Just last week, I was writing about the relative health of satire in the US and UK and now comes a rather striking example of something the Americans can do and we can’t.
It’s already a source of chagrin to many lovers of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart that More4 shows only a weekly round-up edition, rather than the four nightly episodes that are produced by the team. But this week, even the “Global Edition” didn’t make it on to British TV screens — and the 4OD webpage lists the online version as being “unavailable”.
Blogger Chris Spyrou noticed it and brought it to the attention of the TV writer Graham Linehan, who asked Channel 4 about it. A tweet from Channel 4 Insider — the broadcaster’s official presence on Twitter — called it “compliance problems”.
The full reason, tweeted a short while later, was this: “We are prevented by parliamentary rules from broadcasting parliamentary proceedings in a comedic or satrical context.”
The user @fiatpanda later uncovered this response to a Freedom of Information request from Channel 4, which stated:
Guidelines on the use of the pictures are less prescriptive. They do specify that no extracts from parliamentary proceedings may be used in comedy shows or other light entertainment, such as political satire. But broadcasters are allowed to include parliamentary items in magazine programmes containing musical or humourous features, provided the reports are kept separate.
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So there you have it. The Americans can make fun of what happens in our parliament but we can’t. And, in case you’re wondering, I’ve seen what I assume is the “banned” clip and it’s gentle ribbing at most — and has something important to say about democracy and the accountability of elected officials.
In it, Jon Stewart expresses his admiration for David Cameron “taking on all comers” during the Commons questions on the hacking scandal, in contrast to the rather anaemic questions that American leaders face.
After showing Ed Miliband, Ann Clwyd, Tom Watson and others giving Cameron some tough words, Jon Stewart remarks: “That’s awesome! That’s your CSPAN? That’s f***ing awesome . . . I know how I’d respond to that kind of questioning [he cowers]. I bet the Prime Minister never had a chance!”
The tape then cuts back to the Commons, where Cameron tells the House his opponents were clearly “hoping for some great allegation to add to their fevered conspiracy theories. I’m just disappointed for them that they didn’t get one”.
After a couple more clips of a bullish PM, Jon Stewart notes: “England is awesome. That guy killed it. Remember when someone yelled “You lie!” at our State of the Union and everyone was like ‘What has become of us as a people?’ This is the Prime Minister of England, down in the pit, taking on all comers . . . This guy cut short a foreign trip for the privilege of it.”
What US politics needs, Stewart concludes, is for Americans to “start drinking some motherf***ing tea and eating some motherf***ing finger sandwiches”.
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