Television thrives on unreason, and unreason thrives on television. It strikes at the emotions rather than the intellect.

Television thrives on unreason, and unreason thrives on television. It strikes at the emotions rather than the intellect. - Sir Robin Day

by Mike

Can you really hold a television station accountable for what it puts on late at night? I was thinking about this as I read an interesting story.

Apparently a Christian activist is seeking to use blasphemy laws to prosecute a top BBC executive over the broadcaster’s decision to screen “Jerry Springer-The Opera”, a musical many Christians found offensive.

Now I realise there are a lot of people who find swearing, vulgar and lewd behaviour offensive and I sympathise with them because at the end of it all it is there entitlement to expect to watch programmes that are free from this if they wish.

However there is something called a remote control. We seem to have more choice then ever as to what we can watch with cable and satellite television available to us at our finger tips.

I can understand in years gone by when there were maybe one or two stations available to us, but now if we do not like something we switch the channel?

I also think it is very difficult to gain widespread support for something like this. There are many out there who would find religious programmes like Songs of Praise and the now defunct Heaven and Earth offensive but yet there are no complaints when they are shown.

Can we all just learn to live with each other’s beliefs when it comes to what we are entitled to watch? I do not expect everyone to watch and listen to the same things as me. In fact I think it would be a dull and boring world if they did. A difference of opinion is not a bad thing.

After the watershed it is expected that only adults are watching this show, the contents of this show can vary and what is good for one person might not be the same for others. The days of banning the likes of “The Life of Brian” and “The Exorcist” because someone made the decision to speak for a nation are thankfully gone.

Wednesday, November 21st, 2007 and is filed under Thoughts & Questions, Views on News.