★★★★★ 0/5

Flag at half-mast over ABC comedy

So what did viewers think of the ABC's At Home with Julia scene? The media says they were outraged. On Twitter they kinda liked it.

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The At Home with Julia flag controversy has been all the rage. It led Nine News last night. It had been talked about all week on breakfast shows, talkback radio and in print media.

The PM had told ABC Radio she had better things to do than watch it. Defenders of the flag, parents of deceased serviceman, Treasurer Wayne Swan, and National Party MPs were outraged. There were calls to slash ABC funding (thankfully not from the Treasurer).

Headlines this week have ranged from “Viewers see no funny side with ABC show At Home with Julia” to “At Home With Julia sex scene critics should get a life.”

Under pressure from media outrage, ABC had released a photo of the offending scene but stuck to its plans to air the third of four episodes. A spokesperson said, “If it’s OK for others to drape themselves in our flag for all manner of occasions, I really don’t see why it can’t be draped over our prime minister as a symbol of love.”

I’ve never subscribed to the idea that the show is disrespectful to the Office of the PM. Being able to laugh at ourselves is part of who we are as a nation. In contrast to some countries where “saving face” is paramount, we wear it like a badge of honour.

So was it all worth it? The point of the scene appeared to be about two characters who had been at odds, making up in a spontaneous and romantic way. Undoubtedly that could have been achieved with a different scene. If the intent was to push the boundaries, it certainly did that. Comedy has, after all, been full of taboos.

Despite the talking point, other scenes were a hoot, especially the garden party with Paul Keating, Kevin Rudd, Tony Abbott, Julie Bishop and Wayne Swan. And what of the final scene when a disillusioned T-bone walks out on Jules? Are fans now hoping that our love-struck couple can repair their rift? Maybe leave the flag out this time….

And after all that, on Twitter last night the show wasn’t even trending, unlike Glee which was going gaga for Darren Criss (Blaine) and the show’s return.

eebzzub
PS. I thought At Home With Julia was tasteless and unfunny. So I didn’t watch. #justsaying

EmmaMcBryde
#At Home With Julia is classic!

benisjammin
Good on the abc for standing up to people complaining about at home with Julia sex scene has australia lost it’s sense of humour?

xander85
Okay so if the flag thing on “At home with Julia” is offensive? Then ban flag bikini’s!! WTF Get Over It!!

untled_tek
man, At home with Julia was gold tonight!

e_football
@KevCorduroy I really didn’t see anything wrong with At Home With Julia – best episode yet.

lolasauras_rex
At home with Julia, not that funny actually

loupascale
The best thing At Home With Julia has going for it are the other comedians imitating our pollies. #ABC

Kontrabasse
At home with julia was good tonight, ah of only the real Julia was more like her

amaturewriter
Now watching at home with julia…a tad offended but also a tad amused

27 Responses

  1. It’s absolutely disgusting to hear politicians calling to cut ABC’s funding over this issue. That is just blackmail, pure and simple. When politicians start making threats like that it has the potential to undermine the ABC’s independence – which is obviously the intent of the MP’s who made the comments.

    As for all this nonsense about being disrespectful to the flag, my grandfather who fought in WWII always said that anyone who goes to war to fight for a piece of cloth must be seriously sick in the head, and clearly shouldn’t be trusted anywhere near a weapon.

  2. What I find confounding is the way the media reports how offensive something is, and then those same people still show photos/footage. If it’s so offensive to you, don’t show it!

    If I found a girlie mag in the office and was offended, would I hold it up in the air and yell out to everyone “this is offensive”?

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