MICHAEL COADY,
Sir, - The common situation of living-room entrapment meant that I found myself viewing some sections of the RTÉ series Popstars. I found it repulsive, cynical and exploitative in the extreme. On Monday morning it was taken up in a wholly uncritical way on RTÉ radio news and comment programmes.
Where are the independent-minded journalists who might highlight the amorally manipulative ethos behind Popstars? Have they been gagged in RTÉ?
Are there actually real people within the organisation who believe in this kind of broadcasting? Or is this cynically produced junk simply meant to help fund whatever remains of public service broadcasting in other parts of the organisation which I value highly? - Yours, etc.,
MICHAEL COADY, Clairin, Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary.
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Sir, - I wonder if many other parents felt as I did about the appalling manner in which a young girl who had told a white lie about her age was exposed in the full glare of television on the RTÉ Popstars programme.
Regardless of the contractual agreement between the parents of this minor and RTE, it is clear that RTE had an ethical duty to minimise the damage to the girl's reputation and good name.
Even if RTE's sloppy administration allowed an unqualified minor to get to the final of the competition, the matter could and should have been dealt with confidentially off the air. Yet for the sake of some cheap television, RTE did the opposite, exposing the matter on television and branding a young girl as a liar.
It is understandable that a young girl would be lured by the whole venal exercise into overstating her age. The behaviour of RTÉ has no such explanation and amounts to abuse of this child.
RTE has put yet another nail in the coffin of its shaky claims to be regarded as a national broadcaster worthy of our support. - Yours, etc.,
GUS MULLIGAN, Castleknock Park, Dublin 15.
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A chara, - Was Breda Ragett's article (Opinion, January 15th) a spoof? I'm trying to understand how Schindler's List and Popstars can elicit the same reaction from her. (Breda, the former is about the systematic slaughter of around six million people; the latter is about the selection process for a pop band. "Go figure", as the Americans say.)
Seeing an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances supposedly makes for good TV, and if the appetite for such programmes did not exist, they would not be made. Those who attended the auditions were supposed to be over 18, which means that they are adults. If they choose to get emotional because they did not pass an audition, they obviously have no idea about the entertainment industry, and could not hope to have a career in it at all.
If Ms Ragett wanst to weep, she should turn on the Six-One News and look at the real world. Have she thought that she could be the one who has been exploited by The Irish Times for our entertainment? - Is mise,
DAVID JØRGENSEN, Grace Park Road, Whitehall
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A chara, - On Monday night's Questions & Answers on RTÉ1, Eamon Gilmore TD said the 16-year-old who lied about her age on Popstars showed great initiative. Will Mr Gilmore now confirm that he believes it is OK to lie about your age on application forms - and is his casual regard for the truth Labour Party policy?
Swear about your opponents, tell lies about your age - what else has Labour in store for us before polling day? - Is mise,
EIMEAR McAULIFFE, Cabinteely Avenue, Dublin 18.