50 Super Epic TV Moments
E! Entertainment, 7 September 2011, 11:00
A complainant alerted Ofcom to the inclusion of sexual material in this programme. The complainant drew attention to a scene in which a reality show participant apparently masturbated using a wine bottle.
E! Entertainment is a cable and satellite television channel.
50 Super Epic TV Moments was an American compilation show that assembled various sequences – largely from reality, chat and award shows – and linked them with brief comments from comedians. Sardonic advice to the people featured in the clips was also offered from time to time by two presenters, NeNe Leakes and Jerry Springer.
The show contained sequences from the 2005 series of Big Brother in the UK in which a housemate apparently penetrated herself with the neck of a wine bottle after declaring that she wished to masturbate. The programme labelled this item Penis Grigio. The item was approximately two minutes long.
Other clips used were selected for their bizarre or sensational nature and included items showing:
- an American TV celebrity undergoing a cervical smear test;
- a reality show participant behaving aggressively, removing his penis from his trousers and smashing a bottle on his head;
- a pubic wax carried out by one member of a celebrity family on her sister;
- a woman on an American talent show smashing soft drink cans with her breasts;
- fights between women on various reality shows;
- a woman capable of achieving orgasm only by stimulating herself with the corner of a laundry basket;
- a woman apparently masturbating a man beneath a dinner table;
- the elders of a family in Madagascar eating the foreskin of a circumcised infant;
- a survival expert performing an enema on himself; and
- an Indonesian toddler who smokes 40 cigarettes a day.
None of the sequences was visually explicit: where sexual or other intimate activity was apparently taking place or was being discussed no detail of body parts or penetration was shown. Swearing was bleeped out or obscured.
Ofcom considered:
- Rule 1.3: Children must … be protected by appropriate scheduling from material that is unsuitable for them.
- Rule 1.4: Television broadcasters must observe the watershed.
- Rule 2.3: In applying generally accepted standards broadcasters must ensure that material which may cause offence is justified by the context
E! Entertainment acknowledged that the content in this show was wholly inappropriate for the time it was scheduled and the omission of any warning slates for our viewers only made this worse. It apologised unreservedly to viewers. E Entertainment said that its usual compliance procedures were not followed in this case.
Ofcom Decision
Many of the other sequences, including those listed in the Introduction section of this finding, were in Ofcom’s view unlikely to be suitable for broadcast at a time when children may be available to view. Further, the cumulative effect of the numerous clips made this programme in general unsuitable for transmission before the watershed in Ofcom’s view.
Ofcom acknowledges the Licensee’s apologies in this case and its intention to improve its compliance arrangements. Nonetheless, these were clear and serious breaches of the Code and Ofcom does not expect any similar compliance failures by E Entertainment in future.
Breaches of Rules 1.3, 1.4, and 2.3
Keeping Up with the Kardashians
E! Entertainment were also found to be in breach of the code for 6 occurrences of the word ‘fuck’ during the programme, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, broadcast by E! on 24 September 2011 at midday.
Ofcom added the warning:
Ofcom noted two past findings relating to the pre-watershed broadcast of the most offensive language on the Licensee’s channels. We also noted the previous finding published in this issue of the Broadcast Bulletin recording breaches of Section One of the Code against the Licensee.
In the circumstances, Ofcom is putting E Entertainment on notice that it is particularly concerned about the Licensee’s compliance procedures and will proceed to consider further regulatory action should any similar incidents occur.
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