John Howard calls for the axing of retarded show 'Big brother'

[strife_au]

Prime Minister John Howard has urged the Ten Network to cancel the controversial reality television show Big Brother.

Family groups and politicians have again called for the show to be axed after two housemates were thrown off the show for sexual misconduct.

Mr Howard said it was a matter of taste and called on the network to self-regulate.

"I think it is just a question of good taste," Mr Howard told Macquarie Radio.

"I don't like heavy-handed regulation. The business community is always saying to me 'let us self-regulate'.

"Well here's a great opportunity for Channel 10 to do a bit of self-regulation and get this stupid program off the air."


Communications Minister Helen Coonan said she had asked the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to determine whether any code of conduct had been breached.

"I have spoken with the chairman of ACMA this morning and he will be providing an urgent assessment about possible breaches of codes of conduct relating to television content," she said.

A Queensland police spokeswoman said they had received no formal complaint about the incident.

"The producers of the program contacted police late (Sunday) morning inviting them to view a video of an incident involving the three contestants," she said.

"Following that viewing and, after speaking to the three Big Brother participants and producers, police say at this stage there is insufficient evidence for any criminal investigation."

Family First senator Steve Fielding has also been a vocal critic of the show and wants it axed.

"How many more warnings before action is taken? How many more sleazy incidents do we need before this show is evicted?"

Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley also joined the issue.

"If my advice is worth anything to the folk who run Channel 10, and how they choose to conduct themselves is their business, I'd say `make this Big Brother the last'," he told journalists.

Secretary of the Victorian Family Council Bill Muehlenberg said the show should be axed immediately in the wake of the incident but he believed some at Network Ten would be "rubbing their hands in glee" at the publicity it would generate.

"We have been calling it Big Brothel all along. Brothels are concerned about sex and money, and so are they," he said.

Australian Democrats senator Andrew Bartlett says Big Brother should be left alone by meddling politicians.

"It is politicians trying to be Big Brother that we really need to be concerned about," Senator Bartlett said.

"If anyone in the Big Brother house broke the law, then it can be dealt with by the legal system," he said.

"Attempting to force a television show off the air because of an incident that wasn't even screened on television is an excessive intrusion into the lives of Australians by moralising, preaching politicians who want to control how people live their lives."

Security guards escorted "Ashley", a pseudonym for 20-year-old Michael Cox, of Perth, and 21-year-old "John", whose real name is Michael Bric, of Melbourne, from the Big Brother house on the Gold Coast following what the show's producers said was a "breach of the rules".

Contestants were filmed constantly during show and the incident, which occurred about 4am (AEST) Saturday was not broadcast, but it was streamed on the internet.

Housemate John was seen lying behind fellow housemate Camilla, his arm over her. Ashley was shirtless and kneeling on the bed with his crotch in her face, his back is to the camera, his hand over the front of his pants.

On Sunday's episode of the Network Ten show, Camilla spoke about the incident in the "Diary Room", saying it happened "just in fun".

"... I wasn't offended as such but I did think they took it a little bit too far but, you know, we laughed it off," she said.

"I think as soon as I said enough's enough, it stopped. I've known these guys for a while and we were just mucking around."

Shortly afterwards, the Ten Network showed footage of Big Brother telling the shocked housemates that the pair had been removed.

Michael Bric's father, Herman Bric, said he was upset about his son being removed from the house.

"To see him spread like this (with headlines of) sex scandal, that's not him," an upset Mr Bric told the Seven Network.

Last week, Network Ten cut short its season of Big Brother - Adults Only.

[NetDriftr]

ahahah yeah i read that. i think politicians should butt out of trying to micro manage tv shows. im disgusted that they even join in the controversial.

Kim Beazley is pro David Hicks, but anti Big Brother tv show! and he wants to be PM?

[Lone Swordman]

That show is Crap!!!!!!!! I hope they take it off air!!! How could anyone watch that crap, its nothing but a bunch of dumbass losers sitting around doing nothing!!!!

[strife_au]

That show is Crap!!!!!!!! I hope they take it off air!!! How could anyone watch that crap, its nothing but a bunch of dumbass losers sitting around doing nothing!!!!

And violating the female housemembers at 4am in the mornings.

[Candide]

I'd rather have crap shows on TV at night to keep the bums off the streets.

[strife_au]

I'd rather have crap shows on TV at night to keep the bums off the streets.

If they were bums in the first place, where do they go to watch big brother?

[0-0-0]

If they were bums in the first place, where do they go to watch big brother?

let's not get into the fine details here. I say good riddance to the show, it is retarded and inappropriate for the age group which watches it, however, Howard is just stupid fool for trying to interfering anyway.
DIE BIG BROTHER, DIE!

[moonlight-sonata]

I can't agree more. It's just one of those shows that have been through too many seasons and become something entirely worthless.

[NetDriftr]

DIE BIG BROTHER, DIE!

lol! unfortunately the good rating will ensure another season of BB...

[0-0-0]

lol! unfortunately the good rating will ensure another season of BB...

That is just...
I cannot believe that this kind of crap is on TV at the times that it's shown. (i swear it took over the simpsons at some point )
CHILDREN tend to watch TV during those hours! I am seriously horrified that so many primary school kids now watch the show regularly

I can't really see any way around it though. I mean, interference by politians is not going to help them on their behalf, but seriously, i thought Australia would have better taste

[rapture]

The chicks arent too hot either.

[0-0-0]

6/7/2006 Transcript from Clarke and Dawe, 7:30 Report ABC

Clarke, Dawe and Howard in big bother
Reportes: John Clarke and Bryan Dawe

KERRY O'BRIEN: And now, John Clarke and Bryan Dawe on Parliament as a reality show.

INTERVIEWER: Mr Howard, thanks for coming in.

JOHN HOWARD: That's perfectly OK.

INTERVIEWER: Listen, we've got a small problem.

JOHN HOWARD: Yeah, there's obviously a bit of a hoo-ha in the papers.

INTERVIEWER: It's all over talkback radio.

JOHN HOWARD: Yep, well, there's not a lot we can do about it, Bryan. We've just got to sit it out, don't we?

INTERVIEWER: We might have to change things.

JOHN HOWARD: No, no, no. You can't change anything, Bryan. The cameras are in the House. They are obviously going to show what is going on in the House.

INTERVIEWER: We'll have to do something. I mean, people are calling for it to go off air.

JOHN HOWARD: You can't take it off air, Bryan. It is Parliament. Proceedings are broadcast from the House. That's the deal. They always have been.

INTERVIEWER: I know. I understand that. Maybe the current series should be the last.

JOHN HOWARD: No, no, no, you can't take it off air, Bryan. It's a national institution.

INTERVIEWER: We are getting a lot of pressure, Mr Howard.

JOHN HOWARD: Bryan, you can't take something off air just because a few disaffected people are alarmed by something that they imagine they've been offended by on television. You can't do it.

INTERVIEWER: Mr Howard, if you can't guarantee a certain standard of behaviour, I'm afraid the network is going to pull the pin.

JOHN HOWARD: Look, we've selected - the voting is all done, Bryan.

INTERVIEWER: I know that.

JOHN HOWARD: SMS... It's all locked off. We've booked the facilities.

INTERVIEWER: People are very unimpressed with the standard of behaviour, Mr Howard.

JOHN HOWARD: They don't have to watch it.

INTERVIEWER: Mr Howard, that's not the point.

JOHN HOWARD: Bryan, look, people have got to expect a little bit of rough stuff. I mean, I don't like it any more than anyone else does. It's regrettable.

INTERVIEWER: Children could be watching. That's what they are saying.

JOHN HOWARD: Look, how can we possibly determine who is watching? We can't prevent people from watching. Who is watching this?

INTERVIEWER: OK, Mr Howard, let me go through some of the complaints, alright? Here is one. "I was watching with my 13-year-old daughter. There was nothing much happening in the House and most of the contestants were asleep."

JOHN HOWARD: Yeah, this would be the late session.

INTERVIEWER: Yeah, the Senate. Another one: "One man consistently represented himself as everyone's friend, but all the time was just looking after himself."

JOHN HOWARD: Well, it is a competition, Bryan. There's a winner.

INTERVIEWER: Hang on. "Another man's language was so inappropriate he was thrown out of the House."

JOHN HOWARD: There are evictions every week. If you have seen the eviction show...

INTERVIEWER: "I was watching when Tony" - is he one of the contestants?

JOHN HOWARD: Tony, yeah.

INTERVIEWER: "When Tony was so horrible to the women, that all of the women in the House, voted he wasn't allowed anywhere near the fridge."

JOHN HOWARD: Yeah, I remember that. (Laughs)

INTERVIEWER: And Tony had the fridge removed.

JOHN HOWARD: Yeah, he did. I helped him.

INTERVIEWER: And another one here: "I am so sick of this show and its low-life attitude to women, families, children, other races, gay people, the poor, the sick and the viewing public that if something isn't done soon, I'll take action myself."

JOHN HOWARD: That's a lot of rhetorical crap.

INTERVIEWER: It's pretty strong.

JOHN HOWARD: What a lot of grandstanding. What clot wrote that?

INTERVIEWER: You did. I'm reading from your letter.

JOHN HOWARD: Oh, that's from my letter. Bryan, we might be able to clean it up a bit. There would be no question of taking it off. It's rating its pants off.

INTERVIEWER: That's the problem.

JOHN HOWARD: What are the people going to do who are in the House if it is not broadcast?

INTERVIEWER: I don't think the public care what they do. They just don't want to have to watch it.

JOHN HOWARD: We'll have to crank up the giveaways, I think.

INTERVIEWER: No, that won't work.

JOHN HOWARD: Maybe we'll get an intruder.

INTERVIEWER: No, that's not going to work.

JOHN HOWARD: Why not?

INTERVIEWER: Well, the last time you did that you got someone called George in and they were fighting afterwards as soon as he left.

JOHN HOWARD: No, no, no - that's right. George was - yeah, no. I've been trying to shake George off ever since.

INTERVIEWER: Best of luck.

JOHN HOWARD: Bloody George.



Edit: Just to clarify
Interviewer, played by Bryan Dawe and
Howard, played by John Clarke