[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Reuters article mentions Pete
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030124/tv_nm/paedophile_1
BBC courts controversy with paedophile cartoon
Fri Jan 24, 1:15 PM ET Add Entertainment - Reuters/Variety TV to My Yahoo!
By Michelle Green
LONDON (Reuters) - The BBC courted controversy on Friday when announcing
that its new digital television channel would screen a cartoon series
featuring a paedophile.
A character called Chat Room Perv will appear on BBC3's new satirical show
"Monkey Dust," raising eyebrows at a time when internet paedophilia is
making headlines.
The new show's character regularly surfs the Internet in search of young
victims before luring them to meet him.
A BBC spokeswoman said the show was intended to be a "darkly satirical" look
at real life.
"Monkey Dust is trying to get over that the Internet is not policed and that
children can get a false impression of who they are talking to," she added.
But an unnamed BBC source told the Sun newspaper: "We are expecting
complaints to come flooding in."
It is the timing of "Monkey Dust" -- made more than a year ago when internet
stalkers were not so much in the public eye -- that could prove difficult
for the BBC.
Earlier this month, Pete Townshend (news) of rock band "The Who" admitted he
had used the internet to look at child porn, although he said it was for
research purposes.
Thousands more Britons face possible arrest as part of a nationwide police
investigation into internet child porn, known as Operation Ore.
"Monkey Dust" is produced by Talkback, the company that produced the equally
controversial "Brass Eye" for Channel 4.
The programme, a spoof documentary about paedophiles, provoked a flood of
complaints when broadcast 18 months ago.
Channel 4 was forced by the television watchdog to transmit an apology for
showing the programme without sufficient warning in advance for viewers.
"Monkey Dust" will be broadcast on BBC3, the corporation's new digital
channel aimed at young adults, which will be launched on February 9.
A spokesman said the six episodes were being checked to ensure that no
changes needed to be made. Reuters/Variety
_________________________________________________________________
STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE*
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail