Only in ‘Straya could you accidentally-on-purpose broadcast a Twitter account suggesting that the then-current Prime Minister likes to engage in anal sex and get away with it.
But because this country of ours is bloody great, that’s exactly what’s happened today after The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) cleared Q&A producers of any culpability relating to the Twitter handle @AbbottLovesAnal, which made it to air during the August 24 show.
In its ruling the ACMA wrote it did not believe the broadcaster had breached the rules, despite the Twitter handle containing “a coarse sexual reference, which was made in connection to Mr Tony Abbott, the then Prime Minister.”
It went on to EXPLAIN IN GRAPHIC DETAIL WHY #ABBOTTLOVESANAL MAY HAVE BEEN OFFENSIVE TO SOME VIEWERS, which jesus christ is great:
“In general, stating that a person ‘loves anal’ refers to that person’s preference for a particular type of sexual activity. In this case, it would have been understood by the ordinary reasonable viewer as having been used in a provocative and derogatory manner.”
The watchdog said it believed that after, the tweet slipped through inbuilt filters, the ABC took appropriate steps “to mitigate any offence that may have been caused by the inadvertent and unintentional broadcast of the Twitter handle.”
Four Corners has also escaped censure after complaints about the phrase – this is no joke – “cunt-struck” being broadcast in their respective shows during an episode featuring Fair Work commissioner Michael Lawler and his partner Kathy Jackson.
The ACMA report notes that “the program contained several instances of coarse language, specifically the words ‘bullshit’, ‘bloody’, ‘fuck’ and ‘cunt-struck’, which were used by Mr Lawler.”
But, again, comedic value editorial context was assessed and it was ruled that the ABC wasn’t intentionally littering its show with profanity.
“The ACMA considers that the strong coarse language was not used for the purpose of causing offence and accepts the ABC’s submission that it was presented in context and was not used gratuitously,” the report found.
“Further, the program has a history of dealing with confronting material and provided a warning at the beginning of the segment. The ACMA also considers that it would have been within the expectations of its target audience.”
DAMN BLOODY RIGHT IT WOULD HAVE.
Source: Mumbrella.
Photo: Q&A.
