Photos
Paul Mark Elliott
- Fenton Beasley
- (as Paul Mark Elliot)
Sebastian Coe
- Self
- (as Lord Coe of Ranmore)
Gerald Howarth
- Self
- (as Gerald Howarth MP)
Syd Rapson
- Self
- (as Syd Rapson MP)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis special was a parody of the hysteria over paedophilia stoked by the British news media in 2000. Channel 4 received over 3,000 complaints and the network issued a public apology. Politicians also condemned the programme but many of them admitted that they had not actually seen it. Christopher Morris never publicly addressed the controversy.
- Quotes
Christopher Morris: You are a paedophile, you are a nonce, you're a perv, you're a slot badger, you're a two pin din plug, you're a bush dodger, you're a small bean regarder, you're an unabummer, you're a nut administrator, you're a bent ref, you're the crazy world of Arthur Brown, you're a fence foal, you're a free willy, you're a chimney bottler, you're a bunty man, you're a shrub rocketeer...
- Crazy creditsCatapult Operators - Howard Jacobson, Mungo Jerry
- ConnectionsFeatured in Sex on TV: Opening the Floodgates (2002)
Featured review
Refreshing satire at the time that is still worth a look even if its importance and impact will have faded a little with time and passing context
A news special looking at the evil plague of paedophilia that stalks every street and puts every child at risk. They look just like ordinary people but they have the morals of crabs and will use any trick they can to get their hands on kiddies. Fearless reporter Chris Morris puts his subtlety and balance on hold and sets out with the help of many stars to expose the threat this overwhelming evil poses.
My plot summary is an attempt at the humour that this special programme delivered, although I don't think I can ever do justice to Chris Morris who may not be a genius but is certainly a very twisted individual. Before I review it, a little history. When this show came on the air it drew record complaints to Channel 4 and an entire storm of headlines from the Daily Mail (or, as some call it, the Daily Hate). At one point I got so annoyed by people like Mediawatch (Mary Whitehouse's organisation) chasing the moral high ground that I wrote to the top man (forget his name) to defend the show and also point out that in the same paper he had given an interview (Daily Star I think), on the same day but a few pages later was a picture of Charlotte Church with a headline like "Making a Fresh Breast" and a bit of text about how she's growing up nicely (if you know what I mean). Ironically she was 15 at the time.
He wrote back and disagreed with everything of course, said he didn't know about the Church thing (who'd have though the Star would letch after young women?) but was generally polite in the way that upper class English white men will always tend to be in letters. Anyway, my point at the time was that the show was not making light of paedophilia but was rather satirising the hysteria of the media in handling the subject, stirring up mob action and anger against anyone suspected of being a paedophile. Whether you think they all deserve to be shot or all require treatment in very secure facilities, this is still a valid point and the show succeeded in delivering it with Morris' unique sense of humour.
However it was all very, very sharp and dark and I understand why some viewers hated it (although Channel 4 actually got more compliments than complaints I was one of the former in an attempt to provide balance). It is a very serious subject and, although he was digging at the media, it does still give the impression of trivialising the issue. Morris was also accused of mocking the stars who were giving their time to a good cause but personally I thought they were part of the point that the outrageous things they were asked to say are only a few steps worse than the "truths" they are sold by the media normally. Perhaps the attacks on the media is part of the reason that the storm in the papers the next few days was so intense? Regardless this was classic Brass Eye and was as absurd and as clever a piece of satire as Morris was known for. Personally some of his stuff is a bit too "out there" for me (Jam and the like was not to my taste) but I love satire and his was generally imaginative, sharp and funny. The special will be remembered for years for the storm it kicked up but I hope that it is remembered as well for hitting a big ugly target bang in the middle. Years later the red top tabloids and the middle-England papers continue to play to the base elements of their readers and simplify and stir up issues and I wish we had someone like this to continue to mock it whenever he sees it. This was a great special that was refreshing at the time due to its topicality but is still worth seeing if you get the chance.
My plot summary is an attempt at the humour that this special programme delivered, although I don't think I can ever do justice to Chris Morris who may not be a genius but is certainly a very twisted individual. Before I review it, a little history. When this show came on the air it drew record complaints to Channel 4 and an entire storm of headlines from the Daily Mail (or, as some call it, the Daily Hate). At one point I got so annoyed by people like Mediawatch (Mary Whitehouse's organisation) chasing the moral high ground that I wrote to the top man (forget his name) to defend the show and also point out that in the same paper he had given an interview (Daily Star I think), on the same day but a few pages later was a picture of Charlotte Church with a headline like "Making a Fresh Breast" and a bit of text about how she's growing up nicely (if you know what I mean). Ironically she was 15 at the time.
He wrote back and disagreed with everything of course, said he didn't know about the Church thing (who'd have though the Star would letch after young women?) but was generally polite in the way that upper class English white men will always tend to be in letters. Anyway, my point at the time was that the show was not making light of paedophilia but was rather satirising the hysteria of the media in handling the subject, stirring up mob action and anger against anyone suspected of being a paedophile. Whether you think they all deserve to be shot or all require treatment in very secure facilities, this is still a valid point and the show succeeded in delivering it with Morris' unique sense of humour.
However it was all very, very sharp and dark and I understand why some viewers hated it (although Channel 4 actually got more compliments than complaints I was one of the former in an attempt to provide balance). It is a very serious subject and, although he was digging at the media, it does still give the impression of trivialising the issue. Morris was also accused of mocking the stars who were giving their time to a good cause but personally I thought they were part of the point that the outrageous things they were asked to say are only a few steps worse than the "truths" they are sold by the media normally. Perhaps the attacks on the media is part of the reason that the storm in the papers the next few days was so intense? Regardless this was classic Brass Eye and was as absurd and as clever a piece of satire as Morris was known for. Personally some of his stuff is a bit too "out there" for me (Jam and the like was not to my taste) but I love satire and his was generally imaginative, sharp and funny. The special will be remembered for years for the storm it kicked up but I hope that it is remembered as well for hitting a big ugly target bang in the middle. Years later the red top tabloids and the middle-England papers continue to play to the base elements of their readers and simplify and stir up issues and I wish we had someone like this to continue to mock it whenever he sees it. This was a great special that was refreshing at the time due to its topicality but is still worth seeing if you get the chance.
helpful•142
- bob the moo
- Dec 27, 2005
Details
- Runtime28 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
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