The only scalp of the Chaser ‘boys’ is ... a girl

Payton L. Inkletter says:

06:17pm | 11/06/09

If we were to outlaw humour that offends, ridicules, or attacks, or has the potential to offend, ridicule, or attack, some one or group or another, there’d hardly be much left to laugh at. Black humour is a genre, and The Chasers’ Make a Realistic Wish skit will become an archetype for training purposes in the field.

It was very funny, very black, very arresting; and I suggest that those making the commotion calling for retributive consequences (and getting them: my condolences for Amanda Duthie), including the Managing Director Mark Scott I might add, should all strive to grow up as quickly as they can.

Every one in that skit was an actor, the show is not for children (neither in a children’s time slot) and yes, some adults have lost, or are losing, children from cancer. If you can identify any send up that won’t be painful to someone, you’re not living on Earth.

The Chasers have done a lot of low things, especially when humiliating unsuspecting folk out and about who are giving their goodwill, but this was all acting. The brouhaha this particular skit has caused says more about the audience than The Chasers: Australians are becoming harmfully infected with politically correct sensitivities, and I rue the day. Enlightened and mature people will both get a laugh from this ‘infamous’ skit, and be unchanged toward or gain increased compassion for terminally ill children.

Justin Turner says:

04:23pm | 11/06/09

I rewatched the skit a few times on Thursday morning & I think that whatever they were aiming for, they missed, simple as that. If it was the celebs who use such associations for their image, then that didn’t come across, so that leaves the charity & the kids as potential targets. I’m sure neither were their intended targets, but they left the public nowhere to go.

If it was something awesomely highbrow that we’ve missed, then they set their targets too high. While I think the reaction has been over the top, somewhere along the production/approval line, someone needed to stand up & say that the emperor had no clothes. Amanda Duthie didn’t. To me, that suggests that she either got the gag & didn’t see any harm, or the aura of the Chaser “boys” is such that anyone who doesn’t get it won’t own up for fear of appearing foolish. Either is unacceptable for someone deciding what should or shouldn’t go to air.

Tony Hartley says:

03:55pm | 11/06/09

From bad things good things come. Remember there would be no “The Simpsons” without “The Tracy Ullman Show”.

P.S. I am not a crackpot.

George says:

02:44pm | 11/06/09

What is the future for Comedy at the ABC? Less, I hope.
A further economy measure would be to run a continuous laugh track behind Spicks ‘n Specks.

Greig says:

02:35pm | 11/06/09

One lamentable aspect of this whole brouhaha that seems to have gone unremarked is that the program that Aunty ran in the Chaser’s place was The Tracey Ullman Show.
Oh! The humanity! Won’t somebody please think of the children?

Hendo says:

02:29pm | 11/06/09

Someone had to go, and it appears Amanda Duthie was the right person to cop it. When I watched the skit live, my first thought was not, “What a thoroughly unfunny bunch of smug twerps these Chaser people are” (though it was a close second). No, my first thought was “Who on earth at my ABC thought it was OK to air this?” OK, I’m no fan of the Chaser, but punishing them in this situation would be a bit like spanking a three year old for colouring the couch in with textas - but not the baby-sitter who sat them on the couch and handed them the textas in the first place. Finally, when is someone going to chase the Chaser? I’d love to see them chew on their own medicine - extensively, week after week after week. Perhaps The Punch could consider it?

Lachlan says:

01:35pm | 11/06/09

It’s fair enough that she lost her position, (though not her job). Someone had to. According to Media Watch on Monday, the ABC has an in-built buck passing system where managers are meant to refer dodgy content up the chain to the next manager to make a call on whether it should be aired or not. Amanda Duthie apparently didn’t refer this on, meaning no-one higher knew about it before it went to air. That makes the decision hers, so luckily for those managers above her, she suffers the consequences.

If you’re suggesting the Chaser should lose their jobs, that’s unreasonable. Part of writing successful comedy means pushing the boundaries of what is and isn’t acceptable or tasteful. There are probably jokes much blacker than the Make A Wish one that have never seen the light of day, thankfully, but surely that’s all part of the process of selecting those that do fall on the right side of public opinion.

John says:

01:17pm | 11/06/09

The Chaser’s job is to come up with concepts and sketches that provide entertainment and make television worth turning on. Amanda Duthie’s job is to make sure they push the boundaries but don’t over-step the mark. In this case, The Chaser did their job, Amanda Duthie didn’t do hers.

Whether or not she deserved to lose her job is a subjective call, but I’m not really sure what your point is in referring to this like it’s some sort of battle of the sexes.

Are you saying that because they are males, this is another example of the misogynistic society in which we live, where men can get away with with whatever they like because “boys will be boys”?

I’m not trying to be argumentative, but I’m not actually sure Paul what your point is here at all?

Tony Hadley says:

01:07pm | 11/06/09

The “Chaser Boys” are hired by the ABC to produce cutting edge, risky comedy, which is what they do, sometimes too well. It is not their responsibility to vet their own work but their managers. The ABC has a policy that if something maybe inappropriate it needs to be escalated until someone makes a decision or it reaches the Managing Director. In this case Ms Duthie was the manager who viewed the skit and approved it for broadcasting. She did not escalate it so the buck stops with her. Sure she is the scapegoat but she did make her own bed and I’m sure Ms Duthie would be the first to put her hand up and say “Whoops, my bad”.

Greig says:

12:36pm | 11/06/09

Colgo, who exactly refers to them as the Chaser “boys”? I have never heard them refer to themselves as such. Does the ABC promote them as the “Chaser Boys”? From my 38 seconds of research just now, the only google hits returned on the term are from media websites (though I suppose these might just be regurgitated ABC press releases).

If it is just a lazy shorthand description used in the meeja, I’m not really sure what your point is in knocking it down.