it is hosted by Miriam O’Callaghan and the men’s end by Ray D’Arcy.
Now, in search for the answer to my question I visited the RTÉ website. On it they described Battle of the Sexes as “a groundbreaking two-part series presented by Miriam O’Callaghan and Ray D’Arcy exploring the state of the modern Irish man, the modern Irish woman and their relationships with one another”.
What? I mean, really, is this programme necessary? And what is ground-breaking about it? Does this programme in any way spark or ignite new debate about the issues of men and women and their perception of each other? Do the panellists really have more insight into the minds of men and women than I, my friends or the ordinary people in the street? If the answer to any of these questions had been yes then this column would have taken a different turn and I might be about to write some words of praise.
Instead, I will say that this was the most infuriating programme that I have watched in some time. It was a programme dedicated to a series of sweeping statements and rehashing of arguments that have raged for decades.
All this programme did was give women a platform to whinge, give out, generalise and complain about the failings of men. It did nothing for the debate on women’s issues or the real problems that men and women face each day.
I found the piece by Tanya Sweeney to be offensive to men and completely unfair. I don’t know who she is meeting but her attitude and delivery was so totally anti-men that if she had proclaimed that she felt they should all be culled, I would not have been surprised. Her commentary was nothing more than a rant. Perhaps that is what people will say of this but I shall run the risk.
In one way, I was glad to watch this programme because it supports my theory that labelling is very much alive and well in this country. Some, and it must be said not all, women in this show were determined to place men in a box, stick a label on them and leave them as that. There was very little consideration or examination of the factors that contribute to the behaviour of people or what the motivations behind someone’s behaviour were. I don’t think any solution was ever presented.
As a host, Miriam O’Callaghan failed on more than one occasion to steer the conversation in the direction of solution or indeed true examination. While there was some examination of the role of women in society and in relationships, it was not enough and every time an issue was going somewhere, it was pushed aside and a new topic introduced.
The most interesting part of the programme was the segment about a couple who found their marriage in trouble and who had worked through this difficulty. I would gladly have listened to them for an hour, as I could see the merit for others in watching it. Their story is a real one and the way they told it was very honest. This part of the show was the highlight and more time should have been devoted to this.
It will be interesting to see if the men’s show is any different. I have a feeling that it won’t be, as it seems that when we are given a platform to discuss matters in an open way, we instinctively go for the crowd-pleasing laugh or the quip, rather than a considered answer. I will probably watch it but as for enjoying it, I feel the answer will be negative. You can watch Ray D’Arcy’s segment this Sunday night at 9.30pm on RTÉ One.
It’s all negative this week but really I am gutted at the loss of Jedward from X-Factor. They were the highlight of my Saturday night viewing. I have to admit than when I first heard them, I was of the same opinion as Simon Cowell. I thought they were annoying rich-kids who would probably drive me to distraction.
However, as time went by I grew to love them and little behind-the-scenes segments showed that they were truly funny young lads who were enjoying all that the X-Factor brought.
Every week they had a new routine and they gave it their all. They were unable to sing but they were entertainers and every week, I was truly entertained. I can’t wait to see where they go next. At the time of writing, it seems like I’m a Celebrity…Get me out of Here may be their next appearance but who knows. Apart from that, Joe to win! He has the best voice!
I’m a Celebrity…Get me out of Here has been mildly amusing this season but only because of George Hamilton. He has brought all the laughs. Katie Price, aka Jordan, was a bit of wet rag really and didn’t set the show alight. She was a good sport to do six bushtucker trails and I have to admit I support her exit from the competition. Seven is just one too many. You can watch the programme on TV3 or ITV every day.
The Late Late Toy Show is on this weekend and it will be interesting to see if Ryan can pull it off. I always thought Pat did okay at the Toy Show but it remains to be seen what Tubridy can do. Here’s hoping he wears the suit from the advertisement. Watch it this Friday at 9.30pm.