Ofcom Discussion

(05-06-2012 20:53 )Scottishbloke Wrote:  Getting back on track here, this is in my opinion the 3 main reasons we have censorship and ofcom in this country.

1 - Not to offend the ethnic minorities
2 - Not to offend the Feminsts (ie mumsnet)
3 - Not to offend the Extreme religious groups

Scottishbloke is completely in the wrong. Other European countries have ethnic minorities, other European countries have feminists and other European countries have extreme religious groups, yet still they do not have the same levels of censorship as seen in this country. Therefore blaming censorship on those factors is clearly incorrect.

Scottishbloke is well wide of the mark. If all ethnic minorities were removed from the UK overnight it would make no difference at all to Ofcom or their broadcasting code. Censorship would go on exactly the same.

Some people may have viewed my comments as somewhat controversial but yes I had a feeling that perhaps it might provoke a strong reaction. Just to reiterate I am not a racist or a bigot, but the way television and media is currently being regulated is biased towards the groups which I've mentioned.

Ofcom also has a serious mistrust of the parents/guardians the right to protect their children. Despite all the safety measures currently in place Ofcom still want to control what they deem what is suitable and unsuitable viewing.

Agreed this country has turned out to be far too much PC. Now if people think I am well wide of the mark then here is just an example of the the International SKY EPG Channels available with TV5 Monde being the exception as the only European channel available. Where are all the dozens of German, French, Polish, Spanish channels etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_channels_on_Sky

I am not for one minute blaming these groups but they do have a certain amount of people who will knowingly complain to Ofcom about content that offends them which Ofcom will pander to far too quickly rather than defending the British values and way of life because it offends their moral puritanical ways of thinking.

The right to be offended is exactly what democracy brings with it. I ofcourse don't give a damn what is broadcast on the Religious or Asian Channels because I don't watch them. They serve me no purpose in the same manner that an Adult orientated channel should serve them no purpose either.

Why then despite all this Ofcom still feel it necessary to throw their weight around when it comes to the Adult section of the EPG. Why is the vagina deemed so offensive that not even those who are watching the channels are allowed to view it. We can't even see a decent girl on girl show either.

I also accept that the UK isn't the only country is Europe that caters for an ethnic minority, as having visited Germany last year they also have the same influx that this country has, the only exception being is that they haven't turned into the PC country which the United Kingdom has turned into.

Some people like to refer to this country as Great Britain but the great was lost a very long time ago

well said sb

(06-06-2012 15:53 )Scottishbloke Wrote:  ...
Just to reiterate I am not a racist or a bigot
...

Funny how most racists and bigots say that whenever they are being racist or bigoted!

(06-06-2012 15:53 )Scottishbloke Wrote:  ...
defending the British values and way of life
...

Britain has a long tradition of being very uptight about the matter of sex, it has nothing to do with ethnic minorites or feminists.
Historically Britain has been a largely christian country for many generations, and christianity does not exactly lend itself to freedom of sexuality or open attitudes to sex and pornography. If you want to call christianity an extreme religious group then fine, but it is deeply ingrained within the higher ranks of our society, so it could be argued that ofcom is defending the British values by pandering to their views.

Remember a little old lady called Mary Whitehouse, who did more for repression in this country than anyone else in recent memory, and she wasn't ethnic, or a feminist!

(06-06-2012 18:54 )munch1917 Wrote:  

(06-06-2012 15:53 )Scottishbloke Wrote:  ...
Just to reiterate I am not a racist or a bigot
...

Funny how most racists and bigots say that whenever they are being racist or bigoted!

(06-06-2012 15:53 )Scottishbloke Wrote:  ...
defending the British values and way of life
...

Britain has a long tradition of being very uptight about the matter of sex, it has nothing to do with ethnic minorites or feminists.
Historically Britain has been a largely christian country for many generations, and christianity does not exactly lend itself to freedom of sexuality or open attitudes to sex and pornography. If you want to call christianity an extreme religious group then fine, but it is deeply ingrained within the higher ranks of our society, so it could be argued that ofcom is defending the British values by pandering to their views.

Remember a little old lady called Mary Whitehouse, who did more for repression in this country than anyone else in recent memory, and she wasn't ethnic, or a feminist!

Times have changed and there are films and tv programmes that contain sex in them, which I feel in this day and age, most people don't mind seeing, except for a few, who want to complain and ruin it for everyone else and Ofcom, which appears to be a ploy by a government to distract from real issues. Very few people complain about it when they see it, except the voices of the few are louder and get heard of more than the majority

I'm planning on complaining to Ofcom soon about all of the violence on TV, especially the boxing events. For some odd reason, watching two men punch each other into a bloody pulp is deemed fine and dandy for all to watch, but a normal healthy body part from a female on adult labled channels is not. Weird

(06-06-2012 19:43 )mrmann Wrote:  I'm planning on complaining to Ofcom soon about all of the violence on TV, especially the boxing events.

People have complained about boxing before, especially unregulated bare knuckle events. Ofcom have always dismissed the complaints, saying that boxing or other fighting does not breach the broadcasting code.

First of all incase anybody's in any doubt during the Mary Whitehouse days she was a laughing stock. The laughing stock of the whole nation and of parliment and was never ever taken seriously either by her peers or by the UK Government at the time.

munch 1917 I don't care much for your comments either, it seems to me that some people are just a bit too scared to hear the truth of the matter. Just to clarify I hold no prejudice towards anybody's race, colour or religious or puritanical beliefs. To say otherwise is insinuating that I am less than sincere.

Being British is to show tolerance at all times.

However when their religious or personal beliefs start to have an effect on the censorship which this country currently has then I'm bound to speak up for what is wrong when this nations freedom of democracy is clearly under threat.

Ofcom does and is pandering to their every whim. The porn and glamour industry is slowly by surely being pushed out of business such is the current restrictions placed and being proposed to be placed even further on them.

Opt into porn for the internet, do you know just how undemocratic aswell as highly patronising that is. Grown up's being treated like children. What will be next a watershed also for the porn to be shown on the internet and if it goes down the route of the opt in the content will be seriously watered down to what is currently being shown on the telly.

Democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of artistic content, freedom to make your own informed decision is what this country has allways stood up for. Nazi Germany were defeated by this nation to protect all those values yet we are going down the same route.

We need to defeat fascist regimes starting with Ofcom. 12 years into the new century yet we are getting closer and closer to a victorian Britain instead of what should be a liberal and free society.

(06-06-2012 20:39 )BarrieBF Wrote:  

(06-06-2012 19:43 )mrmann Wrote:  I'm planning on complaining to Ofcom soon about all of the violence on TV, especially the boxing events.

People have complained about boxing before, especially unregulated bare knuckle events. Ofcom have always dismissed the complaints, saying that boxing or other fighting does not breach the broadcasting code.

I'm not really going to complain of course, but the fact that Ofcom allows real life violence for sport is a bit funny.