Mon 8 Dec 2008 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Controversial scenes showing two male Shortland Street characters hopping under the covers for some man-love breached standards of good taste and decency, according to the Broadcasting Standards Authority. Man-love on Shortland St: Too 'adult' for 7pm, says Authority The episode was transmitted back in April, showing the men kissing and undressing, then getting into bed together. A later scene shows one of them disappearing under the covers, until there's a 'thud' and he reappears with a bloodied nose. A viewer contacted the Authority to make a formal complaint about broadcaster TVNZ. The episode, transmitted at 7pm, showed "in rather graphic physical details, the developing of a potential homosexual relationship between two young men," the complainant said. The viewer said he was "appalled" that "TVNZ is prepared to accept it is suitable family viewing to show a pair of men undressing, getting into bed and one disappearing under the blankets to obviously start oral sex with his mate. "I'd have enough of a problem explaining to younger kids what might just be happening under the bed clothes if that had been a heterosexual couple." TVNZ pointed out that Shortland Street was rated 'Parental Guidance Recommended', and often explored adult themes. The episode in question was broadcast after a warning saying "contains sexual material which may be unsuitable for younger viewers." The broadcaster stated that the scene did not contain any actual sex – while one man did go under the covers with a suggestion of oral sex, "it did not occur and ended in comic disaster." According to TVNZ, a similar scene featuring a heterosexual couple would not have breached broadcasting standards, so the same conclusion should be reached of the homosexual scenes. Indeed, around the same time the gay scene had been broadcast, Shortland Street episodes had featured 'before and after' scenes of straight couple having 'quickie sex' in a restaurant, and a male teenage model stripping for a 'threesome' safe sex poster campaign. However, the Authority upheld the viewer's compliant, saying the sexual encounter portrayed was unsuitable for child viewers that may be watching television in the early evening. "The Authority makes it clear that its findings have nothing to do with the fact that the scene involved two men," it clarifies. "The scene would have been equally inappropriate if it had involved a heterosexual couple. "Irrespective of the characters' sexual orientation, the broadcaster did not adequately consider the interests of child viewers by including such an unambiguous sex scene in a programme broadcast at 7pm." Following the decision, which the BSA says clarifies expectations around the sexual content of television programmes broadcast at 7pm, TVNZ does not need to broadcast an apology as it has promised to increase consultation over the appropriateness of the soap's racier storylines. This was the first time a complaint against Shortland Street had been upheld.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Monday, 8th December 2008 - 12:36pm