Investigation Report No. 2757
ACMA file reference / ACMA2012/185Broadcaster / Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Station / ABC1 Perth
Type of Service / National Broadcasting Service (Television)
Name of Program / Rage
Dates of Broadcast / Various between 13 August 2011 and 1 October 2011
Relevant Legislation/Code / Broadcasting Services Act 1992
· Section 151
ABC Code of Practice 2011
· Standard 7.3.1 (Television Classifications – G)
· Standard 7.6 (Harm and offence – dangerous imitation and threats to health)
· Standard 8.3 (Children and young people – managing risks of exposure to ABC content)
· Standard 8.4 (Children and young people – minimise risk of exposure to unsuitable content)
Investigation conclusion
· No breach of Standards 7.3.1 (Television Classifications – G), 7.6 (Harm and offence – dangerous imitation and threats to health), 8.3 (Children and young people – managing risks of exposure to ABC content) and 8.4 (Children and young people – minimise risk of exposure to unsuitable content) of the ABC Code of Practice 2011.
The complaint
On 18 January 2012, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA) received a written complaint about five music videos shown during the program Rage, broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Service (the ABC) from 6.00 am to 10.00 am on 13, 20 and 27 August 2011, 3, 10, 17 and 24 September 2011 and 1 October 2011.
The complainant alleged that the five music videos shown during the G classified program contained harmful and potentially imitable references to alcohol and tobacco.
Not satisfied with the response provided by the ABC, the complainant forwarded the matter to the ACMA for investigation.
The program
Rage is a music video program broadcast from midnight to 11.00 am on Saturday mornings and midnight to 6.00 am on Sunday mornings.[1] The program is broken up into segments and the classification is dependent on the time of broadcast. For example:
· From midnight to 5.00 am the program is broadcast with an MA classification;
· From 5.00 am to 6.00 am the program is broadcast with a PG classification;
· From 6.00 am to 10.00 am the program is broadcast with a G classification;[2] and
· From 10.00 am to 11.00 am the program is broadcast with a PG classification.[3]
Between 6.00 am and 11.00 am, the program typically features hits and new releases.[4] The ABC has submitted that different versions of music videos exist for broadcast during the relevant classification segment.
The complainant identified the music videos for the following five songs:
· You Make Me Feel by Cobra Starship featuring Sabi;
· Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F) by Katy Perry;
· Champagne Showers by LMFAO featuring Natalia Kills;
· Cheers by Rihanna; and
· Cigarettes by Illy featuring Hue Blanes.
A short description of each music video is set out at Attachment A.
Assessment
The assessment is based on a copy of the relevant broadcasts provided to the ACMA by the ABC and submissions from the complainant and the ABC.[5]
Relevant provisions
The ABC Code of Practice 2011 (the Code) contains the following provisions that are relevant to the matters raised by the complainant:
IV. Principles and Standards
[...]
7. Harm and offence
[...]
7.6 Where there is editorial justification for content which may lead to dangerous imitation or exacerbate serious threats to individual or public health, safety or welfare, take appropriate steps to mitigate those risks, particularly by taking care with how content is expressed and presented.
[...]
8. Children and young people
[...]
8.3 Adopt appropriate measures wherever practical to enable children and young people, or those who supervise them, to manage risks associated with the child/young person’s participation with, use of and exposure to ABC content and services designed for them.
8.4 Take particular care to minimise risks of exposure to unsuitable content or inappropriate contact by peers or strangers.
[...]
V. Associated Standard: Television Program Classification
[...]
7.3 Ensure all domestic television programs – with the exception of news, current affairs and sporting events – are classified and scheduled for broadcast in accordance with the ABC’s Associated Standard on Television Program Classification.
[...]
7.3.1 Television Classifications
G – General
(G programs may be shown at any time)
G programs, which include programs designed for pre-school and school-aged children, are suitable for children to watch on their own. Some G programs may be more appropriate for older children.
The G classification does not necessarily indicate that the program is one that children will enjoy. Some G programs contain themes or storylines that are not of interest to children.
Whether or not the program is intended for children, the treatment of themes and other classifiable elements will be careful and discreet.
Themes: The treatment of themes should be discreet, justified by context, and very mild in impact. The presentation of dangerous, imitable behaviour is not permitted except in those circumstances where it is justified by context. Any depiction of such behaviour must not encourage dangerous imitation.
[...]
Complainant’s submissions
In correspondence to the ABC, dated 21 October 2011, the complainant provided the following relevant submissions:
[...]
We contend that the amount and nature of the alcohol, tobacco and other drug references in the G-rated segments (screened on weekend mornings) of the ABC music video program Rage directly breach Standard 8 [of the Code], by falling outside the standards for G-rated program classification.
[...]
We are concerned that both the ‘drug use’ theme and the depiction of drug use in the segments of Rage shown during the G-rated timeslots on weekend mornings infringe the Standard [8], and make the program unsuitable for children to watch on their own.
In relation to the five music videos identified in the complaint, the following was submitted:
Champagne Showers – LMFAO feat. Natalia Kills
Champagne Showers was shown on the Saturday Rage program four times between 13 August 2011 and 1 October 2011, i.e. it appeared in half of the Saturday Rage programs from the time period. It contains numerous references to alcohol.
Verbal alcohol references: The lyrics of the song contain 29 verbal references to alcohol, including the words ‘champagne showers’ repeated in the chorus and the following lines:
‘I walk in the club with a bottle or two – Shake it, spray it on a body or two’
‘And it’s about to be a champagne monsoon’
‘Come to my table and take a sip – Open wide ’cause were spraying it’
‘Now I want you to grab your bottles – Put them up in the air – Now shake, shake, shake that bottle and make it pop’
Visual alcohol references: The music video contains 26 strong visual references to alcohol, including images of champagne being opened and boxes of ‘Holy Champagne’ on display. The final section of the video shows band members spraying champagne onto everyone at the party, and using it to fight off fictional villains.
This video is dominated by visual and verbal alcohol references and it strongly promotes consumption of alcohol (champagne). It is of particular concern, as the humorous and fantastical storyline of the video, involving an underground party populated by vampires and zombies, is of special appeal to adolescents and young people. We contend that alcohol use in this music video is clearly not ‘handled with care’ as required by the Standard [7] for the depiction of drug use in G-rated programs, and further, that the treatment of the theme of ‘drug use’ in this video is neither discreet, justified by context, or mild in impact.
Cheers – Rihanna
Cheers was shown during a G-rated timeslot on the Saturday Rage program four times between 13August2011 and 1October2011, i.e. it appeared in half of the Saturday Rage programs from the time period. It contains strong pro-drinking messages.
Verbal alcohol references: There are 31 verbal references to alcohol in the lyrics. For example:
‘Cheers to the freakin’ weekend, I drink to that – Oh let the Jamesons sink in, I drink to that’
‘Don’t let the bastards get ya down – Turn it around with another round’
‘There’s a party at the bar – Everybody putcha glasses up – And I drink to that’
‘Got a drink on my mind and my mind on my money’
‘Bout to hop on the bar, put it all on my card tonight’
‘Might be mad in the morning but you know we goin hard tonight’
Visual alcohol references: The music video contains 17 images of alcohol and alcohol consumption, including multiple shots of the singer, Rihanna, consuming alcoholic beverages in various settings, for example, drinking a shot onstage at a concert.
This music video strongly advocates alcohol consumption and drinking alcohol as a means of escaping problems. Images of Rihanna – a popular singer – drinking alcohol glamourise and normalise drinking. The examples outlined demonstrate that the music video does not handle alcohol use with ‘care’, and nor is the treatment of the theme of ‘drug use’ discreet, justified by context, or mild in impact. We contend that showing this video during the G-program timeslot breaches the classification Standard.
You Make Me Feel – Cobra Starship featuring Sabi
You Make Me Feel was played for five consecutive weeks between 3 September and 1 October 2011 during the Saturday morning G-rated segment of Rage. The music video, which is set in a nightclub, contains over 40 visual references to the green liqueur [Brand A], and strong pro-drinking messages.
Visual alcohol references:
· Obvious product placement, with clearly visible [Brand A] branding;
· A large group of people at a table all drinking [Brand A] cocktails;
· [Brand A] cocktails ‘framing’ a photo of the singer, Sabi;
· People in the nightclub consuming [Brand A] cocktails and topping up from a [Brand A] bottle;
· Images with [Brand A] bottles in both the foreground and the background;
· [Brand A] cocktails on a table; and
· A close up shot of the [Brand A] bottle.
This video is of particular concern as the storyline of the music video implies that drinking alcohol is associated with positive outcomes, such as fun, partying and finding love. We contend that the positive context associated with drinking, and the excessive visual references to an alcohol beverage and to the consumption of alcohol in this music video contravene the Standards for the depiction of drug use and treatment of the theme of ‘drug use’ in a G-rated program.
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F) – Katy Perry
Last Friday Night was shown on the Rage Saturday morning program for six consecutive weeks between 13 August and 17 September [2011]. The video strongly advocates excessive alcohol consumption and associates it with a party atmosphere.
Verbal alcohol references: There are five direct references to alcohol in the lyrics, and multiple references to the effects and consequences of drinking alcohol to excess. For example:
‘We took too many shots’
‘And got kicked out of [the] bar’
‘I smell like a minibar’
Visual alcohol references: There are two direct visual alcohol references, namely a person holding a beer bottle and the singer taking a shot of alcohol. There are over 30 implied alcohol references, where the people in the party setting are holding paper cups, or paper cups are in the background. The unruly behaviour at the party and the song lyrics strongly suggest the beverage in the paper cups is alcoholic.
It can be safely assumed that the humorous lyrics and storyline of this video, which shows the transformation of a stereotypical high school ‘geek’ into an attractive and popular girl in a colourful and dynamic party setting, appeal to children and adolescents. We contend that the excessive implied and direct visual and verbal references to alcohol, and the positive manner in which drinking is presented, contravene the Standard.
Cigarettes – Illy featuring Hugh Blanes
Cigarettes was played four times on Rage during the Saturday morning G-rated timeslot between 13August and 3September 2011. The video contains verbal and visual references to tobacco use, and visual references to alcohol consumption.
Verbal tobacco references: There are 7 references to tobacco and tobacco use in the lyrics of the song, including the song titled, ‘Cigarettes’, and the following lines:
‘So light me up, like a cigarette – And just let me burn’
‘He draws out – The cigarette smoke trail spins’
‘So he sparks up a cigarette, takes a deep breath and says...’
Visual tobacco reference: The music video opens with a close-up image of an ashtray and lit cigarette in a dark room.
Visual alcohol reference: There are 6 alcohol images in the video clip, including images of beer bottles on a table and a group of people drinking beer.
This music video does not handle legal drug use (alcohol and tobacco) with the ‘care’ that should be expected of content shown during a G-rated program, and nor is the treatment of ‘drug use’ discreet or mild in impact.
In correspondence to the ACMA, dated 12 January 2012, the complainant stated the following:
[...]
There are a considerable number of drug references in the videos, including, disturbingly, song lyrics that refer to binge drinking and drinking to change mood.
[...]
Broadcaster’s submissions
In correspondence to the complainant regarding the program, dated 22 December 2011, the ABC provided the following relevant submissions:
[...] Music video[s], as with other film content, can include references to smoking and drinking and meet the G classification standard.
In relation to the five music videos identified in the complaint, the following was submitted:
Champagne Showers – LMFAO featuring Natalia Kills
The context of this material is that of a video clip with a comic visual component. The narrative is not strengthened by dialogue, or substantial character development. Indeed, the highly stylised narrative is clearly fantastical and not a true depiction of a normal party. In classification terms this stylisation and the comic nature of the clip renders the treatment of the theme of alcohol as ‘careful and discreet’ and ‘very mild in impact’.
The opening of the clip establishes the comic horror movie scenario with sound effects and make-up [...]. We note that while there are references to champagne, no drinking is visible for the first two thirds of the clip. When it is depicted, it is ambiguous and no character is shown having more than a sip. At the end of the clip, a costumed character who appears to be heavenly, offers the characters bottles of ‘Holy Champagne’. The contents are not drunk but instead are shaken and sprayed over the characters in the scene.