Ofcom Discussion

(11-04-2010 00:19 )H-H Wrote:  So here's an idea. Where scarcity is not a factor - Sky and cable (but not terrestial analogue or digital including Freeview) - how about the new Government removes Ofcom's right to regulate. Obscenity and libel laws would still apply - same as for papers, but there would be no need for a regulator on cable and satellite.

These channels are not in short supply.

So one law for those who can afford cable and/or satellite and one law for the rest. Hardly democratic.

And yes I do have access to satellite broadcasts.

(18-04-2010 04:45 )vila Wrote:  First, good luck now that you've finally sorted out the direction you want to take, Anna. I've got used to the idea of watching you via the web streams since you left BS, so I hope Bluebird gets a decent stream or two set up ready for your return to the channels.

On the wider front my big hope in all of this is that maybe we will at last have a player in the field with enough financial and legal clout to once and for all slap Ofcom back under the rock it crawled out from.

ofcom knows no fear, the bigger the giant the more they attack.

(18-04-2010 13:25 )chrislatimer Wrote:  ofcom knows no fear, the bigger the giant the more they attack.

They were pretty pathetic when it came to tackling the BBC over The Thick of It, so they're not all that brave.

(18-04-2010 17:46 )vila Wrote:  

(18-04-2010 13:25 )chrislatimer Wrote:  ofcom knows no fear, the bigger the giant the more they attack.

They were pretty pathetic when it came to tackling the BBC over The Thick of It, so they're not all that brave.

was that the show with the guy who got jailed for child porn stuff

Dunno anything about child porn. I think it was supposed to be some sort of political satire but was just a continuous tirade of 'f*ck', 'f*cking' and 'c*nt' with no redeeming artistic merit or justifying context.

(18-04-2010 20:05 )vila Wrote:  Dunno anything about child porn. I think it was supposed to be some sort of political satire but was just a continuous tirade of 'f*ck', 'f*cking' and 'c*nt' with no redeeming artistic merit or justifying context.

Guess not everyone agrees with you, given the awards it has won, successful ratings, a move from BBC 4 to BBC2, a spin-off feature film, 3 series, 2 specials, and the commissioning of a new series etc.

BTW, why do think Ofcon should ‘tackle’ the BBC about it?

(18-04-2010 18:51 )chrislatimer Wrote:  

(18-04-2010 17:46 )vila Wrote:  

(18-04-2010 13:25 )chrislatimer Wrote:  ofcom knows no fear, the bigger the giant the more they attack.

They were pretty pathetic when it came to tackling the BBC over The Thick of It, so they're not all that brave.

was that the show with the guy who got jailed for child porn stuff

You mean Chris Langham. Seems he played MP Hugh Abbott, who was mostly unseen. He has been in a lot of shows, but I can't think of any where he has been a major character. Didn't even realise he was in The Thick Of It, but that's probably because it was such self-indulgent foul-mouthed crap I never bothered watching it after a quick sample. Of course it won awards. It was written by media luvvies about a PR consultant - all the arts and media twats think the rest of the world are interested in that sort of garbage.

(18-04-2010 20:05 )vila Wrote:  Dunno anything about child porn. I think it was supposed to be some sort of political satire but was just a continuous tirade of 'f*ck', 'f*cking' and 'c*nt' with no redeeming artistic merit or justifying context.

(19-04-2010 02:00 )H-H Wrote:  You mean Chris Langham. Seems he played MP Hugh Abbott, who was mostly unseen. He has been in a lot of shows, but I can't think of any where he has been a major character. Didn't even realise he was in The Thick Of It, but that's probably because it was such self-indulgent foul-mouthed crap I never bothered watching it after a quick sample. Of course it won awards. It was written by media luvvies about a PR consultant - all the arts and media twats think the rest of the world are interested in that sort of garbage.

You know they employ a swearing consultant to come up with that stuff. It's unfortunate you don't see the clever writing and great acting, but each to their own I guess. Peter Capaldi's playing of Malcolm Tucker is just genius, and without The Thick of It we wouldn't have the life truth that is 'Tuckers Law'...
"If some c*nt can fuck something up, that c*nt will pick the worst possible time to fucking fuck it up, cos that c*nt's a c*nt".

Keeping this post on topic though, I think it's the broadcasters themselves that continually play around with what they think should be shown to viewers, based on their perceived audience for each programme regardless of being a post-watershed broadcast. I've heard the word c*nt quite a few times on Channel 4 recently - Bruce Forsythe's (or was it Chris Tarrant?) Comedy roast, where Sean lock called him a c*nt... to his face. Frankie Boyle Live last night was peppered with c*nts throughout, and yet strangely Lee Evans Live a week or so before was cut and dubbed to within a inch of it's life(?). I think the Broadcasters are more afraid of the public than they are Ofcom.

I must have seen a different Lee Evans - plenty of swearing, F words all over the place on one of the repeat channels in the past week.

As OfCom point out, c**t is regarded as the most offensive word and makes many women cringe, unlike f**k.

Also saw William Shatner's USA Comedy Club roast a week ago and part of Pamela Anderson's. Didn't realise Americans could swear like that. On TV. Not only foul language but also sexually explicity gay and straight jokes. The mildest I can repeat on a family site like this was one about St Pammy's twins* being able to walk out of her fanny because Tommy Lee stretched it so much. Told in front of Pam and her ex-Tommy. Oh, and in a reference to "that" tape, the roast was described as "not the first time she's been f***ed on TV.".

These days the strongest language, spastic jokes (Frankie Boyle), explicit descriptions of sex acts (Frank Skinner), the grossest horror, realistic war gore, racist jokes (Frankie Boyle again with Scots gags) and even live autopsies can be shown on TV, without any access restrictions.

But not normal everyday consentual sex.

(19-04-2010 21:47 )H-H Wrote:  I must have seen a different Lee Evans - plenty of swearing, F words all over the place on one of the repeat channels in the past week.

When you've seen the full uncensored version you can see just how much swearing is cut and dubbed - I lost count the number of times they dubbed 'frikin' over 'fucking'.

(19-04-2010 21:47 )H-H Wrote:  As OfCom point out, c**t is regarded as the most offensive word and makes many women cringe, unlike f**k.

But it's really not though, there are far worse words and phrases. It's simply just a word, it doesn't 'target' anyone in it's usage - it's not racist, sexist or homophobic.

(19-04-2010 21:47 )H-H Wrote:  But not normal everyday consentual sex.

God no, heaven forbid, society would just collapse.