Brass Eye Special controversy
The controversy over the Brass Eye special is getting out of hand. True, the programme did cross the line, but everyone has missed the point. It was not intended to glorify paedophilia, it was intended to have a go at the media sensationalists that whip up the hype about paedophilia and (for example) cause stupid people to go an attack paediatricians, because they are too ignorant to know the difference between a paediatrician and a paedophile.
The real irony of this show is that it’s provoked just the sort of reaction out of the media which it set out to satirise. The media have played directly into the show’s hands, and I think that’s the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time. It just proves that the media are completely incapable of seeing past tommorow’s headlines and sensation. Add this to the fact that a lot of the pressure against Channel 4 is coming from the ‘celebrities’ who have been shown up for being unintelligent, self-publicists who are completely out of touch with the modern world. Then the public (the victims of the media) get on their high horses, despite spending the previous 64 days watching intelligence-insulting “reality TV” shows like Big Brother. Exactly how is hours and hours of coverage of the puerile behaviour of ten really quite pretentious, shallow and above all boring people acceptable; while a programme that addresses serious issues (such as the way that paedophilia is handled by the public and media) not acceptable? It’s just another nail in the coffin of any sort of common sense or intelligence in this country. I’ve been saying it all along.
It also had a really good go about how the Internet is mis-perceived and misunderstood by the stupid, simpering liberals that are in control of this country, and in control of the media. The hypocrisy of the people who have written in the newspapers about the programme is amazing, their misunderstanding of the satire is blindingly indicative of their misunderstanding of the issue at all, and it’s quite quite wrong that these people are given a voice. One bloke writing in the Mirror (I believe) actually said “Like most people in the country, I did not see Brass Eye. But this does not disqualify me from having an opinion about Channel 4’s ‘vile spoof documentary’ about paedophilia“. Excuse me?. That’s like Jon Katz from Slashdot openly admitting that he left Jurassic Park 3 twenty minutes into the film, yet somehow he was still qualified to publish an opinionated, misinformed review of the whole film. Unacceptable. Who do these poeple think they are? He goes on to say “And I have a read a full account in the Daily Mail under the headline ‘The sickest TV show ever’“. So, rather than form his own opinions, he’s relying on someone elses. THIS IS HOW RUMOURS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS START.
I am of sane mind and of course I think that paedohphilia is sick and wrong, but it’s one of those taboo subjects that never gets properly addressed because people don’t like to talk about it, and it’s because people don’t like to talk about it that it’s still allowed to continue. It’s like homosexuality 40 years ago, nobody would talk about it, and as a result people STILL have misconceived ideas about what homosexuality is, what is it synonymous with and how to deal with it. I’m not saying that in 40 years’ time paedophilia will be accepted in the same way that homosexuality is these days, hell no, but there is no room for ignorance in this matter. People need the facts, and the facts are that paedophilia is not “the work of the Internet” or any of the other completely false ideas that the media frequently portrays. The terrible irony of paediatricians (ie. people who help children) being attacked as a result of a media frenzy is illustrative of all this. It’s all wrong, all fucked up.
I say good show Chris Morris. He’s always made me laugh ever since The Day Today. He’s a very very clever man, who is not afraid to confront issues or manipulate those who deserve to be manipulated. If I had a chance to go on the telly and say “Oi, [famous person], you’re a bloody idiot” in a clever, satirical way, I would not hesitate to do so.
At the end of the day, every television set is sold with an OFF button. Perhaps people should learn how to use it.