55 / Do we have a right not to get offended?

My father used to say, "I decide who offends me" and he rarely granted that right to anyone. Julian Morrow (of the Chaser's team) says, "there is no such thing as a general right to not be offended." It was reported this weekend that in his Andrew Olle Media Lecture, Morrow said he was not sorry for people offended by the 'make a realistic wish' sketch (full article below - and see also my previous blog 'The Chaser's War on sick Kids').

After the sketch, which portrayed terminally ill children being denied gifts, the Chaser cast issued an apology. But last night Morrow said it was directed only at those who had been personally affected by childhood cancer.

''If you are one of those people, I want to reiterate my sincerest apology to you,'' he said. ''But the next category - people who were offended by the sketch - is in my view different.''

He argued that ''the inevitable corollary to freedom of speech is that there is no such thing as a general right to not be offended. So to be honest, perhaps too honest, if you were just offended by that sketch I'm not really sorry.''

ABC gave in to hysteria over 'offensive' sketches, says Morrow

Ari Sharp - SMH - 2009 November 7

Julian Morrow … ''no such thing as general right to not be offended''.

THE Chaser funnyman Julian Morrow has urged the ABC not to give in to the ''short-term hysteria of media outrage'' because it risks damaging its independence and integrity.

Delivering the Andrew Olle Media Lecture last night, Morrow said he was not sorry for people offended by the ''make a realistic wish'' sketch that led to the comedy group's being taken off air for two weeks.

''If you are one of those people, I want to reiterate my sincerest apology to you,'' he said. ''But the next category - people who were offended by the sketch - is in my view different.''

Morrow spoke of the dangers of ''outrage'' - often among people who were not the primary audience - endangering a ''robust, diverse and daring broadcast culture'', especially on the ABC.

''I do think it's a dangerous precedent for the ABC to decide what it broadcasts from week to week because of outrage over taste and decency, especially when the Prime Minister has a nasty habit of weighing in with a jerk of his knee.

''Getting caught up in the short-term hysteria of media outrage has the potential to damage the independence and integrity of the ABC.''

Morrow said that after the ''make a realistic wish'' controversy the ABC interfered in other Chaser sketches out of fear of the public response.