Vincent Brownes PR man

The Tonight with Vincent Browne is a very popular show. Along with its television audience it is a big hit on twitter. Tweeters from all persuasions comment on their timelines about Vincent’s antics. Many also comment on his guests and are not afraid to praise or criticise. Some I know await gleefully in the hope that Vincent will tear into some hapless political hack. It seems to raise the animal in all of us to see some jumped up asshole in a suit—get their grilling from prosecutor Vincent. He doesn’t spare women either. I am convinced that Mary Hanifin lost her seat in Dun Laoghaire following her appearance on the show.

So it is particularly galling that Vincent has allowed the PR consultant make the most outrageous comments on his show. Not just once has our PR –hero made the same comments but twice. On neither occasion did Vincent correct him. Tell him to explain himself or ask him to retract his statement. No on both occasions he allowed our hero to spout his sick message with impunity. One wonders does Vincent secretly agree with him.

Like abortion prostitution is a divisive issue in Irish society. In fact anything to do with sexual morality and female reproduction is best not discussed. We have a whole load of ‘I don’t want to know,’ attitude. This leaves prostitution in the hands of criminals and abortion is dealt with by our heathen neighbours in the UK. An ideal solution for a state that has become hypocrisy instead of democracy. If we ignore it then it will disappear go away, ’anyway I don’t want to discuss these awful things.’

But our PR man does. Vincent interviewed a prostitute who had suffered terribly at the hands of her partner. He pimped her and lived off of her earnings. She actually was living proof as to why legalisation is needed. But Vincent and the Tonight show concentrated on the abuse and the sleaze, rather than seek a solution. One of his guests repeatedly asked him to view the German model over the Swedish law, [which criminalises the buyers of sex. In Germany many brothels are legal and workers have natural rights under the law. The buyers of sex are not criminalised.] Vincent ignored him concentrating on the criminality—and on the terminology used by the former prostitute to describe her clients.

There is of course the pertinent question. Why do people buy sex? Men mostly—some are married. I presume many have girlfriends’. There are those who are lonely depressed –disabled—it seems the buyers of sex come from all walks of life. There is no prejudice to age or social class, save the more comfortable can afford the charges.

But not only does our PR man [who was interviewed the following night after our prostitute] want to criminalise the buyers of sex. For the second time on the Tonight show he referred to such people as rapists. The first occasion he stated that visiting a brothel and paying for sex is akin to paying someone to rape their daughter. The second time he said that it was paying someone to rape a girl who was trafficked.
Now our PR man must be accusing the German government of collusion in this crime and any other jurisdictions that has legal brothels.

Of course Mr. PR, has the right to an opinion, but to say what he said twice on Vincent Browne and go unchallenged is amazing. Like Wilde reminded us that once is forgivable but twice? So far I haven’t seen any debate of this issue that even pretends to be balanced. It is a subject for the hysterical that is for sure. It pulls the right wingers from closed drawers. It leaves left wingers and liberals slightly embarrassed on how they could hold a view on such a thorny issue. I think the same dark blanket surrounds paedophilia and the true causes of it. The core issue is never examined. We wish for excuses rather than face up to the damn truth. This leaves the door wide open for serious freaks like our PR consultant. This reminds me that his previous title was as a member of some right wing think tank. Pity he didn’t stay in it, like a goldfish opening and closing his mouth. But we hear nothing.

Prostitution has always been with us. It will be with us forever. Make it safe legalise and control it—don’t allow the criminals run it.