Did people overseas get to see Sinéad rip up the Pope?

October 18, 2012 8:10 AM

In 1992, when Sinéad O'Connor ripped up a picture of the pope on American TV, did TV news in the UK and Ireland show the clip?

I've searched the web for two days and have contacted archivists at the BBC and RTÉ, but no luck. I'm particularly interested in whether the clip aired in Ireland (both the Republic and Northern Ireland). Your help is most appreciated.

posted by Morpeth to society & culture (9 answers total)

My memory and perspective is imperfect, but based on the following I'm pretty sure they didn't - I live in NY and saw it when it happened, but have a friend in Ireland and wrote her talking about it; she remarked on what I'd written, but didn't report having seen it herself.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:15 AM on October 18, 2012

I remember seeing it in the UK at the time.

Not sure if it was on the news, though. I think it might have been on a chat show. Jonathan Ross, or something like that.
posted by veedubya at 8:26 AM on October 18, 2012

I remember it being show on TV, but I can't recall if it was the news or culture/entertainment type coverage. I do know that it really wasn't such a big deal here, some people were outraged but by no means was it "unacceptable" behaviour from her. I was quite surprised when I read (some years later) how sensational it had been in America. Criticising the pope has been widely acceptable here for many years now, it was certainly pretty common back into the late 80s.

So I can't be specific.
posted by samworm at 9:02 AM on October 18, 2012 [3 favorites]

I've just looked at the clip and I certainly don't remember ever seeing it on RTÉ news. I would have expected them to give a one-line mention, maybe against a backdrop of a picture of O'Connor, but I can't swear to it - showing an actual clip seems a bit long for what would have been a very minor story. My recollection is that it was seen as a 'what will she do next?' celebrity story rather than an actual news story.
posted by Azara at 9:07 AM on October 18, 2012

I wasn't here in 1992, so someone who was would be better able to answer, but I am guessing No for the sole reason it is not covered on Reeling in the Years, which is progressive to the point of delightful subversion and gives a lot of airtime to Sinead in other years. I am unable to determine if the Pope incident coincided with the RTE strike that year, which resulted in... some very lacking broadcasts.
posted by DarlingBri at 9:16 AM on October 18, 2012

Worth remembering that in the UK it was "Remember that woman who was at number one two years ago and you've heard nothing from since? Well she tore up a photo on a TV show you've never seen in a country you don't live in."

Or in other words: its chances of making the BBC News wouldn't have been high.
posted by genghis at 10:02 AM on October 18, 2012

No, I remember the controversy at the time. It would have been pretty likely to be on UK TV.

Do I get bonus points because, at the time, I will have been watching TV in Morpeth?
posted by prentiz at 10:58 AM on October 18, 2012

Yeah, I'm in the UK, I think I remember seeing it on TV, but don't remember it being a huge deal except as a minor "That eccentric bald woman's done something a bit eccentric and attention seeking" moment.
posted by penguin pie at 11:01 AM on October 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

Thanks, everyone--this provides helpful context. And why yes, Morpeth always deserves extra points.
posted by Morpeth at 7:03 AM on October 19, 2012