An amusing take on Dublin Corporation's scheme to provide the public with the opportunity to borrow pictures from the library.
Frank Hall admires how Dublin Corporation are always trying to improve the cultural standing of Dubliners and to provide them with an appreciation of beautiful things.
They are doing their best God love them, to heighten our appreciation of beauty, although you mightn’t believe that when you look at some of the buildings around Dublin today.
As reported in the ‘Evening Herald’ the latest Corporation initiative is an investment of £20,000 in paintings for people to borrow from 18 public libraries. They can hang these at home for up to three months at a time and
After that they can exchange them for another masterpiece and the great thing that is it won’t cost them one single penny.
While the Cultural Committee is claiming credit for it, Frank Hall knows otherwise. A meeting of the Dublin Urban District Council featuring Frank Kelly, Eamon Morrissey, Pat Daly and Paul Murphy as the four unassuming councillors discuss the merits of art and culture.
Now that we are in the EEC it is time for Dublin Corporation to start thinking more about art.
Frank Kelly as Councillor Mainwaring pontificates about the value of cultural art and how copies of art masterpieces should be available from public libraries,
The same as the book classics such as Edgar Wallace, Denise Robbins, Barbara Cartland.
His fellow councillors are curious about the content of the pictures that will be made available to the public.
I believe there would be a tremendous demand for the naked women.
But according to Councillor Mainwaring,
You get the same pleasure looking at a picture bowl of fruit as a naked woman, where art is concerned there’s no difference I believe.
This is met with the response,
If there is no difference between a bowl of fruit and a naked woman, the less we know about art and culture the better.
This episode of ‘Hall’s Pictorial Weekly’ was broadcast on 31 May 1978.
Frank Hall’s amusing and satirical series began on 29 September 1971 with the full title ‘Hall’s Pictorial Weekly Incorporating the Provincial Vindicator’ which became known as ‘Hall’s Pictorial Weekly’.
The series allowed Frank Hall to follow his own interest in the lives of viewers throughout the country.
Regarded as RTÉ’s flagship comedy show, it featured satirical sketches on current news stories and popular culture, as well as parody songs, comedy sketches, re-edited videos, cartoons and spoof television formats.
The show ran for nine series until 1980.
