'Pansy' falls foul of watchdog

Simon Hoggart hosts Radio 4's The News Quiz

The use of the word "pansy" has been deemed unacceptable by a broadcasting watchdog, following a complaint that it was a homophobic term.

The "inappropriate" phrase was uttered during BBC Radio 4's News Quiz, during a play on words about gardening.

The Broadcasting Standards Commission (BSC) said the humour had gone beyond "acceptable standards".

The BSC also upheld a complaint about ITV children's show SM:tv for using the word "marrow" in a sexual context.

Both the BBC and ITV defended themselves against the accusations.

The BBC said that the "pansy" reference, which came during a discussion on the satirical News Quiz, was only meant as a term for light effeminacy.

"It is not a straightforward term of homophobic insult in the way others might be, and a good deal gentler than most," the corporation said.

But following a complaint from a listener to the lunchtime programme that it was a "negative sexual stereotype", the BSC upheld the concern.

Innuendo

Two viewers complained about the sexual reference to a marrow during a comedy sketch on SM:tv.

Attempted rape scenes in Buffy were criticised

Granada, which cleared the show for transmission on ITV, tried to argue much of the show was based on innuendo and double entendre but its producers were always careful to pitch it at the right level.

The company said marrows were "not commonly used in a vulgar sense" and given the context "it did not consider the words 'prick' and 'knobs' were used gratuitously or offensively".

Buffy the Vampire Slayer once again came in for strong criticism for its depiction of violence and a attempted rape as well as its homosexual content screened at 1845.

BBC Two defended the screening by saying the violence was "cartoon-like" and that the homosexual storyline between characters Willow and Tara had been a long-running one.

But the BSC said the combination of the violent scenes, rape and homosexuality saw it stray from its fantasy element.

In 2001, an episode of Buffy was criticised by the BSC for showing sex scenes before the watershed.

Basil Brush cleared

A complaint against Sky News was upheld for its "gratuitous" footage used on 12 July of an air crash in which two pilots died.

"This was exacerbated by the insensitive nature of some aspects of the commentary and visual treatment of the tragedy," the BSC report said.

But a complaint against The Basil Brush Show was rejected after a viewer complained that showing a woman putting money down her top and a man stripping to his boxer shorts was too sexual.

The BSC decided the scenes were not intended as sexual gestures and were acceptable.

Complaints were also rejected against ITV1's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! over alleged cruelty to fish, eels and insects used during the Bushtucker Trials.