BSA Decisions Ngā Whakatau a te Mana Whanonga Kaipāho

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Summary

Model Cindy Crawford was a guest on Muppets Tonight broadcast on TV3 between

6.30–7.00pm on Saturday 27 July 1996. The dialogue included a reference to

balloons.

Mr Kossen complained to TV3 Network Services Ltd that while the balloon remark

could be taken as referring to some balloons off screen, it was understood by Ms

Crawford as a reference to her breasts and she slapped the character who made it.

Because the offensive comment was made in the context of a children's programme,

Mr Kossen considered that it breached the requirement for good taste.

Maintaining that the reference to the balloons was in fact to some balloons held by

another character off screen, TV3 declined to uphold the complaint.

Dissatisfied with TV3's decision, Mr Kossen referred it to the Broadcasting Standards

Authority under s.8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989.

For the reasons below, the Authority declines to uphold the complaint.

Decision

The members of the Authority have viewed the item complained about and have read

the correspondence (summarised in the Appendix). As is its practice, the Authority

determines the complaint without a formal hearing.

Model Cindy Crawford was a guest on Muppets Tonight screened by TV3 at 6.30pm.

As Bobo the Bear wanted to make a good impression, he reached an agreement with

the rat character to stand outside the door and send him alluring messages through a

headset he was wearing. Bobo would then repeat the messages to Ms Crawford as his

own endearing comments. Some of the rat's relations arrived with balloons and when

repeating the rat's remarks, Bobo referred to a "nice set of balloons" which he wanted

to play with later. He was forcibly reprimanded by Ms Crawford.

Pointing out that Ms Crawford had assumed Bobo was referring to her breasts, Mr

Kossen complained about adult smutty humour in a children's programme.

TV3 assessed the complaint under standard G2 of the Television Code of

Broadcasting Practice which requires broadcasters:

G2  To take into consideration currently accepted norms of decency and

taste in language and behaviour, bearing in mind the context in which

any language or behaviour occurs

Maintaining that the item's humour arose from the confusion, TV3 described the

humour as innocuous. Broadcasters are required to advise complainants, under s.7(1)

of the Broadcasting Act, of their referral rights and the Authority, noting that TV3

omitted to do this on this occasion, expects the omission not to recur.

The Authority acknowledges the double-entendre in the skit. However, it does not

accept that standard G2 was contravened. It believes that young children would be

unlikely to understand the link while the older ones who did would be more likely to

accept it in the humorous manner in which it was presented.

For the reasons above, the Authority declines to upheld the complaint.

Signed for and on behalf of the Authority

Judith Potter
Chairperson
31 October 1996

Appendix

Mr Kossen's Complaint to TV3 Network Services Ltd - 27 July 1996

Peter Kossen of Auckland complained to TV3 Network Services Ltd about Muppets

Tonight broadcast on Saturday 27 July 1996 between 6.30 - 7.00pm.

Pointing out that his children were watching what he thought would be a children's

programme, Mr Kossen said the bear character made a reference to the young woman

guest's "nice set of balloons". While his children accepted that this referred to some

balloons off-camera, the young woman took it as a reference to her breasts and

slapped the bear for his smutty comments.

On the basis that the comment was not consistent with standards of good taste in a

children's programme, Mr Kossen wrote:

Really, do we have to subject our children to this adult humour? Where is your

sense of moral responsibility for the children of our nation? Do we have to force

them into this smutty mould from the cradle up?

TV3's Response to the Formal Complaint - 23 August 1996

Assessing the complaint under standard G2 of the Television Code of Broadcasting

Practice, TV3 maintained that the joke in the segment complained about was the

confusion caused when the rat character tried to help Bobo the Bear talk to guest

Cindy Crawford through a head-set. The reference to the balloons, it continued, was

to some actual balloons held by the rat's niece off-screen.

It concluded:

The TV3 Complaints Committee found the skit to be innocuous and has found,

as you yourself have, that no child would be harmed by viewing it. The

programme does not contain any material that could be considered indecent or in

bad taste.

Mr Kossen's Referral to the Broadcasting Standards Authority - 6 September

1996

Dissatisfied with TV3's reply as the skit was "blatantly adult", Mr Kossen referred

his complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority under s.8(1)(a) of the

Broadcasting Act 1989.

Mr Kossen considered that TV3 had deliberately ignored the point that the balloons

were out of sight at first so that the viewer could initially make the connection

between the reference to them and to guest Cindy Crawford's breasts Ms Crawford,

he added, objected to that interpretation by slapping the bear. He observed:

TV3 knows very well that this sort of stuff (double references) is the very

essence of humour. My point is, that this is not the sort of humour to be fed

our little children in time slots set apart for their education and entertainment.

Acknowledging that his children did not understand the reference to breasts, Mr

Kossen said that those who understood it might conclude that smutty thinking was a

normal way of dealing with women.

Mr Kossen emphasised the "context" aspect of standard G2 and pointed out that the

context on this occasion was a programme directed at children.

TV3's Response to the Authority - 26 September 1996

TV3 advised the Authority that it did not want to comment on the referral.