Outrage, Outrage, Outrage!

In this final episode we look at just what controversy is, what purpose it plays in society, and how the media shapes our conversations. Over the past 4 episodes we’ve looked at controversies of various magnitudes, across various different medias. We’ve heard about the upset caused by video game violence, and some problematic marketing; we’ve heard about fan backlash to movie casting; about how difficult topics within children’s literature can unsettle and upset parents and others’; and about how imagery, as immediate as it is, can offend instantly. In some cases, the outcry was short-lived; in other cases there was a very real message being spoken, and the controversy forced the issue into the public forum. In other words then, some of it was deeply meaningful… and some of it was just stupid.   And so To finish this series off, I wanted to get a different perspective, from the viewpoints of people who think about society and media in a scholarly way, to learn about what controversy is, what it tells us about ourselves and the societies we live in, and what purpose it serves. And so I spoke to two academics one an expert in sociology and one in journalism, to hear their thoughts.

Controversy in literature is nothing new, with racy books like Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Tropic of Cancer having become legendary… but kids’ books? Surely no one could get upset about kids’ books, right? Well, of course they can. So we take a crash course in offensive literature, before honing in on our two guests this week. First up is Lesléa Newman, who talks about a book she wrote to reflect families with same-sex partners – Heather Has Two Mommies. The outrage towards the book saw it make it all the way to the Senate – it ruffled plenty of feathers. Next is Lois Lowry, talking about her book, The Giver, the themes of which saw it ranked 11th on the list of the American Library Association’s books most frequently requested for removal between 1990 and 1999.

  Imagery is everywhere, trying to tell us something, sell us something, or make us feel something. So this episode we look at graffiti, contentious as it always is, and how we feel about having someone else’s perception of art forced into the public space.   And then we move onto the most controversial T-shirt of all time – the loved and reviled ‘Vestal Masturbation’ shirt, from legendary British Black Metal band Cradle of Filth.   So listen in as I talk to the band’s front man, Dani Filth, about the history of the shirt, what happened, and what he really feels about it.     The Guests   Dani Filth is the frontman for Cradle of Filth. Since 1991 the band has been producing sonic battery of the highest order, and getting into scrapes along the way.   Their latest album, Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay, is out now on Nuclear Blast records, and can be found on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3enXGv0Nqg&list=PLcDSt58AlFZQLRAxfVvFM0--sq1kjPSj8&index=1 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/album/1jQHeiBE86fLUcTK49Qxs3?autoplay=true&v=L Deezer - https://www.deezer.com/us/album/47735222?autoplay=true And Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/preview/Bgzufa4kfertezsx2aii2253ebi?play=1&u=0   As well as on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cryptoriana-Seductiveness-Explicit-Cradle-Filth/dp/B075H29LWQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541937314&sr=8-1&keywords=cryptoriana       Tizer is a street artist active in London. You can find a lot of his work on his Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/tizerid/?hl=en And why not just go for a wander in London and see what you see!

This episode we look at a tall, muscular hirsute comic book hero jumping from the page to the big screen! Portrayed by a not so tall, not so muscular, and not so hirsute actor.   Head on over to https://doggeddialogueproductions.com for a full write-up.    So listen in as I talk to Executive Producer Michael Uslan, and professional Bat fan Bill Ramey, about the casting decision that would see over 50,000 angry letters flood in to Warner Brothers Pictures.   We also take a walk down memory lane to when a small boy saw his parents gunned down in front of him… and so he took up a gun, too, and started blasting criminals away, inspired by hero-of-the-day The Shadow. And we learn about the many difficulties that the film makers faced in bringing The Dark Knight Detective to the silver screen.

  Welcome to Outrage, Outrage, Outrage! A 5-part documentary podcast that looks into controversies in different aspects of our media.    In the inaugural episode of the podcast we take a look at a little game that told us war has never been so much fun... and ruffled a few feathers along the way. CANNON FODDER.   So listen in as your podcasting host chats to game producer Jon Hare and magazine editor Stuart Campbell, who tell us about the furor surrounding the game and its marketing.   The game itself is a simple shooter, tasking you with controlling a small platoon across a map in order to wipe out the enemy. It’s retro gaming heaven.   But it was this promotional image which caused upset when the game was released for the Commodore Amiga in 1993. The British Legion took umbrage with the use of the poppy, and tabloid The Daily Star spotted a juicy story, and poor old Jon came under fire.   But if that wasn’t enough, The Star went after Amiga Power, too, due to their having the poppy (the Cannon Fodder version anyway) on the cover of the December 1993 issue.   This is not the original cover, but rather the hastily altered version that publishers cobbled together to dodge the ire of the British Legion.   And before we even get to all that, we take a little stroll through the annals of controversial video games past, such as Mortal Combat and Night Trap. These two games so worried people at the time of their release that congress took up the issue, ultimately resulting in the establishment of the video games ratings system.   The guests    Jon Hare is a legendary computer game producer, known for his time with Sensible Software, and particularly flagship games like Sensible Soccer and Cannon Fodder - now retro gaming classics - among many more. These days Jon is still making killer games, and you can find the Sensible Soccer revival, Sociable Soccer, here… and here…   Stuart Campbell is a games designer and former journalist, who was the editor of Amiga Power at the time of Cannon Fodder’s release. He then went on to join Jon is Sensible Software, working on Cannon Fodder 2 among other titles.   Stuart now writes on his political blog Wings over Scotland https://wingsoverscotland.com/ And on video games, media, politics, snacks and other things here http://wosland.podgamer.com/             OUTRAGE! OUTRAGE! OUTRAGE!   In the beginning there was an explosion, that filled an impossible void. And then there were planets that defined something from the nothingness. Then came life… first minute, then large and cumbersome, and then… man. And man had to learn to survive, to make fire, to find meaning in life. And once all that was sorted out, man learned to get annoyed about stuff. So this is a podcast about some controversies… not the big stuff… not war or politics or corporate fraud or any of that… controversies you may not have even know happened, or how weird they were. So join Andy Smith on a five-part miniseries delving into four little controversies in four different aspects of our media.

Another humorous ramble through the inanity of life, as Andy takes aim at door-knockers, one of nature’s most evil creations. It seems you just can’t get any peace anymore – if there’s not someone at the door, there’s someone on the phone. So put the headphones on, and put the NNLH in your ears, to truly get away from it all.  

Back with more advice from the coalface of parenting, Andy further illuminates what you really need to know, but what the books don’t tell you. Along the way, we look at some truly outrageous advertising from parenting-past, that will blow your f’ing mind! How did they get away with some of this shit…?

The whole world has become obsessed with coffee. Andy doesn’t drink coffee, and hence does not understand. So join him as he rants about trendy coffeeshops like this one, in which he spent an awful half an hour recently:   To be fair, it is an excellent venue with great cakes… so it’s not the coffeeshop’s fault – it’s Andy’s (as usual).   We then take a look back to coffee of olden times, i.e the 80’s, and some inspiringly awful commercials.

For a change of pace, this week Andy heads to the hard streets of London and meets up with two other Smith men, Matt and Tim. So expect talk to turn to cinema - especially Sci-Fi cinema - and drunken rambling about city planning and other hot topics.     

We are totally obsessed with technology, but at what point will the developments cross from benefit over into threat? Andy explores this topic, and reaches some truly alarming (and alarmist) conclusions, and looks back at the tech that TV and film promised us, but never delivered! And, perhaps even more importantly, did long dinosaurs have brains in their arses?  

  Any spare change, Guv? Homelessness is an increasing problem round town, and it’s got Andy thinking about charity, and how little of it we all display. Along the way, we look at the perils of bucket collections at supermarket checkouts, sick cats, and wonder whether the computers can save us from ourselves. But ultimately, the big takeaway is that this world can not solve homelessness, when there are homeless people literally sleeping in the doorways of vacant properties. Something is wrong, people… and somehow we all don’t see it anymore.

This time Andy is going to preach on the pitfalls of marriage, so listen up! Throw away the guidebooks - you don't need them anymore! Forget what Vogue told you - it's nonsense. This is the real deal! And along the way, we visit a desert island, where two castaways find their marriage can only take so much...

Death must come to us all, but fear not, as Andy is here to guide you through it, and asks - "how much to kill someone?" 

We live in a world besotted with celebrity, so this week Andy looks at fame and tries to understand what it’s all about. He doesn’t get very far.

There are many books about the challenges of parenthood. Ignore them all. Here, on the Lighthouse, Andy lays down what you REALLY need to know to get through the first few years of a child's life. It's not about doing it right... it's about doing it easy :) 

Nature is a marvel. Nature is cruel. Nature is a bitch. So join Andy as he breaks down just how big a wanker a goose is, the difference between cats and dogs, and we visit the Antarctic to meet a troubled, yet fashionable, penguin. 

It's the day of the royal wedding, and Andy is trying to care, so rustles up some light chat about Prince, dog mess, class, and culture.

Swamp Thing is getting his own TV series? That’s cause for celebration, so Andy goes on the rampage to look at anticipation and fear. Along the way, there is a very special guest, all the way from the swamps of Houma; and Andy recounts a Japanese horror story.

Andy channels his inner lumberjack to discuss what it means to be a manly man, as well as why we don’t eat seagulls. And this week marks the start of new section, ‘The Thing in The Middle,’ where sketches, interviews and other odds and sods enter the mix.

This week Andy faces up to himself and looks at aggression. So join him on a road trip as we discover what makes him a superhero, and witness his passive-aggressiveness in action. Also, swearing gets addressed, and a special Bank Holiday song for you.

The sophomore episode – now we get going. This week Andy looks at himself in the mirror and is not very pleased, so he turns to religion. That doesn’t go well, either, so he writes the next hit UK TV export. Fingers crossed.

In the inaugural episode of The Night Night lighthouse, Andy sets the stage by serving up some advice to the lonely hearted, complaining about having to share the world with other people, and asks for help.

The end is near and Andy's on a slippery slope. The police are on his tail and reality is no longer a friend, but then, reality has a way of reasserting itself.   But have no fear, because an unlikely friend is on the way, and while she may not save the day, she will at least explain all.

Andy finds himself having a restful stay in a psychiatric 'hotel', where his strained grasp on reality is challenged. Follow it up with a bizarre experience on the radio and a visit from an awful estate agent, and his sanity continues to be stretched to breaking point. Things, surely, can not end well. 

Things just keep on spiraling out of control as Andy continues to lose his grip on just about everything. And when yet another attempt to build bridges fails, the police are called and Andy finds himself in a spot of bother. Again. 

What happens when a man starts to lose his grip on reality? What happens when a man can no longer control his temper? What happens when the rules of your life change – and no one told you? This is Stretched. Episode 1 (of 4) is now online for your listening pleasure/disdain/just to kill some time.