Got a 2 page A4 reply in response ot the complaints I lodged regarding the hanging, amongst other things, on the last MHL. It essentially said that they felt the language was acceptable as it was broadcast after 11pm and after all, KB apologised (if that's what passes for an apology these days) afterwards, so that's all right then. They said his lapse in language seemed unplanned and aat a point at which viewers should not have been able to hear him?
They also said, in the brief at best reference to the 'hanging' that that too was acceptable as it was 'in context.' They take my complaint seriously, blah blah etc etc, but MHL are in no way at fault and everything in the garden is rosy.
Just thought I'd share the outcome with you.
For my part, that was not an apology, that was a lame attempt at blaming someone else for his (KB's) mistake, but there we go, that's just my personal view.
So, nothing's changed then. Didn't really expect it to.
In other words, they're not interested. What's the point of having Ofcom if they are just going to defend everything? Defeats the object of taking the time to complain.
Thanks for posting this, romany. I'm sure you won't be the only one disappointed at Ofcom's response.
"No passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone else's draft." H G Wells
Post by The Legendary Barb on Dec 23, 2009 10:11:01 GMT
I think M H pass everything they are likely to do, to a company of lawyers their own ,and also the T V channels that are going to show them. They will cover every possible complaint that can be brought against them just in case. It seems to be working for them at least. Not so for some adverts that have been altered /taken off air for something trivial. The mind boggles for what they are being allowed to do without even having their knuckles rapped. It leaves the field wide open for future shows.
your never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream[C.S Lewis]
I don't see the problem with bad language after 11pm. We all know with the edited versions and the bleeping that they swear a lot so what are people expecting? Rather than go to OFCOM, why not just switch the channel as I would do?
Post by The Legendary Barb on Dec 23, 2009 11:33:56 GMT
I personally was not referring to the swearing you do not have to just watch M H to hear this. Bad language seems to be the norm now what ever you watch.
As much as I hate MH and their crew, I hate even more the people who complain to OFCOM. I mean this in a general sense and not personally anyone here. Its like at School, people running to the teacher to tell on someone. I am always amazed that tv shows, radio shows have to pay fines, say apologies because A MINORITY of the viewers/listeners complained. What about the majority who don't complain? We have a rich variety of channels these days and the easiest decision anyone can make is to switch over the channel. That would hurt MH a lot more than complaing about it.
I complained to OFCOm (first time ever in my life, don't think I'll bother again) specifically because MH and MHL seem to be getting away with more and more, scot free. I actually had more of an issue with regard to the staged hanging than the language - interesting that in their response they barely referred to that. They banned the Tango ad because it featured a fat man slapping someone, but it's okay to stage a hanging in the name of 'entertainment?' I made the point about the swearing just to illustrate the fact that MH would appear to be untouchable in the land of telly these days - I have endured plenty of late night programmes where the expletives have been bleeped out, for no apparent reason. I have watched music videos where the less pc language was bleeped out throughout, making a nonsense of the song. Yet KB gets away with this? His choice of language was far from mild, too. I know these days anyone who takes offense at anything is considered a prude, but if I had been in the same room as KB I would have found his language offensive. To make things worse, his so called 'apology' was little more than a vicious little dig at the person who had apparently spoken to him on the phone and became an opportunity for KB to blame others for his actions. It was hardly a sincere apology. I won't go into the fact that, given it was a live show and he is supposed to be a professional, he should perhaps have chosen his words more carefully regardless of who was around or whether the cameras were rolling or not.
As to the 'just switch over' argument - that really gets my goat. Yes, I have a choice to watch or not to watch. On this occasion I chose to watch - does that then mean that I have no right to pass comment, make any observation or criticism of the show? When you watch a football match, does that mean that you have to clap and say 'jolly well done chaps' even when some idiot's blatantly fouled and then called the ref a a w***er for doing him for it? Would you accept it if somebody said to you, 'well if you don't like the result, don't watch it next time?' Forgive the analogy but it's the same principle. I have the right to watch if I so choose (MH are not quite at the stage where they can hand pick their television audience just yet.)
As for hurting MH more by not watching - firstly I don't want to hurt anyone. But secondly, I am not convinced this would be the most effective means of protest - all that would result in is the show being left to the adoring crowd - they would sing its praises to the rafters, swallow everything it fed to them and further boost (as if it was needed) the egos of all involved. I disagree that 'just switch over' is a valid argument.
Lastly, 'running to OFCOM' is not like running to a teacher at school at all. Kids these days are taught that the best way to deal with a problem is to share the knowlege of it - keeping it to yourself changes nothing and doesn't help you, or anyone else. With respect I think that's rather a childish analogy. OFCOM is there for supposedly good reasons - though how it's conditions are applied and when are, to me now anyway, questionable. The point is, if enough people complain, not just at swearing but at whatever they take issue with, something will have to be done eventually.
I was an MH fan once - never missed a show. It makes me angry now, to see how they so blatantly abuse the trust of many of their viewers. All right, maybe there is an element of 'serves them right, if they're daft enough to believe' to it, but that's a harsh judgement to pass on many of the people who watch and believe for all kinds of personal and emotional reasons. Maybe I would care less if it wasn't for the blatant way in which the MH crew cheat, the sickening way in which Karl and Yvette tactlessly and thoughtlessly parade their idealistic and wealthy lifestyle as a result of the success of MH,l ike rubbing their viewer's noses in it. The way they decry Derek Acorah fo rbeing a fake - as if they are not all equally fake and he is somehow worse than the rest of them. He is not - they are all as bad as each other.
Yes you have the right to watch it if you want but like someone say going to a Billy Connolly gig or watching him on TV, you know what you are getting before so you have the choice. It seems you just have a vendetta against MH and your complaint to OFCOM had probably little to do with the swearing. I don't watch MH anymore but I did up to series 6 or 7 and all the way through they were swearing on the live shows. Why complain now all those years later?
I meant that they have been doing all these things all the way through and not just lately.
I am not having a go, honestly. The thing is Most Haunted exists purely because people are still watching the show. I knew what I was in for and have seen all the crap under the sun from them. I made the choice not to watch anymore as apparently many thousands of others have also. This hurts KB more than any complaints to OFCOM. Indeed he will just see this as an excuse to garner even more self publicity. If you enjoy the show then fair enough but never forget you're dealing with a bunch of egoists who will do absolutely anything to be controversial and keep the show going, hence the latest hanging stunt.
Yep, I agree absolutely. I maintain though, that if everyone with sense or doubts stopped watching it would add to the show's strengths, not detract from them.
It also annoys me the way they hide behind the 'entertainment only' disclaimer and then go on to present it and conduct interviews about it as if it were genuine.
What antmania seems to not take into account is that people generally are APATHETIC these days about complaining one reason being nothing happens when they do, so it becomes a self perpetuating circle of what's the point, and oh forget it, and MH and others just carry on.Until we have a "body" that listens to people nothing will happen but if the "minority" were beimg successful with complaints i'd wager that minority would grow and then some progress would follow.
Doubting Gods existence is ok and perfectly acceptable within Christianity as long as the person doubting remains OBEDIENT and Committed to the CHRISTIAN PATH. said in 2004 on radio Real Live Preacher. I get it now even if you don't want to its ok cause you will still do it confused.
What antmania seems to not take into account is that people generally are APATHETIC these days about complaining one reason being nothing happens when they do, so it becomes a self perpetuating circle of what's the point, and oh forget it, and MH and others just carry on.Until we have a "body" that listens to people nothing will happen but if the "minority" were beimg successful with complaints i'd wager that minority would grow and then some progress would follow.
In terms of politics, you are spot on when you talk of Apathy but not a television show. Is the agenda here both to watch Most Haunted but at the same time want them to fall flat on their faces? This facade about the hanging stunt and the swearing are just a cover to have a go at KB and his wife. Now, I have no problem with that but at least be up front about it.
Like I say though, the power is in the fingers of the viewing public who could quite easily dispose MH to the television dustbĂn...but they won't
Sorry antmania but you're wrong. As far as I personally am concerned, I had genuine issues with the hanging saga that went far beyond ;just wanting to have a go' at the Beatties. 'After all, if all I wanted to do was slag them off regardless, there's already plenty of other material out there to use for that purpose. For you to just assume that that is all this was about is just plain wrong.
As for 'agendas' - I can't speak for anyone else,but as far as I can be said to have had an agenda, I suppose mine was to ring to light (i.e. to OFCOM) the stupid, irresponsible behaviour of the MHL crew, in the hope that someone might at least sit up and take notice. I doubt if anyone did though - for all it's proven falsity and good old fashioned b******t, MH seems to be the tv equivalent of untouchable. I don't doubt it will die an eventual death some day - everything does, even in telly land. I just wish some o the presenters would drop the double standards they so profess to despise in others.
Ok Romany, just for you, I watched this hanging stunt on youtube to see what all the fuss is about and apart from not seeing what the point of it all was, I couldn't see any other problem. It was made clear this was done with a harness and served as a re-creation. It was also done after 11pm so no children should be up watching it. It was not telling kids in Bridgend or elsewhere for that matter that hanging is ok. If somebody is intent on hanging themselves or committing suicide some other way, then they will do it regardless and not because of a silly TV show. I believe there was also a large written warning prior to the show. You seem concerned that if people such as yourself stop watching MH then it will be left to an audience of woo believers. Well so bloody what? That is their life and their choice and not for anyone else to decide.
The trouble with MHL and MH is there is conflicting messages, before you watch the show they say it's for entertainment purposes, then you have Karl & Yvette saying what they do is not fake (even though we all know it is), then you have forums exposing MH and have produced faking incidents. Then you have Keiran O'Keeffe blowing the whistle on Derek Acorah when he was in the show. We have all seen and know for a fact everything they do is not real on the show, however Karl & Yvette take they're show very seriously so if it's for entertainment only as the television programme says I really find a hanging experiment in rather bad taste.
If it was a serious documentary regarding history and hanging then fair enough, but this show is a joke so by Karl trying to hang himself is sick and what is the point of it because like I said it's for entertainment, hanging is not entertainment.
Well said Romany in all your posts here, I'd just like to add something about the dreadful hanging farce that seemingly was concocted through their re-married trip to Las Vegas by the way.
Not only was it disgusting and beyond acceptable it was most definitely shown before any watershed. I don't watch MH anymore, I can't stomach the false, volatile and fake events in order to make a TV show and fatter bank accounts. BUT, after seeing complaints by many over the 'hanging' I thought I would try my luck on Sunday, just to see if anything about it would be mentioned.
Well I was speechless..not only was it mentioned, it was shown at 6.30pm, well before the watershed, it was shown repeatedly every damn time there was a set of adverts on their way..and let's be right there's many advert breaks. Not only did they show the pathetic and pointless ' event they showed about 5 or 6 separate shots from above, below, frontal and the side of the event in succession. How many times do we need to see KB drop through a hole, well not enough apparently given the extra time and effort it took to show it. The warnings were completely irrelevant as the hanging was continually shown every 15 minutes or so WITHOUT prior warning each time. So for anyone who tuned in after the initial showing of the hanging would in NO doubt have witnessed it whether they wanted to or not. That on it's own should have had the Beatties knuckles wrapped till they were sore.
On this very basis, I sent a complaint to the glorious OFCOM who's job is to ensure the viewing public are happy especially where children are concerned. Remember parents don't think they have any need to lock any channels at that time of day. We received 'the' letter after several weeks and for what?? Yvette Fielding's ego must bowl people over when she walks by and she loathes the 'For Entertainment Purposes' only tag but it's a disgraceful shield for her to hide behind while she and Mr Beattie knowingly persist in claiming they're genuine. I'm so disgusted by it I want to send a stinking complaint over this but of course nothing will be done. When I bravely watched a few minutes of their renewed marriage episode on Youtube and saw the cowboy fake hanging I immediately thought 'yeah we know where that came from don't we?'
MH are a disgrace, they've made sure no ex-crew can't speak out through legal bindings, they're laughing all the way to the bank as many are convinced they're the real deal and even when they produce something as appalling and as sensitive as the hanging event they get away with it. Everyone has the right to watch what they want and because we still have freedom of expression, everyone has the right to voice their opinions..it's a shame that OFCOM seem to belittle that or should I say it's a shame they're not made to take action. Shame on MH, OFCOM and the Beatties themselves..the positive thing is they've lost ardent fans in droves after their last live, you never know this may just spell the end of this dreadful programme.