The Daily Mail Opts In to Opt In/Opt Out Confusion…Daily Mail incorrectly claims 66% of those surveyed support default block on internet porn

Read more UK News at MelonFarmers.co.uk

Thanks to Thomas & Therumbler See article from dailymail.co.uk

The Daily Mail claims that 66% the public back its campaign for a default block of adult content on internet websites. A poll by YouGov found that 66% of the people they surveyed support calls for ISPs to block pornographic sites from homes by default. Just 22% opposed the idea. However it seems that the Daily Mail have got somewhat confused about the stupid ‘opt in’/'opt out’ tags See YouGov Poll Results [pdf] from d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net Last question: Some people think that customers should have to choose to have their internet service filtered (an opt-in service), other people think that internet services should all be filtered unless customers ask for their service to be unfiltered (an opt-out service) Opt-in (someone’s internet service should only be filtered if they ask for it) 57% in support Opt-out (people’s internet service should be filtered unless they ask for it not to be) 36% in support Don’t know 8% In fact the majority polled support the option for internet blocking, not that it should be imposed by default

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3…Recommended by Keith Vaz in yet another parliamentary EDM

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See article from parliament.uk Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is available at UK Amazon

Early day motion 3014: VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES (No. 2) Primary sponsor: Keith Vaz That this House is reminded of the consequences of the ineffectual Pan European Game Information (PEGI) classification system for video games following the testimony of Anders Breivik about the tragic events in Norway in July 2011; notes that in his submission of evidence to the court Breivik describes how he trained for the attacks using the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare; is disturbed that Breivik used the game to help hone his target acquisition and the suggestion that the simulation prepared him for the attacks; is concerned that PEGI as a classification system can only provide an age-rating and not restrict ultra-violent content; recognises that in an era of ever-more sophisticated and realistic game-play more robust precautions must be taken before video games are published; and calls on the Government to provide for closer scrutiny of aggressive first-person shooter video games. Signed by: Bottomley, Peter Conservative Party Worthing West Hopkins, Kelvin Labour Party Luton North McDonnell, John Labour Party Hayes and Harlington Russell, Bob Liberal Democrats Colchester Vaz, Keith Labour Party Leicester East

Daily Mail in Harrowing Attack on TV Programme…A few viewers complaint about violent scenes in Silent Witness

Read more UK TV and Radio News at MelonFarmers.co.uk

27th April 2012. See article from dailymail.co.uk

According to the ever ludicrous Daily Mail: The BBC has been hit with a ‘flood’ of complaints over a ‘harrowing’ sex attack scene in crime drama Silent Witness. Viewers were ‘appalled’ at the ‘graphic’ violence on the BBC1 series this week, contacting the broadcaster in their hundreds to register ‘anger’. As well as a scene in which a murderous prison guard carried out a prolonged sexual assault on a man, apparently using a baton, the programme also featured ‘explicit’ images of a man having his throat cut. Although the show aired after the watershed, a few viewers said the assault was graphic and nasty and went too far. There have been about 500 complaints about two episodes, with the BBC receiving 483 and TV censor Ofcom a further 35. The complaints will be assessed by Ofcom. A large number related to the scenes where prison officer Daniel Kessler was shown attacking a drug dealer in a toilet. Viewers heard the violence being carried out in a closed cubicle and saw blood seep from beneath the door. The man’s half-dressed body was later seen as the prison guard emerged from the cubicle. While the attack was not shown in full, the use of sound, including the maniacal comments of the killer and the screams of the victim, left viewers in little doubt what was happening. A BBC statement said the scene was not an attempt to gratuitously shock the audience but was rooted in character and research and showed the brutality that Kessler was capable of. We don’t feel the content of these episodes would have gone beyond viewers expectations We’re sorry if you [viewers] felt we got it wrong on this occasion.’ Update: BBC Response 29th April 2012. See article from bbc.co.uk We’ve received complaints from some viewers who felt the two part instalment of Silent Witness entitled Redhill was too violent. As programme makers we take our responsibility to the audience extremely seriously and try to make sure we strike the right balance between compelling drama without being unnecessarily graphic. Towards the end of the first episode we had established that DI Bridges and Officer Kessler had previously worked together and that he was the one very much in control. The final scene was not an attempt to gratuitously shock the audience; it was rooted in character and research, showing just what DI Bridges was prepared to do for her colleague for the sake of her family, as well as the brutality that Kessler was capable of. We acknowledge that certain scenes may have been challenging, but we filmed and presented them in such a way as to make sure that although as a viewer the implication was there, it was never actually shown. Silent Witness is now in its 15th series and we believe the general tone and content is widely recognised by its regular audience. It’s fair to say the show is known for tackling challenging stories and exploring adult themes and we don’t feel the content of these episodes would have gone beyond viewer’s expectations. As well as scheduling the series after the 9pm watershed, we made sure the content was widely publicised and gave a warning before both episodes which on Sunday stated: …With scenes some viewers might find upsetting and violent scenes. And Monday: ….With graphic violent scenes and some scenes which some viewers might find upsetting, Silent Witness. We’re sorry if you felt we got it wrong on this occasion.

All Set for the London 1984 Olympics…Spectators to be banned from posting their own photos on Facebook

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See article from bigbrotherwatch.org.uk

Enjoy the Games! Well it seems that Olympic authorities are predictably going to treat spectators as shit. Amateur Photographer reports that it will be against Olympic rules to tweet, share on Facebook or in any way share your photos of the event. Quite how this will be policed is beyond comprehension and one would hope police officers are not going to be expected to pursue anyone seen posting photos on Instagram. The London 2012 conditions state: Images, video and sound recordings of the Games taken by a Ticket Holder cannot be used for any purpose other than for private and domestic purposes and a Ticket Holder may not license, broadcast or publish video and/or sound recordings, including on social networking websites and the internet more generally, and may not exploit images, video and/or sound recordings for commercial purposes under any circumstances, whether on the internet or otherwise, or make them available to third parties for commercial purposes. Coming after moves to restrict public demonstrations, photographers being interrogated on public footpaths and concern around heavy-handed commercial restrictions on what logos you can wear inside the Olympic village, this is yet another worrying development. Rather than being the celebration organisers promised, London 2012 is rapidly risking becoming one of the most intimidating and restrictive events seen for decades.

Confused.com Advert Winds up the Easily Outraged…Drip drip drip of Mothers’ Union whingeing becomes a torrent of bilge

Read more ASA Watch at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See article from dailymail.co.uk See advert from youtube.com

TV viewers have got their knickers in a twist over the sight of cartoon women dancing in bikinis and a large woman flashing her underwear in an advert. The 30-second TV ad for insurance company confused.com has resulted in 37 nutter complaints from ‘outraged’ members of the public who ludicrously claim it is too overly sexual. Cartoon characters with large breasts in skimpy bikinis are shown jumping up and down in slow motion to the Village People’s YMCA song – while another woman’s short dress rides up to expose her pink knickers. The ASA has investigated the firm’s ad and has found the complaints to be bollox. A spokesman for the authority said the organisation had received a number of complaints on a range of issues including that the ads were misleading in the representation of the value of nectar points. Other complaints were logged because the advert was overly sexual and inappropriate for children to see, and that it is offensive in stereotyping on religious and race grounds. The spokesman said: We have decided, following an ASA Council decision, that there were no grounds to take any action on these issues. The Mothers’ Union today slammed the advert for increasing the creeping sexualisation of television. A spokesprat said: This advert increases our major concern about the drip-drip affect of sexualisation of everyone on television. It is having an impact on everyone – including children – and we need to protect them from this wallpapering of sexualisation. It is high time something is done about this. We need to become aware of what is going on before the drip-drip becomes a torrent.

Researching the BBFC Research Facilities…Best to take an assistant with a photographic memory

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Thanks to Rob See My Trip To The BBFC from bookofthedead.ws See also BBFC FAQ: Can I research BBFC film files? from bbfc.co.uk

Much as I would like to make a post here praising the people at the British Board of Film Classification for their hospitality and helpfulness, I can’t. So I’ve written out the story anyway lest anyone else find themselves in the same situation. So, a friend sent me a link to the BBFC website, which seemed to offer the ability for anyone to come in and view their records of any film they’d classified: The BBFC has over 60,000 historic records of classification decisions made since 1 January 1913. Some are noted in Film Registers and there are paper files from around the late 1950s onwards. The file for any work which is over twenty years old is available for research purposes on the Board’s premises. The files do vary in size and content. Anyone wishing to view the Board’s records should email helpline@bbfc.co.uk and should provide a list of film titles and release dates. We will check the availability of each file and contact you to make an appointment to come in and view the records. No file can be removed from our building. We only charge for this service if we have to recall a box from our external archive and the cost is ฃ17.24 for up to four boxes. You will have to complete a Copyright Acceptance Form before viewing and you should refer to it for terms and conditions.   Are you sure they sent us to the right place for the BBFC research facility? I took the day off work and caught the train to visit the BBFC… …Read the full article: My Trip To The BBFC

Shadowy Labour…Labour add to the shrill nutter cacophony calling for one size fits all website blocking

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See article from telegraph.co.uk

Senior Labour MPs have supported a default block on adult websites. Jenny Chapman, the shadow minister for justice, and Helen Goodman, the shadow minister for culture, media and sport, pledged their support. In an article for the Daily Mail they condemned the access to pornography as a modern-day form of pollution. They wrote: Children are regularly seeing pornography and sometimes being groomed for sex. Righting these wrongs is not an attack on civil liberties. Adults will still have the choice to access material they want to see. But in a civilised society we must also protect our children. What we want to see is the same balance of rights and responsibilities as we have in the real world. They also claimed that sales of televisions with internet access meant even more children will be one click from the strongest material. They attacked Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s proposal, which involves asking the four major ISPs to offer new customers the chance to opt out of access to pornography. They argue it would be 2017 before the proportion of households included reached 90%. They added that the plan does not go nearly far enough.

Rated Spider for Tangled Web of Rules…UK video games now reported to be exclusively using PEGI ratings from July 2012

Read more VSC and PEGI Watch at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See article from thegamershub.net

Nearly three years ago, PEGI was selected to be the organisation to rate videogames, and passed into law in 2010 as part of the Digital Economy Bill, but due to issues behind-the-scenes its full implementation has been delayed. Now Dr. Jo Twist UKIE, the UK trade group representing the video game industry, said: Our next major campaign launches this summer to promote PEGI and to demystify video games to parents. This campaign will launch when PEGI is finally implemented. PEGI is indeed progressing and the latest estimated implementation date is this July.

Script Censors…BBFC suggested cuts so that the film Now is Good could be rated 12A

Read more Latest UK Cuts at MelonFarmers.co.uk

Thanks to Gav See article from bbfc.co.uk

Now is Good is a 2012 UK drama by Ol Parker. With Dakota Fanning, Kaya Scodelario and Jeremy Irvine. See IMDb. Passed 12A for strong language, drug use, sex references & terminal illness theme after BBFC suggested cuts were implemented for: UK 2012 cinema release The BBFC commented: The BBFC was given a draft script before the film was produced and advised the company that a film of the script would be likely to receive a 15 classification. In order to achieve the company’s preferred 12A classification, the BBFC advised that: some visual and verbal sex references should be removed, that sight of potentially harmful behaviour should be removed, that use of strong language should be reduced, and that a scene in which drugs are prepared and taken should be substantially reduced. When the film was submitted for classification, the changes recommended at the script stage had been made and the film was classified 12A.

Scary Censorship…Massively edited made for TV ghost movie not edited enough for daytime TV

Read more Ofcom Watch at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See article [pdf] from stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk

Secrets in the Walls Channel 5, 20 January 2012, 15:15 A complainant alerted Ofcom to the pre-watershed broadcast of the film The Secrets in the Walls because of concerns that it contained supernatural and horror themes and images unsuitable for a child audience. Ofcom noted that this was a made-for-television film about a mother who moves into a new home with her two daughters where, it is later revealed, a young teenage bride had been murdered. Her malevolent spirit now seeks to free itself by possessing the older daughter. The film featured the following scenes: the unexpected appearance of the spirit in front of the daughters and at the window of the house, and their reactions of fear and distress; supernatural activities such as unexplained music from a jewellery box, slamming doors and flickering lights; the older daughter was trapped in the wardrobe screaming and scratching as the light in the wardrobe flickered on and off (it was later revealed that she lost two fingernails from her frantic scratching to get out); an attempted exorcism to banish the spirit from the house; and the possession of the older daughter by the spirit. Ofcom considered Rule 1.3 of the Code: Children must … be protected by appropriate scheduling from material that is unsuitable for them. Channel 5 said that in total 18 edits were made to the film with the aim of reducing the overall horror/thriller tone of the film and this was the version that was broadcast. However, having reviewed this broadcast version, Channel 5 stated: we are of the view that further significant edits would have been required to make the programme suitable for a 3.15pm timeslot, or, the programme should have been scheduled at a time when children were not likely to be watching. Re-scheduling this version of the programme would have been the preferable solution as further edits…seem likely to compromise the editorial narrative of the programme, distort its meaning and/or confuse viewers. Ofcom Decision: Breach of Rule 1.3 This film contained themes, sequences and images of menace, threat and suspense as well as specific examples of supernatural activity, exorcism and possession which are typically found in horror films aimed at adult viewers. In one particular example, the mother was asleep in darkness when a shrill scream came from her older daughter’s bedroom, piercing the silence. The mother and younger daughter ran to the bedroom and loud scratching and screams for help and I can’t breathe could be heard. The light in the cupboard flickered on and off as the mother pulled open the doors to release her daughter, whose hands were injured from scratching at the closed doors to escape. These scenes were accompanied throughout by menacing sound effects and music. Further scenes featured the spirit appearing to the daughters unexpectedly in the mirror and at windows; and an attempt to exorcise the spirit that resulted in the woman conducting the exorcism being knocked down violently. In Ofcom’s view these themes, sequences and images were unsuitable for child viewers and hence in breach of Rule 1.3