TV complaints, if you don't like it turn it off

After the mildly offensive act in which Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross sent mildly offensive messages on the answer phone of the mildly offended Andrew Sachs (who, in the end, wasn't too upset anyway), all the middle aged sad gits of the world overreacted, got on their moral soapboxes and started complaining about TV being too rude and how decency and respectability had been lost.  After this ended up on the news several times (apparently this was much more important than all the wars and murders that were happening at that time) and the duo got undeservedly punished for doing nothing much wrong, I thought this absurd incident was all over.

Now that Ross is back on the air though, this issue has resurfaced with lots of discussion, articles and programmes about the issue.  Fairly recently there was an episode of "Tonight with Trevor MacDonald" (or not Trevor MacDonald for this specific episode) titled "Is TV Too Rude?" in which a bunch of people were invited to watch certain TV clips, voice their opinion on the clip and then vote on whether it should have been broadcast.  By far the most vocal person there (I don't know his name so let's call him Richard) was strongly against every TV clip that was shown and didn't want them to be broadcast.  One thing he said which stood out was something along the lines of "I don't want to pay my TV license for this filth".

TV isn't there to entertain JUST YOU...

Well, here's the thing Richard.  If you don't want to pay your TV license then don't pay for it if you're that bothered.  What you have to understand is that TV isn't there to entertain JUST YOU, it's there to entertain everyone.  If you're upset by profanity and nudity then there are plenty of high quality programmes before the watershed for your enjoyment.  Alternatively you could just get rid of your television set and leave the rest of us to enjoy our programmes!

Profanity is part of our language and the human body is part of our art and culture and there's nothing you can do about it.  I hate soaps.  They're bland, repetitive and insult my intelligence but, even if I could, I wouldn't get rid of them.  The reason is that, unlike Richard, I understand the TV isn't out there just to entertain me.  I understand that many people enjoy soap operas and that I'm not forced to watch them.

TV is for everyone and if you don't like it then turn it off!

By: Chris

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Nice blog Chris you utter stoater, you have completely missed the point regarding BBC complaints. People are forced to pay a fee for the bbc regardless of the issue of them watching/ listening to the corporations shows or not. Therefore they are entitled to a say in what their hard earned money is paying for. What do you think of today's show... "In search of the perfect loaf"... are you happy that many struggling families had to pay for that production?! I think people have a right to complain when they are forced to fund prime time programs. Most of which resemble that rag in the corner of your room that you use after you've plucked up the energy to wipe yourself off. People should have a right to choose. There hasn't been any decent bbc television for years so why bother with one eh? Cos thats the law. If you weren't such a fat and lonely uppity crank, you would be out enjoying yourself like the rest of us life full-filling folk rather than writing blogs that aren't even good enough for the Daily Star's agony aunt comic strip section.

Actualy, I apologise...

It's just clicked...

are you Jonathan Ross??...

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Chris the jumped up bell end - 16-Jun-11 09:04 

Team 365, 80, Roding Road, Becton, London, E6 6LS. This is where the threatening mail from tv. licencing originates. It is situated on a small industrial estate that has one entrance that is the sole means of entry/exit. I recently came across this infomation

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alvin. - 14-Apr-11 19:57 

if tv is for everyone then why do people on nights only get a choice of news,kids cartoons and shopping chanels its rubbish in the mornings you guys get all the better programs in the evenings

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skivvy2 - 2-Mar-11 16:22 

Chris, you carry on. You made a valid point. Richard will surely die of a stress induced heart attack soon enough.

Ross and Brand made a mistake but their reception was over the top by the high horse brigade.

"Richard" may be a License paying individual but he doesn't need to watch a programme that offends him. That's why people have remote controls with other channel numbers and of course, the power button. Tough titty.

Still, let him have his cake and eat it. He's an individual amoung millions that don't care.


"oooooh Agnes, songs of praise is on, you know how I do love this show, lets start with the rumpy pumpy"..... is not how others feel.

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Chris. - 23-Apr-10 01:49 

Trouble is I end up turning just about everything off.

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Getting more pessimistic - 8-Jan-10 13:31 

Absolutely agree with Happy Bunny (Not)....I wish not paying my TV licence was an option, but I know my life would be made a misery by the endless letters threatening court action....and that was when I was paying for a licence. And even better, my licence fee is paying for the useless system which sends threatening letters to people already paying their licence fee, and pays for the letters, and the postage. In fact perhaps I am getting more value out of my licence fee than most. Given the choice I believe I could live without the BBC, especially if it meant not funding TV Licensing.

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Angry - 26-Nov-09 22:09 

Chris, you need to grow up. The License fee is a tax on the British people. This Richard person is forced by the law to pay the license. Even Ross and Brand apologized for the childish behavior.So why defend them, when they have already admitted they have been stupid. TV is not for everyone it is for the license paying British pubic. If you are forced to pay for something then you justifiably have a say in it.

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HAPPYBUNNYNOT - 10-Nov-09 20:53 

one thIng I must agree wIth regardIng 21st century televIsIon and the best thIng It has ever done It has made me understand just how Intelegent the vIctorIan erra was In comparIson.

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me - 6-Jun-09 00:30 

I see woss has got hIs toung wound hIs **** and apologIsed he should go for pwImInesta now oh sorry I mean priminister we have to get woss to say pwIminIsta the twIt

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me - 5-Jun-09 01:51 

If we dont lIke what we see on tv why should we turn It of I have trIed turning over and It Is just as bad no im paying the wages of the nutts who make and put on these bad programes , bottom line tv is the pItts and the numbskull boss,s dont have the brains to know what to do about it and they dont want to know , all they see is money money money, to-days television is the toilet of the world,just typical brItaIn as it has always been a country made up of braInless wonders It fIts In well wIth amerIca, look at blaIr and bush & co. the rIch robbIng the poor thIs Is tv at Its best crap.

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me - 5-Jun-09 00:05 

why should we turn of the tv If It offends us we are being charghed a rediculious amounts of money to have a tv set In our homes so Is It not time for tv boss,s to go back In time and take a leaf from the old hands when tv started up. we want quality family entertainment not cheap sex,foul laguage,obsenities,bad acting , pervertion, thIs Is but a view I must not forget the IdIotIc american programes put on the box as well .they must get these programes for nothing so do the job tv was invented for family entertainment,but I understand thIs wIll affect the tv boss,s payroll. and they dont lIke thIs.

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me - 4-Jun-09 23:22 

I forgot to watch MacDonalds programe as tv is,nt rude it,s diabolical there is nothing left for the Imagination any more . And as for Woss he should never have been back on the box as he could,nt even hold a job down in a puplic convienance Woss that Is.

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me - 4-Jun-09 02:49 

why dont you tv executives and bosses and well I will call them acters but most of us know they are not give our young children a chance in life with what they get dished up to watch give them quality not mad quantity of programes to watch or have you even disturbed your own ugly minds with the pure undiluted crap you put on the box,and you all dont know even how to get it right oh sorry I forgot you people only know money.

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me - 4-Jun-09 02:39 

television to-day has no quality or good family entertainment that we had in the 60,s to,early 90,s to-day we have to suffer very bad actors that could,nt even hold down a job on a building site . example modern sitcoms how anyone can laugh at them is beyond comprehention, but going back to those old early sitcoms even if we can act the parts are selves are better quality both in content and acting,sure this cheap made stuff suits those many numbskuls that dont know any better but to the many of us that remember good acting and quality t v we are being robbed from every direction, but any fool should know it all comes down to money making.

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me - 4-Jun-09 02:22 

Exactly. There's plenty else to watch. If a program really irritates us, it's best to avoid it altogether.

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Terry - 22-May-09 17:25 

Lounging in front of a beautifully clear HD TV all day doesn't make you have a life. It also matters on what type of shows you watch, especially if it's the grind-him-to-a-pulp-or-make-the-blood-pour-down-slowly type. Not a fan of that. I guess I don't mind violence in a movie, but if it's emphasized, put as its central theme, and gives you the message that killing people takes away all the stress in life, than I'd pounce on that remote control and TELL WHO'S BOSS!!!!!!

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Kirkus - 1-May-09 05:06 

It ISN'T for everyone. It is for the few who like the humiliations, smart aleck remarks, back-biting, nudity and the "F" word after every other word. TV sucks, that is why I read, do puzzles and exercise.

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seajaih - 19-Mar-09 00:49 

What's the problem with you people? Why watch the stuff that's served up on your tv anyway? Don't you realise that most of it is socially-conditioning cr*p? More and more reality shows, dire celebrity culture and ego-maniacs trying to out-do each other at every opportunity, including all the false trippers on music shows such a Jools Holland's.

Get rid of your tv and see if you can get a life. Bet you can't.

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Mr Rupert - 16-Feb-09 01:27 

What's the problem with you people? Why watch the stuff that's served up on your tv anyway? Don't you realise that most of it is socially-conditioning cr*p? More and more reality shows, dire celebrity culture and ego-maniacs trying to out-do each other at every opportunity, including all the false trippers on music shows such a Jools Holland's.

Get rid of your tv and see if you can get a life. Bet you can't.

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Mr Rupert - 16-Feb-09 01:27 

I find Big Brother offensive. I find dumbed-downed TV offensive to my intelligence. I find the size of the TV licence fee offensive. I find overpaid TV executives/presenters offensive.I find football on TV offensive.

I find some funny programmes funny, in the majority of cases the jokes are feeble.

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Turned Off - 11-Feb-09 17:22