The Senate Inquiry into Naughty Words on TV (or Senator Cory Bernardi’s quest to wash Gordon Ramsay’s mouth out with soap) has resulted not in calls for more censorship, but a recommendation that all digital televisions sold in Australia be fitted with a parental lock out system.
The inquiry also recommended that stations review their ratings, what they consider coarse language, and their complaint handling process, as well as consider displaying classification markings for the duration of the program.
But readers of News.com.au appear split. Many question whether the onus of protecting children from watching naughty shows should be on the manufacturer of televisions and digital set top boxes. I don’t think so, it’s ultimately the parents responsibility, but I do believe a parental lockout system is a reasonable recommendation:
- A lockout system gives parents the power to choose what’s appropriate for their child and
- It still allows adults to watch adult programs (unlike mandatory ISP filtering where a blanket ban is placed on everyone in the family).
Whatever your view, let’s be thankful some of the recommendations made in the public submissions weren’t taken on board:
‘The Code should be strengthened so that a licensee shall not broadcast a program or program promotion that offends the religious sensitivities of any or all persons holding particular religious beliefs in the Australian community.‘ – Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne (read submission PDF)
‘…programs with frequent very coarse language are not broadcast at any time.‘ – Festival of Light (read submission PDF)
‘Enough is enough! This show crosses the boundaries for gutter language at the time it is aired on TV. I would ask the Senate Committee that it be moved to a later time slot or, preferably, thrown in the bin altogether. It seems the censorship standards of TV are falling once again.‘ – Mr Craig Scott (read submission PDF)
Always falling those censorship standards, eh Craig. Not everyone has lost the plot though:
‘As a 70 year old Grandfather I realise that all that Ramsay is doing is using words that can be found used in any Primary and High School in Australia. It’s the means of communication of kids to their peers.
Eddie Bent
p.s Who and by what authority were Fuck ( meaning to strike 16th Century) and Cunt (Latin -Wedge Roman -slit } deemed to be obscene ? Until a couple of centuries ago the innocuous “bloody was Blaphemy , meaning Bood of Christ and we all know what Bugger means.‘? – Mr Eddie Bent (read submission PDF)
My sorta granddad.
Read the entire report here (PDF) or my post back when it all began.
