Of totty, traitors, rights, photography, bats, videos and curry

Lesley Manville and Aidan Turner are to star in a new production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the National Theatre. You're welcome, Ms Scarlet.

It's another snippets post, dear reader:

• Celeb cornucopia news: The hit TV show Traitors has launched a successful "Celebrity" version, and for a change there actually are a load of really famous (as opposed to "TikTok influencer" or "former reality TV contestant") names in it, including sex god Tom Daley, popstrel Paloma Faith, (not-yet-a-Dame) Celia Imrie, Sir Stephen Fry, TV and radio presenter Jonathan Ross, classical crossover singer Charlotte Church, camp comic Alan Carr, sport and current affairs commentator Clare Balding, TV historian David Olusoga, daytime TV presenter Kate Garraway and actress Tameka Empson (plus a few others I'd never heard of). I'll still never, ever watch it, of course.
• Victory for free speech news: A man who was fined for burning a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish consulate in London has won his appeal against his conviction. "We live in a liberal democracy. One of the precious rights that affords us is to express our own views and read, hear and consider ideas without the state intervening to stop us doing so. The price we pay for that is having to allow others to exercise the same rights, even if that upsets, offends or shocks us", said Mr Justice Bennathan. Hear, hear!

[click to embiggen]

• Paragon of the pictorial arts news: An exhibition dedicated solely to that grand old queen of photographic portraiture, Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World is currently on show at the National Portrait Gallery until 11th January 2026. Another one to add to our list of "must-see" outings, methinks.
• Batman eats Robin! news: By examinining its shit, scientists have discovered that the European greater noctule bat hunts and eats migrating songbirds while in flight. Tweet that!
• Money for nothin' news: 38 years after it launched in the UK, the sad death of MTV has been announced - as all its remaining five UK music channels will go off the air at the end of 2025. Video killed the radio star. Now streaming has killed music television. Sigh.
• And finally: We're at the tail end of National Curry Week! I feel a celebration coming on...

Mohammed Rafi - Jaan Pehchaan Ho from Gumnaam

A Lamb Bhuna, pilau rice and some naan bread, please...

For a crime of this magnitude the budget is unlimited

"I don't get it, Ted."

You never thought it would happen to you, but it has: you’ve seen a tweet which could be viewed as an incitement to violence. Time to call the police.

Dial 999
There is another number for the police, 118 118 or something, but this is as much of an emergency as a body on the hearthrug with a fresh knife in the back. They need to act immediately to make sure the perpetrator is caught and does not tweet again.

Explain this is no mere theft or burglary
When a constable finally answers with a bored ‘Sorry about your iPhone, here’s your incident number’ explain this is no simple phone snatching, mugging or burglary, all of which are victimless crimes untraceable by forensic methods though Find My iPhone is giving an exact address. This is far more serious.

Explain this is actual violence
Read the contents of the tweet down the phone in a hushed, scandalised voice and wait for the gasp of horror, if not the thud of a dead faint, on the other end. Then wait for the shout of ‘All units – roll out!’

Explain this is ‘actual violence’, not actual violence
The police may be concerned this is some kind of street attack, drunken brawl or domestic assault, all of which they are not particularly keen on. Explain your definition of ‘actual violence’ is the online one with no physical element whatsoever and they’ll make it a priority.

Alert police that the fugitive may be attempting to escape justice
If there is a risk of the perpetrator – we may as well call them ‘the murderer’ as that’s what it essentially was – is trying to escape the law by being in a foreign country, then Border Control need to be involved. Suggest they give Interpol a call. Remind them that for a crime of this magnitude the budget is unlimited.

Monitor for arrests
You can’t feel safe until an arrest is made. Luckily, unlike in cases involving theft or physical assault, the police won’t delay interminably until all evidence is lost and the CPS informs you the case is dropped. The killer will soon be behind bars.

Ask for your incident number
And, now justice has been done, it’s time for you to get your bit. Get your incident number and call your insurer – home, life, car, it doesn’t matter. Tell them there’s been a crime and when they ask ‘What have you lost?’ pause dramatically and say ‘Everything.’

The Daily Mash

Of course.

The real story is genuinely not funny - the creator of Father Ted Graham Linehan was arrested by five armed police officers, straight off a flight from holiday, and interrogated over two tweets he sent about challenging "a trans-identified male" in "a female-only space". Understandably, this has caused a massive press and political backlash about use of excessive force and freedom of speech. Too fucking right it should, too!

Dizzying

It's another "snippets" post today, dear reader!

• Sad news: We raise our glasses in tribute, as the world bids a fond farewell to eccentric centenarian style maven Iris Apfel, "Patron Saint" here at Dolores Delargo Towers, doyenne of magazine covers and fashion shoots across the globe at an age when most grannies are content to put their feet up and watch daytime telly, who has departed to preside over Fabulon. "I don't do minimal" was her watchword. Amen to that! [More Iris here, here, here, here and here]
• "Woke gone mad" news: Children's classic Mary Poppins is the latest film to be subject to the seemingly never-ending tide of revisionist editing of history, as the British Board of film classification has increased its rating from "U" (unclassified) to "PG" (parental guidance needed), due to that fact that it uses the word "Hottenot" to describe South African native tribesmen. WTF?!
• Rimming on TV news: Queer As Folk - the original UK Channel 4 series, not the tacky American remake that went on far, far too long - is celebrating 25 years since it shocked, and changed, the television-viewing world. Here's that rimming scene, for your delectation. You're welcome.
• Dubious "gay allies" news: None other than millionaire thug Mike Tyson, after being challenged by the utterly fearless Peter Tatchell, has made a surprisingly positive statement about gay rights, saying: “I oppose all discrimination against gay people, OK?”.

• And finally: Britain's favourite sexy gay pop-minx Olly Alexander has finally released the video (and full version) of his UK entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024! Verrrry Pet Shop Boys...

Olly Alexander - Dizzy

I would give you an update on today's weather, but it's shit, so I won't bother...

Un-wokeness

Today's entertainment is often laboriously woke, which must be confusing for young people watching things made before 2015. Here’s how to explain baffling old films and TV.

The Great Escape, 1963
A classic war film very loosely based on a true story. You’ll notice there are no people of colour in it. That’s because there weren’t any. In 1942 the captured airmen would all have been white, and the Nazis weren’t keen on diversity. Don’t worry, if it’s remade they’ll just plonk a load of black guys – and possibly Rihanna – in Stalag Luft even though the US air force was incredibly racist.

Doctor Who, 1963-2017
It’s hard to believe now, but the Doctor was originally a man. Luckily the character was altered so fundamentally he may as well have regenerated into a satsuma, and only most of the viewers abandoned the show. The BBC did genuinely have a problem with companions, who remained extremely white until ‘Nu-Who’. Although now even the most committed woke activist would prefer three Adrics to the diverse shower of useless twats that is Jodie’s ‘fam’.

Goldfinger, 1964
The film kicks off with a woman being sent on her way with a merry slap on the arse, and gets a whole lot worse, depending on how you interpret the barn scene. Unfortunately the 60s were just very sexist, and there’s nothing anyone can do about that now unless you’ve got a time machine. And if you did you’d probably have more important things to do than changing dozens of Bond girls’ names to something less demeaning, eg. Kitty Innabundance.

Love Thy Neighbour, 1972-76
Fucking hell, this takes some explaining. Ostensibly mocking prejudiced attitudes, this incredibly uncomfortable sitcom about a black couple moving in next door features countless ‘He’ll come after me his spear!’-type gags. You’ll just have to tell younger viewers that attitudes were very different then, as if 1976 was hundreds of years ago and people still travelled by horse and cart and feared witches. Although they probably think that anyway.

White Wilderness, 1958
Every film nowadays is at pains to point out ‘No animal was harmed…’ but in 1958 Disney considered a bit of animal cruelty educational. To make the lemmings fit their suicidal stereotype they were shoved off a cliff to die in their hundreds. You see, people back then regarded animals as just objects to be exploited, which is admittedly pretty hypocritical for a company that made its fortune from a mouse wearing trousers.

Withnail and I, 1987
Shockingly unwoke. There are almost no women in the film, and Withnail makes inappropriate comments to underage girls. Woke viewers may find the following concept difficult to grasp, but this is because: it fits the setting, events and characterisation of the film. The sooner it’s remade the better, ideally with Rachel Zegler as a strong, independent female Withnail who can succeed on her own without help from men, ie. Uncle Monty.

Casablanca, 1942
Irresponsible film-making at its worst. From the moment Humphrey Bogart appears he’s puffing away on a fag. This is going to be deeply shocking to young people. Although everyone breathing clouds of blueberry vape would arguably be worse. You’ll just have to explain it’s a product of a time when smoking was normal. Although to be fair, in Casablanca you do wonder why anyone cares about the outcome of the war, because they’ll surely all be dead from lung cancer before then.

The Daily Mash

Of course.

Sensitivity?

The 20th century has been rewritten by sensitivity readers to remove all the distressing references to race, gender and mental health.

Readers admitted they were horrified by how out-of-date the period between 1900 and 1999 had become, and have made changes to several passages of its history to avoid offending modern sensibilities.

Sensitivity reader Hannah Tomlinson said: “It’s not suitable for children and frankly could be upsetting for adults. It’s been the 21st century for 23 years now, so there’s no excuse.

“For example World War Two, long held up as ‘our finest hour’. Really? Because to contemporary eyes it’s nothing but racism, nationalism and inefficient conflict resolution. We’ve kept it in but shortened it and taken out all the unnecessary prejudice.

“Likewise the Sixties may have seemed ‘cool’ at the time but were deeply misogynist. Mick Jagger was clearly queer-coded so that’s been made explicit, Twiggy’s plus-sized and the Queen gets to be prime minister.

“How are we expected to learn from the past when it’s setting such a bad example? Our new 20th century is fairer, kinder and more understanding of different viewpoints. It should have been like that all along.”

Nathan Muir, aged 52, said: “Yeah, to be fair, I was there and it was pretty fucking offensive.”

The Daily Mash

Of course.

[The "real" story here and here]

Consenting adults?

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
- Pastor Martin Niemoller

The spectre of censorship has raised its ugly head again in the blogosphere, with the announcement that on 17th December Tumblr - that fast-moving, almost 100% visual mini-blogging site that is the inheritor of some of Blogger's more esoteric contributors such as the venerable Thombeau - is going to ban "adult content" from its site, which it defines in bizarre terms as “images, videos, or GIFs that show real-life human genitals or female-presenting nipples.” [Some wag out there in the interwebs made a suggestion about the latter that he expects to see all nipples in future sporting a suitably "male-presenting" moustache, and possibly a monocle.]

Users have for years been begging them to close neo-Nazi posts, but instead Tumblr drew the line at nipples.

From the Independent yesterday:

...the blogging platform admitted that it “won’t always get [it] right”, but that its adult content ban was being imposed this week “out of love and hope” for its community. That seems like an odd thing to say, given the fact that Tumblr’s so-called “community” is largely made up of marginalised groups who first flocked to Tumblr precisely because of its relaxed approach to nudity and sex.

In fact, anti-censorship was generally understood to be one of Tumblr’s core principles, especially given its founder and former CEO David Karp’s outspokenness about the importance of net neutrality prior to technology giant Verizon’s purchase of the company in 2017, after its acquisition of Yahoo (which bought Tumblr in 2013)...

...What exactly motivated Tumblr’s decision isn’t clear at this stage – but given Verizon’s censor-happy history, it’s not hard to guess. This is a company that, in a 2012 legal brief to the US Court of Appeals over the Federal Communications Commission’s Open Internet Order, argued it should be able to “decide which content to publish and where”, as well as featuring “some content over others”. In 2007, it blocked an abortion rights group from using its services for a text message programme.

Tumblr’s “not safe for work” rule is simply a further extension of increasing controls on what we’re allowed to consume on the internet, especially when it comes to sexual expression. And it doesn’t seem likely to stop soon.

For all its claims of safety, especially for children, forming the basis of its decision, the fact that a company has the power to force an eclipse on what it deems to be unsavoury is a huge problem. It just reinforces the social restrictions most of Tumblr’s users sought to escape in the first place.

Considering the reduction in the amount of new users signing up to the platform and a failure to keep up with its existing ones, this could well be the final nail in the coffin for Tumblr. It only has itself to blame.

We at Blogger have been here before, of course - but a campaign by plucky bloggers against such censorship persuaded the mighty Google to reverse its ban (not before some of our own favourites had deserted here for pastures new, unfortunately).

As for the Tumblr censorship programme, warnings have already begun to be flagged by its robots and, and there are already huge rumblings of a mix of astonishment and anger. As the Guardian succinctly points out:

Ballet dancers, superheroes and a picture of Christ have all fallen foul of Tumblr’s new pornography ban, after the images were flagged up as explicit content by the blogging site’s artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

Indeed, my all-time favourite Tumblr user MattAdore is highlighting, in a stream of posts, some very bizarre and absurd anomalies turning up, such as...




It's a sad old world when yet another so-called "social" media site (c.f. MySpace) decides to commit such a public suicide (c.f Photobucket). Let's hope our own "masters" at Google/Blogger hold their ground.

The nonstandard sexual orientation of the president of the Russian Federation

According to the Guardian:

A picture depicting Vladimir Putin in full makeup has been banned in Russia.

The picture is cited on the Russian justice ministry’s list of banned “extremist” materials – a list that is 4,074 entries long. No 4,071 states that the poster, depicting Putin with painted eyes and lips, implies “the supposed nonstandard sexual orientation of the president of the Russian Federation”.

It’s unclear exactly which image the ministry is talking about – but it is believed to be similar to one used on signs during protests against Russia’s anti-gay laws. It turns out there are quite a lot of photoshopped images in circulation that depict Putin in drag.

An offer too tempting to resist, methinks...









It's also a perfect reason to post this old fave once more...

Xelle - Red Flag

The National Database of Good Citizens

Report to your local registration centre immediately, warns May
Theresa May has warned all citizens that late registration will not be tolerated.

As the walls of 10 Downing Street were painted black ahead of her arrival on Wednesday, the new prime minister stressed that her records would be up to date or there would be consequences.

May said: “It begins.”

The National Database of Good Citizens is expected to be the world’s largest data capture exercise, as the entire country ensures that every detail about their life, including their innermost hopes and fears, is logged by the government.

Citizen Registration Centres have been set up in police stations, libraries and newly-built concrete huts with a single steel door and no windows across the country to ensure maximum compliance.

People will also be able to automatically register their whereabouts via Twitter, Facebook and May’s most recent invention, Pokemon Go.

May said: “I promise you a better Britain and if it isn’t, I shall know precisely which of you are to blame.”

The Daily Mash

Of course.

It begins, indeed.

Who decides?

I am aghast at the latest censorship moves from the gnomes of Google:

"Starting March 23, 2015, you won't be able to publicly share images and video that are sexually explicit or show graphic nudity on Blogger.

Note: We’ll still allow nudity if the content offers a substantial public benefit, for example in artistic, educational, documentary, or scientific contexts.

Changes you’ll see to your existing blogs

If your existing blog doesn’t have any sexually explicit or graphic nude images or video on it, you won’t notice any changes.

If your existing blog does have sexually explicit or graphic nude images or video, your blog will be made private after March 23, 2015. No content will be deleted, but private content can only be seen by the owner or admins of the blog and the people who the owner has shared the blog with.

Settings you can update for existing blogs

If your blog was created before March 23, 2015, and contains content that violates our new policy, you have a few options for changing your blog before the new policy starts:

- Remove sexually explicit or graphic nude images or video from your blog
- Mark your blog as private

If you’d rather take your blog down altogether, you can export your blog as a .xml file or archive your blog's text and images using Google Takeout.

Effect on new blogs

For any blogs created after March 23, 2015, we may remove the blog or take other action if it includes content that is sexually explicit or shows graphic nudity as explained in our content policy."

So, for all you "grown-ups" out there, Blogger has overnight forbidden you to be "grown up".

I despair at what is happening in this world. As does Amanda Palmer - in her magnificent retort to the reprehensible Daily Mail coverage of her left breast:

Dear Daily Mail, Sincerely, Amanda Palmer

Say no to censorship!

Thoughts for the day

“I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.”
- Voltaire

“Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.”
- John Milton

“Most people do not really want others to have freedom of speech, they just want others to be given the freedom to say what they want to hear.”
- Mokokoma Mokhonoana

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.”
- Benjamin Franklin

“My own opinion is enough for me, and I claim the right to have it defended against any consensus, any majority, anywhere, any place, any time. And anyone who disagrees with this can pick a number, get in line, and kiss my ass.”
- Christopher Hitchens

"No one has the right to live without being shocked. No one has the right to spend their life without being offended."
- Philip Pullman

“The moment you say that any idea system is sacred, whether it’s a religious belief system or a secular ideology, the moment you declare a set of ideas to be immune from criticism, satire, derision, or contempt, freedom of thought becomes impossible."
- Salman Rushdie

The million-strong "solidarity march" in Paris.

An extraordinary true story, indeed

A great start to the New Year, courtesy of "The Land of the Free".

From Pink News:

The cover for the American DVD release of Pride has removed all mention of homosexuality.

The film, about a group of gay and lesbian activists who rallied in support of striking miners in the 1980s, was released in the UK to acclaim last year.

However, the US DVD cover makes a number of shocking changes, entirely removing homosexuality from the story.

Firstly, the film’s synopsis has been changed to state the film is about “a group of London-based activists”, removing a mention to sexuality.

The synopsis states: “PRIDE is inspired by an extraordinary true story. It’s the summer of 1984 and much of blue-collar Great Britain is on strike.

“For one tiny Welsh village, the strike brings unexpected visitors – a group of London-based activists who decide to raise money to support strikers’ families and want to make their donations in person."

The text appears to be an edited version of the film’s original synopsis providing more context to American audiences while failing to mention homosexuality.

The original synopsis said: “PRIDE is inspired by an extraordinary true story.

“It’s the summer of 1984, Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers is on strike, prompting a London-based group of gay and lesbian activists to raise money to support the strikers’ families.

“Initially rebuffed by the Union, the group identifies a tiny mining village in Wales and sets off to make their donation in person…”

A picture on the back cover has been digitally altered from a widely-circulated promotional image – removing a sign stating ‘Lesbians & Gays Support the Miners’.

The original image is below:

Now you see it, now you don’t:

Hmmm.

From the soundtrack to the film, here's the Fun Boy Three with an appropriate number:

Fun Boy Three - Our Lips Are Sealed

Can you hear them?
Talking about us
Telling lies
Well, that's no surprise

Pride - the movie

Great Machine for Catching Villains

From the itemised records of the 90s through to the detailed records of our online behaviour, it is getting easier to track what we do. There is vastly more information now about our every movement than there ever has been.

Such information can be very useful to law enforcement agencies and other public bodies. There were 494,078 requests for ‘communications data’ under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act in 2011.

Some of the information about our connected lives is not legally available to law enforcement. Much of it, for example information from social media or our web histories, can be incredibly intrusive. It can reveal intimate details, including where we have been, what we have done, what we believe and who we know.

Through mistakes or abuse, the use of such information can lead to anything from wrongful suspicion through to the settling of scores. Merely the knowledge that what we are doing or saying is being tracked can have a chilling effect.

Just because information is useful to law enforcement does not mean that the state, or law enforcement agencies, or public bodies should be able to order its collection or have access to it. Our privacy rights are essential to ensure that we do not give away the power to collect and use information too cheaply.

The Government’s Communications Data Bill is a manifestation of the temptation to grab data where it exists, and of a failure to consider alternatives to blanket collection and retention of data.

From the Open Rights Group campaign against the "Snoopers' Charter" - read more

In February 2012, the coalition government announced plans to require communications service providers (everyone from ISPs to social networks) to intercept and collect everybody’s communications data just in case it's needed later in an investigation. In December 2012, the Joint Committee that examined this new draft Bill published its critical report and the Home Office has been re-drafting the Communications Data Bill since then.

But just this week Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg appears to have blocked the attempt by the current Home Secretary Theresa May to present the Bill to Parliament in the Queen's Speech on 8th May. He said plans to monitor records of people's internet use was "not going to happen" with the Lib Dems in government.

Responding to his comments, made in his weekly radio phone-in, campaign group Liberty said:

"If the Snoopers Charter really is dead, that's cause for significant celebration and relief. People live more and more of their intimate lives online and it was outrageous to suggest surveillance of the entire nation. Credit to all those in parliament and beyond with the imagination and courage to block this terrifying plan."

The Home Office declined to comment on what Clegg said. Discussions are apparently still going on to try to thrash out an agreement ahead of the Queen's Speech.

Meanwhile, the simply spiffing Professor Elemental has gone and got himself involved, and has built a Great Machine for Catching Villains!

Professor Elemental builds a Great Machine for Catching Villains, part 1

Professor Elemental builds a Great Machine for Catching Villains, part 2

Professor Elemental builds a Great Machine for Catching Villains, part 3

Professor Elemental builds a Great Machine for Catching Villains, part 4

Professor Elemental builds a Great Machine for Catching Villains, part 5

It would be even funnier if it weren't so near the truth.

Big Brother is watching you

...intellectual freedom is a deep-rooted tradition without which our characteristic western culture could only doubtfully exist. From that tradition many of our intellectuals are visibly turning away. They have accepted the principle that a book should be published or suppressed, praised or damned, not on its merits but according to political expediency. And others who do not actually hold this view assent to it from sheer cowardice. - George Orwell

It is April Fools' Day, but this piece of news is no joke...

From the BBC:

The government will be able to monitor the calls, emails, texts and website visits of everyone in the UK under new legislation set to be announced soon.

Internet firms will be required to give intelligence agency GCHQ access to communications on demand, in real time.

The Home Office says the move is key to tackling crime and terrorism, but civil liberties groups have criticised it.

Attempts by the last Labour government to take similar steps failed after huge opposition, including from the Tories.

A new law - which may be announced in the forthcoming Queen's Speech in May - would not allow GCHQ to access the content of emails, calls or messages without a warrant.

But it would enable intelligence officers to identify who an individual or group is in contact with, how often and for how long.

In an age when the real danger to our benighted society is the lack of law and order on our streets, millions of pounds of public money will be being diverted away from front-line policing to this terrifying new approach.

We pride ourselves on having a free society in the UK - freer than most of Europe and America in many respects - yet now our government (using the excuse of "terrorism" again) appears hell-bent on introducing legislation that is reminiscent of China or Iran. For what?

As The Opinion Site says:

The government is well aware that civil unrest is more likely than not to break out towards the end of this year and throughout next, given cutbacks to public services, rising prices, diminishing wage packets and higher taxes. It is desperate to maintain control over the British population and David Cameron has clearly taken the decision to take whatever action is necessary in order to enable the government to limit the activities of any particular individual considered by the government to be a ‘troublemaker’.

Let's hope this misguided law is killed off as before, or we'll all be watching our backs!

Depraving and corrupting

Good news! From The Guardian today:

It was the law used in the controversial prosecution of Lady Chatterley's Lover. Now the Obscene Publications Act, which came into force in 1959, appears to be on its last legs.

On Friday, in one of the most significant cases of recent years, a London jury rejected prosecution claims that gay pornography depicting acts that are legal between consenting adults were capable of "depraving and corrupting" those who watched them on DVDs.

The case, at Southwark crown court, threatens to have implications far beyond the acquittal of pornographer Michael Peacock, who ran a mail-order business and had been targeted by an undercover vice officer.

Officials at the British Board of Film Classification, as well as police officers involved in prosecuting obscenity cases, have admitted that the current laws on what is obscene may require a major rethink.

The act was used, unsuccessfully, against Penguin Books for publishing Lady Chatterley's Lover, when a jury was asked whether it was the kind of book "you would wish your wife or servants to read". It was deployed more successfully in 1971 against Oz magazine, although that prosecution was overturned on appeal, and unsuccessfully again against the book Inside Linda Lovelace, which led to the police view that it was almost impossible to prosecute for obscenity in cases of written representations of sex.

The latest case – which saw a jury take two hours to return not guilty verdicts – comes amid growing concern that Britain's obscenity laws, which have multiplied in recent years with new laws on the possession of "extreme pornography", are contradictory, ill-defined and illogical.

Indeed. The Obscene Publications Act is a stupid and out-of-date law, it should have gone long ago. We fans of French cinema will be pleased...

Ban it!

As dear Daniel Radcliffe celebrates the debut of his dick on Broadway (as Equus opens there this week) we too can celebrate a milestone.

For today is the 40th anniversary of the triumphal lifting of the control of the censors over British theatre. Amazingly this remarkable law, brought in in 1737 to counter the rise of satirical drama and reinforced (unsurprisingly) by the Victorians, made it illegal for any new or adapted play to be performed without the permission of the Lord Chamberlain - until 1968.

According to an excellent article by Michael Billington in What's On Stage: "Over the years, plays by Sophocles, Ibsen and Shaw were subject to bans. Both A View from the Bridge and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof had to be staged in London, initially, under members-only "club" conditions to evade the censor."

Read his article

Unbelievable, really, in this day and age. The first controversial performance in London - staged one day after the ban was lifted - was the hippy musical Hair, which became an overnight success.

Nowadays of course we hardly bat an eyelid to controversy (unless of course you happen to be a fan of Mary Whitehouse, a member of the Christian Voice bunch of bigots, or write for the Daily Mail), and here are a few examples of theatrical successes we might never have otherwise seen:

Sodomy (from Hair)

The Internet is for Porn [from Avenue Q]

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

Loot

Shopping and Fucking

Phew