A Dublin rock band has caused outrage after branding deceased radio star Gerry Ryan as ‘just another dead junkie’.
The Crows have denied any intent to cause offence after selling the t-shirts emblazed with their logo, the disc jockey’s image and the phrase.
They said they are doing ‘doing nothing more than highlighting the hypocrisy of the late radio presenter for being a drug user, despite his anti-drugs public stance’.
On their website, the Crows claim: “Gerry Ryan was a greedy motherf*cker who got what he deserved in the end.”
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Jim Morrison, Amy Winehouse and John Belushi are some of the celebrities who have been associated with the ‘just another dead junkie’ phrase.
Band member Joe Breaker insisted: “We are making a legitimate point.
“It might be putting salt in the family’s wounds, but the information is not new, it’s been well documented in the media.”
The t-shirts have been released to coincide with the band’s concept album ‘Better Off Dead’.
Their website claims: “The album focuses on the types of people who have played a role in the collapse of Irish societal values and cultural identity, and as a result are better off dead. Bankers, socialites, overpaid broadcasters, blah blah blah.”
One outlet has already discontinued sales of the offensive t-shirts.
“They’ll still be sold, even if we have to sell them ourselves,” said Breaker.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.MarybethC.P. | Jan 19, 2012, 11:04 AM EST
One of the great tragedies of illicit drug use is that the users and the public are rarely interested in just how deadly that use is - until very public figures or celebrities die from it. We can also attribute the deaths of American cities over the past 50 years to the drug trades, among other issues - and nearly every other illegal activity, from prostitution to robbery to violent crimes. I am truly saddened to see some of the Irish people fall victim to the quick high of illegal drugs. We have already seen the horrific problems created by alcohol abuse on this sweet little island of decent people, who may have genetic pre-disposition to addiction. Drug dealers are certainly capable of doing to Ireland what the British could not over 800 years - ruin the spirit and soul of her people, decimating their health in the process. I've read that Ireland has a wait-list of 100,000 addicts wanting rehabilitation, with very few beds to accomodate them. A population of just 4 million will never be able to handle the percentage of folks needing treatment, if Ireland's citizens adopt the values of Euro-trash and American slackers who use drugs. As insensitive as this band's T-shirts are to Gerry Ryan's family, their direct and unpleasant message is an important one. Once an addict, always an addict - there is no such thing in Ireland as recovering from addiction, at present. And we don't have much luck with addicts in the U.S. either, in spite of all our resources.
sirpeter | Jan 18, 2012, 09:50 PM EST
No junkie deserves what they get and that's a fact.As a matter of fact nobody deserves what they get.Anybody who thinks otherwise is an idiot.I will draw pictures for the mentally slow.
cuddlybuddly | Jan 18, 2012, 01:24 PM EST
I think the dead Gerry Ryan would agree with them, and they show more courage and relationship skills than most of the people around him when He died..
Maxwells | Jan 18, 2012, 11:22 AM EST
I guess if you can't get attention with your talent, you have to use a gimmick of some sort, however this one is pathetic and shows poor taste, I don't think you can win fans over by insulting people that fans may have liked.
michaelcollins | Jan 18, 2012, 10:05 AM EST
it made me sick to my stomach reading about how the guards were gonna "catch the evil people" who sold "poor ole gerry cocaine".......this arsehole was a grown man he knew what he was doing.......2 of my mates died of a cocaine overdose......it was just put down to misadventure.....no guards said they were gonna catch the fellas who sold them the drugs and it didnt matter to us anyway because they made that choice.......people made a big fuss over this over paid fat muppet because he is on the radio and tv.....but this so called band the crows should stick their t-shirts up their hole.....obviously posh kids.....they have not got a clue about people with drug problems
wyalusingjohn | Jan 18, 2012, 09:42 AM EST
I loved Gerry's radio show and listened to it both in Ireland and streaming in the States. The message on the t-shirt is cruel and hard on his family and fans but as the man once said "facts are stubborn things". I am not familiar with this band but their "Better off dead" message in not indearing to me.