The skit on dying children was completely uncalled for; black humour might be fine for a small group of people to help them come to terms with difficult circumstances, but black humour can be very offensive for a wider audience. In the past the Chaser team have been brilliant at times, at other times rather pedestrian. However, in these politically correct times we need people to be pushing at the edges like the Chaser team has been doing. Those who are traumatised in one way or another should not be targets of black humour though.

In relation to the Chaser changing people's views in relation to political affiliations, the now Opposition successfully did that to themselves prior to the last election.

I was called by a Make a Wish Foundation telemarketer recently. She explained to me that unless I helped them financially, some terminally ill children would not get the wish that they had asked for. I offered a sum of money but was told that there was a minimum donation. Whether or not it was intended, the phone call made me feel very guilty, almost as if I were personally responsible for upsetting a very ill child.

Maybe the Chasers recieved a call similar to this one prior to writing the sketch?

Nora

Am in agreement with you. The Chaser were doing what the Chaser do. Some of it is hilarious and some of it makes me squirm - the Sophia Loren punk for example.

The Make a Wish foundation, is like many a Chaser target, a 'sacred cow' and I think the point that Spikyone made has some relevance. There are charities who use guilt and bullying tactics to extract a donation. It wasn't one of the best Chaser skits but to expect good taste on a satirical show like Chaser, is to expect the Footy Show to be about football instead of "Blokesworld".

The ABC overreacted, however it is held more accountable than commercial television. Ironic when one considers that the ABC is more likely to push boundaries than Channel 9. Therefore dear old Auntie has to be seen to 'behave', unlike Sam Newman.

I don't and won't ever be tuning into the Footy Show, but will be tuning in again for the Chaser when it returns and I expect to be shocked, prodded and entertained - it is, after all, satire.

This dangerous precedent is a symptom of our increasingly charity-centric, child-centric society which has lost all sense of balance, for some years now. We have wrapped ourselves so tightly in red tape and our children so tightly in cotton wool, that none of us can breathe! I am one of 11 children. We all survived. It was a flaming miracle: We had to obey our parents, to stay safe: No bike helmets, no soft landing when falling from the bars in the playground. No teenage binge drinking, but no child-proof caps on poison bottles either. We were told 'Don't touch, it will hurt you.' and we obeyed. Respect. Common sense. How about child-proof caps on alcohol-pops? No? Not funny? Oh well, then how about we all lighten up a little. The Chaser skit should have been left alone, seen for what it is: Bad commedy, but an opinion. Just that, nothing more. Not an attack on reality. Just an opinion. Just like the opinions aired on the Footy show. Society needs to take a much closer look at charities, too. They are not, by virtue of their existence, above the law! Or at least, they should not be. The circle of outrage needs to take a good look at itself, because we all need to be able to breathe, not just those with children and supportive of charities.

"Bad comedy, but an opinion. Just that, nothing more "
But "Why go to any trouble when they're only going to die anyway?"
Opinion? Yes but an opinion directed at whom? The grieving parents, relatives and friends of terminally ill children, who are so selfish to try and give little children something special before they die. Instead they should be directing their money towards starving Africans/Burmese/Bangladeshies/Cambodians etc. How pathetic.

SM: "the conservative media,... whipped up a lynch-mob mentality."
Odd, I haven’t heard of any lynch mobs attempting to kill people, or doing violence to them – nothing remotely resembling a lynch-mob.

SM: "the ABC’s head of comedy Amanda Duthie was sacked for approving the sketch."
Duthie was not sacked, she was stood down as head of ABC comedy, but continues as Head of Arts and Entertainment. People can argue about whether she should have been subject to this action, but she was not "sacked".

SM: "the AFL nor NRL versions of Channel Nine’s Footy Show ... are infamous for their misogyny and homophobia. They have been largely left alone by the same media voices savaging The Chaser."
Matthew Johns was stood down (I think “sacked” is the right word here) by Channel 9, after media and other criticism. Gary Burns has lodged a complaint against The Footy Show, and I hope he succeeds; if he does, there will clearly be serious discussions about the format of the Footy Show.

SM: "War, racism and attacks on civil liberties are recurring targets. The Chaser performed at anti-war rallies against the US-led invasion of Iraq."
What is the point here? I attended all of those rallies, and did so in part because the invasion would bring suffering and death to children. Why is it inconsistent to criticize The Chaser for, in their own small way, mocking sick children?

SM: "Those criticising The Chaser argue the sketch mocks sick children. In fact, the sketch was targeting the Make a Wish charity".
The sketch targeted the Make a Wish charity, sure, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t also mock sick children. It could do both – and it did.

SM: "The decision to suspend The Chaser is a blow to free speech. It sets a dangerous precedent of silencing comedians whose job it is to satirise society."
I haven’t noticed the Chaser comedians being silent. They still have their (public-funded) show, and every newspaper is full of comments from them. Exactly how are they “silenced” by a two-week suspension of the show?
Helen