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ABC next to review content for removal

"Community attitudes change across time and context," says ABC.

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The ABC is next to review the content it has available, after streaming platforms began removing titles such as Summer Heights High and Little Britain.

The Age reports ABC is undertaking a “harm and offence” audit of its past and present programming.

“We are reviewing our content to ensure it meets current community standards and reflects our editorial policies on harm and offence,” a spokesman for the broadcaster said yesterday.

“Community attitudes change across time and context, and we recognise that the ways in which some characters have been depicted in the past might be considered deeply objectionable or offensive today.”

ABC is yet to screen Reputation Rehab in which Kirsten Drysdale and Zoe Norton Lodge look at our current cancel culture and scandals.

12 Responses

  1. I discovered All in the Family a year ago. Oh wow. Such a smart, confronting funny show. Dealing with bigotry, racism, homophobia and so much more head on with humour is how we can see it for what it is and change/grow as a society. I’ve never seen a sitcom like it. The acting and writing is the best I’ve (ever?) seen. Maude and The Jefferson’s were spun off from AITF and they are just as good. All 3 are on YouTube.

  2. “Community attitudes change across time and context, and we recognise that the ways in which some characters have been depicted in the past might be considered deeply objectionable or offensive today.”

    This is the crux of the problem with organisations deciding what community attitudes are. Decisions are based on passing fads and vested interests, including financial ones. Those who yell the loudest are not always the majority, and attitudes are as ephemeral as this quote indicates. If we cannot exclude absolute obscenity and violence, but instead use “warnings”, then excluding shows due to dubious chance of offence is not logical.

  3. I have many Indigenous friends, and most say they’re not offended by comedy that pokes fun at them. I get a good laugh from gay skits in comedy shows, as do most gay people I know. Offence taken by comedy is as subjective as comedy itself. If Joan Rivers was still with us, she would have no material to perform….Bless her beautiful Soul 💞

    1. Absolutely agree most of us know what was and is wrong and we should feel appalled or uncomfortable, that shows we are not bigots like others are. It’s good to say to oneself that wouldn’t be aloud now. Gosh things like Are you being served? Is so wrong but it is still so funny and I want to be able to laugh at old shows even if I don’t agree with all their content.

  4. Fawlty Towers is the latest TV show to come under fire amid the Black Lives Matter protests sweeping the globe. An episode from the ’70s program was removed from UKTV this week for featuring racial references. In the episode titled ‘The Germans’, actor John Cleese’s character Basil Fawlty could be seen impersonating Adolf Hitler while goose-stepping about and shouting, “Don’t mention the war!” Basil, the hotel owner, also makes comments about World War II in front of a group of German hotel guests. (Nine Honey).
    OMG spare me. Let us not mention the wars lest we insult Germany!

    1. It’s probably more offensive that they didn’t remove all episodes with Manuel as the character is a similar premise to Apu from The Simpsons or Jonah from Summer Heights High. There are second generation and many generations of migrants that the characters could be insulting to. I wouldn’t be surprised if The Party with Peter Sellers is in line for removal.

  6. This has nothing to do with concern about so-called “community standards” and everything to do with dictating the sensitivities of the masses.

    There is “family friendly” content available nowadays that I would consider morally abhorrent, rephrensible, and completely irresponsible, particularly with respect to the prosperity and ideological development of our children, but such content is often applauded with any number of well-seeming buzzwords, completely ignorant of the long-term effects that such material will have on those who are particularly vulnerable and/or impressionable. Frankly, I think the explosion of mental illness over the last few decades speaks for itself.

  7. We are entering a period of madness and censorship. This only normally occurs in totalitarian states. At the beginning of shows we get warnings about sex scenes, nudity, violence, language etc, we just need another simple phrase added to highlight the depiction of accentuated stereotypes. We don’t require censorship

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