The 16th Ordinary Meeting of the 165th Session of the Literific took place on the 27th of February in the Senate Room. It was attended by 40 members.
There were the usual announcements, and then an amendment to the laws called Ó Mealláin’s Bill. That took a while to sort out but it eventually passed with the notion of coming back to it at the AGM.
Then we had a riff off. Oddly enough members didn’t seem to quite get the idea but I always approve of people randomly bursting into song. Ciarán Gallagher ended it by starting Bohemian Rhapsody which then turned into a group singing thing with piano played by Henry Adams. Yeah, I know.
There were a load of questions in President’s Question Time which I put down to everyone trying to get President Kydd to actually give proper details about the Irish Times Semi Final and Final. Thus, questions were heard from Andrew Carruthers, James McAlister, Marie-Louise Synnott, Jonny Finlay, Aisha Sobey, Henry Adams, Ryan Jones, Calvin Black, Harry Adair, Julia Andrade Rocha, Katy Waller and I think that’s it.
We then went to the debate. The motion was This House Would Make a Musical.
Ciarán Gallagher opened the debate. And was then stopped by the sound of bag pipes which we then adjourned to go outside and look at. We then came back and Mr Gallagher began his speech again. And was then stopped by the arrival of Sebastian Eckert. Mr Gallagher seemed distressed by this, I personally was more distressed by the fact that he wasn’t singing his speech and that he wasn’t in a tux. He was interrupted once or twice more. His actual argument was quite good and serious and focused on the uniqueness of musicals and how they consist of wonderful things.
Some burns from Andrew Carruthers saying no one in the Literific was pretty enough to play the leading man.
Ben Murphy then opened the case for the opposition. He felt musicals contained an unnerving amount of optimism and that they do not reflect life as it is since life can be kind of terrible. He found that they trivialise the human condition, degrading experiences through music.
Our Eternal Leader, Paul Shannon then continued for the proposition. I believe he talked for about 12 minutes as President Kydd basically demanded it. He commented on the shambollock nature of the evening before moving on to his three reasons for supporting the motion, his reasons three. There was singing, logic, observations of the Literific council and relentless flattery of the talented Literificans as well as a little rant over Mamma Mia and Pearse Brosnan.
It then fell to Jonny Finlay to close the debate. There was some German, some stuff about Wagner and well, yes. He hated a little on our amazing Dryathlon video and begged us not to waste membership money on a musical that would just end up as gifs on Tumblr. Instead he recommended creating a blockbuster movie, suggested titles being Adam Potter and the Standing Order of the Phoenix or Doctor Whom. Both titles were accompanied by detailed descriptions.
The debate then went to the floor. Questions were heard from Mark Benson via Twitter, James McAlister, Nic Brinza, Chistine Fleming, Andrew Carruthers, Ryan Jones, Brendan Kelters, Paddy Mallon, Nathan Mullholland and Marie-Louise Synnott. We then went to a vote and the motion passed. Yes, I too am surprised that this is an accurate representation of the meeting.