Falling off the edge
Posted on Oct 23 2006 | Tagged as: Words, The Stupid, TV, Comedy, Censorship
Channel 4 clearly considers itself pretty edgy. It’s the home of Russel Brand, a man sacked from MTV after wearing an Osama bin Laden costume to work; it had the balls to broadcast the Brass Eye 2001 special, which the BBC admitted they’d never do; they broadcast Derren Brown playing Russian Roulette live.
So why, in an episode of Friends broadcast at 8.35pm are they completely cutting out Joey’s answer to Ross’s question “didn’t you read Lord of the Rings in high school?”, such a benignity as “No, I had sex in high school.”?
Are we really so afraid of upsetting people that E4 can’t allow Joey to say “sex” at half eight in the evening?
As part of the diploma course, we have guest lectures on online journalism. Last week’s was from tory blogger Iain Dale. When discussing it later, Dan said that for him the biggest plus point was the Dale was quite forthright with his opinions: he was quite willing to say things that people aren’t going to instantly agree with.
This shouldn’t be a bonus in the lecture, or in experiences generally; for people to say what they think without fear of reproach should be the norm. But those who hold the media reins are so terrified of causing offence that Joey can’t tell us he had sex in high school, Monica can’t tell her husband she’d bought him pornography and Ross and Monica’s mother can’t say “humped” before the watershed[1].
Despite my previous comments, by which I still stand, perhaps it’s small wonder that Muslims felt/feel victimised by cartoons of Mohammed, the veil debate and the Pope’s remarks when we live in world so shy of not only causing offence but also simple debate.
