GAY BYRNE’S daughter, Crona, believes her father would have had no issue with the ‘Sad Mr Tayto’ image the Irish crisp company used to pay tribute to The Late Late Show legend.
Tayto attracted criticism over a now-deleted tweet featuring an image of the Tayto’s iconic mascot, looking sad, with the caption: "It's a sad day for the Nation (sic). Rest in peace Gay."
The tweet was branded “moronic” and “pathetic” on Twitter.
Plenty saw the funny side though and Crona believes her father would have been among those to take the tweet in the spirit it was intended.
She wrote on Facebook: "I certainly don't have an issue with the post from Mr Tayto and I certainly don't think that dad would have had either!!"
Crona was writing in support of a lengthy defence of the Mr Tayto tweet posted on social media by RTE and 4FM radio host Gareth O’Callaghan.
O’Callaghan described the original tweet as “poignant and cut in a harmless, heartfelt way” as part of an impassioned criticism of those who complained in the first place.
"The people who objected to this clever and endearing little piece of animation genius clearly need to cop on, and understand that life is too short for their chronically constipated, rose-tinted view of what they believe the rest of us should all be thinking,” he wrote.
"Most of these contributors I've been reading probably don't even know how abstract and how outside-the-box Gay Byrne actually was down through the years in his thinking - in terms of trying to do things differently; and his tireless efforts to shock the establishment and shake them out of their Neanderthal 'safe' culture."
Even though Mr Tayto has deleted the evidence of his grief I feel it should not be lost to time. pic.twitter.com/n1ghkD6AYG
— Paul Duane (@MrPaulDuane) November 4, 2019
"A suggestion from someone who knew him: Learn from the best instead of lamely following the rest. Be unique and study what is different and so important about creating your own opinions and beliefs.
"Stand out. Think differently. Reflect instead of react.
"Mr. Tayto might not be a real person to many. But his sentiments in this caption are, and they express the same sad feelings that so many real people feel this evening; and maybe that's the point of the cartoon. Animation is just a more adaptable version of reality. Think of The Simpsons.
"Sometimes it helps to see the sadness of life, and in turn the reality of life's truths, through the eyes of an animated cartoon character that so many children love and can relate to, in order to make sense of what lies ahead of us all; and, in doing so, to make the confusion of all that stretches out before us that little bit easier to deal with.
"Instead, sadly, the PC opportunists seized the chance here to jump on board and abjectly denounce something that many of us feel is both poignant and harmless.
"The normal smiling face of a well-known cartoon character we see here is looking unexpectedly confused tonight, and sad and lonely.
"Or maybe it's in keeping with the real human grief that comes from the struggle of letting go of someone who many people thought they knew, but it's only now that they're finally starting to get to know.
"After all, the world is so much quieter and more vulnerable without them around.
"I know for sure that Gay would be having such a laugh today at the debate that has broken out over the comments of a cheese and onion crisp.
"Makes me want to laugh and cry."
