Calendar Girl Modestly Obscured…Advert censor clears advert for Calendar Girls stage play

Read more ASA Watch at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See article from asa.org.uk

A poster, for a stage production of Calendar Girls, stated JENNIFER ELLISON is Miss July and featured a photograph of the actress who was shown naked and seated at a piano. She had her back to the reader and was looking over her right shoulder. Further text stated Calendar Girls by Tim Firth 29 November – 3 December…. Issue The complainant, who did not believe the photograph was appropriate for general display, where it could be seen by children, challenged whether it was socially irresponsible. Leep marketing+pr said although some of the images used to promote Calendar Girls implied nudity, they were careful not to use images that were suggestive, provocative or sexual. ASA Assessment: Complaints not upheld The ASA noted the ad featured a photograph of an actress shown naked, with her back to the camera, as she was seated at a piano. We also noted text stated JENNIFER ELLISON is Miss July… Calendar Girls by Tim Firth 29 November – 3 December and considered that the context of a theatrical performance was clear. We noted the actress was naked and that the ad was on displayed in public. However we also noted her nudity was purposefully obscured by the piano. We considered that the image was not overtly sexual, nor was it overly graphic and, while we acknowledged that some might find it distasteful, concluded that it was unlikely to be seen as socially irresponsible. We investigated the ad under CAP Code rule 1.3 (Social responsibility) but did not find it in breach.

MTV’s Viva is a bit MTV-Like…Ofcom confirms ATVOD decision that a music video service on the internet is TV-like

Read more ATVOD Watch at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See press release from atvod.co.uk See Ofcom Decision [pdf] from atvod.co.uk

Ofcom has made an appeal decision that Ofcom was correct to determine that the MTV online service Viva TV Music is subject to expensive censorship as an on-demand programme service An appeal by MTV Networks Europe against an ATVOD determination that its web- based music video service Viva TV Music is an on demand programme service and therefore subject to regulation has not been upheld by Ofcom. The decision means that MTV is required to pay a substantial fee for its own censorship and ensure that the Viva TV Music service complies with a range of statutory requirements . In order to fall within the scope of the censorship overseen by ATVOD, a service must satisfy a number of statutory criteria, as set out in section 368A of the Communications Act 2003. One of these is that the principal purpose of the service is the provision of programmes the form and content of which are comparable to the form and content of programmes normally included in television programme services. In the case of Viva TV Music, the decision turned on a number of issues, including whether the Viva TV Music section of the website constituted a service in its own right, and whether music videos are ‘TV-like programmes.

Looking for Horrors in Your Attic…Call for information about the whereabouts of footage lost from Hammer classics

Read more Latest UK Cuts at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See article from blog.hammerfilms.com

Hammer Films writes: Here’s a list of lost scenes that we’d love to restore if we are able to source materials. Anyone who knows the whereabouts of such, please email us [See article for email address]. The Reptile An extended knife in neck/snake bite scene (this is thought to exist, but no known evidence). The Curse of Frankenstein The eyeball scene (this footage definitely exists somewhere). The head in acid bath scene (this scene may not have been filmed, though stills exist). The Mummy The under-dressed maidens in the flashback procession (this scene may not have been filmed, though stills exist). The tongue-cutting and/or the tongue wriggling (these are thought to exist, but no known evidence). Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell An extended glass-in-throat (apparently exists on a Dutch laser disc). An extended body falling into grave (apparently exists on a Dutch laser disc). Rasputin the Mad Monk An extended fight scene (definitely filmed, but no known surviving materials). Viking Queen An extended more explicit version (some evidence, but nothing definite).

Distressed Dragon…ASA dismiss whinges about TV advert for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Read more ASA Watch at MelonFarmers.co.uk

ee article from asa.org.uk

A TV ad for the film The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Cert 18), seen December 2011, showed fast edited scenes which included a fight between two people on an escalator, a man being shot at in the woods, a woman with a large tattoo on her back standing in a shower as if in pain, a knife being drawn from a kitchen knife block, a man lying face down on the floor as if he was dead, two people kissing passionately and a large explosion. For the first six seconds of the ad, on-screen text stated: Contains strong sex and sexual violence. Five viewers challenged whether the ad was overly violent, distressing and unsuitable for children and was inappropriately scheduled. Clearcast said the ad was given a post-7.30 pm timing restriction. They felt that, as with all film trailers of that nature, it was a matter of judgment and they had come to the conclusion that the action scenes were very brief, did not linger on any particular shot, and were comparatively restrained in tone, given the nature of the film. ASA Assessment Complaints Not upheld The ASA noted that Clearcast had applied a post-7.30 pm timing restriction and that the ad was therefore not shown around programmes commissioned for, or likely to have particular appeal to, under 16-years-of-age. We noted that the trailer was promoting a film about a murder investigation, based on a best-selling book, and considered that, while there was some tension and suspense in the ad, the scenes which depicted action such as an explosion, a fight, a shooting, a shower scene, a knife, a man lying face down on the floor as if he was dead and two people kissing passionately, were all very fast-cut and brief scenes, and were not strongly violent, visually clear or sexually explicit. We considered that the overall effect of those action scenes was mild and did not consider that the cumulative effect was inappropriate or distressing, when broadcast after 7.30 pm. We noted that the ad included on-screen text which stated Contains strong sex and sexual violence, and considered that that explained what viewers might expect from the film, but did not consider that that on-screen text was inappropriate or offensive, in and of itself. Although the ad featured some images which might be inappropriate for a very young audience, we concluded that the ad was not overly violent and distressing and that the scheduling restriction that had been applied was sufficient. We investigated the ad under BCAP Code rules 4.1, 4.2 (Harm and offence) and 32.5.3 (Television Scheduling: Children), but did not find it in breach.

Copyright vs Free Expression…EU asks the European Court of Justice to examine the ACTA treaty

Read more EU Censorship News at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See article from bbc.co.u

The European Union’s highest court has been asked to rule on the legality of a controversial anti-piracy agreement. The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (Acta) has been criticised by rights campaigners who argue it could stifle free expression on the internet. EU trade head Karel De Gucht said the court will be asked to clarify whether the treaty complied with the EU’s fundamental rights and freedoms. The European Commission said it decided today to ask the European Court of Justice for a legal opinion to clarify that the Acta agreement and its implementation must be fully compatible with freedom of expression and freedom of the internet. Several key countries, including Germany and Denmark, have backed away from the treaty amid protests in several European cities. Acta is set to be debated by the European Parliament in June.

Scruffs and Censors…ASA whinge at Scruffs workwear ad featuring the ultimate lads’ bash

Read more ASA Watch at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See article from asa.org.uk

A poster for Scruffs Hardwear promoting a competition to win the ultimate lads’ bash for you and 3 mates, seen in November 2011, featured an image of the inside of a workman’s van, as if seen from the rear. The image included a man reclining at the front of the van with two women at the back. One of the women was shown in her underwear and high heels and was holding on to a vertical pole that was fixed to the van and the other was shown in a short white dress, sitting on a spare tyre covered in material. The image also included bottles of champagne and a bra hanging from a ladder. Further text included scruffs HARDWEAR IT’S GONNA GET DIRTY. Issue Eight complainants challenged whether the ad was: offensive and demeaning to women; and unsuitable to be seen by children. BSS Group stated that the WIN THE NIGHT BEFORE ad campaign was used to target tradesmen with a competition to promote their Scruffs safety footwear and work wear brand. They stated that the objective of the ad was to promote the competition in good humour and that many of their ads used double entendres and innuendo to create a Carry-On style humour. They stated that this was illustrated through the strap line It’s Gonna Get Dirty, which alluded to the tradesmen getting soiled on site during the course of their working day. They said that on the flipside, it also related to the good humoured use of insinuation to appeal to their customers. They added that whilst they strove to be different, they worked hard not to be overtly sexual or sexist. ASA Decision: Complaints Upheld 1. Upheld The ASA noted the ad was intended to be a tongue-in-cheek representation of the morning after an ultimate lads’ bash, which was the prize that was the subject of the ad. However, whilst the concept of the lads’ night was linked to the competition prize being advertised, we considered that consumers would interpret the portrayal of the woman in back of the van, particularly the woman in her underwear, as a suggestion that they had played a sexual role in the lads’ night out and morning after story that was being portrayed. We considered that this was further implied by the text IT’S GONNA GET DIRTY, which we considered would be understood by consumers to be a reference to sexual activity that was likely to take place. We concluded that, in the context of a promotion for work-related clothing, the portrayal of the women within such a strong sexual context was demeaning and offensive and that the ad was therefore unsuitable for public display. On this point the ad breached CAP Code rule 4.1 (Harm and offence). 2. Upheld We understood from the complainant that the poster ad had appeared near to a nursery school in one location and a primary school in another. We noted BSS Group stated that one of the outdoor media contractors had failed to follow their instructions that the poster ads should not have been placed near schools or near sensitive community sites. We considered that the images, alongside the text IT’S GONNA GET DIRTY, presented the women in a sexually provocative way and that as such, the poster ad was not suitable to be placed in areas where it was more likely to be seen by children. We considered that whilst a placement restriction had been put in place, the ad had appeared in areas where it was more likely to be seen by children. We therefore concluded that the ad breached the Code. On this point the ad breached CAP Code rule 1.3 (Social responsibility).

Censorship Hazzard…Oops, Comedy Central shows the 15 rated version of the Dukes of Hazzard at 6pm

Read more Ofcom Watch at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See Broadcast Bulletin [pdf] from stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk

The Dukes of Hazzard (movie) Comedy Central 18:00 The Dukes of Hazzard is a film based on the popular US television series from the 1980s. Five complainants alerted Ofcom to this film broadcast in the early evening. It contained multiple uses of the word fuck and its derivatives, as well as a scene involving topless college girls. Ofcom noted that the BBFC certified both a 12 and 15 version of this film. Ofcom considered:. Rule 1.3: Children must also be protected by appropriate scheduling from material that is unsuitable for them. Rule 1.14: The most offensive language must not be broadcast before the watershed (in the case of television)…. The Comedy Central Licensee, Paramount UK,  said the version of this film that was shown was rated „15 by the BBFC and it apologised for any distress caused to viewers. Paramount UK had created a pre-watershed version of the film to be shown at 18:00. However the post-watershed, unedited version of The Dukes of Hazard was broadcast in error. Ofcom Decision: Breaches of Rules 1.3 and 1.14 Ofcom noted that this 15 version of the film The Dukes of Hazzard included one sequence where the central characters, Bo and Luke Duke, went to a girl’s dormitory at a college to find a friend. When looking through different rooms, they found some topless women playing a game of hacky sack and joined in. Ofcom also noted various other examples of adult humour and sexual references in the film, as well as strong language. A BBFC 15 rating means that in the opinion of the BBFC a film is Suitable only for children 15 years and over. This broadcast version of the film therefore clearly in Ofcom’s opinion contained material that was unsuitable for children who were 14 years old or younger. The audience (and in particular parents) would not have expected this type of content to be shown on a channel like Comedy Central at this time. Children were therefore not protected by appropriate scheduling, and there was a breach of Rule 1.3. There were multiple uses of fuck and its derivatives, often in a sexual context, in this version of The Dukes of Hazzard broadcast in the early evening. There was therefore also a clear breach of Rule 1.14.

Ofcom Firing Squad Stands Down…Ofcom clear Jeremy Clarkson’s joke about shooting striking civil servants

Read more Ofcom Watch at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See article from bbc.co.uk See Letter to Unison [pdf] from stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk See video from youtube.com

Jeremy Clarkson on the One Show, BBC1 The controversial exchange came as Clarkson was asked his opinion of the civil servants engaged in a day-long industrial action over pensions. His initial response was: I think they have been fantastic. Absolutely. London today has just been empty. Everybody stayed at home, you can whizz about, restaurants are empty. However, he added: We have to balance this though, because this is the BBC. Frankly, I’d have them all shot. I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families. This resulted in 31,000 complaints to the BBC, and 736 to Ofcom. But the TV censor Ofcom concluded that the Top Gear presenter’s comments were not made seriously, and that Clarkson’s words were not at all likely to encourage members of the public… to act on them in any way. It would have been clear to most viewers that his comments were not an expression of seriously held beliefs or views that would be literally interpreted Ofcom acknowledged the comments were potentially offensive but concluded that they were justified by the context. Ofcom also pointed out that presenter Alex Jones had made a wide-ranging apology regarding Clarkson’s comments at the end of the programme. The BBC also later apologised for any offence caused.

Blocking Watching…Orange UK are blocking French digital rights campaign group

Read more UK News at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See article from openrightsgroup.org

Through reports to the blocked.org.uk site, we have established that Orange UK are filtering access to La Quadrature Du Net’s website on pre-paid mobile accounts. La Quadrature Du Net is similar to ORG — it is an advocacy group that seeks to defend citizen’s fundamental rights on the Internet. They have been a leading voice in the growing movement to oppose the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, behind which so much momentum is gathering. They have provided detailed analyses alongside practical suggestions about how to help with the political effort to oppose the treaty. Searching for LQDN’s website on Orange pre-pay handsets leads to a warning that Orange Safeguard has classified this page as only suitable for people over the age of 18. LQDN’s site does not contain any such material. But it still falls within the parameter of adult-related material. That La Quadrature Du Net is blocked under such a policy highlights the need for change. The problem of over-blocking is being exacerbated by a lack of transparency (so that it’s not clear what is blocked and to whom) and the problems users experience trying to opt-out. We’re gathering more evidence of the scale of the over-blocking problem through blocked.org.uk site, and you can help by reporting inappropriate blocks you find. We’re currently in the process of meeting the mobile operators and the Mobile Broadband Group to tell them our concerns and outline how we think the problems can be addressed. More efficient measures need to be implemented in order to allow parents to implement tools to try to manage their children’s Internet use whilst ensuring that adults are not subject to unnecessary censorship. Report blocked websites at blocked.org.uk

Repo Man…Inspirational censorship featuring the ‘Melon Farmers’ TV Version now released on region B Blu-ray

Read more Latest UK Cuts at MelonFarmers.co.uk

From article from eurekavideo.co.uk See trailer from youtube.com

Repo Man is a 1984 US Sci-Fi comedy action film by Alex Cox. With Harry Dean Stanton, Emilio Estevez and Tracey Walter. See IMDb UK 2012 Eureka Masters of Cinema (Melon Farmers TV Version+Uncut Version) Blu-ray at UK Amazon released today 20th February 2012 UK 2012 Eureka Masters of Cinema Steelbook Edition (Melon Farmers TV Version+Uncut Version) RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released today 20th February 2012 This Blu-ray will include as an extra, the inspirational BBC TV Version. This is the legendary variant, prepared by Alex Cox for a BBC showing which incorporates deleted material and surreal overdubs in place of profanity. In particular, ‘melonfarmers’ for ‘motherfuckers’ And a website is born! From publicity material Arguably the defining cult film of the Reagan era, the feature debut of Alex Cox is a genre-busting mash-up of atomic-age science fiction, post-punk anarchism, and conspiracy paranoia, all shot through with heavy doses of deadpan humour and offbeat philosophy. After quitting his dead-end supermarket job, young punk Otto (Emilio Estevez) is initiated as a repo man after a chance encounter with automobile repossessor Bud (Harry Dean Stanton). An illicit, high-voltage life follows, including an adrenalised search for a mysterious 64 Chevy Malibu loaded with radioactive — and extragalactic — cargo… With an iconic soundtrack (Iggy Pop, Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies), stunning Robby Muller cinematography, and iconoclastic direction, Repo Man remains one of the great debuts of the 1980s. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present a definitive, director-approved Blu-ray. New high-definition master in the original aspect ratio — 1.85:1 Original mono soundtrack and 5.1 remix, both in DTS-HD Master Audio English SDH subtitles on the main feature Isolated music and effects track Audio commentary with Cox and executive producer Michael Nesmith, casting director Victoria Thomas, and actors Sy Richardson, Zander Schloss, and Del Zamora All-new 2012 video piece by Cox offering further thoughts on the film Repo Man (entire TV version) — this legendary variant, prepared by Cox for network television, incorporates deleted material and surreal overdubs in place of profanity Repossessed — a retrospective video piece on the making of the film, featuring Cox, producers Peter McCarthy and Jonathan Wacks, and actors Del Zamora, Sy Richardson, and Dick Rude The Missing Scenes — a roundtable viewing of deleted scenes from the film with Cox, executive producer Michael Nesmith, real-life neutron bomb inventor Sam Cohen, and character J. Frank Parnell Harry Zen Stanton — an extended interview with the legendary actor Harry Dean Stanton Original theatrical trailer A 44-page full colour booklet specially created by Cox, entitled The Repo Code and incorporating all manner of Repo ephemera