The social and political chaos surrounding the Twelfth has become a comedy goldmine for internet satirists. Brendan Hughes looks at the lighthearted online reaction to the North’s volatile parading season.
THE news this week has been dominated by the Twelfth and its violent aftermath. But amid the alarming scenes of disorder on the streets and heated political debate at Stormont, many people have managed to see the funny side.
Events surrounding the Twelfth have provided an irresistible abundance of material crying out to be mocked and parodied. And most of this northern satire has devoloped online, through social networking websites. From flag protester Willie Frazer‘s latest arrest to the towering loyalist bonfires, Facebook and Twitter users have eagerly made light of the north’s annual parading season problems. One picture of a Twelfth rioter being flushed from atop a police Land Rover by water cannon has become a mini internet sensation, wwith numerous different parodies. ‘Loyalists Against Democracy’ (LAD), which was set up late last year during the Union Flag protests in Belfast, pictured above, is one of the north’s most popular satirical Facebook pages with more than 3,000 followers. Its team of voluntary contributors have entertained a poster for a fake electronic cigerette called the ‘e-fleg’, which enables loyalists to “display their Britishness” with “a harmless vapour”.
They also created pictures of Egyptian pyrmid-sizes bonfires and Willie Frazer superimposed into a poster from the TV show Breaking Bad. “People have accused us of inventing Willie Frazer because they think he’s an actor that we hire. He’s a great comic creation,” said a Belfast-based contributor to the Facebook page, who did not wish to be named. “The Twelfth has provided too much am
munition almost. There’s too much to keep up with.” Derry-based satirical Facebook page ‘Pure Derry’, which has more than 14,000 followers, created an image for the Twelfth showing William of Orange driviking a forklift in front of a bonefire. “The whole concept of shifting tyres and pallets I just find incredibly amusing,” the page’s creator and main contributor said. “The reaction has been great. It’s so specialised that it’s a very quirky sense of humour.” Comedian and prominent Twitter user Jake O’Kane gained hundreds of new Twitter followers during the Twelfth due to his tweets. “The problem with being a political satirist in the North of Ireland is that you just have to open the paper and repeat what is said. It’s farcical,” he said. O’Kane said social media has allowed many more people to get involved in political satire. “With social media now everybody can be a political satirist, or try to be,” he said. “It has been opened up a lot more so it seems that it has exploded but it has always been there in the background. “The nice thing about it is that there would be people who wouldn’t have the b***s to go up on stage but they now have a voice.” But the Belfast-based comedian warned that some social networking attempts at satire can become childish and abusive. “If you look at a lot of of social media unfortunately it’s the lowest common denominator. It’s like any new technology, it’s as much abused as used,” he said.
With many thanks to : Brendan Hughes. The Irish News.
Related Articles:
- Get More Out of Your Plays (harthouselibrary.wordpress.com)
- William Frazer arrested, but why wasn’t it Gerry Kelly (newsletter.co.uk)
- Willie Frazer released again after bail breach (newsletter.co.uk)
- Revealed: the Moment Willie Frazer Was Arrested Over Stormont Protest (belfastdaily.co.uk)
- Loyalist campaigner Frazer arrested (bbc.co.uk)
- Ruling due on Orange Order march (belfasttelegraph.co.uk)
Related articles
- Loyalist campaigner Frazer arrested (bbc.co.uk)
- Ruling due on Orange Order march (belfasttelegraph.co.uk)
seachranaidhe1 