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American Television Aims For The Lowest Common Denominator

Jun 4, 2009
By .
Television

Wouldn't it be better if we had a state broadcasting network featuring programming to enlighten the public, like the BBC, or perhaps the Australian Broadcasting Corporation?

The ABC today apologised after viewer criticism for the skit on The Chaser's War On Everything, saying it will edit the segment out of repeat and online screenings.

The program outraged viewers last night with a segment featuring a fictional _____________ which ended with cast member Chris Taylor saying there was no point in making ______________ come true as ___________________."

_____ actors wrapped in ______________ were given a _____________ instead of _____________ teenage heart-throb Zac Efron.

[Australian Prime Minister Kevin] Rudd said today the show had gone too far.

"I actually don't mind The Chaser taking the mickey out of me or any other politician at any time or any place, that's fine, that's fair game," he said.

"But having a go at ______________ is really beyond the pale, absolutely beyond the pale. These guys collectively should get up and hang their heads in shame, it's just wrong."

In keeping with the expectations of our foreign readers, who know that as an American I spend my television viewing time alternately watching and having conniptions over ephemera such as exposed nipples, I have censored portions of the quoted language to avoid referring to just what made last night's The Chaser's War on Everything … so … offensive.

You'll have to read it for yourself.

I'll simply observe that he who lives by black humor must walk a fine line indeed.

Last 5 posts by Patrick

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  1. Shaun  •  Jun 4, 2009 @7:34 pm

    Wow, didn't expect to see this over here. I watched the show when it was aired, including the segment in question, and didn't find it either funny or horrible, just average…

    The thing is so much of their stuff is hit and miss, and all their stuff goes through ABC management first but no one there had any issues with it. Also, if you shut a program down because of this doesn't it start to have a chilling effect on what people would be willing to speak about?

    The most sensible thing that has been said by some people is the traditional one, if you don't like it, turn it off. Considering that their show is one of the highest rated shows on the ABC, and the highest for that time-slot against any other channel, it will be interesting to see if their ratings take a hit next week. I'm leaning towards "no".

    One of the ironies in all this is that they actually have a weekly "complaint-bait" sketch which ends in one of the cast members dressed and made up as an old man turning off the TV and writing up a complaint to the ABC on a typewriter. I think last week's sketch was the old "Jesus walking with me along the beach" story, except Jesus stopped walking with the person because he got taken by a shark.

    To be honest, I thought they would have gotten into more trouble for essentially calling Sol Trujillo a mexican pig and labelling him the source of swine flu.