Cussing in British Tv?

[eldiaoble]

I was just re watching Top Gear of the Pops, and when Lethal Bizzle was singing, Jeremy Clarkson said "WHAT THE IS THIS?" (without the censor)

Is cussing allowed in British TV? cause in America it would just be bleeped, or is it just on the BBC?

Side Note: First time making a thread sorry if repost or in wrong area, but i did search before hand so yeah.

[James May's Hair]

Swearing is acceptable on television in the U.K. but only after 9:00pm. This is the time when it is generally accepted that children are not watching; if children are watching after 9:00pm it's the responsibility of the parents to make the decision on what is and what is not suitable.

Ten years ago you wouldn't have been allowed to say 'fuck' - but you can now. You even hear it in sitcoms Eg: The Office, Nighty Night, The Smoking Room and others. You can do this on any channel, not just the BBC. In fact, if you can do it on the BBC you can do it on any channel. Click here - the Watershed.

I remember people in this country scratching their heads when the Americans went berserk after Janet Jackson's 'wardrobe malfunction'. I seem to remember a similar incident here with a (talentless) singer called Javine - no-one gave a toss.

America is more reserved than Britain.

[eldiaoble]

also with episode 07X06 where the celebrity guest David Walliams he was saying how he wiped bird off of his car, that was censored. does that mean that this particular part was before nine o'clock?

[Speedtouch]

Yes, normal Top Gear is aired at 8:00pm. So it finishes at 9:00. The TG Of The Pops ep was during Comic Relief, so had a random slot, which was at 10:00 I think. If it had of been before 9:00, they would've bleeped it out.

[Karoug]

That's just silly.. we don't have that shit in sweden...

[edkwon]

I was watching Torchwood, and they swear on that show all the time.

[nomix]

Originally Posted by Karoug

That's just silly.. we don't have that shit in sweden...

Neither do we.

If there's one single thing I can not stand, it's when stupid people force their moral onto others. They can quite simply go to hell.

[James May's Hair]

Originally Posted by nomix

Neither do we.

If there's one single thing I can not stand, it's when stupid people force their moral onto others. They can quite simply go to hell.

I agree with that, nomix, but people here don't actually have a problem with the Watershed; it's not something people disagree with, or want to abolish.

Mind, we do get stupid bloody warnings about 'strong language' in a programme, even if it is broadcast at 1:00am. Now that really is stupid.

[nomix]

My point is, there is no evidence that swearing causes any harm. It's regarded as 'bad' because someone decieded it was bad some time ago.

Well. That's just the way it is.

[essentialatom]

^ Yeah, but nomix, you're forgetting, if swear words are 'allowed', then when are they fun to use?

[nozzi]

First.... its fun because its naughty.

Second. who watches torchwood? Booooooo.......

[Koenig]

None of Gordon Ramsay's shows are censored FYI.

[evans]

I can't see why a nation would be so uptight with this kind of stuff anyway.
I guess some people believe not swearing is a Christian value, and America is a very Christian place.

I don't think we have these kinds of rules here in Denmark - I've even heard "fuck" in a commercial sometimes.

[liquid_rockface]

I don't like to hear swearing on TV. In the right time at the right place it can be appropriate, but often I find on TV it is used JUST to be provocative and stupid and "funny". I think maybe that in some UK countries, especially Ireland and Scotland, people swear quite freely, so Britain is less averse to it. I remember once a young Scottish man who came to lead a youth course in South Africa, and the ages of the people present ranged from about 10 to 70, with the majority being in their teens.

He started to tell some joke which had the F word in it, and everybody was quite shocked, and he apologized afterwards saying that he did not know that it was such an offensive word in South Africa, because in Ireland people use it freely all the time. So maybe it's a cultural thing that varies from country to country.

Again, personally I don't like it....imagine you saw Tony Blair or George Bush or whoever your President is on TV and he's swearing and being vulgar....you'd lose respect for him very quickly and you'd feel he is not competent at his job (regardless of how he is really performing).

[Teuppa]

Originally Posted by liquid_rockface

Again, personally I don't like it....imagine you saw Tony Blair or George Bush or whoever your President is on TV and he's swearing and being vulgar....you'd lose respect for him very quickly and you'd feel he is not competent at his job (regardless of how he is really performing).

Our president here in Finland is pretty much just a figurehead with no power what so ever. She's been compared to a cartoon character(the moomin) among other things(Conan O'Brian has made many shows where he compares himself to her), she's a bit stocky, got red hair and can't pronounce the letter R properly. If she was to utter a curse word in tv, especially our most prominent one with the letter R in it, Perkele, I think my respect for her would only rise

And mate, lose respect in George Walker "fool me once, shame on.. shame on..you?" Bush? He's a cowboy from texas, cursing is probably the only thing he CAN do right.

What I personally can't understand is the way cursing is abhorred in the states. The tv station that aired Prison Break said that there won't be any swearing in it.. in a prison show..Talk about realism! It's downright bizarre when they don't swear! But I can live with it. But don't you think it's a bit hypocritical not to show swearing in it when they show people getting stabbed, shot, mutilated(they cut one guy's hand of with an axe), tortured and strongly imply to man rapeing another man? But no swearing 'cause that's just bad and will not be tolerated! That country has got some serious issues. But what can you expect from a nation that's got, in the day of semi-automatics, the right to bear arms and/or arm bears in their constitution from the era when guns(as in muskets) were loaded with chartridges through the barrel by sticks(inspired by: Robbin Williams, Live at Broadway).

But that's only my opinnion. I've got no issues with swearing. It's quite normal here and in the coutryside pretty much expected. If I hear it on tv, it's more refreshing than anything else

[nomix]

Originally Posted by essentialatom

^ Yeah, but nomix, you're forgetting, if swear words are 'allowed', then when are they fun to use?

Every single time.

But seriously, I'm biased. I'm from the North of Norway. We have a different view on swearing than the rest of the country. Even if most Norwegians swear quite a bit.

We even have a court ruling that in clear words says simply that if you live in the northern part of Norway, you are allowed to call a police officer "a horses penis", to put it politely. Because of cultural stuff.

Originally Posted by liquid_rockface

Again, personally I don't like it....imagine you saw Tony Blair or George Bush or whoever your President is on TV and he's swearing and being vulgar....you'd lose respect for him very quickly and you'd feel he is not competent at his job (regardless of how he is really performing).

I wouldn't. It's a well used myth round here, that if you swear, that's because you can't find any words that fits the context. Which is the biggest load of rubble ever.

If I see our PM swearing and being vulgar, that wouldn't change my respect for him, I don't judge people on that basis, I don't find it demaging in any way. If a politician has the good manner to appear like a normal straight forward guy, that's a plus for us Norwegians. After all, we like to think our leaders are the same as ourselves, right? If they can't act like normal people, why should you regard them as straight forward, normal people?

[teeb]

Originally Posted by liquid_rockface

Again, personally I don't like it....imagine you saw Tony Blair or George Bush or whoever your President is on TV and he's swearing and being vulgar....you'd lose respect for him very quickly and you'd feel he is not competent at his job (regardless of how he is really performing).

I seem to remember a clip of Blair and Bush talking, in a kind of relaxed atmosphere at some fancy meeting, unaware a camera's on them, and George Bush saying the 's' word, in relation to Al-Qaeda. The magic of lipreading technology.

It was on Have I Got News For You.

*typical joke about how it's hard to lose any more respect for Dubya than already*

[essentialatom]

^ They were actually being accidentally recorded, Bush said something like "The irony is that all Libya needs to do is get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit"

IIRC, that was also the 'Yo, Blair' conversation.

[Blythy]

bbc and itv have a 9:30 fuck watershed

[StarTipsy]

Interestingly the only remaining taboo swear words are racial ones. Even the "C" word is more commonplace now than ever before.