CASE NUMBER: 37/2006 – HOWELL & PHILLIPS VS etv – BLASPHEMY

Complaint against programme broadcast before the watershed where the chairman of the WWE organisation uttered certain words in addressing one of the wrestlers. According to the Complainants these words amount to blasphemy.  As to the complaint that children were in the audience, it was found that the PG10 advisory was sufficient warning to parents that the material could be harmful to young minds.  As to the blasphemy complaint, the words uttered to the losing wrestler that he and God had “no chance in hell” to beat the winning team, was a novelty introduced by the producers to maintain the incredulous reaction of audiences who watch wrestling matches. In this instance it was found that the novelty went too far and that the broadcast amounted to a mocking of God and is therefore blasphemous.  The manner in which the offending words were shouted, although in the context of play-acting, caused such frenzy that it amounted to incitement to cause harm.  The Tribunal accordingly found that the Respondent contravened clause 16.3 of the Code in that the words amounted to the advocacy of hatred based on religion and that it constituted incitement to cause harm.  The Tribunal also found that the words and actions complained of contravened clause 16.1 of the Code relating to the sanctioning, promotion and glamorization of violence based on religion.  The other words complained of that related to the praising of the name of Sean McMahon, could offend Christians but the words were found to fall short of contravening the Code. Respondent was warned that in any finding in future that the broadcast of wrestling contravenes the Code, this finding might, depending on the circumstances, be taken into account.