And the don’t even have a First Amendment
: British TV authorities — and where there are TV authorities in any country is beyond me — have decided that the airing of the Jerry Springer opera did not violate their rules … despite its Deadwoodspeak.
Jerry Springer: the Opera provoked accusations of blasphemy and a firestorm of protest from religious campaigners when it was broadcast earlier this year. But the television watchdog Ofcom has ruled that the programme did not breach broadcasting guidelines.
Ofcom received more than 16,000 complaints – an unprecedented number – but yesterday ruled that although the January showing “clearly had the potential to offend and indeed the intention to shock, it was set in a very clear context as a comment on modern TV”….
Religious groups were particularly offended by the programme’s portrayal of Christian figures, which included Jesus wearing a nappy.
Tabloid press reports stoked the controversy, saying that the programme contained 8,000 swear words. According to the BBC, however, it only contained “around 200 f-words” and “nine c-words”.
In its ruling, Ofcom said it “appreciated that the representation of religious figures was offensive to some people”.
But it said: “The show’s effect was to satirise modern fame and the culture of celebrity…..”
