In Search of the Popes Children

Tawny · 13-05-2009 11:53am #1

Did anyone see this last night on BBC 4? When was it filmed? It seemed really out of date.

And the people it protrayed? Does anyone actually know anyone like that? It made everyone seem really shallow and just interested in keeping up with the neighbours.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00kjjrt

Permabear · 13-05-2009 11:56am

This post has been deleted.

burgess1 · 13-05-2009 11:56am

I think it was broadcast by RTÉ about 2 years ago.

Tawny · 13-05-2009 12:00pm

That explains it.

It would be interesting to see where the people that took part are now. Its hard to know, a lot of people seem to be really suffering at the mo but then again a lot of people are still doing grand it seems.

ionix5891 · 13-05-2009 1:29pm

i remember seeing that a while ago couldn't remember the name tho, so thanks

didn't the presenter in that warn us that we are living of cheap german credit?

Belfast · 13-05-2009 3:09pm

also a book
Format:Paperback
ISBN: 9780717141722
Gill & Macmillan

Publication Date:May 2006

http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/the-popes-children-book/

mike65 · 13-05-2009 3:46pm

Last nights showing was preceeded by a short update, as Williams noted the huge change in a few years.

djpbarry · 13-05-2009 4:54pm

Probably going to be seeing a lot more of this muppet now that George Lee has left our screens.

I didn't see the complete series (when it was originally broadcast on RTE), but I do remember watching one episode and being slightly angered by the great big brush strokes he was using to characterise the population. Although admittedly, my negative impression of the series was probably heavily influenced by the fact that I can’t stand the condescending little prick.

greendom · 13-05-2009 5:02pm

djpbarry wrote: »

Probably going to be seeing a lot more of this muppet now that George Lee has left our screens.

I didn't see the complete series (when it was originally broadcast on RTE), but I do remember watching one episode and being slightly angered by the great big brush strokes he was using to characterise the population. Although admittedly, my negative impression of the series was probably heavily influenced by the fact that I can’t stand the condescending little prick.

He knows his stuff though - he certainly predicted the huge collapse in the economy long before it happened.

mike65 · 13-05-2009 5:13pm

As I said on tv forum

Dunno what the reaction was at the time but he wasn't wrong. Its a pity his progs tend to be so flashy in their presentation, it obscured the message to a degree or made it easy to dismiss.

Belfast · 13-05-2009 6:58pm

greendom wrote: »

He knows his stuff though - he certainly predicted the huge collapse in the economy long before it happened.

The collapse was not that hard to see coming.
The problem most people did not want to see it coming.

greendom · 13-05-2009 7:35pm

Belfast wrote: »

The collapse was not that hard to see coming.
The problem most people did not want to see it coming.

It's easy to say that now - Hindsight is a wonderful thing - it's a shame it doesn't work in reverse

djpbarry · 13-05-2009 8:43pm

greendom wrote: »

It's easy to say that now - Hindsight is a wonderful thing

Organisations such as the IMF, OECD and the ESRI, as well as stockbrokers such as Davy, had been warning that Irish property prices were seriously over-inflated since as far back as 2005 - McWilliams was certainly not alone in predictioning a crash (if indeed they were his predictions).

O'Morris · 13-05-2009 9:31pm

Belfast wrote: »

also a book
Format:Paperback
ISBN: 9780717141722
Gill & Macmillan

Publication Date:May 2006

http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/the-popes-children-book/

Do you notice anything strange about the picture on the cover of the book? Look at the East-Asian man on the left of the picture with the Lee Harvey Oswald type shadow. Do you not think he looks out of place among the rest of the crowd. It's the same with the hispanic-looking woman with her finger on her lip. Those two characters look far too serious to have been original members of the that crowd.

It would be interesting to know what point red Dave was trying to make by tampering with the image like that.

mike65 · 13-05-2009 10:04pm

I think you need to go back to the Conspiracy Theories forum.

I wonder how many of tonights interview subjects are looking back in anger, saddled with Bulgaian properties they can't shift.

greendom · 14-05-2009 9:20am

djpbarry wrote: »

Organisations such as the IMF, OECD and the ESRI, as well as stockbrokers such as Davy, had been warning that Irish property prices were seriously over-inflated since as far back as 2005 - McWilliams was certainly not alone in predictioning a crash (if indeed they were his predictions).

The general chatter back then though was of a soft landing- not too many saw this cataclysm coming

Joey the lips · 14-05-2009 9:27am

It ran 2 years ago or longer. Read the book as well, Its sad people did not listen to him! It also followed by the Generation game which was equally good!

Its very funny we manage to see programs remotely located on BBC4 and we miss them on RTE!

Both are brilliant books! Even if the moments have passed they give you a good insite

I am a decklander! for the benefit of the book!

Dob74 · 14-05-2009 9:49am

djpbarry wrote: »

Organisations such as the IMF, OECD and the ESRI, as well as stockbrokers such as Davy, had been warning that Irish property prices were seriously over-inflated since as far back as 2005 - McWilliams was certainly not alone in predictioning a crash (if indeed they were his predictions).

Unfortunately Prime Time and most other current affair shows kept paradeing Dan MacLuaghin and the likes out to give our economic forecasts.
They where never challenged or made state what interest they had in the forecasts given out.(probably to do with advertising the banks where paying for)
Since we own the banks its time to fire these guys for gross incompetents

sneakyST · 14-05-2009 9:51am

i watched it again last night online - I found him quite condesending to be honest in his portrayal of DIY man and yummy mummy etc. Typical Irish thing to do his take a swipe at people who are doing well. We all didnt by stuff with the banks money - I do subscribe to the philosophy "if I have it i'll spend it" and why not.

mike65 · 14-05-2009 9:58am

So thus you missed the whole point! - The population as a whole was in hock even if you didn't happen to be.

sneakyST · 14-05-2009 10:10am

mike65 wrote: »

So thus you missed the whole point! - The population as a whole was in hock even if you didn't happen to be.

Not really - I fail to see how sniping at people for sending their kids to "better" schools has to do with being in debt.....a link which he couldnt make. Just silly comments about spending money. Im not saying that his arguments about debt and spending arent valid but a lot was just time fillers.

O'Morris · 14-05-2009 10:17am

He looks like a hitman for the Yakuza.

mike65 · 14-05-2009 10:21am

McWilliams point about gaelscoile was/is that it was part of an aspirational lifestyle choice - choices tend to be bought on credit. I didn't view it as 'have a go' at the Foxrocks mummys, merely observing how they behave.

sneakyST · 14-05-2009 10:21am

O'Morris wrote: »

He looks like a hitman for the Yakuza.

And further more if I want to send my dog through a car wash then thats none of his business

no idea what that was about.....

sneakyST · 14-05-2009 10:37am

mike65 wrote: »

McWilliams point about gaelscoile was/is that it was part of an aspirational lifestyle choice - choices tend to be bought on credit. I didn't view it as 'have a go' at the Foxrocks mummys, merely observing how they behave.

I understand where you are coming from but to portray that everything was being bought by credit is just wrong. Did I borrow money - hell yes - but was it a rare occassion that after the missus and I got paid each month that there would be 10 or 11 grand sitting in the bank? no and we werent the only ones.

mickd · 14-05-2009 1:30pm

Anybody can predict a crash its like saying it going to rain sometime. If you watch tonight's episode he goes to Germany where he comes up with a spectacular theory that German pensioners money is being invested in Ireland as cheap credit. When the Germans pensioners want to spend their money this will trigger a recession in Ireland. At no point did Mc Williams mention the sub-prime issue in the US. He maintained last night that the banks were not taking any risks now we know they were. On every substantive point he has been wrong. I would describe himself, Lee and Hobbs as 'celebrity economists' who posit a view which suits their view of the world. However this view proves to be more off the mark rather than anyway accurate

djpbarry · 14-05-2009 8:57pm

O'Morris wrote: »

It would be interesting to know what point red Dave was trying to make by tampering with the image like that.

Buy my book.

markopantelic · 15-05-2009 2:03am

I really liked this book. It was a nice social commentary with maby a few labels thrown in but funny.

I loved the 'Denver more than Denmark' line.

eamonnm79 · 15-05-2009 9:37pm

A line that struck a chord with me was "Dont be the Paddy who is Paddy last"
Luckily I sold my house in Aug 2006 after reading it.

It just sounded right!

Now dont ask what i did with the profits.
Long gone!

But If I meet Mc williams i owe him a drink.
I also used to love Agenda. Best Irish current affairs show ive seen.

MG · 16-05-2009 9:30am

Dob74 wrote: »

Unfortunately Prime Time and most other current affair shows kept paradeing Dan MacLuaghin and the likes out to give our economic forecasts.
They where never challenged or made state what interest they had in the forecasts given out.(probably to do with advertising the banks where paying for)
Since we own the banks its time to fire these guys for gross incompetents

Pope's children was originally shown on RTE. And what about George Lee? Dan O'Brien was also often on Prime Time urging caution. The IMF, the central bank, The Economist - they all said the same.

There's no point saying that there was a media bias towards positive economic news at the time. In reality there was plenty of information there to show what was coming. People don't want to face up to the reality that they just didn't want to listen to the bad news.

You only have to listen to some of the people on Pope's children to hear the hubris and the greed. If you didn't listen, tough. Those who did will prosper and deservedly so.

Richard Curran - he of the Future Shock documentary - spoke on the radio about the anger he experienced after the programme. He was consoled by his postman "People are angry because they don't want to hear what in their hearts they know to be true".

Firetrap · 16-05-2009 11:11am

Yes, it never ceases to amaze me how people don't think they saw people on TV/radio warning us about the dangers of the property bubble. I'm not a fan of David McWilliams' gimmcky labelling styles (yer Decklanders, Yummy Mummies etc.) but I guess it's just a way to make economics more accessible. As an aside, it would be great if RTE would show Richard Curran's Future Shock programme again..now that would make for interesting viewing

In Search of the Popes Children

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