Petition to axe Sam’s Street Talk
A youth worker angered by Sam Newman's Street Talk in The Footy Show has initiated an online petition asking Nine to axe the segment.
- Published by David Knox
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A youth worker angered by Sam Newman’s Street Talk in The Footy Show has initiated an online petition asking Nine to axe the segment.
Newman regularly interviews members of the public about AFL football in suburban or regional centres, always with comedic responses. Amongst die-hard fans of the Nine show, the long-running segment is akin to an institution. But his choice of interview subjects has seen it being slammed for ”mocking the mentally ill.”
”Sam Newman’s weekly segment street talk on Channel Nine’s The Footy Show deliberately preys upon on those within our community who suffer from learning difficulties, social integration challenges and mental illnesses, stripping them of their dignity for the purpose of entertainment and it should be removed immediately,” states the petition.
”By you providing such public consent to the de-humanisation of our fellow citizens based on their mental health or social interactive ability, it becomes impossible for us to discourage similar behaviour within our schools, universities or workplaces.
”These individuals deserve their dignity like everyone else. To de-humanise them for a cheap laugh has no place in a progressive society.”
Since last Friday it has attracted more than 700 signatures, including Father Bob McGuire and Tim Costello.
Sam Newman is no stranger to controversy, having been in much hotter water than this, including being under watch by media watchdog, ACMA and directed to undergo training.
Nine declined to comment on the petition.
Source: communityrun.org, Herald Sun
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- Tagged with AFL, The Footy Show
7 Responses
People arent forced to go on Street Talk. As long as they aren’t putting these people on because their difficulty is what is funny then it is all good.
Some people love going on Street Talk, and come from the other side of the city to appear on it. I would actually go the other direction, but why stop something that people love to appear on. If they can show that the people who appear on the television appear on there because of what they say and not because of any difficulty they have then let them do it. If it can be shown that someone appears because of what they suffer is funny then come down on them.
Sam is the only one on the show with a vaguely interesting personality the rest are just boring media robots.
I suffer from autism myself, and I’m not offended at all by any of the content on Street Talk. In fact, I find most of the content hilariously funny. I’m sorry that people that say the segment “mocks the mentally ill” feel offended by that, but come on, stop taking everything so seriously. If you don’t like the segment or the show, you know where the remote control is! If we can’t have a laugh because people take things like this too seriously, there will be nothing to laugh about. No fine tuning is needed. Rip up the petition now because it is absolute garbage and anyone that signs it are spoilsports!
also lets not forget that most of the fta channels never featured anyone with a disability unless it is some form of patronising, down on their luck story. At least these folk are real people and give Sam a good going over as well
I hate censorship, am a Rugby League supporter and while admiring their skills am only a casual AFL watcher.
Having said all that I much rather the AFL footy show over its League compatriot and for the greater part think that Sam Newman does a great job doing what he does and that is entertain.
I do however after living with an Autistic young fellow for the last 15 years find some of the Street talk cringe worthy and really think that with a little fine tuning there would not be a problem, just don’t show some of the obviously affected folk and concentrate on the eccentric and over the top.
This show is generally good television and it is a shame that most of the people leaving negative feedback are just a polarised AFL tragic that doesn’t like Sam Newman.
I understand where these do gooder folk are coming from, but it is nearly always Sam who looks the idiot. I don’t see hardly any other rating show giving this group of people a voice. For me it gives many of them some characther with a bit of passion about their footy club
Great idea. Time to stop the hypocrisy of wanting to stop bullying in schools, while glorifying bullies on TV and radio. I signed it.