The consistent Mr Beyer
In a world where cartoonists are still getting death sentences, and the 57-nation OIC continues to campaign internationally against the right to free expression, it is easy to overlook the little guys. But they are still there, nibbling away at the foundation of civilised society like demented minnows.
Yes, we have been neglecting “Massah” John Beyer, smut-campaigner extraordinaire, head of the increasingly irrelevant Mediawatch-UK. He’s still good for a chuckle.
His latest tantrum concerns the Catherine Tate Christmas Show, broadcast on Xmas day at 22.30 on BBC1. It contained, among other things, the foul-mouthed cockney granny whose catchphrase is “What a fucking liberty”. Despite being shown a full hour-and-a-half after the watershed and being preceded by a bad-language warning, it still attracted complaints from the goggle-eyed tube-snouts who watch such things in the hope of seeing something to whinge about.
Ofcom, naturally, dismissed them (see Broadcast Bulletin 106 – PDF). Cue the Massah:
This finding is a disgrace and seriously inconsistent with Ofcom’s finding last week about the obscenities used in the Live Earth concert. No wonder the viewing public is confused and have lost confidence in the regulation of broadcasting.
Beyer, in typically ungrammatical fashion, is referring to the decision by Ofcom to punish the BBC for broadcasting live swearing before the watershed. Tsk, tsk – how very inconsistent. First, Ofcom punishes the BBC for breaking the rules – then a week later it fails to punish them for not breaking the rules. No wonder the poor man is confused!
Still, at least Beyer is consistent. Consistently clueless.
(Hat tip, Dan Factor)
I caught sight of Mr Beyer on TV recently — if ever a man looked like a nonentity, it was he…