Founder of the brilliant Waterford Whispers News Colm Williamson, chats with Bressie about the creative brain, the importance of satire, mental health, what he’s most proud of, and people shitting themselves…
1. You make a living out of hilariously deconstructing the absurdity of society. Do you find this can be a therapeutic way of coping with the chaos we seem to be living in at the moment?
Absolutely. The chance to be able to write on certain topics in a way that relates to people while making them chuckle is of course very rewarding and therapeutic for me. I don’t think I could go a day without writing something. Like, there’s always something to get mad at. For me, writing satire helps to channel the anger I would have towards a certain issue, turning it into a positive piece of writing that people, hopefully, agree on. Without this in my life I think I would be driven insane with the Kardashians, ISIS and especially the colour of that goddamn dress.
2. Do you ever actually think about the entertainment and humour you bring to such a large audience on a daily basis , and do you ever feel under pressure to continuously deliver this comedic medicine to the masses?
I never actually thought of the pressure until now. Thanks Bressie.
No, seriously, I’m humbled by the whole thing to be honest and just delighted to have two fantastic writers in Gerry and Karl with me on this journey. We work hard at what we do and it’s slowly starting to come back to us in the form of an actual pay cheque every month instead of an Irish Water pack. We love what we do at WWN and I think it shows in the writing.
3. The creative brain, although a gift can be a curse as it can be difficult to switch it off. How do you manage to calm the mind when you’re not writing and developing ideas and projects?
Yeah, it’s very hard to switch off at times. I usually walk twice a day and that helps a lot. If I don’t get out I find myself getting agitated and start gnawing the furniture, howling, wetting the kitchen floor, barking at the neighbours, that kind of thing. I find photoshopping helps me in a meditative way too, as with editing video, it just clears the mind. You’re in the moment and just concentrating on the task.
4. We seem to almost have an addiction to being offended in this country, which is maybe why you guys are so needed. In terms of the mental health conversation, which can be an incredibly sensitive subject, do you feel satire and comedy can actually help normalise the conversation around mental health, which is lets face it, a conversation many are still uncomfortable with?
We try and touch on it as much as we can without becoming too preachy, which can be hard when dealing with such a delicate issue. Our main goal is to highlight it, and judging from the amount of people defending our headlines, I think it works. Satire gets people debating, and for me, that’s the best part.
People are always going to be ‘outraged’ online. It’s the same mentality motorists have when they’re in the safety of a car: someone stops all of a sudden in front of them and they honk the horn and give out. They wouldn’t do that if they were walking on the street and someone stopped dead in front of them. It’s a form of detachment. A false reality. Take the car away and they’re just a lunatic shouting on the street.
5. How do you approach your own mental wellness? Is it something you engage actively with or do you just get great happiness and calmness from what you do?
At the moment, I’m very stable mentally and I’ve been told by the people that I’m always in a good mood, which must be very annoying now that I think about it. I have my moments where I find myself shouting at random things, like the printer in my office for not working properly. I’m generally calm and in good form though.
6. It’s often said, almost cliché like at this stage, that comedians and those with a comedy brain are often very open to mental health issues. Do you think this is bullshit or is there some merit in it?
I’m sure many a comedian started their career in an AA meeting, standing up to tell their story to finally realise that they’re actually funny. Personally, I wouldn’t do it, or even want to. Fame doesn’t appeal to me and I think those who seek it may be trying to fill a void. This trait could be linked to a certain personality type. To say whether that type is prone to mental health issues, I don’t know, nor am I qualified to say. From my experience, comedians tend to be deep thinking, intelligent people, which can be a curse in its own right.
7. What’s the one Waterford Whispers story that you are most proud of? The one that you just knew was going to break the internet?
It has to be “Jesus Not Coming Back By The Looks Of It” Admits Vatican just because of the amout of bible belt pastors falling for it online and posting video statements about the article to thousands of people. If you have a few hours, just type it into Google. I wrote it two years ago and it still gives me daily entertainment.
8. Do you ever stand back and take the time to be proud of what you have done with Waterford Whispers? Do you allow yourself that self compassion or are ye guys always just driving for the next thing?
I try not to let it consume me. For me, I’m constantly thinking about the next big thing, and this year we have our hands full. But yeah, I’m very proud of myself and the team for building up such a huge fan base.
9. Do you love the fact that there is large group of people in the public eye shitting themselves every day hoping that you guys don’t do a story on them? Do you enjoy that power :) ?
I don’t think of it that way. We strive to fight for the small guy. That’s where WWN began for me in 2009. I was unemployed, living off ten euros a day after paying my bills. I know the hardships of being messed around by the system. It’s not easy being in that position, borrowing from Peter to pay Paul (Paul must be minted at this stage).
The idea that celebrities and politicians now dread our work is a nice one, and means we’re doing our jobs properly, but it’s not our goal to upset people in any way… just the bad ones.
10. What’s the plan for you and the Waterford Whispers lads in 2016?
More video and audio content. TV. Live show. That’s all yer gettin’!
Support Our Campaign
We rely on the generosity of the public to fund our work and so far together we have achieved great things! Please do continue to support us so we can provide future generations in Ireland with the resources to recognise and talk about their emotions, and equip them to navigate the ever-changing world around them as they grow
