CUTTING EDGE RETURNED for a new series last night.
Host Brendan O’Connor was joined by broadcaster Colm Hayes, Eurovision winner Linda Martin and columnist Jennifer O’Connell. (Comedian Des Bishop cancelled his scheduled appearance following the death of his mother.)
As per usual, the fantastic four looked to stir things up with topical talking points such as terror, trolls and Michael Jackson.
Linda announced she would continue to listen to Michael Jackson following the Leaving Neverland documentary in which serious allegations of child abuse are levelled at the late popstar.
“I believe music should transcend everything,” she told her fellow panelists. “It shouldn’t be involved.” (It should be noted that she admitted to going to bed during the first part of the documentary because she was “bored”.)
Colm respectfully disagreed, saying that he no longer plays MJ on his Radio Nova show with Lucy Kennedy.
I certainly wasn’t going to celebrate that man’s music on air.”
Then, there was the classic “kids at weddings” debate.
Linda is allergic to people who bring their little sprogs along to anyone’s big day out, just FYI.
“I don’t think kids should be at weddings,” she said, garnering much support from the live studio audience. (Although, again, it’s worth noting that Linda herself does not have children.)
“I was at a wedding and children had been invited and the children were not supervised and the kids started making noise and running up and down the aisle … These kids were just beyond out of control.”
It was a statement that prompted Jennifer to call her “a monster”, in jest. At least, I think it was. However, she did end up agreeing with Linda that weddings should be a kid-free zone by and large.
“Kids don’t enjoy weddings,” she said. “They’re boring. They’re not designed for kids. I love kids, just not at weddings.
I’ve been at weddings where I couldn’t hear the vows because I was listening to Peppa Pig on an iPad two pews away.”
Bit rude of you to bring an iPad into God’s house, but to each their own.
Next, the discussion moved towards pregnant women and their bodily autonomy.
Jennifer O’Connell called Amy Schumer’s recent pregnancy photoshoot with The New York Times ”glorious”. Here’s an example of one of the shots below.
Here’s how Linda reacted to said shot.
Tell us how you really feel, Linda.
Jennifer’s reasoning for getting behind the shots was simple. While she didn’t feel it was appropriate to call it a true representation of pregnancy, she praised the comedian for showing how “real” the experience is for woman.
On the other side of the coin, Linda called the shots “horrendous”.
To me that’s just … I don’t want to look at it. I don’t want to look at little tight dresses which really show off their bump.
They’re blooming, it’s beautiful but … Keep it private.”
This seemed to be the hot take that ignited Twitter the most.
So if you’ve just gotten some happy news from a stork recently,rest assured Linda will be asking you to keep it to yourself, well covered, under your muumuu.
No comment from Amy Schumer yet, understandably.
You can watch the episode back by clicking here.
Cutting Edge airs Wednesdays at 9.35pm on RTÉ One.
