No sex please, we’re American
: Britain is amused that the Americanized British sitcom Coupling is too hot for some mid-American stations to handle.
When I was a TV critic, I gave a Sunday-morning forum to the Presbyterian church I used to attend (but, for reasons that are soon to be obvious, left). I said I loved Cheers; I said it would prove to be one of the best shows in the history of television in this, TV’s true golden age. A church lady objected: “Cheers?” she shrieked. “That’s terrible. It has sex.”
Yes, ma’am, and so does life… for most of us.
: And in related news… Foul language on TV is on the increase, says a study. Try listening to life.
: Late-breaking profanity:
In an unprecedented move, three national newspapers used the f-word in its unexpurgated form today in their reporting of Alastair Campbell’s now infamous diary entry of July 4.
I don’t use those words here because I have kids who know my URL. But I’ll summarize: Campbell wanted to do something to the BBC’s Andrew Gilligan that could only be taken metaphorically.
: Profanity update: A commenter rightly says that the Guardian story (link above) summarizes what Campbell said quite differently from how I’d read it in the actual diary entry.
