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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Rush Limbaugh denies term 'Paddy' for Irish is insulting

Posted on Saturday, May 28, 2011 at 05:32 AM

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Talk radio king Rush Limbaugh decided our piece about him criticizing Barack Obama's trip to Ireland was worth commenting on yesterday.

Here is his take on our article that said Irish Americans would be upset that he used the term 'Paddy; to describe Obama.

RUSH: "Apparently I did a Media Tweak of the Day yesterday, and I didn't even know it. There's a blog site out there, IrishCentral.com, and apparently I've really ticked 'em off. I suggested that we ought to start calling Obama "Paddy," which is a rational Irish nickname for Patrick, just call him Paddy because he's out there saying he's the most Irish president we ever had. They say my comments are bound to cause controversy with my Irish Americans because Paddy is offensive and used in a pejorative context. Really? I had no clue. So another bunch people offended. My gosh, you cannot avoid 'em."

If he had no clue that the term Paddy is often seen as pejorative I am a little surprised.

Calling every person of a particular race by one specific name, whether it is Paddies, Guido, Hymies (remember Jesse Jackson?) is considered offensive by many especially those on the receiving end.

I don' say this as a politically correct point, I say it as a fact.

Racists like 19th century Punch cartoonist Thomas Nast used Paddy all the time as a pejorative to describe the Irish who landed in America, He portrayed Irish Catholics as ape-like creatures.

The term 'Paddy' is definitely seen as pejorative in Britain where it carries a harder edge than in Ireland or over here.

I'm not saying it is the greatest insult in the world or even close, but it is seen as pejorative by many , unlike what Rush says.

Paddy no more is what I say.

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96 Comments

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Ratslayer | May 31, 2011, 08:50 PM EDT

Rush is a drug addict, a closet-case whose days are numbered. Typical Republican.

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RthrBHistCorr | May 30, 2011, 06:28 PM EDT

Funny "Niger" comes from the latin for Black so I guess that is as rational a nickname for African Americans a s "Paddy" for the Irish. So why does Mr. Limbaugh (and in fairness the rest of the Media) ban "Niger"but they think "Paddy" is just good fun? The answer is we let them away with it and don't contact sponsors to withdraw support.

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mayoman | May 30, 2011, 07:20 AM EDT

Let's cut the baloney. "Paddy" used in this context is clearly a slur, and Limbaugh meant it as such.

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seanomelbourne | May 29, 2011, 08:13 PM EDT

Fatboy denigrates Obama at every turn why should this use of "Paddy" be any different.

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Gearoid4 | May 29, 2011, 03:02 PM EDT

Bejabbbers! every dacent Mick will taik up da shilelagh and give Limbaugh a good shellacking fur callin' him Paddy!

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dubya4517 | May 29, 2011, 02:56 PM EDT

I think all one needs to do is go to the little Google site search and put in the word "paddy" to get a better perspective on this bit of a fuss. See the complete lack of offense about the nickname in a March 29 column. Paddy Duffy might also have a different take. Once again, a phony issue.

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jamthecat | May 29, 2011, 11:48 AM EDT

When Rush says it, it's meant as an insult...whether you think it IS an insulting word or not. That's all the man lives for is belittling those he doesn't like, so when he says Obama should be called "Paddy", he does NOT mean it as a term of endearment.

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antoman | May 29, 2011, 10:14 AM EDT

@gobdawpaddy-Try visiting the 30% that hang out at straight bars.Might change your perspective in every way.

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JimMcGarity | May 29, 2011, 10:12 AM EDT

Named our son Mickey (Mick). My dad didnt like that at all. Hate is tought. Our President is a fine man but he is all about the spot light. Wish I had a job. Change

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gobdawpaddy | May 29, 2011, 08:20 AM EDT

Never thought I might agree with something Rush said but have spent two weeks here (Ireland) and have come to the conclusion that 70% of Irish people are a bit on the shhhlow side. These 70% are bereft of intelligence, manners, social skills, common sense etc. Somebody needs to explain to Paddy that breaking wind in public to amuse your friends is not acceptable in the civilized world, that getting drunk to the extent that you have memory loss the folloing day does not constitute a night of 'great craic' etc. If you are in a bar here, reading your newspaper and leave your full drink on top of said newspaper to use the restroom, expect your newspaper to be 'lifted'. The same should be expected if you hang an umbrella on your stool with a full drink in front of it. Don't be so foolish to leave your change on the counter as is the custom in the states..Paddy will assume that you don't want it. They wonder as to why they have such a high number of deaths on their roads....one simply needs to drive here to understand why. They have to amongst the worst drivers I have ever encountered. I understand that several years ago there was a backlog of people waiting to do a driving test and some genius in the government decided that if they had got 3 learner permits, they could be issued a full licence without having to take a lesson or a test....ludicrous. Rush might be right about this shhhhlow, slightly backward race. Dacint papil tho.

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geddonmikie | May 29, 2011, 06:24 AM EDT

Limbaugh is a notorious racist and has quite a history of racial comments, including comments he made about Donavan McNabb several years ago that got Limbaugh fired.

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Niamhaine | May 29, 2011, 05:19 AM EDT

Paddy is to the Irish what the "N" word is to AAs. They will call themselves that very liberally, but if someone else not of that culture/race uses the term...let the fireworks begin. I'm not into Limbaugh, but I'm also certainly not into self-denigration. Stop using the term, and others will follow.

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oaklongan | May 29, 2011, 01:31 AM EDT

Yeah...Automan commenter, we hear 'ya

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oaklongan | May 29, 2011, 01:26 AM EDT

Senator Al Franken, Minnesota said it best in his book, "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Slob", 'tho that's name calling like putting an Irishman in a "Paddy Wagon". Yes, and "Paddy" like "Mick" is derogatory... have heard these "terms of endearment" said "affectionately" and with malintent, by those who call Italians "wops" and Spaniards "spics"... This mid-20th-Century garbage-labeling needs to be "deep-6'ed"...

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seagreen | May 29, 2011, 01:20 AM EDT

jnewnam, Limbaugh is such a heroic individual. Fighting his way back from a bad back with Oxycondin purchased by one of his servants from a drive through window at Rite Aid. It was such a battle that he had to load up with Cialis for his trip to the Dominican Republic to recover from the brutal experience he had been through. It could only be compared to the cyst on his ass that kept him out of the military. Limbaugh is a wealthy pimp, and has proved how someone of his ilk can prosper in this system.

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