Is Religion Exempt From Satire According To The BBC? Clarification and Your Action Required

Reblogged from @Gspellchecker's Blog:

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Red Nose Day (Comic Relief) is a biennial UK telethon event, which aims to raise money for charity.  The hook is on the promise of entertainment in the form of famous faces ‘doing something funny for money’. It is hoped that this will attract viewers, and hopefully donations along with it.  (Our team raised over 10k! Just saying)

Over the years, some incredibly talented, hilarious performers and Lenny Henry have appeared during the TV event to participate in various skits, some live, some pre-recorded, some funny, some cringe-worthy.

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Whilst I agree with the blog, more to this than just religious sensibilities. The context is a BBC that has had serious problems with comedy (think Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand prank phone call on Radio) and with pulling documentary on Jimmy Saville as a serial pedophile, but still running a tribute programme to him. Having lost a Governor over all this with the final straw being a news programme slandering someone as a pedophile implies a corporation running scared about it's future in austerity Britain. We can also add that with media outlets, that see the BBC as unfair public competition, out to get them and overshadowing what was a great night for philanthropy, BBC decided to reduce impact of the story by reducing possible viewing so complaint numbers may be even less significant. None of these things justify the action - the sketch was funny and tongue in cheek parody satire. Do not like it then do not tune in. As I do not for "Thought for the Day" on Radio 4. BBC has got this wrong but can understand why they have. Thought the context may explain more. My previous blog on (video has been pulled).

Video: Rowan Atkinson New Archbishop Sketch

A brilliant sketch by Rowan Atkinson parodying New Archbishop of Canterbury, during Comic Relief. There have been 2,200 complaints, three quarters concerned with language. Though arsing about and shagging I would not consider offensive words pre watershed. The remainder of complaints were making the C of E look like well meaning buffoons trying to use popular culture to get with it.

Doubt complaints will be upheld for that. With over £75 million raised this was not just a good night for comedy.

Enjoy!

Donate Comic Relief

UPDATE: comic relief have had clip pulled for copyright infringement – yet BBC iPlayer have taken away legal means to watch due to complaints.

Have put up another youtube link. Watch till they pull again.

I suppose you could always love your neighbour instead …

Article written by John Sargeant on Homo economicus’ Weblog

Follow @JPSargeant78

Dave Allen: First Contact with God – video

Dave Allen on being introduced to concept of God as a child. Funny, and if you have never heard of this late great comic well worth catching up with. Really is a comedy legend.

Article written by John Sargeant on Homo economicus’ Weblog

Follow @JPSargeant78

Comedy: Common ground for Islam and Christianity

Thanks to Atheistexile for putting the “Even Stephens” sketch with Colbert and Carell on my radar.

Article written by John Sargeant on Homo economicus’ Weblog

Follow @JPSargeant78

What The Economist really thinks

Richard Dawkins posted this image to show that the new guidelines for the forum are not all that bad

Tina Fey – damaging McCain’s chances?

In Britain Spitting Image was a satirical comedy involving puppets of politicans and celebrities. While no longer around it had an impact on popular perceptions – John Major being the colour grey, David Steel being in the pocket of David Owen, Neil Kinnock unable to fall off a log to prove he could win the election (which he did not). While it may not have changed minds, it did reinforce views people took on politicians.

In the USA Tina Fey (30 Rock) is having a similar impact playing Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live. As a mimic she is spot on in her interpretation of Palin. A natural advantage; a few years ago Palin dressed up as Tina Fey for Halloween.

At some points the comedy actually uses what Sarah Palin has said. While Sarah has said she is a fan, and there is talk that before Polling Day she may do a sketch with Tina on Saturday Night Live – John McCain did saying he had the oldness required for the job.

Check out one mock interview on Saturday Night Live (SNL) with Tina Fey as Palin here.

A week after the first broadcast of SNL, Palin’s approval rating went down by ten percentage points. For some a Republican victory seems less likely with Fey’s impersonation:

But you, Ms. Fey, have the ability, with just a wink and a smirk, to change the minds of millions of casual viewers and even more casual voters, to educate them as to what this woman stands or doesn’t stand for. These viewers don’t react to a radical move like Republican Senator Chuck Hagel coming forth to question Palin’s credentials or credibility, or really care about what political pundits prognosticate on cable news shows. Whether you like it or not, whether you believe it or not, many swing-state voters get their information and cue from you, Ms. Fey, and you need to provide as much of it as one woman possibly can, before the election is upon us and it is too late. [Huffington Post]

As for Fey, she has said that come November 5 she hopes to be done with the impersonation. One would hope that the voters would base that on the issues and what Sarah Plain stands for then a comedic impression. Because if that really was how people formed their opinions on policy and issue, then we have even more to fear then the leader of the world’s only superpower. If it does hopefully the saving grace is that something is funny because it is often so true.

OTHER BLOGS:

Saturday Night Live – Sarah Palin and Alec Baldwin

The Branchflower Report on abuse of power by Sarah Palin

Pat Condell – YouTube video on Sharia Law reinstated

It is not only Hollywood celebrities that are accused of hurting people’s sensibilities when it comes to religion (Natalie Portman). Pat Condell, a comedian who has been featured on Richard Dawkins Website, had his video on Sharia Law flagged by users and complained about by Muslim Groups when posted on 30 September. YouTube have reinstated the video stating:

“YouTube is a platform for expression of all kinds. Our Community Guidelines prohibit speech that promotes or encourages hatred or violence towards certain groups or individuals, and the video was flagged by our community on that basis. Upon further review of the context of Pat Condell’s comments, we’ve reinstated it.”

Richard Dawkins welcomed the decision:

I congratulate YouTube on an excellent decision. Pat Condell is hard-hitting, but always quietly reasonable in tone. That some people say they are ‘offended’ by something is never a good reason for censoring it. Incitement to violence is. Pat Condell never incites violence against anybody. He always signs off with “Peace” and he means it.

Freedom of speech can not be limited based solely on people saying they are offended. There is a huge difference between not respecting ideas and inciting hatred and violence towards people. That distinction needs to be kept in mind and free citizens need to be vigilant against that distinction being eroded at the cost of all  our civil liberties.

Here is the video:

Sign the Petition: Stop Islamic Sharia Law being used in Great Britain

10 Downing Street Petition Stop Sharia Law

[N.B. Only British Citizens can sign these petitions - the first one runs out today; the second one 1 January 2009 - thanks to Stephen Gash for comment]

OTHER BLOGS:

Archbishop up holds Sharia Law in England – a critique of what he said

The circular argument – the con artist (features Pat Condell video on atheism at bottom)

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Agency – The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul

Tomorrow night (2 October) at 11pm Douglas Adams returns to Radio 4 with Dirk Gently, under the same director that brought The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy back to radio. Starring Harry Enfield as Dirk Gently and William Boyd as Richard McDuff.

When a passenger check-in desk at London’s Heathrow Airport disappears in a ball of orange flame, the explosion is deemed an act of God. But which god, wonders holistic detective Dirk Gently? What god would be hanging around Heathrow trying to catch the 3:37 to Oslo? And what has this to do with Dirk’s latest–and late– client, found only this morning with his head revolving atop the hit record “Hot Potato”? Amid the hostile attentions of a stray eagle and the trauma of a very dirty refrigerator, super-sleuth Dirk Gently will once again solve the mysteries of the universe…

It can only be Douglas …

Hear Douglas Adams discuss Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency

Listen to Radio 4 live

To help you listen to it live, here are the times around the world when it will be on (if you miss it you should be able to find the show on the listen to it again service here):

Addis Ababa	Fri 1:00 AM			Guatemala	Thu 4:00 PM			Nassau *	Thu 6:00 PM
Adelaide	Fri 7:30 AM			Halifax *	Thu 7:00 PM			New Delhi	Fri 3:30 AM
Aden	Fri 1:00 AM			Hanoi	Fri 5:00 AM			New Orleans *	Thu 5:00 PM
Algiers	Thu 11:00 PM			Harare	Midnight Thu-Fri			New York *	Thu 6:00 PM
Almaty	Fri 4:00 AM			Havana *	Thu 6:00 PM			Oslo *	Midnight Thu-Fri
Amman *	Fri 1:00 AM			Helsinki *	Fri 1:00 AM			Ottawa *	Thu 6:00 PM
Amsterdam *	Midnight Thu-Fri			Hong Kong	Fri 6:00 AM			Paris *	Midnight Thu-Fri
Anadyr *	Fri 11:00 AM			Honolulu	Thu 12:00 Noon			Perth	Fri 6:00 AM
Anchorage *	Thu 2:00 PM			Houston *	Thu 5:00 PM			Philadelphia *	Thu 6:00 PM
Ankara *	Fri 1:00 AM			Indianapolis *	Thu 6:00 PM			Phoenix	Thu 3:00 PM
Antananarivo	Fri 1:00 AM			Islamabad *	Fri 4:00 AM			Prague *	Midnight Thu-Fri
Asuncion	Thu 6:00 PM			Istanbul *	Fri 1:00 AM			Reykjavik	Thu 10:00 PM
Athens *	Fri 1:00 AM			Jakarta	Fri 5:00 AM			Rio de Janeiro	Thu 7:00 PM
Atlanta *	Thu 6:00 PM			Jerusalem *	Fri 1:00 AM			Riyadh	Fri 1:00 AM
Auckland *	Fri 11:00 AM			Johannesburg	Midnight Thu-Fri			Rome *	Midnight Thu-Fri
Baghdad	Fri 1:00 AM			Kabul	Fri 2:30 AM			San Francisco *	Thu 3:00 PM
Bangkok	Fri 5:00 AM			Kamchatka *	Fri 11:00 AM			San Juan	Thu 6:00 PM
Barcelona *	Midnight Thu-Fri			Karachi *	Fri 4:00 AM			San Salvador	Thu 4:00 PM
Beijing	Fri 6:00 AM			Kathmandu	Fri 3:45 AM			Santiago	Thu 6:00 PM
Beirut *	Fri 1:00 AM			Khartoum	Fri 1:00 AM			Santo Domingo	Thu 6:00 PM
Belgrade *	Midnight Thu-Fri			Kingston	Thu 5:00 PM			Sao Paulo	Thu 7:00 PM
Berlin *	Midnight Thu-Fri			Kiritimati	Fri 12:00 Noon			Seattle *	Thu 3:00 PM
Bogota	Thu 5:00 PM			Kolkata	Fri 3:30 AM			Seoul	Fri 7:00 AM
Boston *	Thu 6:00 PM			Kuala Lumpur	Fri 6:00 AM			Shanghai	Fri 6:00 AM
Brasilia	Thu 7:00 PM			Kuwait City	Fri 1:00 AM			Singapore	Fri 6:00 AM
Brisbane	Fri 8:00 AM			Kyiv *	Fri 1:00 AM			Sofia *	Fri 1:00 AM
Brussels *	Midnight Thu-Fri			La Paz	Thu 6:00 PM			St. John’s *	Thu 7:30 PM
Bucharest *	Fri 1:00 AM			Lagos	Thu 11:00 PM			St. Paul *	Thu 5:00 PM
Budapest *	Midnight Thu-Fri			Lahore *	Fri 4:00 AM			Stockholm *	Midnight Thu-Fri
Buenos Aires	Thu 7:00 PM			Lima	Thu 5:00 PM			Suva	Fri 10:00 AM
Cairo	Midnight Thu-Fri			Lisbon *	Thu 11:00 PM			Sydney	Fri 8:00 AM
Canberra	Fri 8:00 AM			London *	Thu 11:00 PM			Taipei	Fri 6:00 AM
Cape Town	Midnight Thu-Fri			Los Angeles *	Thu 3:00 PM			Tallinn *	Fri 1:00 AM
Caracas	Thu 5:30 PM			Madrid *	Midnight Thu-Fri			Tashkent	Fri 3:00 AM
Casablanca	Thu 10:00 PM			Managua	Thu 4:00 PM			Tegucigalpa	Thu 4:00 PM
Chatham Island *	Fri 11:45 AM			Manila	Fri 6:00 AM			Tehran	Fri 1:30 AM
Chicago *	Thu 5:00 PM			Melbourne	Fri 8:00 AM			Tokyo	Fri 7:00 AM
Copenhagen *	Midnight Thu-Fri			Mexico City *	Thu 5:00 PM			Toronto *	Thu 6:00 PM
Darwin	Fri 7:30 AM			Miami *	Thu 6:00 PM			Vancouver *	Thu 3:00 PM
Denver *	Thu 4:00 PM			Minneapolis *	Thu 5:00 PM			Vienna *	Midnight Thu-Fri
Detroit *	Thu 6:00 PM			Minsk *	Fri 1:00 AM			Vladivostok *	Fri 9:00 AM
Dhaka	Fri 4:00 AM			Montevideo	Thu 7:00 PM			Warsaw *	Midnight Thu-Fri
Dubai	Fri 2:00 AM			Montgomery *	Thu 5:00 PM			Washington DC *	Thu 6:00 PM
Dublin *	Thu 11:00 PM			Montreal *	Thu 6:00 PM			Winnipeg *	Thu 5:00 PM
Edmonton *	Thu 4:00 PM			Moscow *	Fri 2:00 AM			Yangon	Fri 4:30 AM
Frankfurt *	Midnight Thu-Fri			Mumbai	Fri 3:30 AM			Zagreb *	Midnight Thu-Fri
Geneva *	Midnight Thu-Fri			Nairobi	Fri 1:00 AM			Zürich *	Midnight Thu-Fri

OTHER BLOGS:

New Hitchhikers book “And Another Thing”

Monty Python on Life, the Universe and Everything

I just bought the Monty Python performance at the Hollywood Bowl on DVD (where the Philosophers Song at the bottom comes from). Have included here some key clips that the guys have done over the years. Enjoy!

Always look on the Bright Side of Life

The song from Life of Brian. 

The Spanish Inquisition

Bring forth the cushions and the comfy chair!

Part One

Part Two 

It’s Christmas In Heaven 

I fear that theologians will tell you heaven is not like this. This is heaven on earth. 

 

 The Epilogue

Not sure you would get Haggard and Dawkins debating God in this way ….

Every Sperm Is Sacred 

Taken from the film The Meaning of Life (which is my favourite of the films)

 

The Philosophy Song

Philosophers to drink by.

The Universe Song

My personal favourite song – hence being on myspace. The wonder of the Universe by knowing more about it.