30 May 2007

just you wait

I wanted to write something, anything, to post here for long. My motivation, basically, was that people from abroad, when I tell him what is happening here in Poland, simply don't believe me and usually I have no time to translate in real-time the news form Polish portals. Also, because the contemporary Polish issues are so out of this world for most, that I need not only to translate the news itself but also provide elaborate background.

Recently the topic of gay Teletubbies exploded. To make a long story short: the children's rights' spokesman found out (7 years after the civilized world gave up on the ridicule) that some people suggest Tinky-Winky might be gay. Almost everyone considered it a joke, but our government took the matter seriously, and commissioned professional psychological opinion on whether Teletubbies are appropriate for children. You can read about it here.

But never mind that - it's so last Tuesday. As I commented on Evans blog, we're bound to have some news to laugh at (or cry at, if you will) any moment. And I was not mistaken:

Polish National Television (TVP) finally cought up on what they've actually been airing for the past few weeks - the abominable Little Britain. Everyone who at least heard of Little Britain wondered how long it will take TVP to realize how much this show is against our government's declared Moral Revolution (mind you: TVP is virtually 100% government controlled). Here's what's just happened:

The controversial comedy scene is set in a village market, where the only town gay has his little stand . The stand raises interest of an elderly lady and companying priest. The seller accuses the two of bad intentions. In the version aired by the Polish broadcaster it ends with the Priest declaring tolerance for people of different [sexual] orientation.

BBC and other viewers could watch a different ending of this scene. In the original version the priest is joined by his homosexual partner who is interested in buying some of the erotic accessories. We also hear the lady's kinky declarations.


TVP justifies the modification with care for its viewers - When we decided to air
"Little Britain" we had in mind the differences between the sensitivity of Polish and British viewers. What is acceptable even in British public television, may offend Polish viewers - Katarzyna Twardowska from TVP explains to wirtualnemedia.pl

source

So all those who waited for TVP to begin censoring foreign shows (our own productions, which are produced recently, are pro-catholic and anti-left anyway, so no need to censor anything) were not disappointed. It's actually quite surprising it took them so long.

Right now the national television tells us who's the enemy (anyone not condemning the Poland from before Kaczynski were elected to hell, homosexuals, feminists), what's the only moral way to live (catholic) - just like big Brother in Orwell's 1984. I wonder what will come next. Luckily enough we can still change the channel or switch the tv off.

I bet that if "Nigella Bites" was on national TVP, and not on private TNV Style as it is now, they'd drop it - after all Lawson is Jewish, isn't' she? And even if she's not, it would be highly unpatriotic to let people cook fusion instead of traditional pierogi.

1 comment:

ajfel said...

I never knew Little Britain aired on our national TV. I thought there might be a reason to watch TV until I noticed the section about censorship. I wonder how it got done technically, was it enough to cut out some scenes or did they add some new ones? I think we should notify some gay right groups in the UK about this, maybe there is a way to exercise pressure on BBC so it changes its licensing of Little Britain for TVP banning such interventions.