TEN promo slammed over mental health concerns
You just know we're in for another year of moral outrage in the comedy genre with complaints appearing today over TEN's new network promo.
- Published by David Knox
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You just know we’re in for another year of moral outrage in the comedy genre with complaints appearing today over TEN’s new network promo.
“They make a joke of what can be a really important process for those dealing with a mental health crisis and if it discourages even one person from seeking out this sort of help or support that is not on,” Lifeline’s Chris Wagner told the Daily Telegraph.
Barbara Hocking of Sane Australia said, “What they have done is trivialise something very serious at the expense of people with mental health issues, who are getting a bit sick of being the butt of jokes.”
TEN Publicist Jeanette McLoughlin defended the sketch saying, “It’s a parody of the industry, but the joke’s on us with the pressure on to deliver and we reckon our viewers will get that joke in the spirit in which it’s meant.”
TEN also supports mental health initiative Headspace.
At any rate it’s getting people talking. Which is probably what it was intended to do…?
Source: Daily Telegraph
78 Responses
How sad, Aussies are forgetting how to have a laugh at themselves and that’s what makes us special. Why don’t we say how good it is to see our local celebrities looking like crap….reminds us all that they don’t wake up with full make-up on and looking OK. But Dr Chris Brown……what were you thinking, there goes That fantasy forever.
Oh yeah David timing is everything and as I said I find the ID funny myself, just that I can understand why some may have ill feelings towards it, after all it has only been just over 2 years since Charmaine Dragun took her life (November 2nd 2007), so there would be those who would have mourned recently.
When I saw this I thought they were just having a shot at themselves in a Celebrity Rehab With Dr Drew way and it being completely harmless
Though I can also see in retrospect of the Ten Newsreader Charmaine Dragun committing suicide in 2007, that some may be taken a back by the Promo and see it in non-sensitive light.
There are arguments for its humour and for it being a touchy subject.
First rule of comedy is timing. I suspect if it was 2007 the network wouldnt have run with it.
@ FJ… “A blessing in disguise. Perhaps now they can make a decent promo.”…. Talk about being outnumbered buddy. It appears your sense of humour needs checking
@VMan – Carrie Bickmore.
Who was the blond woman at the start of the ad sitting next to the Masterchef crew? I try to recognise her but her flipping hair is in the way 😛
It sucks that Rove and Peter Helliar aren’t on this ad because I know they would’ve been amazing. RIP Rove Live….
Anyway a lot of people are saying this is hilarious…for me it’s a good commercial, definitely unique and interesting, but laugh-out-loud funny? I think I only laughed when the Neighbours girl started singing.
It’s only the media and sites like this that make a big deal about complaints. It is just human nature that someone, somewhere, will have a complaint about everything.
So I now complain about TV Tonight, making a big deal about complaints, which paints society as being narrow minded – most people don’t give a damn.
But hey, when it’s a slow news day, the media’s got to do what it does best.
Funny, I thought I supported the ad.
Funny how mikey robbins says that it wouldn;t be so bad if people expected to be funny only occasionly. How being funny just once mikey robbins??? huh?
But that being said.
What mental illness are they suppose to be making light off?
Are they going to run this ID during the House episode tonight (Sun), House in an Asylum and this together, that would be a good way too peeve more people and get more free publicity … then I suppose soon a contact Lifeline bit will be tacked on the end to keep the Moral lot happy [rolleyes]
lols ahahhaaha this is funny, very good ad Ten, dont stop the good work 🙂
I thought it was a little stupid anyway and not really that funny, but still this is going a bit far. The 2008 idents were a lot better.
Lighten up! It’s funny!
@Qwerty. Good point about Australian comedy, which has always been very satirical and dark. I very seriously doubt whether “Mother and Son” could be screened today. It would be absolutely crucified in the media for poking fun at someone suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease, in fact I very seriously doubt whether it would even by greenlighted for production by any network now. PC hadn’t taken hold 15-20 years ago when “Mother and Son” first screened.
Have you met Mikey Robbins?
Political correctness is driving me crazy 🙁
Oh Lifeline and Barbara Hocking, you are freakin’ kidding aren’t you? “If it discourages one person from seeking help, it’s not on”. Puh-lease!!!! When did we all turn into such precious, hothouse flowers? As if someone seeking therapy would be put off by an Obviously satirical commercial that screens for one minute. If you are sick enough, you will seek treatment, end of story.
I am really fed up to the back teeth with this PC rubbish where everything must be SO serious and nothing can be satirised. Is there anything more insufferable than media manufactured outrage? The promo is absolutely brilliant, the sort of thing Nine and Seven wish they’d come up with. Kudos to Ten’s advertising department.
Manufactured outrage makes me furious.
Fantastic advert.
Ted, I for one am well aware of the fact that this is an issue which has been manufactured by the media. I am also aware that the Telegraph deliberately presented the issue knowing that most of their readers would side Against the hyperbolic angle they presented it from. However, that doesn’t change the fact that LifeLine and Sane Australia Did take the bait, and therefore should be held accountable for their stupidity. At least this provides us with an insight into the closed mindedness of the people who run such organisations.
Channel Ten did very well with this advert. I think that its wonderful 🙂
I had suffered very bad depression in the past and still got mild case today. I found the ad to be very funny and I think that Sane Australia should do their research before jumping ahead. There is so much bad things happening around us, we need to laugh, so Sane Australia think before you speak.
I think maybe Barbara Hocking needs to get a new job, at INsane Australia, cause she clearly is.
The only thing that trivialises anything here is her saying that this trivialises the mental illness. For starters Support groups arn’t just for the mentally ill, there are a large variety of support groups. I didn’t think it made any kind of reference to mentally ill people, and still don’t.
Its really annoying all these groups that make mountains out of mole hills, only for free advertising, all it does it portray themselves in a negative light and ends up doing what they are complaining about in the first place.
This is the best thing I’ve seen 10 do in a while.
Utterly ridiculously. How many calls did the terrorgraph make before they got a bite? Annoyed at myself for wasting time commenting on such a tripe. shame on you all for bothering with such a non-issue.
They are joking right? This ad is hilarious and what is Australia coming to. We are getting to much like the US. You wait next we will be censoring anything that is related to swearing in shows. This is meant as a satire.
“Yumour, Kim, I’m using yumour!”