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Gail Dines, anti pornography
Interesting article about the effect porn has on sexual behaviour, body image and attitudes towards women. Might be able to link this into research about regulation, offence & Harm. The internet should be seena s unregulated, and here is a possible case study.
The truth about the porn industry | Life and style | The Guardian Read the rest of this entry
Now it's getting Silly
In his article, Chiles said: ‘Carol was in full flow, talking about who’d win the Australian Open. “You also have to consider the frogs,” she said. “You know, that froggy golliwog guy.” “Ooh,” she added – waving an arm about. “If I was Prince Harry, I’d get shot for saying that.”
‘Before I’d worked out what to do, Jo – plainly aghast – leant across and said, “Excuse me, did you just say golliwog?” “Yes, well, he’s half-black,” Carol explained.’
According to Chiles, Jo Brand then said: ‘Well, I’ve had enough of this. That’s it. I’m off.’
Chiles wrote: ‘It was obvious that Jo was as appalled and embarrassed as I was but Carol didn’t seem to notice.
There is an obvious split between sections of the public as to what is acceptable in language: Or, should I say, a split in awareness of what is acceptable. One assumes Carol Thatcher always dismissed any advice as ‘PC Nonsense’. Yet she obviously recognizes that the use of ‘Paki’ will set up a media backlash. Maybe she is just dim beyond belief.
I love the claims that the BBC is stoking this fire. Adrian Chiles writes in the Sun – BBC must be behind it. Obviously, she believes her mother was successful in removing a free press form this country. It couldn’t be that people are actually interested in the story as a representation of where race relations are in this country.
People will read these stories if they are completely offended by what happened. They will also read it the believe it to be a huge furor over PC bollocks. Then there are the undecideds – Can I use the word? Am I Racist because I read Enid Blyton? Is this small black doll with the big thick lips really a disparraging racial stereotype based on the myth of happy little slaves?
However the death threats are a little too far. This is a wider issue than one person using words without knowing the meaning. If you threaten Carol Thatcher, you also need to threaten all Daily Mail, Telegraph, Sun and Star readers. It is a problem with society, and this is just an example.
History of the Golliwog
just in case you need to know about the history of the word…
“The golliwog,” concludes Pilgrim, “was created during a racist era. He was drawn as a caricature of a minstrel, itself a demeaning image of blacks. There is racial stereotyping of black people in Upton’s original books, and certainly later golliwogs often reflected negative beliefs about black people – thieves, miscreants, incompetents. Finally, there is little doubt that the words associated with golliwog – golli, wog, and golliwog itself – are often used as racial slurs.”
Daily Mail vs The Guardian over Carol Thatcher
Latest Ofcom Roundup
Rowan Atkinson Jesus sketch cleared by Ofcom after 540 complaints | Media | guardian.co.uk
Rowan Atkinson Not blasphemous, MTV Swear a lot and Casualty is a bit too graphic for Saturday evening. Nothing new, then.
The other people involved in Brand & Ross.
In pictures: ‘Sachsgate’ – who’s who in the BBC hierarchy | Media | guardian.co.uk
Please note: Nic Philips is the show producer. He has a say over what happens into it and should be aware of the BBC’s code of conduct and the stance over Public taste and decency. And even if he is unsure, Dave Barber (head of Compliance for Radio 2) should really clarify it.
Brand and Ross – Transcript
Russell Brand (RB): “This is Andrew Sachs’s answerphone. Right Jonathan, well this is unconventional..
Jonathan Ross (JR): “Don’t worry I’ll blurt something out”
RB: “Don’t blurt something out, not on the answerphone Jonathan.
Andrew Sachs’s answerphone: “Sorry I can’t answer at the moment, but please call again or leave a message. Speak after the tone, thank you.”
RB: “Hello Andrew Sachs this is Russell Brand. I am a great appreciator of your work over the decades. You’re meant to be on my show now mate, I don’t know why you’re not answering the phone, it’s a bit difficult – I’m here with Jonathan Ross.”
JR: “Hello Andrew…”
RB: “That’s Jonathan Ross speaking now. Anyway, we understand.. anyway.. we can still do the interview to his answerphone…”
(The two presenters exchange banter)
JR: “He f***** your granddaughter!” (laughter)… I’m sorry I apologise. Andrew I apologise… I got excited, what can I say. it just came out.”
RB: “Andrew Sachs, I did not do nothing with Georgina – oh no I’ve revealed I know her name! Oh no it’s a disaster. Abort, abort. Please watch that show. I am out of The Bill, starring Andrew Sachs, I’m out of The Bill… Put the phone down, put the phone down, code red code red. I’m sorry Mr Fawlty I’m sorry, they’re a waste of space…”
JR: “… How could I carry that round in my head like a big brain blister all day? I had to pop it and let the pressure out… Like it’s really bothered us though, he’s the poor man sitting at home sobbing over his answer machine… If he’s like most people of a certain age he’s probably got a picture of his grandchildren when they’re young right by the phone. So while he’s listening to the messages he’s looking at a picture of her about nine on a swing.”
RB: “She was on a swing when I met her. Oh no!”
JR: “And probably enjoyed her.”
RB: “Let’s ring back Andrew Sachs… What if he answers this time? Oh no Jonathan please. I’ll do anything.”
(Andrew Sachs’s answerphone message comes on for a second time.)
RB: Andrew this is Russell Brand. I’m so sorry about the last message. It was part of the radio show. It was a mistake.”
JR: “It was just a joke. If there is any truth in that, I don’t know. It was just a joke.”
RB: “It was just a joke that we done. I didn’t ask him to say it though…”
JR: “It might be true, but we didn’t want to break it to you in such a harsh way.”
RB: “Ok, look the truth is, Andrew I’m ringing you to ask if I can marry, that’s right marry your granddaughter, Georgina the granddaughter.”
JR: “And I’d like to be a page boy.”
RB: He wants to be a page boy. We’re going to have a Fawlty Towers-themed wedding.”
JR: “No, no, you’ve spoiled it…”
RB: “No I’m sorry I’ll do anything. I wore a condom. Put the phone down. Oh, what’s going to happen?…”
JR: “You’ll never become king rat in the Variety Club now Russell Brand.”
RB: “Oh no that’s over for me. I’m never going to be king rat in the Variety Club. Jonathan I think we’ve made the situation worse.”
JR: “Who’d have thought two people like us could possibly have made the situation worse.”
RB: “How could we with all our skills, our social skills, our talents our experiences.”
JR: “Our intentions were pure.”
RB: “You know the only way we can make this better don’t you?”
JR: “Let’s phone him again. Let’s leave a nice message.”
RB: “Listen, we’ve got to make it better. We’ll phone Andrew Sachs back. We’ve got to stop upsetting Manuel. This time Jonathan I’m convinced we can make it better.”
JR: “What should we not mention, the war?”
RB: “Don’t mention the war, don’t mention his granddaughter. Don’t say: ‘You only ever played Manuel’… Don’t mention The Bill in a negative way. Yes! We’ll just sing to him. I’ll make up something as I go along.”
JR: “I’ll be Bing Crosby to your David Bowie.”
RB: “I’ve always seen our relationship as a Christmas-themed hit.”
(The answerphone message plays again).
JR: (as the message plays): “She was bent over the couch…”
RB (singing): “I’d like to apologise for these terrible attacks – Andrew Sachs. I’d like to show contrition to the max, Andrew Sachs.
“I’d like to create world peace, between the yellow, whites and blacks Andrew Sachs, Andrew Sachs. I said some things I didn’t of oughta, like I had sex with your granddaughter. But it was consensual and she wasn’t menstrual it was consensual lovely sex. It’s full of respect. I sent her a text. I’ve asked her to marry me… Oh Andrew Sachs, will you marry Jonathan, it sounds like he wants to now.”
JR: “This has made it worse, I feel it’s made it worse, you’ve trivialised the whole terrible incident. It started fine and then you went on about nonsense.”
RB: “You said you wanted to marry him…”
JR: “I wasn’t really listening to you, I was concentrating on my back harmonies… There’s only one way we could possibly make this better.”
(Brand laughs)
RB: “What can we do?”
JR: “Let’s use up the rest of his tape, this time with a heartfelt and sincere apology… Pretend you’re Gordon Brown and make a beautiful speech rescuing the country from the credit crunch and rescue him from the inner turmoil you’ve caused by saying that you jumped on a relative.”
RB: “Yes, you’re right Jonathan, you’re right. Only by doing the exact thing that we’ve done three times already can we make the situation better.”
JR: “If you learn one thing from history, it’s do not repeat your mistakes.”
RB: “Don’t repeat them.”
JR: “So let’s do it right this time.”
RB: “Thank God Jonathan.”
JR: “Maybe this time… I want to do the song this time.”
RB: “You’re not doing the lyrics. You’ll balls it up. And can’t do backing it’s not in my nature.”
JR: “But you talked about his granddaughter’s menstruation.”
RB: “Look we’ve got a golden opportunity here, to make Andrew Sachs happy.”
JR: “… we should go in a little bit more relaxed this time.”
RB: “Right yeah that’s true, let’s not look at this as the last time we’re going to call Andrew Sachs.”
(Ross laughs)
JR: “… The wonder of technology is such that we can keep doing this for hours.”
RB: “And even after the show’s finished Jonathan we can find out where Andrew Sachs lives, kick his front door in and scream apologies into his bottom… We can just keep on troubling Andrew Sachs… let’s do it, right, ok. You pretend you’re Andrew Sachs’s answerphone.”
JR: “Hello, Manuel is not in right now. Leave your message after the tone.”
RB (as the phone rings again): “Alright Andrew Sachs’s answerphone, I’m ever so sorry for what I said about Andrew Sachs.”
JR: “Just say: ‘Sorry’.”
RB (laughing): “I’ll kill you!”
JR: “Don’t say you’ll wear him as a hat, just say: ‘Sorry’.”
RB: “Sorry, right.”
The Scotsman Transcript 27 October 2008 5:52 PM
Brand and Ross – do they deserve it?
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | BBC pressured to sack presenters
The BBC is coming under increased pressure to sack Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross following their prank calls to actor Andrew Sachs.
So – 2 people complained after the show, before it hit the newspapers.
4,700 people had complained after it hit the newspapers, before it hit the TV.
After 1 day as a major headline, 10,000 people have complained.
Now – did they actually leave the messages on the answer machine, or did they make listeners believe it? It’s not hard to do. Is it suitable humour for 10pm? Of course. Is that what the pair are known for? Of course.
Andrew Sachs may not have heard the messages – he listened to the show initially on a poor mobile connection – and agreed to the show, and now says he wasn’t sure what he was hearing. It kind of implies it wasn’t on his machine. So, it is just the idea of the jokes we are looking at, not the actual leaving of messages. Let’s get that clear.
Now, the granddaughter has stated she is upset at what they are doing to her grandfather – on assumes she is talking about the messages. But the only way he has heard them is if he has looked for them. If it wasn’t a story, he probably wouldn’t know.
Andrew Sachs has stated they should apologise to his granddaughter – so both are basically offended on the others behalf.
One assumes that the 10,000 plus MINUS the original 2 people are offended by knowing about the idea of what happened, and are offended on other peoples behalf as well. They didn’t hear it originally, so how could they be offended by the show? They are offended by either what they think happened, or they have hunted down the show and listened to it. If you watch hardcore porn, you will see sex. Don’t then complain about it.
After all that I did have an opinion against them, but you know what? it suddenly seems really unimportant considering the rabid reaction that has now been spawned by the reporting of it. And lets face it – would The Sun report it if Andrew Sachs Granddaughter wasn’t a satanic slut?
On question we can ask against Brand and Ross is, how does this effect society in general? Most of the complaints are against Prank Calling to a Pensioner. But if that didn’t happen, we are left with two people making prank call for a cheap (6 figure sums each) laugh. Now, this is not a socially acceptable act. This is bullying. This is intimidation – or at least, the promotion of it. Read the transcript. Think for yourself. don’t just react. And for god’s sake, DON’T complain!
Brand and Ross – WTF?
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Ofcom to launch BBC Brand inquiry
The show was pre-recorded. It was then listened to by a senior Producer, who thought it was acceptable.
Is this an example of Executives in media being out of touch with the public’s idea of taste and decency? They are often trying to shock (especially when trying to find the Youth Market), yet the majority of the public are not youth. So a producer listens and assumes the youth will enjoy it, so it’s all fine.
Is this an example of the BBC being above the law? The Broadcasting Act governs ALL broadcasts – and is governed by Ofcom. Where ITV would balk at causing offence due to the nature of the advertising revenue they are raising, the BBC must answer to the Trust – who, lets face it, can’t just pull funding in an attention grabbing way. So, the BBC can take risks where ITV won’t.
The Guardian Blog
Should they be Fired?
and as of posting, it stands at 73.5% say yes. Hmmm.
Meusanus 