ABC comedy boss Amanda Duthie admits she did not refer Chaser sketch up the chain
Amanda Duthie, the ABC’s Head of Arts, Entertainment & Comedy, was tonight named as the person responsible for the breakdown in procedures that led to The Chaser’s dying kids sketch being aired last week.
She confirmed to Media Watch – broadcast by the ABC – that she had viewed the material and failed to refer it upwards.
The Chaser’s War On Everything aired on Wednesday night. The Make A Reasonable Wish Foundation sketch caused immediate outrage – in particular, the final “They’re only going to die anyway” line.
By Thursday lunchtime, the ABC’s director of TV Kim Dalton had apologised and the network said it had edited the sketch out of that night’s ABC2 repeat and from the online iView catch-up service.
Evidently the ABC doesn’t set any morality policies on their programming, and this is what we pay for? The ABC should also dismiss Amanada Duthie (Dummy) for not having any morale vibre as well. What did she mean, she neglected to send the script a head for a final decision? I’m sure she understands what occurred in the video, but overlooked the premise of the content. Fire her and the other idiots who were supposed to be in the final approval and acceptance process. We as citizens of Australia don’t want to pay for the immoral practices of these people; if they couldn’t see it, then what else we they accidently let go buy to air?
It’s comedy. If it offends, turn the channel or turn it off. Most people complaining about this probably never saw the sketch. As Steve Martin once said: “comedy is not pretty!”
Firstly, “Media Researcher” (not needing to come up with a searingly clever pun on your name as it is already in evidence), perhaps you could defer to Michael Idato’s OpEd in the SMH:
“The Chaser brand, first and foremost, is about upsetting the apple cart. If they’re going to have to apologise for everything they do, then the ABC should shelve The Chaser’s War On Everything and go back to making inoffensively mediocre programs like The Glass House.”
The job of a good producer is not to censor their talent. The blame lies squarely with the people at the Chaser who wrote and executed this lame, unoriginal sketch. They have publicly apologies and pulled the skit. That’s it. Move on.
To “‘Media Researcher”. Don’t presume to speak on behalf of Australian citizens. My opinion is the complete opposite of yours,and trust me, I am more than capable of voicing it.
And you all don’t mind paying for this type of entertainment? Maybe Rudd is correct about placing filters over the Net; and maybe it should be television too.
By not passing any concerns up the line, Duthie is supposedly accepting responsibility for the piece. Given that, the question here seems to be why is the ABC not holding her to account? The Chasers simply did what they do – regardless of whether you love it or hate it – and Duthie saw no problem with it airing. The ‘process’ itself hasn’t failed, but what occurs when the incorrect decision is made obviously has.
So the Chaser has learnt a very tough lesson in the importance of systems.
Revise and upgrade your editorial sign-off systems and procedures, keep moving forward…hopefully soon things will settle down again and The Chaser will once again pick up where it left off – and return to being renowned for what it (usually) does best – being a mirror for society – everything about it that is good, bad AND ugly.
Perhaps you’d like to research a little into someone’s career before you without qualification start calling for their resignation?
Hi NTMIAPCWSWNRN,
Thanks for your comment. It is okay to give your real name, by the way. You guys at ****er (that’s the wonder of IP addresses – I still know who you are) are entitled to your opinion – but it carries more weight when you give it in person.
But to your wider point, I’ve written a separate post on why I do think this issue matters. You’ll find it here: https://staging.mumbrella.com.au/why-the-chasergate-furore-is-about-the-future-of-the-abc-6361 .
Unfortunately, sometimes it doesn’t come down to your CV. There are occasions when taking responsibility for an error means taking responsibility, not just saying it, even if you are very good at your job.
My personal view is that – if Media Watch has accurately reported the facts – this is one of those situations.
But feel free to argue otherwise.
Cheers,
Timk – Mumbrella
“And you all don’t mind paying for this type of entertainment?”
I certainly don’t mind paying for free press and media. I don’t need others’ moral barometer to dictate mine. The sketch was ill advised and simply unfunny, but I accept that in a democracy not all material is going to be to my liking. I also accept that if I choose to watch a program whose material is known for being ‘on the edge’ that there is chance that that material may go over that edge, and furthermore I‘m not really concerned with the opinions regarding that material of someone whose chooses not to watch such a program. I’m not going to listen to what my grandparents think of Eminem, for example, same as my nieces don’t care what I think of Australia’s Next Top Model.
I certainly am more offended by the crass content force fed to children by the commercial networks in the guise of reality TV than anything the Chaser team has ever done, but I exercise my prerogative as a citizen and do not watch.
On The Seven network I saw an episode of The Family Guy that had a stupendously off colour joke about childhood death that went to air without a murmur, so don’t tell me that this crusade is not a trumped up media frenzy driven by those with an axe to grind against the Chasers and the ABC or simply just more grist for the ratings mill.
Apologies have been made, action taken – now get on with your life.
This handle is in response to someone who will label themselves “Media Researcher” and then defame someone on this website. As the Administrator, Tim, you are not holding up your own code by allowing that for one and not another.
Media Researcher; interesting you suggest the web filter coming over to TV. When you think about it TV is already highly filtered compared to the net especially FTA. There are ratings for all the movies and most TV shows, the watershed in place and most content approved at some stage including the Chaser which doesnt go out live. Whereas the net is bandit country by comparison – I’m sure you can watch the Chaser segment somewhere right now online.
Hi again NTMIAPCWSWNRN,
Although I can see some strong comment from media researcher, it’s not defamatory. he or she is commenting on the facts as outlined, not making, as far as I can see, untrue allegations about what happened.
Cheers,
Tim
Nanny state whinging. The Chaser does extreme bad taste comedy. If you like, watch. If you no likey, no watchee. STFU
Perhaps you should familiarise yourself with these guidelines:
http://www.efa.org.au/Issues/C.....ml#defpubl
and then see if you think “The ABC should also dismiss Amanada Duthie (Dummy) for not having any morale vibre as well,” is appropriate “commentary”, especially as Mumbrella as the publisher, is responsible.
Thanks for the advice, NTMIACWSWNRN, and for explaining how publishing works – much appreciated. Working for all the large media organisations that your company does certainly seems to be educating you about media law.
An absolute defence for defamation is truth. Fair comment on that basis is also allowed. In this case, there appears to be no question of who has taken responsibility for approval of the sketch. That comment goes no further than a widely expressed opinion about the broadcasting about that possible sketch.
You don’t have to agree with the view (indeed, I don’t myself), but that doesn’t mean that the person involved isn’t entitled to express it.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Fair enough. It would be nice if people would be pulled up for childish name-calling, however.
There is a point at which we moderate – indeed, I’ve just taken something down on another thread.
Sometimes it’s a difficult judgement call on on taste – just like a certain TV programme I can think of.
The general public, MPs and commercial media should wear muzzles and keep their opinions to themselves. That or don’t watch the ABC if you don’t know what comedic satire is. YOU MUGS!