Wednesday 23 January 2013

Busybodies



In the past I've written about complainers; people who complain about anything and everything, but I'm realising there is now a hidden organisation called hardcorecomplainters.busybodies which enjoys officially complaining.

Few, if any, of these individuals know each other but they have one thing in common - complaining to official bodies.

The latest organisation to receive complaints is the Advertising Watchdog and the company in the spotlight is Marks & Spencer.

Seven people complained about an advertisement in which Rosie Huntingdon-Whitely was moving (still images above).  They said the advert was 'offensive and unsuitable for public display because of their allegedly explicit nature'.

When I was young nakedness was observed in the media with comments varying from 'Wow' to complete indifference.  Nakedness was never mentioned in my home when I was young, although until I was around 10 I shared a bedroom with my brother.  Didn't my parents realise we'd see each other naked, or at the very least, semi-naked? With hindsight perhaps my parents thought nakedness was just one part of human life which they couldn't influence.

However, the presbyterian influence was never far from my mother's thoughts. Vividly I remember as around a 14 year old, running into the kitchen/living room for something or other, attired in a full length under slip.  My mother frantically berated me for appearing in front of my father in such a state of 'undress' and her temperamental ramblings about my semi-nakedness continued for a few minutes (which I thought hours).  I wonder, if she was still alive, would she be one of the seven complainers about the Marks & Spencer advertisement?


Fortunately the Advertising Watchdog didn't agree with the complainers in this instance, but sadly I see a day, in the not too distant future, when that may not be the case.



12 comments:

JRB said...

So Mary Whitehouse is alive and well – and if not, then her spirit apparently lives on.

There is something amusingly reassuring to know that a re-incarnated version of the ‘National Viewers’ and Listeners’ Association’ is still with us plying its prudish complaints.

But if that is the case please, please, please can we also have a re-incarnated Kenny Everett – my hero and the perfect repost to all such would be guardians of public morals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05PWnjMzHtE

Joe Public said...

A common-sense decision by the ASA.

Perhaps they should have responded......"If you're offended, close your bloody eyelids, that's one of the reasons you were given them."

JimS said...

Ah but offence is in the eye of the beholder!

I don't have any problem with anyone putting forward a personal complaint but not when people presume to complain on behalf of others.

As for 'nudity' in the home my sister and I shared a bath until I was, perhaps, seven. Our dad used to put his finger under the cold tap to squirt us when we wouldn't get out!

English Pensioner said...

My daughter works as a member of the civil staff for a major police force and at present is doing a stint dealing with complaints against the police. The divisional headquarters receive several hundred each month and whilst a few need further investigation, most of them are laughable. Nevertheless in every case the officer has to be interviewed, wasting his time, and all complainants have to receive individual replies.
"The officer looked at me as if I was a criminal" - perhaps she was. "The officer stood on the corner without doing anything for five minutes" (he was waiting for transport having been making enquiries about an alleged crime).
But her favourite for last month was "Two officers parked their police car on a double yellow line outside McDonald's and one went in and purchased two Big Macs and large Cokes" The complaint - "Both the officers appeared to be obese and should not be eating such food whilst on duty" Presumably they don't get obese from eating such food when off-duty!
Staff only do a year's stint on this work on the basis that any more would presumably drive them mad!

pa_broon74 said...

Diane Abbot was on the radio this morning bemoaning the notion 8yo boys could get pictures of naked wimmim on their mobile phones and adults could do nothing about it.

Eh, don't give your 8yo a smart phone? I'm 38 and don't have a smart phone, I have a phone, it just doesn't do that sort of thing.

JimS, you're on thin ice there, unnecessary nudity and child abuse.

;-)

Anonymous said...

Scandalous! Here in Smalltown this is about as close as we get to pornography (whatever that is?)

subrosa said...

I'll use your link for Sunday if you don't mind JRB.

subrosa said...

Exactly Joe.

subrosa said...

Do you notice we're never told anything about the complainers Jim? Makes me wonder if they exist.

subrosa said...

I doubt if I could do that job for a week EP. I'd be too tempted to speak my mind.

subrosa said...

Yet Labour is on about taking 5 year olds round work places. The mind boggles pa_broon.

subrosa said...

Good point smalltownman. The word is used too indiscriminately.

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