BBC screens Jerry Springer: The Opera - Christians up in arms and burning their TV licenses

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So the BBC is screening a recording of the current stage production of Jerry Springer: The Opera tomorrow night, and there are people complaining mightily and protesting outside White City due to the piece apparently containing rude words and being blasphemous. Why they've only realised this just as it's due to be broadcast is another matter, but what do you think?

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Friday, 7 January 2005 14:23 (twenty years ago)

I got an email about this morning. Other than that, I wouldn't have known it was happening.

Either the screening, or the protests.

― Masonic Boom-Boom (kate), Friday, 7 January 2005 14:28 (twenty years ago)

I only know from local news. I don't think the crazy Cs have been getting uch publicity, bless their cotton socks. I'm personally delighted by the screening as, even with a substantial discount from a dodgy ticket booth, it's a bit expensive to go see in the flesh.

Protests on religious grounds over stage productions seems to be on the rise in the UK (cf the violent Sikh invasion of a theatre in Birmingham recently), which is a bit worrying. Also, threats to burn TV licenses in front of the BBC TV Centre is a bit farcical: exactly what do these people think this will accomplish apart from them having to stand in line at the Post Office to get another?

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Friday, 7 January 2005 14:29 (twenty years ago)

Hmm. The BBC website carries a story about the controversial nature of a forthcoming BBC broadcast.

On the other hand, David Soul!

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Friday, 7 January 2005 14:29 (twenty years ago)

I would burn my TV liscence at the thought of yet another freaking season of Big Brother. THat's about it. Except, oh wait, it's Channel 4. Never mind. SPEND THE MONEY ON TIME TEAM INSTEAD, YOU BASTARDS, IT'S TIME TONY ROBINSON HAD A PAYRISE!!!

― Masonic Boom-Boom (kate), Friday, 7 January 2005 14:30 (twenty years ago)

I know! I've just not got around to seeing it at the theatre, but that's what really 'Soul'd it to me. Ahem.

er xpost

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Friday, 7 January 2005 14:30 (twenty years ago)

I would love to see Jerry Springer the Opera. But only when it comes to the Royal Opera House.

― Masonic Boom-Boom (kate), Friday, 7 January 2005 14:31 (twenty years ago)

why is JSTO more offensive than... fuck, i don't know, 'i'm a celebrity' or 'harry potter'? weird.

― henry miller, Friday, 7 January 2005 14:33 (twenty years ago)

they do say cunt a lot more than anyone in harry potter. that would make it more offensive to a lot of people.

sorry, i just blogged this link http://www.mediawatchuk.org/news%20and%20views/Jerry%20Springer%20The%20Opera.htm on FT and only just saw this thread.

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Friday, 7 January 2005 14:35 (twenty years ago)

Ahahaha that letter suggests showing a PANTO instead! Which isn't offensive at all, nudge nudge wink wink.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Friday, 7 January 2005 14:38 (twenty years ago)

i love pantos! how about "as well as" instead of "instead".

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Friday, 7 January 2005 14:39 (twenty years ago)

More than 8,000 obscenities will be broadcast when BBC2 shows a screen version of the musical Jerry Springer The Opera in January.

If you multiply the number of times words are uttered by the number of people singing. How exceedingly dishonest of you, The Daily Mail.

― robster (robster), Friday, 7 January 2005 14:46 (twenty years ago)

Clearly, mad Christian nutters don't bother with the theatre much. They're only concerned when things get on the telly.

― caitlin (caitlin), Friday, 7 January 2005 14:59 (twenty years ago)

And I don't go round burning my telly licence every time A Prayer at Bedtime is on, do I?

Bunch of cunts. CUNTS!

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Friday, 7 January 2005 15:03 (twenty years ago)

Sorry, it's telly's fault.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Friday, 7 January 2005 15:09 (twenty years ago)

Sometimes "Bells on Sunday" makes me want to burn my license.

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Friday, 7 January 2005 15:15 (twenty years ago)

Apparently Stewart Lee was complaining in the Daily Express about how the BBC had taken this show and sold it entirely on the basis that it was sweary and blasphemous rather than any actual content it had. Anyone got a link?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 7 January 2005 15:52 (twenty years ago)

Stewart Lee's statement

― carson dial (carson dial), Friday, 7 January 2005 16:11 (twenty years ago)

What a sensible boy he is.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Friday, 7 January 2005 16:46 (twenty years ago)

This link and this link are pretty insightful.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Friday, 7 January 2005 20:19 (twenty years ago)

Hmmm, looks like a nasty meeting of Christian fundamentalists and Murdoch's organisation. Why does this sound so familiar?

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Friday, 7 January 2005 20:34 (twenty years ago)

Well that was fairly good.

― Bernard the Butler (Lynskey), Sunday, 9 January 2005 00:05 (twenty years ago)

Oh fuck, I forgot to watch this and tuned into Sleb BB instead :(

― The Lex (The Lex), Sunday, 9 January 2005 00:13 (twenty years ago)

That was pretty cool, I must say. Backed up Lenny Bruce's theory about disempowering swears through repetition, if nothing else

― DJ Mencap0))), Sunday, 9 January 2005 00:40 (twenty years ago)

Not so disempowering that the Devil being described as the cuntiest cunting cunt didn't make me laugh like a drain though.

― RickyT (RickyT), Sunday, 9 January 2005 00:57 (twenty years ago)

why screen Jerry Springer: The Opera, on TV, when, on TV, you can just show Jerry Springer?

― ken c (ken c), Sunday, 9 January 2005 21:10 (twenty years ago)

Hmm, Daily Mail in Beeb bashing shocker.

― Ed (dali), Sunday, 9 January 2005 21:24 (twenty years ago)

I'm sure they would have loved Stewart Lee's t-shirt.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Sunday, 9 January 2005 21:54 (twenty years ago)

hang on, how is swearing a bigger sin than killing the innocents? surely these xtians ought to be protesting outside number 10 daily? where in the bible does it say christians need to run the state? (genuinely interested here).

― henry miller, Monday, 10 January 2005 12:38 (twenty years ago)

There was an awful lot of swearing, yes.

― Masonic Boom-Boom (kate), Monday, 10 January 2005 12:40 (twenty years ago)

The problem it seems is not the sin its the broadcasting of the sin on TV.

11th Commandmant

Thou shalt broadcast any of the above on TV, when it's invented.

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Monday, 10 January 2005 12:42 (twenty years ago)

I watched a few seconds but the music and singing was awful.

― Puddin'Head Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 10 January 2005 12:48 (twenty years ago)

We taped it and haven't watched it yet. It does worry me somewhat that, after all the fuss, it'll turn out to be not very good.

― robster (robster), Monday, 10 January 2005 12:50 (twenty years ago)

I thought it was hillarious, but somewhat tame, really. Jesus didn't come off very well. But then again, it's Jerry Springer, *no one* comes off well.

― Masonic Boom-Boom (kate), Monday, 10 January 2005 12:54 (twenty years ago)

I watched the first hour, but got bored by then.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 10 January 2005 12:59 (twenty years ago)

I was a bit bored by the end of the first hour; but the second half was a bit more entertaining.

― caitlin (caitlin), Monday, 10 January 2005 13:05 (twenty years ago)

i'm kind of sad that i had missed this now. now i can't watch jerry springer the talk show on TV without thinking "what if the opera was better", but then the reviews on ilx so far have been reassuring.

I thought the christians were main angry about the blasphemous part with the jesus in nappies thing, rather than the swearing. some were probably angry about the swearing, too. plus the newspapers may be.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 10 January 2005 13:14 (twenty years ago)

thou shalt not obv

xxxxxpost

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Monday, 10 January 2005 13:22 (twenty years ago)

burning tv licences
> exactly what do these people think this will accomplish apart from
> them having to stand in line at the Post Office to get another?

they don't even need to do that - the tv licensing people will have their addresses on file and won't bother them until they send reminders. when was the last time anyone asked to physically see your tv licence?

what i thought was a bit off is the bbc spoiling it for the theatre in much the same way screening, say, The Mousetrap would. (is the mousetrap still running?)

― koogs (koogs), Monday, 10 January 2005 13:31 (twenty years ago)

The only time I've ever looked at my TV license is when friends down the pub have said: "what's the phone number for getting a TV license? Is it on yours?"

― caitlin (caitlin), Monday, 10 January 2005 16:36 (twenty years ago)

why did they think you'd have brought a TV licence to the pub?

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 10 January 2005 16:41 (twenty years ago)

Christians have the special TV where you have to insert the license into the television before anything comes out...

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 10 January 2005 16:41 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

Just read this and am now seething. It's ok for Christians to practice blackmail now apparently.

― lock robster (robster), Wednesday, 23 February 2005 17:00 (twenty years ago)

four years pass...

My wife and I saw a production of this yesterday. A very good friend of ours is playing Jesus in it.

It's not as shocking as I was expecting it to be in that there was no out-and-out nudity; the protesters they got on opening night were pretty lol.

― admiral tub-a-lub (HI DERE), Monday, 11 May 2009 18:42 (sixteen years ago)

oh, btw the show itself was pretty damned entertaining, esp. re: the ridiculous musical quotes in it; it would veer from "Wicked" to pastiching baroque opera and it was all awesome

― admiral tub-a-lub (HI DERE), Monday, 11 May 2009 18:57 (sixteen years ago)

I'm still waiting for a revival of Romans In Britain.

― Ned Trifle II, Monday, 11 May 2009 19:02 (sixteen years ago)

Oh, it was revived. I missed it.

― Ned Trifle II, Monday, 11 May 2009 19:05 (sixteen years ago)

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