Blue jokes: That drunken Irish joke still haunts Bloomberg

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That drunken Irish joke still haunts Bloomberg New poll shows most New Yorkers offended by it By JAMES O'BRIEN , IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Friday, March 18, 2011, 7:38 AMUpdated Friday, March 18, 2011, 7:38 AM
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Michael Bloomberg at The Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Staten Island, NY
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Read more: Mayor Bloomberg apologizes for drunken Irish comments - SEE VIDEOS & POLL

“Bloomberg, You’re a Drunk” read the sign held aloft during the New York St.Patrick’s Day parade yesterday and it reflected a sense of anger from many Irish Americans still smarting over the mayor’s bad Irish joke last month.

That joke, reported exclusively on IrishCentral.com at the time was about Irish hanging out the windows drunk at the American Irish Historical Society.

Bloomberg said he was used to seeing a “bunch of people totally inebriated hanging out the window, waving," at the venue. on St.Patrick’s Day. He later apologized

A poll taken for the New York Daily News yesterday revealed that 47 per cent of New Yorkers, mainly women and blacks felt the Irish should be offended while 45 per cent, mainly whites and men believed? they should not.

Bloomberg went back to the scene of the crime yesterday visiting the American Irish Historical Society where he was greeted by President General Doctor Kevin Cahill.

One person there described his reception as cool. A request to speak was turned down by the society.
The joke was clearly on Bloomberg’s mind from early on St.Patrick’s Day. Speaking at the annual breakfast at Gracie Mansion he joked that he hoped his speech would go better than the one at the Historical Society.

“Frank,” he said calling out to his speechwriter, Frank Barry. “I hope this speech goes better than the one you wrote for me at the Irish Historical Society. I mean really, what were you thinking?”

Despite boos on the parade route and a new opinion poll from Quinnipiac University showing his popularity slumping to just 39 per cent approval the mayor remained upbeat.

“This is a day to celebrate, and a day to celebrate all the cultures that are here, and I’m just thrilled to be invited,” he told reporters.

Read more: Mayor Bloomberg apologizes for drunken Irish comments - SEE VIDEOS & POLL

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That drunken Irish joke still haunts Bloomberg | Irish News | IrishCentral

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Most recent of 32 comments - See all commentsIt may take several minutes for your comment to appear. Report abusePosted by BARNEYKX on Mar 19, 2011, 05:40 PM EDTan irish family have been found frozen to death outside the dublin odeon they had been queuing up for three weeks to see closed for the winter Report abusePosted by skydiver15000 on Mar 19, 2011, 04:46 PM EDTAn group of Irishmen walked past a pub....... what..... it could happen!!!!!! They were goin to Paddy's to see his bookie!!!!... Lighten up ya bleeden brother Irishmen!!!!To be low class is for the American racist blacks!! I walked through a black town in America and was robbed and beaten... they are the real racists. I will never go back to America!!! Report abusePosted by BARNEYKX on Mar 19, 2011, 12:28 PM EDTWell one day Harry the Eagle waited at the nest for Mary, his darling of 10 glorious years. After a while when she didn't return he went looking and found her. She had been shot dead! Harry was devastated, but after about six minutes of mourning he decided that he must get himself another mate, but since there weren't any lady eagles available he'd have to cross the feather barrier. So he flew off to find a new mate. He found a lovely dove and brought her back to the nest. The sex was good but all the dove would say is ......... 'I am a DOVE, I want to love! I am a DOVE, I want to love!' Well this so got on Harry's nerves so he kicked the dove out of the nest and flew off once more to find a mate.. He soon found a very sexy loon and brought her back to the nest. Again the sex was good but all the loon would say is........ 'I am a LOON, I want to spoon! I am a LOON, I want to spoon!' So out with the loon. Once more he flew off to find a mate. This time he found a gorgeous duck and he brought the duck back to the nest. This time the sex was great, but all the duck would say was..... NO, The duck didn't say THAT !... Don't be SO disgusting!The duck said.... 'I am a DRAKE,You made a MISTAKE!! Report abusePosted by dermot.r on Mar 19, 2011, 12:06 PM EDTI'm from Ireland and I have opened my big gob a time or two. Can't people just accept the man's apology and let it go? Isn't this the land of second chances? Report abusePosted by Liamkeyes on Mar 19, 2011, 10:46 AM EDTOHHHH C'Mon, give the man the benefit of the doubt and move on. We've made it here in the Land of the free, now the Hispanics are doing the mundane jobs, if some people persist in cracking "Dry Irish Jokes" Let it be. None of them can match the Irish Wit. Report abusePosted by bunkerhill on Mar 19, 2011, 10:42 AM EDTIn response to Manhattan's comment about the three "Irish" comedians and their show denigrating their Irish roots, my wife tells me that is a an old ploy. In past generations they were called "stage Irishmen" and they would dress up in baggy pants and old cloths and they were an instant hit among the Irish haters in the vaudeville audience. Irish have always known that the surest way to become a hit in any venue whether it be the stage or writing a book is to totally demean your background. We wonder what is behind this trait and certainly most Irish do not act in this manner. Look at English shows. Almost always they portray cultured people of leisure, wealthy and well mannered. It seems Irish shows always portray the very poorest and desperate. Neither portrayal is accurate. We have traveled extensively through Ireland and there are people who are actually surprised there were "Irish Castles" going back to antiquity. The Irish for the most part will never mention this. By the way DNA is showing there was never an "Anglo-Saxon" invasion and most of the people are native Britons. Churchill wrote about this in his "Birth of Britain." English is about 60% Latin from the Romans. My wife says she was taught in school that the name England came from the Romans who found a population of blonds and red heads and nicknamed them angels. Angela is angel in Latin. Report abusePosted by ciarrai on Mar 19, 2011, 08:00 AM EDTRonan Tynan got the shaft for far less. Report abusePosted by Snowdrop on Mar 19, 2011, 12:10 AM EDTI always stood for Bloomberg, with his strong financial background, as the leader NYC needed. However, let's call a spade a spade. For any elected official today to pander to stereotypical cultural insults reminiscnet of Puck's Irish apes, then cast blame on his speech writer, is like the QB overshooting his receiver, and blaming him. The last time I heard of folks hanging out windows screaming was Molly Goldberg. Let's update your repertoire Mike! Report abusePosted by Canadian on Mar 18, 2011, 11:04 PM EDTI don't know what's happening to the world. if i see someone run a red light and report it, it is an observation. If i include the fact that the person was irish or jewish or whatever, it is racist, maybe even hate mongering. Report abusePosted by cillowen on Mar 18, 2011, 09:10 PM EDTbloomberg member of a racist tribe - claimers of being g-d's own - reporting to a higher authority the rest of us are cattle goyim. Report abusePosted by palmeiras on Mar 18, 2011, 08:34 PM EDTRemember this : bloomberg supports israel who murders innocent pregnant Palestinian women, along with young children in Gaza and the West Bank Report abusePosted by mairdemalone on Mar 18, 2011, 07:38 PM EDTCome on! Give it a rest, why don't you! Mayor Bloomberg, like all politicians of his ilk, has passed the buck to his lowly lacky his:"speech writer". So don't waste any more brain energy on him, because he is clearly a man of his affluence and influence: A Rich Arrogant Member of the Elite, who care little about the average Joe or Jane -except when votes are needed- and who comes from a group of people, most of them clueless too, who care little about the way the rest of us live. So enough is enough, already!!!!! Report abusePosted by lookbackkid on Mar 18, 2011, 04:53 PM EDTI, personally am not offended. To me it just shows that the man himself (Bloomberg) is rather shallow. Report abusePosted by maryosullivan on Mar 18, 2011, 02:21 PM EDTReading some of the comments small wonder we are not shownrespect. The isn't a jew on the face of the earth, and rightfully so, who would accept slurs such as this andlaugh it off. Get a grip on yourselves and quit playing the town idiots Report abusePosted by maryosullivan on Mar 18, 2011, 02:18 PM EDTdid anyone pay attention to Mel Gibson's apology?I guess some can say what they wish regardless of theinsult we are supposed to laugh it off. Try repeatinganything close to Gibson's utterance and see how fact the media will come down on you Report abusePosted by bunkerhill on Mar 18, 2011, 02:17 PM EDTRemember what happened to Ronan Tynan for a senseless remark about two Jewish ladies. Bloomberg intended his crass remark but his was nothing compared to the attack by the mayor of Hoboken. I sense an agenda with both of them.Irish celebrations, Mardi Gras, German Octoberfests, why single out one. Has anyone questioned Bloomberg's plan to spend billions for a waterfront park. Has anyone question whats her name in Hoboken about her plans to spend millions for a park in tiny Hoboken. Even the Italians were asked to curb their feast of St. Gennuario in little Italy. Report abusePosted by Siobhan39 on Mar 18, 2011, 02:14 PM EDTWhat gives here? We criticize him for his not too flattering statement . . . and then look down this site to the article titled, "How to recover from St. Patrick’s Day - The Top 10 Irish Hangover Cures." Report abusePosted by fuzzyqjones on Mar 18, 2011, 02:00 PM EDTJust give the guy a chance to apologize. Us Irish are known far and wide for laughing at ourselves. Why should start taking offense now? Report abusePosted by manhattan on Mar 18, 2011, 01:23 PM EDTA group of us went to see 3 guys that label themselves "They're Irish, They're American, Irish Comedy Tour." We don't need to get mad at Bloomberg when our own degrade the Irish. They come out carrying beers and then proceeded to tell the filthiest monologue I ever heard. Any one there not Irish would laugh at us getting upset at Blomberg when these 3 clowns belittle themselves and the Irish so well. Report abusePosted by Selouscout on Mar 18, 2011, 01:19 PM EDTBloomberg is just another crass and ignorant Politian who can't keep his foot out of his mouth. Report abusePosted by irislegalperson on Mar 18, 2011, 12:53 PM EDTAll he said was what a lot of other people are saying, except he said it out loud. I mean that IS what you see on Paddy's Day. I don't think he said anything that wasn't a fact. The problem here is that some Irish expect the world to take no notice when we get drunk because that is our culture and heritage and that is what we do.... That is the problem there....This is nothing to be proud of or expect people to understand in a different country. I am proud of the fact that we are a hardworking culture, we like a good laugh, like to help others and enjoy family and friends. I am not proud of the fact that we are know for our alcoholic culture. No wonder the Mayor makes a comment but I guess he shouldn't because after all we are better than everyone else...we are the great Irish!!! O please!!! Report abusePosted by Murph46 on Mar 18, 2011, 12:28 PM EDTWe Irish do share some common traits-We may forgive,but we NEVER FORGET!Remember that you worthless politicians! Report abusePosted by 19bajspwn on Mar 18, 2011, 12:25 PM EDTcome now.....let the poor dumb cluck alone...he really erred...but he did apologize....Now that we will forget it....but,,,,let's leave him alone until his next gaffe...then we can do the thing..bring it up again....We will not forget...nor really forgive....but,,we could just not mention it again...at least for now. Report abusePosted by JudyStinger on Mar 18, 2011, 11:59 AM EDTBloomberg has a lot of money and is a 3rd term Mayor of NY so I guess he thinks he can say anything and get away with it. Well, he can't. He seemingly wants people to be polically correct - what about him? The comment was beyond insulting and inapprorpiate. My Mom used ot say we can make fun of ourselves with good humor but no one else has the right to do it. This was not humor. He's out of line and out of control. He needs to take care of his city--look at what happened to the people of NY when it snowed--where was he then? Report abusePosted by padraiginrua on Mar 18, 2011, 11:15 AM EDTNot funny. Racist, stupid and bigoted. And to blame the speechwriter. Man up, Mike A true shmegegiIt wasn't funny, it was stupid and racist and bigoted and shows what he is. And then to blame the speech writer. Such a schmendrick! Report abusePosted by pilib04 on Mar 18, 2011, 10:57 AM EDTBloomberg needs to understand that the Irish remember. We may not have the world's most powerful lobby, but we do remember. Judging by the the many comments that have been on this blog since the story first broke, its clear that there is a certain resentment about what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Just imagine an Irish Catholic politician trying to get away with an anti-Semitic joke at a Bnai Brith gathering or Fund for Israel. Bloomberg should be apologizing at every opportunity, instead he thinks he's misunderstood. no misunderstanding here, we know exactly what he meant. Report abusePosted by sedwinmars on Mar 18, 2011, 10:09 AM EDTNormally I don't care. In fact, I actually laugh harder than anyone else (only because, being Irish, I know I can drink 'um under the table). However, only Blacks can tell jokes about Blacks. Only Jews can tell jokes about Jews. In these two cases I have to say "Whats good for the goose..." Report abusePosted by ktrush512 on Mar 18, 2011, 10:04 AM EDTSo now St. Patrick's Day is a "day to celebrate all the cultures"? I thought it was a day for the Irish. Bloomberg is a putz. Report abusePosted by Derrylass627 on Mar 18, 2011, 09:54 AM EDTOh, come on! Anyone who is Irish knows that the Irish love to drink. Why should anyone be so offended. We love to drink and we can take a ribbing over it. Big deal! Report abusePosted by borefield on Mar 18, 2011, 09:54 AM EDTI would like to ask Lin Linisme, who gave Rhonan Tynan a pass for his bad joke about the Jews. Bloomberg accepted Rhonan's apology but did not interfere when the Yankees fired him and all the threats he received which resulted in him moving to Boston. Bias is o/k except if you are Irish. See all of 32 comments.

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