I watched monday's show, it was quite graphic but didn't think it was all that bad.
entertainment.news.com.au/story/0,10221,15693563-10229,00.html
Uncut faces chop
June 22, 2005
REALITY television show Big Brother could face the censor's knife after MPs were swamped with complaints calling it "smutty, shocking and disgusting".
Communications Minister Helen Coonan will write to Australia's broadcasting watchdog to "clarify issues" after Channel 10 served up a stream of buttocks, breasts, penises, coarse language and lewd discussions about sex.
Government MPs yesterday discussed complaints they had received from constituents about the graphic content, particularly in Big Brother's Monday night Uncut episode, with some labelling it "pornography".
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At the heart of the matter is whether Network 10 should be able to self-censor the show.
Senator Coonan said the Government regarded the issue of protecting children from exposure to unsuitable material seriously.
"I will be asking the Australian Broadcasting Authority to look at whether there may have been a breach of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice relating to certain footage shown on Big Brother," she said.
"I will also ask the ABA to look at whether the code continues to provide sufficient safeguards in light of the increasing amount of reality television programming and whether measures to ensure effective compliance with the code are appropriate."
Viewers are already voting with their remote controls - 1.19 million tuned in on Monday June 6 but only 1.12 million watched the following week when it was suggested two contestants were shown having sex in house.
But Network 10 has defended Uncut, insisting "extensive consumer advice" is given before each episode at 9.40pm.
"We appreciate that it's not to everyone's taste, but it does adhere to the code. The show is promoted as being for adults only.
"An extraordinary amount of care is taken in producing Big Brother Uncut and we've gone beyond what other networks would have done."
The spokeswoman admitted the network had received complaints.
Uncut has its own full-time classifier working and producers have invested in a range of classification equipment, she said.
South Australian Liberal MP Trish Draper says she has received complaints from constituents.
"I haven't watched it previously but I did watch it Monday night for all of five minutes," she said. "I was shocked and disgusted."
On Monday night's show, a number of the housemates posed nude in the showers.
"I think that these young people are being exploited and manipulated for the purpose of ratings.
"What we've got now is just pornography."
Queensland Liberal MP Peter Lindsay said Big Brother had exceeded the bounds of what is appropriate on free-to-air television.
Housemates' antics
What the housemates have been getting up to:
* In the rewards room, Rachael bathed naked and played with an electric toothbrush
* Glenn, or "Shearer", and Michelle allegedly had sex in the rewards room bath
* Michael massaged the shoulders of an unsuspecting Gianna with his fly unzipped and what should have been kept inside hanging out
* Female housemates have, on a number of occasions, relaxed in the sauna topless. On one occasion, Hotdogs joined them so he could stare at their breasts
* Shearer frequently mentions lewd sex acts. Many other topics discussed are unprintable
* Under the influence of alcohol, Hotdogs called Vesna a "whorebag", grabbed her breast and later dropped his pants
* Geneva and Christie pleaded with Big Brother to shut down the gym because they believed the male housemates were releasing all their sexual energy lifting weights
* Gianna loved dressing up in a nurse's uniform and pole-dancing