Eoin Butler: writer, journalist and Mayoman of the Year
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Isn’t Sinead O’Connor overdue a massive, grovelling apology from absolutely everybody?
In 1992, Sinead O’Connor ripped up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live as a protest against paedophilia in the Catholic Church and the complicity of the church hierarchy. It was viewed as an act of career suicide. The following day, steamrollers crushed hundreds of her CDs outside Rockefeller Center to huge cheers from protesters. On the next SNL, presenter Joe Pesci quipped that “if it had been my show, I would have gave her such a smack.”
A few days later, O’Connor was booed off the stage at a Bob Dylan Tribute in Madison Square Garden. (That last clip is particularly well worth watching, by the way, both for the virulence of the abuse directed towards her, and the courage with which she stands up to it.) It wasn’t just in American that she was dismissed as a crank. Lest we forget, in this episode of Father Ted she was parodied as a bonkers feminist making any number of preposterous allegations against the Catholic Church. (Among them, that the church kept a secret hoard of potatoes during the famine, which they hid in pillows and sold abroad at potato fairs… Okay, that’s still funny!)
It won’t have troubled her unduly, but in the interest of disclosure, I should admit to having myself written spoof articles for The Slate magazine in Dublin in which – following her shock, rapid-fire conversions to lesbianism, Rastafarianism and the Catholic priesthood – she outed herself as, amongst other things, the elusive mastermind behind the September 11th terror attacks. It was unanimous. We all thought she was nuts.
Well, she wasn’t nuts. In fact, even the most outlandish allegations O’Connor made against the Catholic Church eighteen years ago seem pretty tame in comparison to what we now know to have occurred. And in the wake of the most recent wave of revelations, which have implicated the current Pope, the US media seems belatedly to have acknowledged as much.
On Friday, she contributed this well written op-ed piece to the Washington Post (Damien Rice, take note!) and discussed her views with readers in this online Q&A. The same day, she spoke articulately about the abuse scandal in Ireland, via a dodgy laptop hookup, with Anderson Cooper on CNN.
But no one to date (that I’m aware of) has apologised to Sinead O’Connor for the ridicule heaped upon her, as a result of her having the courage to speak out on this issue long before it was fashionable to do so. So let me be the first. Sinead, I apologise. We were wrong. You were right. And you had more balls than anyone I’ve ever seen. In the words of one of our mutual heroes If it was a big, big tree, you were a small axe…
March 28th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
Well said. Thanks for telling the story of what you did. I missed the original incident because I was in UK and had no interest in Sinead O’Connor then
March 28th, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Very good point, very well put
March 28th, 2010 at 10:55 pm
Sinead is definitely due an apology. 38 years ago my father warned me never to be alone with a priest or take a lift from one. This was before I went to Irish College which was run by the priests. He told me that they lived very unnatural lives and that some of them preyed on children and did bad things to them. I took his advise. Lots of people knew what was going on even then.
March 28th, 2010 at 11:56 pm
I watched that episode and remember laughing when she did it. Moments later I realized it wasn’t comedy and then it got serious. Now I think everyone who ever booed her should apologize.
March 29th, 2010 at 1:40 am
the reaction to that incident always bugged me anyways, even apart from what we now know in regard to the abuses. i’ve never ever gotten why the Pope, whoever he may currently be, is awarded automatic respect from people, when so many things they do are unchristian, firstly, and just plain disgraceful (advising against condom use in Africa, calling all Christians to oppose marriage equality, leading a Religious organisation based on guilt and fear. Everything the Catholic church does and is seems to be in contrast to what Christianity is and should be about. And the Pope is the poster boy of that.
March 29th, 2010 at 2:52 am
So much respect for Kris Kristofferson after seeing that.
March 29th, 2010 at 2:52 am
And Sinead too, obviously.
March 29th, 2010 at 2:53 am
+me. It was a little before I started paying attention to the world, but that sounds pretty crappy. Way to stand up to it!
I am curious to know if she had some sort of evidence prompting the picture ripup or what the cause was otherwise. Seems like it had to be something pretty concrete to be willing to go down like that for it.
March 29th, 2010 at 4:14 am
Speak for yourself! I never doubted her.
March 29th, 2010 at 5:04 am
No kidding. What Dale said. I remember watching that week’s SNL. I wasn’t shocked or bothered until later … by Dylan’s lame non-defense of Sinead.
March 29th, 2010 at 6:12 am
I remember I was shocked into silence by what she did, but next, I cheered and clapped. And I was outraged by how she was treated after. Some of us, in this issue, supported her all along. Bet most of us are lapsed Catholics. :/
March 29th, 2010 at 6:52 am
Great post.
I just posted the video and a link to your article on Videosift.
http://videosift.com/video/Sinead-O-Connor-shuts-up-a-crowd-booing-her-anti-popeness
March 29th, 2010 at 9:57 am
I really admired her when she she protested against the Catholic Church. At last somebody prominent in Irish society was exposing the organisation for all their sick practices.
Then I thought she was 100% certified nuts when she became a nun. Lost all respect for her then.
March 29th, 2010 at 9:57 am
An avid SNL fan, I happened to miss that episode of the show and have read how that they haven’t shown that bit when they play re-runs — they use a clip from dress rehearsal where she just holds up a picture of an African child. I knew about it though because it did make the headlines, not for what the church had done, but that ‘crazy Sinead’ was up to something again.
When I heard the story of her abuse later I totally understood what brought her to do this, so perhaps her error was that her message lacked clarity — and of course people didn’t listen to what she said after, they’d totally written her off already. The US, especially the media, are not fervent catholics — but perhaps afraid of what a strong minded, outspoken woman has to say.
It was good to see Sinead’s Washington Post item and I hope that we have finally learned a lesson about dismissing cries for justice – whether it be from a celebrity on a late night TV show or a child that has been abused and forgotten by the people entrusted to care for them.
So NBC, Lorne Michael’s and all – how about putting that clip back into the re-runs. That would be a start!
March 29th, 2010 at 10:59 am
@ Spaghetti Hoop – she didn’t become a nun, she became a priest
March 29th, 2010 at 11:27 am
[this allegation is untrue and has been deleted at Sinead O’Connor’s request]
March 29th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
What’s also really interesting is the difference between the reaction to Sinead O’Connor back in 1993 and then to Brian McFadden’s abominable “Irish Son” in 2004 when he was attempting to launch a solo career as a “serious” musical artist. McFadden was absolutely panned for the song (which presents Dublin as constrained by a “holy book full of rules”, McFadden himself “warped by the Christian Brothers…made to get down on my knees on Sunday with the other fools”, and challenges the Brothers to “hit me now that I am twice your size”.) Elton John described it as the worst song he’d ever heard in his life and McFadden took a particularly hard time for featuring the sign for St Fintan’s CB School in Sutton in the video for the song – he’d never attended that school in his life. But anyway, the point is that McFadden was laughed out of it for trying to posture as some sort of anti-establishment figure having spent the previous five years as a glossy-haired boyband member. As a protest song against the Catholic Church he was ten years too late. No one even raised an eyebrow at the “hard-hitting” lyrics about religious orders knocking kids around the place.
The times they were a-changing.
March 29th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
One of the highlights of 1992, found it all entertaining but because it was O’Connor, just saw it as one of those wacky things she was inclined to do. Her priesthood and comments later helped muddy the waters further.
Always wondered if there would have been the same level of vitirol if a different celebrity had torn the photo, say Bruce Springsteen?
Worryingly the protest wasn’t just censored or removed from future SNL broadcasts but that it was actually replaced with O Connor’s rehearsal, almost an attempt to rewrite it all. Pesci’s protest a week later however with a repaired photo and threat of a “smack in the mouth” remained. Protesst against abuse removed and protest with abuse applauded. Good call.
March 29th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Watching the video of Sinead being booed off-stage today, I am deeply moved. If I could only begin to imagine that I might be so strong in the face of such a vile example of hatred.
Being too young at the time to understand the significance of her actions, I can only look on in awe at her stalwart defiance of the crowd’s disgusting behaviour.
March 29th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
@ Lisa – I’d have to disagree with you there. In McFadden’s case, I don’t think people’s problem with the song had to do with it timing. It was more a case that he was making a blatant play for credibility by having a fashionable pop at the Catholic church and wallowing vicariously in the suffering of others. Sinead O’Connor spent time in a Reform School.
My experimental all-sarcasm McFadden-smackdown is here http://bit.ly/d4sQqR
March 29th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Holy fuck Butler do you know you’re on the front page of Reddit?
March 29th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
I hope she rips up a picture of the current pope in front of some cameras. He’s the scumbag that covered up the most pedophilia in American history. Does not deserve to be pope.
March 29th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
@ Massey – yes, I am aware of that. Those 20,000 hits before lunchtime were a bit of a giveaway…
March 29th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
@Eoin: hmmm I guess I didn’t phrase things as articulately as I should have. That was precisely my point: the song caused a (minor) furore not because of McFadden’s claims that the Catholic Church abused children, more because of his claims that it affectly HIM directly. The larger issues were taken as given. An ill-calculated move to try to gain street-cred which backfired.
March 29th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
@ Lisa – sorry, understood and agreed!
March 29th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
Around 1990, in Newfoundland, Canada, the Mount Cashell scandal erupted. Men of all ages were suddenly telling their stories of abuse under the Catholic “Christian Brothers” who ran the boys’ orphange – a paragon of virtue for a century – an organization purported to take young orphans and turn them into productive members of society. Turns out they were abusing those boys the whole time, and when news broke, it ruined the orphanage. A large supermarket now stands on its grounds, after the place was taken down to the ground in the aftermath of the scandal, rather than let it stand as a reminder of what happened. When O’Connor tore up that picture, I was watching, live. And I applauded. So should have everyone.
March 29th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
I owe Sinead O’Connor an apology. If she ever reads this, I hope that she knows I am sorry. She was right. I should have helped her fight the real enemy.
After the incident on Saturday Night Live, I was curious to know what motivated Sinead O’Connor. This was before the World Wide Web, so I read a few newspaper and magazine articles on the incident. Either I had poor reading skills at the time or the sources I read did a terrible job of reporting, but I did not know until recently that Sinead O’Connor’s act was in response to accusations of child molestation. It seemed so random at the time. How did I miss this part of the story?
March 29th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
“…..”
March 29th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Sinead O Connor cultivated animosity mostly because she was a media hoor.
She would say anything and everything to get her records a bit of hype and jumped on the bandwagon with this at the time.
She is a nutter, saying the virgin mary was reincarated in her.
[redacted at the request of Sinead O’Connor] She was obviously courting the italians to buy her stuff.
If she felt so strongly against catholisism why was she ordained a catholic priest?
I like her, but she is a media hoor.
March 29th, 2010 at 6:38 pm
@ alinicus – Colin emailed me about that. It’s pretty funny, but I’d rather not get into it here. (Besides, it’s not like I’m not guilty of the occasional bit of blogger-baiting myself!)
@ Curly Sue – I disagree with pretty much all of that. For starters, I’m fairly certain that interview was in 1997. Also re:
“If she felt so strongly against catholisism why was she ordained a catholic priest?”
Watch the Anderson Cooper video above.
March 29th, 2010 at 9:57 pm
[…] in the middle of that graph is where I took ten days’ sabbatical.) Last night, I published a blog post about Sinead O’Connor. It immediately began to generate large volumes of incoming traffic from my Twitter feed. On a whim, […]
March 30th, 2010 at 12:49 am
Was a comment on this thread really deleted at Sinead O’Connor’s request??
March 30th, 2010 at 1:43 am
In fairness to Eoin, I only usually comment when he bigs up Conan, but good article it must be said.
March 30th, 2010 at 11:17 am
Encore!
March 30th, 2010 at 11:31 am
@ Steve – yes, see here:
http://www.eoinbutler.com/home/this-is-what-a-reddit-traffic-spike-looks-like/
March 30th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
[…] all of this, have you spared a thought for Sinead O’Connor? Remember how she was castigated for speaking out about this very matter almost 20 years ago? I think it’s reasonable that some people owe her an apology. Makes you wonder what other […]
March 30th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
I don’t mean to change the subject but whatever happened to Joe Pesci?
March 30th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Last thing I saw him in was a small part in The Good Shepard. Bad film, but he was pretty good in it.
March 30th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
she’s still a god botherer… :/
saw her on cnn iconnect last night, she actually had to correct the interviewer becuase the interviewer suggested she abused while in religious run industrial, which wasn’t true.
March 30th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Sinead’s stunt on SNL had nothing to do with child abuse allegations. She’s anti-catholic, and anti-christian in general. For political and “punk rock” reasons.
March 30th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
@ Aaron – you clearly didn’t even watch the video, let alone follow any of the links.
March 30th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Why is it that we crucify our truth-tellers and constantly applaud liars and demagogues?
Why do we continue to tune in to Fox News, CNN and other TV “news” outlets when we have been shown they are filled with liars and people with a radical right-wing agendas?
Why do we support people like Rupert Murdoch by watching his TV shows? “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy” help pay for Murdoch’s destruction of our democracy?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – KILL YOUR TV!
March 30th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
@Phillip Alden – Guessing you’re American since there’s no mention of RTE or TV3. And you’re mad as hell and you’re not taking it anymore.
Perhaps you’re better off viewing cable news as news entertainment, for the same reasons wrestling in America falls under sports entertainment. If your side isn’t winning then you get call the opposition cheaters. May save you from a future nervous breakdown.
And Ted Turner, owner of CNN, is a left winger.
Ehhhh, long live the internet! Long may she remain bias and lie free!
March 30th, 2010 at 10:25 pm
I saw Sinead O’Conner on that SnL episode when I was about 17. I didn’t know enough about the world to fully understand it at that point, but I knew I had just seen something important. I don’t feel the need to apologize to Sinead, but I do feel the need to thank her for helping to open my eyes to these issues. (Not to mention the need to thank her for some of the best music I have heard in my life. Lion and the Cobra blew me away away when I first heard it around 1990 and I still listen to it from time to time today.)
March 30th, 2010 at 10:44 pm
My comment reflected Curly’s point. Not sure why mine was deleted on request as it wasn’t slanderous in anyway. It was about Sinead O’ Connor’s inconsistent views on the Catholic faith. I admired her rebel outbursts in the past regarding the Catholic Church; then thought it suspect that she became a member of the clergy. Massive U-turns in principle like that, I don’t endorse.
March 30th, 2010 at 10:54 pm
@ Spaghetti Hoop – specifically re your comment she said:
You’re right in saying that you weren’t the only person to make that allegation. I’ve since amended the other comment too. I was minding a sick nine month child, didn’t have time to go through all the comments with a fine tooth comb.
March 31st, 2010 at 12:34 am
I’m glad you’re redacting spurious allegations. There’s a whole internet out there where people can say whatever they want, regardless of truth and regardless of who gets hurt. They don’t need this corner of it.
@Spaghetti Hoop: There’s a difference between “inconsistent” and “complex”. A complex route might involve going north at one point and south at another. If we assume her message was ever as simple as “There is nothing good nor redeemable in the Catholic faith, Christianity, or God” then yes she’s been wildly inconsistent, but I don’t believe that’s the case.
Do the people who think she was going back on her previous stances realize that the ordination of a woman as a priest is an act that the Vatican considers worthy of instant ex-communication for those involved?
March 31st, 2010 at 1:17 am
Eoin, thank you for posting this. I was also just a little too young to grasp this at the time…or a little too high maybe, but you have put a great snapshot together helping us to remember this happened… which i’m about to “forward to all”….Good work fella.
It also seems Sinéad has been reading some of these comments. In that case, let me simply say that both performances linked above were humbling to watch, and showed incredible courage. Maith an cailín Sinéad…..keep it lit.
March 31st, 2010 at 3:13 am
Sinead, if you read this I wish to extend so much love to you and your family. The madison square garden video brought tears to my eyes. You were so young and so brave. Love, Elaine.
March 31st, 2010 at 11:26 am
I was interested to see where the supposed apology for the 1992 SNL appearance came from. Few things that mention it have all lead back to crediting the story to a Vita magazine and O’Connor’s wiki entry:
“On September 22, 1997, O’Connor was interviewed in Vita, an Italian weekly newspaper. In the interview, she asked the Pope to forgive her. She claimed that the tearing of the photo was “a ridiculous act, the gesture of a girl rebel.” She claimed she did it “because I was in rebellion against the faith, but I was still within the faith.” She went on to quote Saint Augustine, by saying, “Anger is the first step towards courage.”[6] However, O’Connor remains unrepentant about the incident. In a 2002 interview with Salon.com, when asked if she would change anything about the October 3, 1992 SNL appearance, she replied, “Hell, no.”
a) “she asked the pope to forgive her” – lie
b) Cannot picture Sinead describing herself as a “girl rebel”, but perhaps this is a loss in translation.
c) paragraph then includes direct contradiction from salon.com interview
d) the credited article no longer exists
So let’s look at the credited source, Vita magazine, which is either a woman’s magazine (vitamagazine.ca) or a non-profit weekly (vita.it) concerned with 3rd world issues and European aid levels. Why don’t I know? Well, that’s because the article is gone.
But the magazine itself isn’t the actual source, or is it’s site. The credited wiki source that actually links the quotes to “Vita” is where the interest lies, http://www.zenit.org – it’s a “non-profit international news agency, made up of a team of professionals and volunteers who are convinced of the extraordinary richness of the Catholic Church’s message, particularly its social doctrine. The ZENIT team sees this message as a light for understanding today’s world.”
Zenit was founded by Jesús Colina, a prominent Legionarie of Christ, have a google of them. They are an interesting group, one of their tenets is to smear anyone who speaks against the Catholic Church.
Collina has also written about the Legion of Christ’s founder, Fr. Marcial Maciel, a priest surrounded in scandal and accusations of pedophillia since the 1940s, he was removed from active ministry by Pope Benedict XVI. “The late Pope John Paul II, who once praised his “paternal affection and his experience.” (Washington Post http://www.tinyurl.com/yfwhw33)
Here’s his wikipedia page for fun too – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcial_Maciel
All in all, let’s just say the quotation and claims of the incident are from a dubious source.
(Fun X-files style linking cocnspiracy rant over)