Slagged off...
Shuttleworth creator probed by TV watchdogs
John Shuttleworth creator Graham Fellows has been investigated by TV watchdogs – for a song he wrote more than 25 years ago.
Ofcom investigators looked into a complaint received after his song Jilted John, with its chorus ‘Gordon is a moron’, was repeated on an edition of Top Of The Pops 2 hosted by Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer,
The viewer, who had been watching the February show with two small children, objected to the 1978 hit because in contained the words ‘bitch’, ‘slag’ and ‘slut’.
In its defence, BBC2 said: “Jilted John contributed an undiluted dose of irony, clearly poking fun at other bands” and that it was typical of its period.
It also said that the language was very mild – ‘slag’ is considered the strongest word of the three, and research has found that fewer than one viewer in five is offended by it.
Ofcom watchdogs did not uphold the complaint. In a ruling published today, they said: “We considered that, on balance, the lyrics of this 1978 song had been acceptable in the context of this programme, aimed at an older audience.”Published: 14 Jun 2004
