You’ve got to hand it to the BBC. No one takes their editorial decisions or public complaints quite so seriously as they do. Recently Gerry Anderson found himself in hot water (again) over the use of the terms shite, gobshite and bogshite. And what was the decision of the great and the good of the BBC Trust? H/T go Pháid!!
“The meaning conveyed by the words ‘shite’ and ‘gobshite’ in the vernacular of Northern Ireland, and in the context of this programme in particular, was different from other parts of the UK in that they did necessarily not carry the same level of offence and aggression and could be seen as a form of comedic banter.” The language was also “appropriate for children listening during school holidays”. However, Anderson must submit to a quota of colourful language and Radio Ulster must “mitigate the overuse of the words”. The trust said that the station had “set in place a system that ensured the programme did not use these words in a way that went beyond the audience’s expectation”
Indeed. I’ve heard the comment zone of the venerable Slugger referred to (and not entirely affectionately) as ‘gobshites.com’. When I got round to looking, that address wasn’t available but gobshites.net was. Any suggestions as to a constructive use we might put it to will be gratefully received!!
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty