Children's Commissioner deems candid camera programme distasteful
The Commissioner for Children has expressed her "distaste" for an episode of the Family TV programme Issa ċ-Ċans where she said children were bullied and provoked to tears in the name of entertainment.
Calling on the public to boycott such programmes, Carmen Zammit lambasted the two-hour-long candid camera episode on January 4, during which pranks were played on the children who were being filmed. It was "absolutely disgraceful to witness such deterioration in the quality of TV," she said.
However, when contacted, Andrew Farrugia, on behalf of the station, said Family TV had approached the parents with the idea of a candid camera and all of them were present during every recording.
Mr Farrugia defended the programme and said parents had even given the station tips on how to tease their children.
However, for Ms Zammit, "using children as the butt of humour in this way is deplorable and humiliating and should be unacceptable in a society that claims to love and respect them".
Ms Zammit explained that the children were called in to the studio and, supposedly for rehearsal purposes, were required to sing a song. Instead, they found themselves insulted, mocked and pushed around for the purposes of the prank, while being filmed, she said. "The crew in the studio made numerous - and successful - efforts to provoke the children to tears and anger, all in the name of entertainment."
The programme included name-calling, yelling directed at the children, and a staged fight, aimed at drawing a reaction from the shocked kids, Ms Zammit said.
"One young girl was even reduced to uncontrollable tears while others remained shocked and unsure of what was happening," she said.
"While children are capable of taking a joke, the content of this programme was tantamount to bullying. This is appalling not only in itself but in the fact that the station management saw it fit to classify this as entertainment."
Ms Zammit strongly urged audiences to show their disapproval by boycotting such programmes and urged all broadcasting stations to professionally invest in producing programmes of quality, particularly those aimed for and with children.
9 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
adrian sammut
Jan 13th 2009, 22:31
@ Children's Commissioner.
You dont have to tell me twice to boycott such programmes. With so many channels now available on cable or digital tv i have taken the liberty of not watching any local stations at all. years ago I have a six year old child who watches many children's programmes on different foreign tv channels. You instantly understand that there is always an underlying vision to educate apart from entertain the children. This is because these programmes are produced by professional educators not the bunch of self made amateurs who produce most of our local stuff. So apart from the occasional news bulettin.. Thanks but no thanks.
f.galea
Jan 13th 2009, 17:17
So now according to Andrew farrugia we have parents(?) advising stations how to tease their children. Were name calling, yelling and fighting in front of their children some of their ideas?.
Joe Tabone-Adami
Jan 13th 2009, 16:24
I did not have the privilege of watching "issa c-Cans" on January 4th - but, needless to say, I do not regret at all having missed it. From what the Children's Commissioner has said about it, the whole boshed-up thing should make the producer's face deep scarlet with shame!
Alexander G Farrugia
Jan 13th 2009, 15:51
Well done Commissioner! After watching part of the programme on Sunday, January 4th, I switched on my PC and sent a letter to The Times, which was published a week ago...here's the link:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090106/letters/young-children-on-candid-camera/
To my knowedge, no one from the TV station or programme sent a reply letter to The Times!
john falzon
Jan 13th 2009, 13:11
When I think about what the whole thing might have done to the children's self-esteem, my blood boils.
What kind of parents would expose their children to such things anyway ?
What a sad society we live in.
Y. Vella
Jan 13th 2009, 12:34
Abuse of children... that is what it is called.... if being entertained means getting someone else hurt, then i preferred being bored !!!!
I. Galea
Jan 13th 2009, 12:24
now that's just disgusting. how could anyone take pleasure in making children cry? what is going on with Maltese television? i don't care if the parents were present and happy to watch their children being reduced to tears. what, is that meant to make things better? what people saw on television was children being bullied, and watchers were expected to find this funny.
bullying is no laughing matter. it scars children for life, and i'm not being dramatic. this is a program which not only gives children ideas about bullying, but also makes them think it's a fun and hilarious way of entertainment...just as one would think Maltese television couldn't get more lame and disappointing...a stunt like this is pulled.
elaine mizzi
Jan 13th 2009, 12:19
@andrew farrugia
i would like to comment on this piece..
"However, when contacted, Andrew Farrugia, on behalf of the station, said Family TV had approached the parents with the idea of a candid camera and all of them were present during every recording.
Mr Farrugia defended the programme and said parents had even given the station tips on how to tease their children."
...what sort of justification is that andrew? what difference does it make... whether someone is being bullied by the crew or the parents? it's still bullying! and for the children to be put in such a vulnerable position of being bullied, by their own parents it's even worse... if you wanted to the defend the program that is the last thing you should have mentioned!!!
.........................................................................................................................................................................
@carmen zammit
thank you for your intervention!
...what can be done in this case? how can these children be defended? because action should be taken... to introduce the idea in this society that children are just other people and should be treated with respect!
.........................................................................................................................................................................
...then the society wonders where all the bad people come from and all the crimes committed and why it's not safe anymore...bla bla!!!
Marianne Mercieca
Jan 13th 2009, 12:04
I totally agree with the Commissioner that the programme was VERY annoying and unsensitive towards these kids. I managed to see 10 minutes of it and switched it to another station because both me and my husband couldn't stand seeing the hurt and worry in the children's eyes. Shame on whoever had the idea to produce such a programme. The parents of these children should have thought more deeply about the effect that such a stupid joke would have on their kids before giving their consent.