Jerry! Jerry!
Did anyone see the Jerry Springer Opera on the BBC, then? Or are you one of the 45,000 people who complained before it was broadcast (surely not before you'd seen it)? It's certainly brave of the BBC to screen it, and the big fuss it has caused is no doubt due in part to all the excess publicity caused by a religious minority once again trying to enforce their own views on everyone else.
Americans don't give a damn about Jerry Springer. I live in a liberal stronghold and even here his show was last being broadcast at 1 a.m., before it was pulled from the air. His own web site lists only 22 cities airing his show. You silly Brits are surfing the wave of American pop culture a decade late.
Posted by: Teen Crack Whore | January 09, 2005 at 01:34 AM
Aha, but we Brits aren't talking about the Jerry Springer show itself (we've had that for ages). This is the Jerry Springer Opera, which is on in London's West End at the Cambridge Theatre, and was broadcast uncut by the BBC this evening.
It's based around the TV show and the whole confessional format, and is the most irreverent, intelligent and downright rude thing I've seen at the theatre in recent years. Not only is it thoroughly sweary, but it also portrays Jerry as presiding over a special one-off show in hell between Jesus, the Devil, Adam and Eve, God, and Mary. Which as you can imagine has got a whole load of people's backs up for being blasphemous.
What the show actually is, is a clever, intelligent and above all extremely funny view on society, religion and entertainment - and it's all in full-on opera singing, too. It's pretty damn great. But we should BAN IT! say some people. They really should get out more.
Posted by: Dave Addey | January 09, 2005 at 01:48 AM
Oh, I know it's an opera. I'm just saying average Americans would be indifferent and uninterested in seeing the opera. What's more interesting to me is that people can be prosecuted for blasphemy in the UK. Huh? How often does that occur?
Posted by: Teen Crack Whore | January 09, 2005 at 08:31 PM
Well, we are Grumpy.....
So we might as well enjoy the experience. Now grumps of all ages and sexes can have a good moan on our forum at www.grumpieroldmen.co.uk.
Even buy eachother a non PC gift.
Posted by: Steve Allen | January 11, 2005 at 01:39 PM
I saw the 'night' on BBC2...and had seen the theatre show twice.
I even sent a message of support to the BBC. Though why they call everything 'complaints' (event if they're positive comments), I just don't know. There's a classification/labelling issue here.
Posted by: Louise Ferguson | January 13, 2005 at 03:26 PM
Yes, at least in this country, the religious nutcases don't run the country...(I'm just trying to picture Jesus in a nappy AND burning crosses from the Ku Klux Klan on Braodway).
Posted by: Louise Ferguson | January 13, 2005 at 03:36 PM
Where was Huggy Bear?
Posted by: Chris McEvoy | January 13, 2005 at 05:53 PM
Prosecuted for blasphemy? Hasn't happened in my lifetime or so. I think nutcase Mary Whitehouse once tried a private prosecution against Gay Times, like 30 years ago.
What's more likely is that something gets censored/banned, but again, happening less and less.
Posted by: Louise Ferguson | January 18, 2005 at 07:47 PM