Comments on: Saturday column: Marching to the lifestyle fascists

By: steve k

steve k — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:32:01 +0000

Neuro-linguistic programming? Isn’t that from the same guys who wrote “Feel the Fear but Do It Anyway”?.

By: Seán

Seán — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:02:50 +0000

Excellent article Shane. RTE consistently struggle to stay on the right side of sanctimonious with this type of output. I find it excruciating that public service broadcasters (or any broadcaster for that matter) gives airtime to anyone egotistical enough to describe themselves as a ‘guru’. As an extension of his martyrdom, Hobbs was granted ample space on numerous programmes to advertise Brennan Investments (the property firm which hasn’t exactly raised the roof).

The best exposure of the despicable hilarity of this life-coach culture I’ve come across is Barbara Ehrenreich’s ‘Nickel and Dimed’, a book where she (a middle-aged journalist) poses as an educated job seeker in the ‘public relations’ sector.

I hadn’t realised Trinny and Susannah had hit the developing world. The rub-your-misfortune-in-your-face machine has reached a new gear.

As an aside has anyone heard much about this Neurolinguistic programming? I’m sceptical but I’ve spoken to people who have parted with massive sums of money for short courses and swear by its content. Boy this is a scattered posting…

By: Shane

Shane — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:21:07 +0000

Steve K - Yes. I’m delighted for them. Truly.

By: steve k

steve k — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:31:02 +0000

Weekend Review was great this week, cheered me up during a long weekend punctuated by ‘flu.

You can watch Trinny and Susanna in Bolivia. As if social turbulence wasn’t enough you have indigenous women sweating over their bowler-hats.

Completely off-topic but a hearty, hearty congratulations to the two Irish teenagers who sold their technology company. Baffling that they had to go to Silicon Valley for funding; raises so extremely serious questions about Enterprise Ireland.

By: Neill

Neill — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:54:01 +0000

Excellent column Shane and a really accurate summation of one of the main reasons I don’t watch tv (apart from Friends and Scrubs repeats when I’m eating me din-dins)

By: 73man

73man — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:47:03 +0000

“superficially good intentioned, these programmes add only to the landfill of self-help books, newspaper agony aunts”

and make us believe that we are powerless vessels of consumerism.