Watchdog clears Tom Gleeson gags

Risque jokes by Hard Quiz host Tom Gleeson may have attracted viewer complaints, but they are ok according to the media watchdog.

Two jokes by Gleeson last year were the basis of formal complaints to the Australian Communications and Media Authority

In one episode Gleeson joked “hopefully there are no suggestions about me rooting my neighbour” and in another he referred to Royal Cheese as “what you find under Prince Charles’s foreskin.”

ACMA noted that PG programs could include sexual activity and nudity if it was discreet, infrequent, and not gratuitous.

On the use of “rooting” it found, “Mr Gleeson’s style of humour is blunt, sometimes sarcastic and at times includes material that may be in poor taste or offensive to some viewers. The joke was in keeping with Mr Gleeson’s comedic approach and the nature of Hard Quiz as a light-hearted, comedy quiz program

“Hard Quiz is a comedy quiz show, hosted by a comedian. Unlike conventional quiz shows, it contains content which may challenge some viewers, reflecting the particular comedic style of its host. In the context of a comedy quiz show which clearly signposted its irreverent style, the ACMA considers that the joke was editorially justified.”

On the second point it found that a reference to a specific individual may cause some offence, but ultimately decided, “The remark included one verbal reference to a part of a person’s genitals using the correct anatomical term. It did not refer to sexual activity or nudity in a sexual context and there was no additional related commentary. To the extent that the remark referred to mature thematic material, it was discreetly implied and no higher than mild in impact.”