[Red Moon]

C4 cleared in Shipwrecked race row

Media watchdogs have cleared Channel 4 over racist comments made by a contestant on reality show Shipwrecked.
Lucy Buchanan, 18, outraged viewers when she described black people as "really bad" and declared: "I'm for slavery."

Her comments were broadcast in the opening episode of the series in January.

The episode, screened in the same week as the Celebrity Big Brother race row, prompted 1,453 complaints from viewers.

But Ofcom ruled: "There is no requirement that all people who take part in a reality television programme must be shown to only express views which meet generally accepted standards. This would not be a justifiable or proportionate limitation on freedom of expression.

"One of the consequences of reality television is that it can present to viewers attitudes which are not often aired on television but which are held by an unpredictable range of people.

"The fact that the contestants and many viewers found Lucy Buchanan's views offensive did not mean that Channel 4 was not entitled to broadcast them in context."

Ofcom concluded: "Channel 4 took appropriate care in creating adequate context for Lucy Buchanan's views, which justified their inclusion in this

programme. The context ensured that her behaviour and views were not encouraged or condoned by the broadcaster, but were instead robustly challenged."

Gap year student Lucy said on the show: "I don't really like fat people, I don't really like really ugly people. I don't like it when foreigners come into our country and they don't take on the British culture and the British values. I'm quite for the British Empire and things. I'm for slavery but that's never going to come back."

A fellow contestant challenged: "What I don't understand is how you can generalise, like how you don't like black people as well?" Lucy replied: "I don't know them... from what I've seen they're really bad." Another member of the group told her: "I hate racist people, I really do," and another said her views were "Hitler-esque and quite scary"

Source: Daventry Express

[cgimusic]

Its always channel 4 thats in trouble.

[Matt]

How many race rows will C4 get caught up in?

[Blowout]

From Digital Spy:

Ofcom has cleared Channel 4's Shipwrecked after the regulator received complaints about alleged racist and homophobic comments in the show.

The reality series follows two teams who are “shipwrecked” on two adjacent islands for over five months, as they compete to become the most popular island.

1,453 complaints were received about the about the 'homophobic' treatment of student Joe Stone and the 'racist' views of teenager Lucy Buchanan.

Ofcom recognised that unscripted reality television should give an accurate picture of each contestant rather than "editorialise" them.

In Buchanan's case, the regulator said the broadcaster showed an appropriate counter balance to her comments, including airing footage of fellow competitors challenging her views.

A reference to Stone as a "fairy" was justified by the regulator, stating: "Whilst most would consider the pejorative use of the word ‘fairy’ as offensive, Ofcom noted it was not used as an insult or in a derogatory way towards Joe. It was an off-the-cuff remark to camera from the self-appointed leader of the group who was frustrated by Joe’s lack of willingness to participate in the more
macho elements of the group."

The regulator added: "There is no requirement that all people who take part in a reality television programme must be shown to only express views which meet generally accepted standards. This would not be a justifiable or proportionate limitation on freedom of expression."

[InTheFade]

what's a 'fairy'?