CaptainWaggett

I was reminded while going through my dvd cupboard yesterday that June Whitfield does a pretty good impression of MW in Carry On Girls.

Did any of MW's campaigns actually work? Do we know if any programmes were actually cancelled or censored because of her? I'm assuming ticket sales for Romans in Britain (which received fairly mediocre reviews when it was revived at Sheffield a couple of years ago) increased enormously thanks to her free publicity.

orpheum

Peter Hutchens in the m"*l on sunday called her a"suburban warrior.Just shows that this paper still remains consistent in its views.By the way my mum buys it definately not me.
I think that the fact that she opposed a film or tv programme just made you want to see it all the more.When i think of the censorship of that period it just seems laughable.John Trevelyn,the Secretary of the BBFC was almost seen as a liberal,but by todays standards he is only a bit to the left of Attilla the hun.

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Lord Brett

Peter Hitchens is of just the same censorious mindset and holds some truly cretinous views. I used to be a big fan of his brother Christopher, who remains a fine writer, but shocked all who supported him by coming out as a supporter of George W Bush.

I'd still like to think that he's honest enough to eventually admit his mistake.

tali122

Passengers were known to ask the TWA air hostesses for some TWA Tea :)

I hear the Union Jack still remains.I see Namijira in custody
and I see Truganini's in chains.

GRAEME

She did of course get James Kirkup's poem "The Love that Dares to Speak its Name" banned and the editor of Gay News convicted and given a suspended prison sentence in the last ever successful prosecution for blasphemy.

Some achievement.

All men leak.

davidb

thats right ,i remember that now . shame that tv show didnt touch on the serious side of what she was doing . if the bbc was trying to stitch her up its backfired because i and i bet a few others would like to find out more on the real impact she had on those times .

orpheum

Anne Widdecombe aka Doris Karloff had a headline "we need a new mary whitehouse" in her column today.Just as well that she is standing down as an MP with retrograde opinions like that.Maybe she would be happier in China where the government decide what the people get to see and read.

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lornaluftfan

Hi I have only ever seen her in one other film, and I have to admit she's what I call one of those 'dotty' actresses, though she can be quite fun! I hope she's going to do justice to the part!

I'd never heard of Mary Whitehouse (she was around before my time), though I'd read the review of the show, then a lady I work with said that she can't wait to what this show was going to be like, (I then got a friendly lecture as explanation), and it will be quite interesting to see what the writers interpretation of the srory is.

Figures crossed it's well done!

Katy

CaptainWaggett

But was there a real impact? I'd completely forgotten about the Gay News case but presumably it's unlikely that there will be any more prosecutions for blasphemy (because of the case). She didn't turn back the tide of filth and violence on tv - did she make any appreciable difference at all?

batman

She didn't make much difference but she did make an impact, otherwise we wouldn't still be talking about her. Her impact was 'flash in the pan' regarding each individual complaint rather than being sustained. She appeared every now and again but disappeared between complaints. Her legacy is that at we have someone to refer to when each new 'disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' rears his/her head.

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

davidb

i think she had an impact on life of the editor of gay news !.it also mentioned at the end of the programme about a successful case brought against the sex pistols ,i would guess their lp record title .

Lord Brett

Thankfully, the law of Blasphemous Libel is due to be abolished on July 8th by the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (according to Wikipedia). If Mrs W was still around today she's be associating with those lunatics at Christian Voice who tried to have Jerry Springer: The Opera closed down.

orpheum

As a "tribute" to her one of the publishers of soft pron ,might have been David Sullivan,named his top shelf magazine "whitehouse".

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Windthrop

By the 70s/80s she had become a somewhat ludicrous figure complaining about Dr Who and other generally innocuous programmes. Her heart may have been in the right place but I am not sure her brain was.

Thats the joke that killed the Music Hall !

GRAEME

And that's whyt she was so tolerated.

Less savoury was her hanging around with nasty right-wing neo fascist groups like The Freedom Association. Best mates with the MacWhirter nut-jobs and the like. Her Viewers and Listeners conferences were always a focus for the hang 'em and flog 'em brigade. In real life - ok! In films - ban it!

All men leak.