Claudia Calleja
Satirical PBS programme suspended after ‘illegal’ clip
The shoe must not go on... a video grab of Arnold Cassola taking part in the ‘illegal’ game.
The satirical television programme VIP Xow has been suspended by the national broadcaster after the station editor found a clip aired in last Monday’s show to be illegal and in bad taste.
The offensive part involved a game in which contestants were asked to hurl shoes at three tins featuring photos of President George Abela, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Labour leader Joseph Muscat. According to law it is illegal to ridicule the President.
Following a meeting of the Public Broadcasting Services’ editorial board on Friday, the VIP Xow producers were informed their programme was being suspended with immediate effect, The Sunday Times learnt.
The decision was taken on grounds that the board had to ensure laws were respected and that the station’s reputation was not prejudiced.
VIP Xow show, aired on TVM on Mondays at 10 p.m., was one of the new programmes during the launch of the 2010-2011 schedule in September.
It is presented by popular comic trio Zoo – Chrysander Agius and Daniel Chircop together with Owen Bonnici, known in the programme as Freddie Hotpants.
On last Monday’s show, Alternattiva Demokratika’s former chairman Arnold Cassola was one of four guests.
When it was Prof. Cassola’s turn to play the shoe-throwing game, the tins were brought very close to him so he could hit them easily, knock them down and “finally win something” – a play on AD’s lack of electoral success.
The decision taken by PBS to black out the game was criticised by the Front Against Censorship.
Last Thursday, PBS editor Natalino Fenech said the decision had nothing to do with censorship and pointed out it was illegal to ridicule the President.
The Press Act says that whoever uses “defamatory, insulting or disparaging words, acts or gestures” in contempt of the President would be committing a criminal offence liable to a jail term of up to three months or a fine. Dr Fenech also said he thought the game was in bad taste.
Despite not being aired on TVM, the clip was uploaded onto Facebook and the video-sharing website You Tube.
It was then removed from circulation after the VIP Xow team were advised to withdraw it by their lawyer, presenter Chrysander Agius had said.
“The law is there and I respect it even though I might not agree with it.
“When the script was written it did not cross our minds it was in bad taste or potentially illegal,” he said, adding it was just meant to be funny.
Members of the VIP Xow team could not be reached for comment yesterday.
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Keith Muscat
Jan 11th 2011, 23:40
As a creator of a local, popular FB fan page I was also once advised to remove a photo of the president from the page album(due to a police investigation which was taking place)
This photo had absolutely nothing distasteful and it was a completely clean from any acts of harm or ridicule...
I respect Dr Abela a lot, but why should we treat certain people(regardless of what title they hold in the society) as UNTOUCHABLES?!?! Come on !! A joke is a joke!
Anyway...welcome to Malta; the north korea of europe! (someone might also be monitoring this blog i'm afraid)
A.Debattista
Jan 11th 2011, 14:45
Pass il-quddiem.... u mija lura -.-
Jurgen Camilleri
Jan 11th 2011, 19:04
Couldn't have said it better myself. Iva kien hemm ghalfejn jissospenduh? Mux bizzejjed ma rajnijiex? Ara vera qisna qed nghixu fi zmien il-qedem. Grow up!
l fenech
Jan 10th 2011, 02:56
I wonder why PBS never gave the same treatment to Bondiplus for his one sided programs that should be of service to all the comunity and not the government in office
J. Borg
Jan 9th 2011, 20:12
Oh my God. We have arrived at a point of no return. Dr. Cassola, is it possible that you have nothing better to do??? It seems as if your losing all election has gone to your he mind ehhhhhhhh ...........to your shoes.......!!! This is a disgrace and you have ridiculed yourself, AD and the country you wished to no avail to represent. This was done once when Pres. Bush was giving a press conference & an idiotic person threw a shoe at him, and throwing a shoe at someone is deemed as the most unethical and the rudest thing ever. We never expected such a lowly degrading thing from an academic!!!
Marco Cremona
Jan 9th 2011, 23:34
J.Borg Have you ever watched the programme? Do you know that various members of parliament from both parties have participated in the show and made to play games as the one Dr. Arnold Cassola played? Why pick on him only? And anyway Dr. Cassola only features in this article because it happened to be him to be made to play this game. It could have been anybody else. I guess he was not privy as to what kind of games he would be made to play. What would you have done in his place? Leave the studio and be labelled a 'spoilsport' forever? If you care to note, Dr. Cassola was not held to blame....it was the programme producers who were taken to task.
Ramon Casha
Jan 10th 2011, 07:13
Dr. Cassola???? He was one of the guests. He did not organise the show, and probably did not know beforehand of the nature of this game. The organisers decided to poke some fun at him and AD and, apparently, he took it as a good-natured joke.
Ramon Casha
Jan 10th 2011, 07:16
PS: Why only Cassola? According to the article he was not the only guest or even the first one to participate in this game.
Wesley Ellul
Jan 9th 2011, 19:53
part 2 - Because he believes people can express as they wish.... and it is their right to feel that way about him and let others know. Are people who are ridiculing the president doing anything wrong? No... but they are saying something about what some local people may feel about the post of the president in general, and how they are feeling about the citizen's relationship to the govenment.
Being someone involved with the arts i hope our leaders feel confident enough about their positions and the things they are doing to not be scared of people taking the mickey out of them.
Fellow citizens beware: If our government can't handle that type of criticism, from people who are know for being satirical, ie doing things for laughs not for political gain, it would seem we're not far from returning to an era, when "special police" stormed the Manoel to stop the panto because the satire took the mickey out of the government of that day.
Marco Cremona
Jan 9th 2011, 23:43
Well said Wesley. Isn't the ability to laugh at oneself a measure of self-esteem? Bet the President and the other two political leaders can take a joke - and probably would have volunteered at throwing the shoe themselves.
Martin Cassar
Jan 10th 2011, 13:17
Were the USA’s sacred code of freedom of expression and freedom of speech applicable where Wikileaks involved?
Wesley Ellul
Jan 9th 2011, 19:45
First off - Have nothing against the president
Secondly - never seen the show, so can't comment on quality, and whether it was in bad taste or not.
My main issue is that it is getting ridiculous! If we can't comment and make fun of our political leaders (for at times lets be honest, that is the only thing we can get out of them), where are we living? Can no one see zoo were taking the mickey going back to the shoe throwing incident of bush back in 14th Dec 2008 .... I mean this was all over the news hundreds of comedians on tv openly took the mickey... from Jay Leno to conan o'brian, to jon stewart of the daily show, they all took the mickey...
Was this the only time they did so? Absolutely not... every day there would be a joke running on one show or other about him. So why didn't the us president, the most powerful man in the world do something? cont...
Why did no one stop them? Because it is an expression of freedom of speech.
David Cassar
Jan 10th 2011, 18:28
It is not illegal to make fun of the prime minister or the leader of opposition but it is illegal to make fun of the president and this I think makes sense because if the president is there to represent us we are making a fool of ourselves when making a fool out of him. I think the president is one of the best we've had and I think a country has truly failed when those living in it make fun of the person who represents it I ahve sometimes seen the show and think that the presenters go a little too faand cross the limits in some episodes but still if it's funny and legal there isn't a reason why not make fun of people and joke with them but the president should'nt be made fun of after all he is doing only good to this country
Robert Callus
Jan 9th 2011, 13:23
Who controls the PBS and every aspect of Maltese life?
Martin Cassar
Jan 9th 2011, 13:05
Absolute democracy and absolute freedom of expression never existed anywhere in the world [including Malta, Iran, USA, France Zimbabwe, China..etc ] at any given point of time. All democracies have harsh laws for self-protection and to protect the entire society in general and the 'elite' in paricular. If anybody think otherwise then dwelling in illusion I am afraid!
What’s wrong about having laws that criminalize anybody insults the head of a state?
@ Pierre Muscat
26 June 2010
Man arrested for insulting Sarkozy
AFP
Police arrested a young man for insulting French President Nicolas Sarkozy as the leader visited a deprived suburb, a court official said.
The 21-year-old was arrested at a train station in Seine-Saint-Denis, near the northern Paris suburb of La Courneuve, where Mr Sarkozy made an unannounced visit late on Wednesday.
The official said the suspect was hurt and bruised by police during his arrest and a doctor had signed him off work for nine days. He appeared before a judge yesterday. The court official did not specify the insult the man is alleged to have made to Mr Sarkozy, who has had an unfriendly reception on several previous visits to certain places…….
Darren J. Galea
Jan 9th 2011, 12:14
"PBS editor Natalino Fenech said the decision had nothing to do with censorship and pointed out it was illegal to ridicule the President."
Our politicians have had it too easy for too long:
1. Massive raise in "honoraria"
2. Free Air Malta Flights
3. Free Parking in a pedestrianised zone in Valletta
4. God knows what else!
With all these benefits one would think that they could also have a little bit of a sense of humor, but NO! "...it was illegal to ridicule the President"
Maltese Politicians, get a life!
Nick Falzon
Jan 9th 2011, 12:08
VIP Xow should have been suspended for being unfunny crap. PBS have done the right thing.
R.Grima
Jan 9th 2011, 12:03
Maybe PBS should and could learn a thing or two from the BBC by clicking on the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfZMiTVvnxU&feature=channel
No further comments....
John Borg
Jan 9th 2011, 17:54
I checked the clip. no one is seen throwing a shoe at the Queen's face! Do you fin it acceptable that someone throws a shoe at your image? don't do onto others what you don't want someone do it to you! PBS did the right thing.
R.Grima
Jan 10th 2011, 08:02
Dear Mr Borg, If it's a satirical programme they can throw a dozen shoes at my image face I won't be bothered one single bit. My point on showing the you tube clip is because in the article it stated: According to law it is illegal to ridicule the President. Are they not riducling the Queen in that clip? shoe or no shoe. We have a LOT to learn from the British. Mr Borg if you don't like the programme don't watch it. simple as that.
Pierre Muscat
Jan 9th 2011, 12:01
And yet we watch the Heads of State of every other democratcic nation getting satirized and ridiculed on TV without any of this silliness every day. Only in Malta.
Charles Taliana
Jan 9th 2011, 11:03
' SPOIL SPORTS'
David Buttigieg
Jan 9th 2011, 10:42
I see freedom of speech is still an alien concept in this country of ours!
GiovDeMartino
Jan 9th 2011, 17:12
Freedom of speech in Malta existed only in the 70's and 80'.s And there was no censorship, neither. There was a time when the MUT's delegate was not peremitted to distribute the magazine The Teacher bec it critisized the minister. We were not allowed to even watch The Raid on Entebbe.
J. Schembri
Jan 9th 2011, 09:42
Well if this Xow is all that we can have on Public TV .Then we're scraping the bottom?I try to watch these dillettantes on ONE , but they're running dry of good original humour.
I think PBS found a good excuse to stop this so called entertainment.
Right now Deceduti IS the best entertainment we can have on local TV followed by Bondi+ and Xarabank.