Advertising Standards Agency upholds complaint

The advert for Fern Brady’s stand-up tour has been officially banned for causing religious offence.

Watchdogs at the Advertising Standards Agency have said the ad for her next tour I Gave You Milk To Drink can no long run – and cautioned her about overstepping the line, 

The ASA investigated after receiving a formal complaint that the ad mocked the Christian faith, as Chortle reported last month. 

In a ruling published today, the regulator said: ‘The ad must not appear again in the form complained of, in media in which it was likely to cause serious offence. We told Fern Brady to take care to not cause offence on the grounds of religion in future ads.’

In the ad, the comedian is depicted holding a baby and spraying milk directly from her breast into the mouth of a kneeling holy figure, in front of a stained-glass window bearing the name of the tour.

The complaint was raised after it was seen on the Sky News website in August. The broadcaster had not vetted the ad, nor did it receive any direct complaints.

Addressing concerns the image was sacrilegious, Brady told the ASA it was a recreation of the religious painting The Lactation of St. Bernard, created in the 17th century by Spanish painter Alonso Cano.

The painting was well-known within Christian art and had been widely accepted and respected within religious contexts for centuries, she argued. 

Brady said the intention was not to mock or belittle the original religious significance, but to offer ‘a contemporary interpretation that aligned with her public persona as a comedian known for her irreverent style and her religious upbringing’.

She also said that efforts had been made to avoid any unintentional offence, notably by covering the breast with a beam of light, which differed from the original painting.

The comedian acknowledged that religious imagery was a sensitive area but argued that humour was subjective, and ‘while some may have found the portrayal distasteful, that did not necessarily mean it was likely to cause serious or widespread offence’.

Brady believed that in the context of satire, the ad instead reflected a long tradition of artistic reinterpretation.

But ruling that the image broke the advertising code, the ASA said: ‘Regardless of consumers’ familiarity with the painting, or the content of Fern Brady’s work, we considered the ad, which appeared on a general news website, was likely to be seen as depicting the Virgin Mary, a highly revered individual in the Christian tradition, breastfeeding an adult holy figure in a church setting, for the purposes of humour.

‘In that context, we considered that the ad was likely to be seen as mocking the religious figures shown. We therefore concluded that it was likely to cause serious offence to some within the Christian faith who saw the ad on the site.’

However, the ban has sparked a backlash with Humanists UK, calling on the ASA to overturn the ban. They say censoring adverts on grounds of causing religious offence 'amounts to a de facto anti-blasphemy law, which is an unreasonable restriction on free expression'.

Richy Thompson, director of public affairs and policy research for the group, said: ‘It is concerning that a comedian cannot make light of religion without fear of censorship.

'Comedy, by its very nature, often challenges social norms and touches on subjects that may be uncomfortable or controversial. Yet this is exactly why comedy is such a vital tool for freedom of expression and critical thinking.

‘In a pluralistic society, it is vital that people are able to express their views, whether they are religious or not, without the fear of being silenced by vague and subjective standards. The ASA is enabling back door anti-blasphemy laws and we urge them to review and overturn this decision.’

When Brady was alerted to the complaint she posted on Instagram: ‘Whoever complained about the poster, thanks a lot! For this show, tickets were selling well and it was all looking good. Then some virgin complained to the ASA about my beautiful tour poster. There’s not even anything wrong with it, why are you complaining? If you’re the person who complained about my poster, I hope you never come [to the show].’

Published: 20 Nov 2024