TV Sets And The City - Jerry Springer Opera causes outrage

By london_mecca Last edited 230 months ago
TV Sets And The City - Jerry Springer Opera causes outrage
We are so angry but we'll still smile for the cameras

UK Christians Burn TV Licences Over Springer Opera

I really, really, really wish the above headline was a joke but sadly it's not. The kerfuffle is all about the fact that Jerry Springer The Opera is finally going to be broadcast on BBC2 at 10pm this Saturday night. Unsurprisingly the Christians aren't just burning their licenses because they are pissed off at having had to pay to see this on SKY only a couple of months before. (God if only they'd waited) They're up in arms about watching a tap dance routine by the Ku Klux Klan and seeing Jesus and the Devil locked in a swearing match and the general level of profanity in the show. 8,000 obscenities apparently - wonder who counted all them?

It's amazingly how this has got such a massive level of complaints - probably not just amongst the licence burning Christians. The Beeb had received over 40,000 complaints by 6pm this evening and Ofcom, the independent regulator of television and radio, have received 7,000 complaints which rompingly beats the last highest number of moaners about a TV programme - 1,600 complaining about The Last Temptation of Christ.

Writer and comedian Stewart Lee must now be laughing all the way to the bank. How can a show that was a sell out in the West End have led to TV Licence burning? Where were all these licence burning people when the show was wowing huge audiences every night? I don't seem to remember any "public outrage" then. What next - will these people be dragging out their old Starsky and Hutch action dolls burning David Soul who plays the title role in this version?

I'm sure the BBC won't bow down to these complaints, as it is really laughable. Apparently The National Secular Society has also defended the BBC's right to screen the opera and has urged the BBC not to give in to "religious bullies".

There are currently loads of people's thoughts about whether or not the show should be broadcast on the BBC's website. My personal favourites are:

"I find Jerry Springer - The Opera far less offensive to my intelligence than Celebrity Big Brother."

and

"This programme should not be shown. It is insulting to Christians as it depicts Jesus and Mary as foul-mouthed sexual deviants. Would the BBC even consider showing programmes that showed Muhammad, Krishna, Abraham, Buddha or Guru Nanak in that way?"

Well, I will certainly be watching and well done to the BBC for making a sell out West End Show affordable to everyone.

God willing, Jerry Springer the Opera will be on BBC2 at 10pm on Saturday 8th January.

Last Updated 07 January 2005