Comedian DAVID McSAVAGEof The Savage Eye on satire and middle-class moments
Congratulations, first of all, on completing a third series of "The Savage Eye".Thanks, we're very pleased. Before any new series goes out, I tend to get a little nervous and worry about whether it's any good. But I'm confident that there are some very good sketches coming up in this series.
As the title suggests, the show frequently goes for the jugular. Has RTÉ vetoed any sketch ideas?Sure. There was a sketch in this series about a children's television presenter that we ended up not doing. There was also one in which a priest was supposed to emerge from a canal, Friday the 13th-style, and pull a child into the water. To be fair, the problem there was logistical as much as anything else.
Episode titles include "Why are the Irish so racist?", "Why are the Irish so ugly?" and "Why can't the Irish rule themselves?". Would it be fair to say you have mixed feelings about being Irish?No, those are more like provocative debate questions. To be honest, the real reason episodes are framed like that is because RTÉ will only ever commission stuff that's about Ireland. We're a very inward-looking country. When American guests appear on The Jonathan Ross Show, the first question they're asked isn't always: "So what do you think of England?"
That's kind of what I was going to say. The show frequently portrays basic human shortcomings – laziness, incompetence, greed – as flaws unique to the national character.Well, I'd take your point to a certain extent. But I would say that, due to our relationship with alcohol, for example, we do tend to be very disorganised. Also as Catholics, we don't have the same work ethic as Protestants. If you look at Presbyterians, say. They invented everything. The Irish have invented nothing.
Now you have about as privileged a background as one could have in this country.Oh, enormously privileged.
Comedically, is it appropriate then for you to go after targets such as drug addicts, prisoners and the disadvantaged, when very often the joke is simply their misfortune?You're saying I'm targeting their misfortune?
If you have a sketch about a drug addict, and the joke is simply that he can't stand up straight or speak coherently, that's hardly satire.I know, but these characters exist. When I was a street performer, I saw them all the time. The middle class are not as obvious a target, but they're definitely ripe for shooting down. I want to get those people too.
Have you ever done a sketch about Leinster Schools Rugby or the Z-list Irish celebrity scene?In the new series, there's a sketch called "Middle-class Moments", which is about ladies with enormous sunglasses buying blocks of cheese for €50 at Donnybrook Fair. We have a sniper picking them off one by one. But going back to what you were saying about targeting people's misfortune, I was in Bridewell Garda station and I met these guys – guys who were actually on heroin – and they were repeating lines from the show back to me. It's only middle-class people who seem to have a problem with it.
Joe Duffy took exception to a sketch you did about him in the last series. Have you run into him since?No, I haven't.
Would you dread meeting him now or is that kind of reaction just an occupational hazard?I wouldn't dread meeting him, no. To be honest, if I was in his position, I don't know how I'd react to someone picking up on a feature of my personality I might not have been aware of – and then amplifying it. I find his show really inspirational. I listen to it every day. It's very entertaining. And you know, it's not like [the sketch] has affected his livelihood. He continues to go from strength to strength.
What about "The Late Late Show"? You were a frequent guest when Pat Kenny hosted. But your cousin Ryan Tubridy has yet to invite you on. Is that a bone of contention? I don't know. The thing about The Late Late Show is that, if you have a live show coming up, you will shift a hell of a lot of tickets. So obviously it's a very good way to promote yourself. But I'm sure they'll have me back on at some stage.
Finally, when was the last time you busked and could you be tempted back to it?I haven't busked in about two years. I'd been playing the same places, and doing the same gags, for a long time. I wasn't doing myself any favours. It was a good way of making a living, but I'm glad I don't have to do it anymore. Taking that option away has motivated me to get TV jobs and, when I get them, to do them right.
The Savage Eye returns to RTÉ Two at 10.25pm on Monday, March 19th
