AYBS reaches "an all-time low" according to morals campaigner

[Dean]

I don't remember this being discussed before, so here goes.

On his website David Croft reproduces a letter of complaint he recived from morals campaigner Mary Whitehouse. You can read it here and I think we all know the show it refers to.

http://www.davidcroft.co.uk/includes/showfile.php?docType=imageHighres&id=385

Any thoughts? Did this go too far - or was childish humour really the heart of the show?

[Goldie]

I was not able to open and read the letter. It said no longer available.

[Dean]

Sorry not sure what the problem is????




But anyway, it's not long so I'll type it out...





From: The National Viewers and Listeners Association

29th October 1979

Mr David Croft
Producer
"Are You Being Served?"

Dear Mr Croft,

The coarseness of the production and script of last Friday's episode of your programme reached an all time low.

The sequence in which the four men were standing naked - viewers were led to believe - behind the screens was not only thoroughly indecent, it was also incredibly infantile - taking an interest in the size of one anothers penises belongs to little boyhood.

It is difficult to believe that you take into consideration the fact that this programme goes out in peak family viewing time. But since this is your responsibility, one must assume you do, in which case your judgement can only be described as faulty.

Your programme with its double entendres has always raised the question of its timing. It could be argued, in some cases, the dialogue goes over the heads of at least some children. So specific was the episode mentioned that no-one could have failed to get the message.

Yours sincerely

Mary Whitehouse
Hon. General Secretary

[Greg WibblyWobbly]

"Strong Stuff This Insurance" is the eppy this sexually repressed woman is talking about. :p

Was the humor childish and immature ? Hell yeah it was but that's what made it so funny. Not all of us walk around like we have a stick up our arse acting like we are beyond everything. Whether the show was too silly or pointless is just an arguement that this silly woman wouldn't have gotten out of me. I just love it and that's good enough for me.

[Red Shadow]

Her disgust obviously didn't keep her from watching the show. It reminds me of a news story I saw on television a few years ago about a radical evangelical group that holds weekly meetings...at Hooters. They hold them there so they can evangalize to the waitresses. Of course, only men attend this meeting.

[Goldie]

...

[wrm1701]

Yeah, AYBS is leading us to the apocolypse :?

[cpl.er...Capt. Joe]

wrm1701 said:
Yeah, AYBS is leading us to the apocolypse :?

Actually, ever since they stopped filming new episodes, things have gotten worse! :lol:

[Miss Humphries]

Well Mary, let me offer a bit of advice, CHANGE THE CHANNEL! This kind of stuff drives me crazy. If this person had been watching the episodes of this show as they aired, then she KNEW what to expect.

[Diana Yarswick]

Actually I don't think it was in the script. Perhaps Trevor just wanted to know. After all he is a little scallywag. Well. Judging from his reaction maybe he's a big scallywag! ;-O

[Melchett]

...

Goldie is dumbfounded.

[clockworkgirl21]

I love people like this.




Gives me something to laugh at.