be funny

What do you do when a problem arises in your country that appalls you? One solution is to be funny. Wicked satire is a fine way to highlight idiocy. This is what Irish comedian Tara Flynn decided to do when her husband endured racist insults in her hometown of Kinsale. She used her talents, and a creative team, to highlight the problem.

Ms. Flynn created this humourous sketch about a ‘Racist B&B’ in Ireland.

“It’s all the rage! We spotted a gap in the market. We were always a bit racist ourselves, so from there it was just a hop, skip, and a jump to make the B&B as racist as possible. But in a warm, welcoming kind of way.”

I particularly like these lines, because most Irish live and thrive on being considered a hospitable people. Of course, mostly we are, but this piece pokes fun at ‘benign racism’ that is often deeply embedded in the psyche. Being ‘nice’ about racism doesn’t make it any more palatable for the person on the receiving end of it.

I’m delighted that my friend Diarmuid O’Brien was involved in directing and editing this sketch. Diarmuid has a keen eye and ear for humour, and I expect one day he’ll be writing his own comedy series.