Sunday 26 December 2010

The Immaculate Cessation

Anyone see The Royle Family last night? Quality, weren't it?

Here's the Wikipedia rundown of the characters.

Sue Johnston as Barbara Royle

She is often forgetful and a little scatter-brained. She and Denise chain smoke.

Caroline Aherne as Denise Best

Denise is known for pulling right back on a ciggie. Her and Barbara love smoking and often fill the ash tray.
Perhaps someone should tell the BBC then. Chain-smokers both, apparently, they somehow managed to survive an entire politically-incorrect 2010 Christmas without even a hint of the existence of tobacco or sight of an ashtray. Barbara hasn't smoked for two years, and Denise enjoyed just a sneaky one last Christmas in a caravan.

The Beeb seem happy to portray chavs eating shite, dubiously claiming benefits, binge-drinking cheap crap and generally being stupid or borderline criminal, but it would appear that some unapproved behaviour is now simply too shocking to be shown.


16 comments:

Neal Asher said...

As I noted before. Check out programs like Edwardian Farm or Victorian farm and you discover they're quite comfortable with distorting history too.

Anonymous said...

However I was very surprised to see clouds of smoke and cigarettes galore on ITV courtesy of "Poirot" last night. Including many gratuitous ashtray shots!

IceQueen

JJ said...

Whenever has the beeb not been politically incorrect.

Weren't the Conservatives going to do something about this shitty money-pit?

Anonymous said...

Did you know that some DVD's now have a warning 'Make contain scenes of smoking' on them?
Never mind the rape, torture, gun battles, explosions, but smoking ffs.

Dick Puddlecote said...

Neal: Indeed. I was thinking of your coment as I watched TRF last night.

Anon @ 18:39: If you have a scan of that warning, I'd be interested to see it.

Anonymous said...

Smoking's only one part of the PC skewed output of the rogue state broadcaster. That their "right on" meddling message extends to and permeates even the most "innocent" stuff is shameful.

Distortion by omission is elementary, as are straight lies. The use of loaded phraseology and sham debate is a lot more difficult to nail. They're at it all the time and the deceptions are concious, systematic,concerted and deliberate.

Following Biased BBC - (with due awareness of B-BBS's own biases!) still produces not a stream - but a litany / torrent of poisonous bilge being promulgated at eyewatering cost to TV taxpayers.

There isn't it seems, much output that isn't left untouched.

SadButMadLad said...

I heard Jim's comments about the coallition were interesting!

@Anon: The warnings on DVDs and films are a bit stupid. The one I like best was for the Meerkat programme on NatGeo which said "May contain mild squeeking and scenes of a furry nature".

Anonymous said...

Mind you, I've just watched the Beeb's 'Upstairs Downstairs' and the ladies are seldom seem without a ciggie :)

Jay

Anonymous said...

At the moment, we see a lot of New Year resolution 'nudging'. It is no accident that a report in the MSM today said that the NHS will be providing nicotine patches to any one who wants them.

Anonymous said...

I don't have a scan of the 'smoking scenes ' on DVD but it is on,
Sgt Bilko The first season, released by Amazon.
Its a PG warning on the back which reads,'Contains comic drug misuse and scenes of smoking'.
BTW cracking DVD.

Unknown said...

On Benidorm last night: Old lady gets Christmas present and is dissapointed as it as a box of perfume, lad realises his mistake, takes the box of grandma and gives it to mother while retreaving grandma's real prezzy, 200 fags, grandma was delighted...classic.

I also noticed that the old grandma was never without a ciggy INSIDE, usually where drinking is concerned.

Bloody hell, don't we lead a 'government' led sheltered life! Nannying bastards!!!

banned said...

Surprising really since Hollywood still routinely uses smoking as a cheap code to identify the 'bad guy', along with an English accent.

Curmudgeon said...

It's many years ago that Andy Capp was deprived of the ever-present ciggie on his bottom lip. Never been the same since...

Anonymous said...

It all depends on whether the programe director is a zelot or not ,watch the credits.

Rational Anarchist said...

re DVD warnings

Doesn't look like they're mandatory yet, but they're definitely in the works. Check out the following links:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4448364.stm (from 2005)

http://newmoviereleasesdvd.loginby.com/graphic-images-proposed-for-new-anti-smoking-warnings/ (Nov 2010)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/apr/29/uk-film-smoking-product-placement (April 2010)

Rational Anarchist said...
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