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Censorship in the United Kingdom
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Censorship in the United Kingdom has a long history with variously stringent and lax laws in place at different times.
British citizens have a negative right to freedom of expression under the common law.[1] In 1998, the United Kingdom incorporated the European Convention, and the guarantee of freedom of expression it contains in Article 10, into its domestic law under the Human Rights Act. However, there is a broad sweep of exceptions including threatening or abusive words or behaviour intending or likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress or cause a breach of the peace (which has been used to prohibit racist speech targeted at individuals),[2][3][4] sending another any article which is indecent or grossly offensive with an intent to cause distress or anxiety (which has been used to prohibit speech of a racist or anti-religious nature),[5][6][7] incitement,[8] incitement to racial hatred,[9] incitement to religious hatred, incitement to terrorism including encouragement of terrorism and dissemination of terrorist publications,[8][10][11] glorifying terrorism,[12][13] collection or possession of a document or record containing information likely to be of use to a terrorist,[14][15] treason including advocating for the abolition of the monarchy or compassing or imagining the death of the monarch,[16][17][18][19][20] sedition,[17] obscenity,[21] indecency including corruption of public morals and outraging public decency,[22] defamation,[23] prior restraint, restrictions on court reporting including names of victims and evidence and prejudicing or interfering with court proceedings,[24][25] prohibition of post-trial interviews with jurors,[25] time, manner, and place restrictions,[26] harassment, privileged communications, trade secrets, classified material, copyright, patents, military conduct, and limitations on commercial speech such as advertising.
Contents
[hide]
1 Ministry of Information
2 Laws on obscenity and sexual content
3 Stage Licensing
4 Libel law
5 Blasphemy law
6 National security
7 Prior restraint
8 Self-regulation of publication
9 Censorship by medium
9.1 Art
9.2 Film
9.3 Internet
9.4 Literature
9.5 Radio
9.6 Television
9.7 Video games
10 Specific cases
11 See also
12 References
13 External links
Ministry of Information[edit]
The Ministry of Information was created during the First World War and then reformed for the Second World War for propaganda purposes. In the Second World War it was located at the Senate House of the University of London. During the Second World War it was infamous for having a staff of 999.[citation needed]
The Ministry was responsible for keeping much information out of the public domain during the war years, as it was thought that this would have been harmful to the national sentiment. It also censored many press reports that were not deemed to be sufficiently patriotic, or that listed military operations to a level of detail that could be used by the enemy.
The Ministry took over the General Post Office Film Unit, renaming it the Crown Film Unit. It produced documentaries such as Target for Tonight (1941), Western Approaches (1944) and London Can Take It! (1940). It also created a feature-length fictional film; 49th Parallel (1941). Following this it solely created documentaries, although it also laid down propaganda guidelines for commercial films.
The Ministry was disbanded following the end of the Second World War.
Laws on obscenity and sexual content[edit]
Obscenity law in England and Wales is currently governed by the various Obscene Publications Acts, and Section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 but obscenity laws go back much further into the English common law.
The conviction in 1727 of Edmund Curll for the publication of Venus in the Cloister or The Nun in her Smock under the common law offence of disturbing the King's peace was the first conviction for obscenity in Great Britain, and set a legal precedent for other convictions.[27]
A defence against the charge of obscenity on the grounds of literary merit was introduced in the Obscene Publications Act 1959. The OPA was tested in the high-profile obscenity trial brought against Penguin Books for publishing Lady Chatterley's Lover (by D. H. Lawrence) in 1960. The book was found to have merit, and Penguin Books was found not guilty – a ruling which granted far more freedom to publish explicit material.[28] This trial did not establish the 'merit' defence as an automatic right; several controversial books and publications were the subject of British court cases throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s. Last Exit to Brooklyn, a 1964 novel by American author Hubert Selby, Jr. was subject of a private prosecution in 1966.
There is a substantial overlap between legal erotic literature and illegal pornography, with the distinction traditionally made in the English-speaking courts on the basis of perceived literary merit. No prosecutions of purely textual pornography took place following the Inside Linda Lovelace trial of 1976[29] until October 2008 when a man was charged (but later cleared) under the Obscene Publications Act for allegedly posting fictional written material to the Internet describing kidnap, rape and murder of pop group Girls Aloud (the R v Walker trial).[30][31] In late August 2005, the government announced that it planned to criminalise possession of extreme pornographic material, rather than just publication,[32] and the law came into force as Section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.
Under a law introduced in May 2015,[33] not only creation but also possession of manuals giving advice how to groom or abuse children is also outlawed.[34][35][36]
Almost all adult stores in the UK are forbidden from having their goods in open display under the Indecent Displays Act 1981, which means the shop fronts are often boarded up or covered in posters. A warning sign must be clearly shown at the entrance to the store, and no items can be visible from the street. No customer can be under eighteen years old. The Video Recordings Act 1984 introduced the R18-rated classification for videos that are only available in licensed sex shops, but hardcore pornographic magazines are available in newsagents in some places. The Ann Summers chain of lingerie and sex shops recently won the right to advertise for workers in job centres, which was originally banned under restrictions on what advertising could be carried out by the sex industry.[37][38]
Stage Licensing[edit]
Main article: Licensing Act 1737
See also: Antitheatricality
Censorship of stage plays was exercised by the Master of the Revels in England by about 1600 until the English Civil War in 1642.[39][40]
In 1737, partly as a result of political attacks by Henry Fielding against Robert Walpole, Parliament enacted a law that established "the Examiner of the Stage" (an official in the Lord Chamberlain's office) to censor plays on the basis of both politics and morals (i.e. sexual impropriety, blasphemy, and foul language). Plays had to be licensed by the Lord Chamberlain. In 1737, through the influence of the Duke of Grafton, the Shakespearian commentator Edward Capell was appointed with an annual salary of £200 as deputy-examiner of plays. This censorship by licensing requirement was finally abolished by the Theatres Act 1968.
According to Rufus Osgood Mason (who gives an example of a written license from 1814):
Charles Kemble, later in life, received the appointment of "Examiner of Plays." The duties consisted in reading the plays which had been accepted by the managers of the different theatres, to see that they contained nothing objectionable either on the score of politics or morals. Those that were approved were reported to the Lord Chamberlain who issued the license.[41]
Libel law[edit]
Main article: English defamation law
England and Wales have relatively strict libel laws ("defamation" in Scotland) in that they are often considered pro plaintiff with the defendant asked to prove that they did not commit libel. Compensation awards for libel are also unlimited, in contrast to those for personal injury. Further controversy surrounds the libel laws with regard to costs. Whilst costs can be awarded the ability both to bring and to defend libel cases is often considered to be restricted to the wealthy. Conversely it is possible to initiate a "no win – no fee" case against a wealthy individual or organisation if the individual bringing the case has insignificant assets as even if the case is lost the wealthy individual or organisation are unable to recover their costs. Typically in such cases an out of court settlement is forced upon the wealthy individual or organisation.
A recent example is the case of Simon Singh's lawsuit, where author and journalist Simon Singh was sued by the British Chiropractic Association for criticism of chiropractic therapy which rested on a summary of recent scientific research. Singh has been able to pursue a legal defence because of his earnings from four best-sellers.
In another case the UK based academic publisher Equinox was forced to remove a peer reviewed academic article from its publication International Journal of Speech Language and the Law.[42] The article "charlatanry in forensic speech science" was a metastudy of lie detector research and came to the conclusion that lie detectors don't work.[43] The Israeli manufacturer of lie detectors Nemesysco forced the publisher to remove the already published article from the online databases and the journal was also forced to publish an apology in a later issue.[44][45][46]
On 15 March 2011, a "Draft Defamation Bill" (CP3/11) was published by the Ministry of Justice with an accompanying "consultation paper containing provisions for reforming the law to strike the right balance between protection of freedom of speech and protection of reputation." (Close date: 10 June 2011)[47] The Defamation Act 2013 reformed English defamation law on issues of the right to freedom of expression and the protection of reputation. It also comprised a response to perceptions that the law as it stood was giving rise to libel tourism and other inappropriate claims.
Blasphemy law[edit]
Main article: Blasphemy law in the United Kingdom
Blasphemy against Christianity was long an important part of British censorship, with the unwritten common law containing an offence of blasphemous libel. Prosecutions were rare, however, the last one being the 1977 Gay News legal case Whitehouse v. Lemon. Later developments around the turn of the 21st century put the continued viability of blasphemy prosecutions in doubt.[48] The offence was definitively abolished on 8 May 2008.
Critics claimed the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 could hinder freedom of speech.[49][50] Leaders of major religions and race groups[citation needed] as well as non-religious groups such as the National Secular Society[51] and English PEN[52] spoke out in order to campaign against the Bill. Comedians and satirists also fear prosecution for their work.[49][53] However, a late amendment to the Act as a result of these campaigns reads: "Nothing in this Part shall be read or given effect in a way which prohibits or restricts discussion, criticism or expressions of antipathy, dislike, ridicule, insult or abuse of particular religions or the beliefs or practices of their adherents, or of any other belief system or the beliefs or practices of its adherents, or proselytising or urging adherents of a different religion or belief system to cease practising their religion or belief system."[54]
National security[edit]
There are several Acts of the United Kingdom Parliament for the protection of official information, mainly related to national security. The latest revision is the Official Secrets Act 1989[55] (1989 chapter 6), which removed the public interest defence by repealing section 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911. In 2004, a memo containing details of a possible US bombing of broadcaster Al Jazeera was leaked to the press. Attorney General Peter Goldsmith has warned newspapers that they could be prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act if they publish the contents of the memo, saying "You are reminded that to publish the contents of a document which is known to have been unlawfully disclosed by a crown servant is in itself a breach of section 5 of the Official Secrets Act 1989".[56][57][58]
The Terrorism Act 2000 makes it an offence to collect or possess information likely to be of use to a terrorist.[14][15] Bilal Zaheer Ahmad, 23, from Wolverhampton, is believed to be the first person convicted of collecting information likely to be of use to a terrorist, including the al-Qaeda publication Inspire.[14][15]
The Terrorism Act 2006 makes it an offence to "glorify" terrorism.[59] There are concerns that this could limit free speech.[60][61][62]
DA-Notices are official but voluntary requests to news editors not to publish items on specified subjects, for reasons of national security.[63]
Prior restraint[edit]
Beyond obscenity law, there have been a number of organisations whose main function was to approve material prior to distribution.
Plays and theatres had long been licensed by the Crown prior to 1737. Licensure of a playhouse, however, only gave a general patent. The crown had no ability to censor before plays were performed. Under the provisions of the Theatrical Licensing Act of 1737 as extended by the Theatres Act 1843, the Lord Chamberlain's Office was able to censor plays. This role continued until the Theatres Act 1968 abolished the practice following several cause célèbres, and a long campaign by the theatre critic Kenneth Tynan among others.
The British Board of Film Classification is the de facto film censor for films in the United Kingdom;[64] since films not rated by the BBFC cannot be shown in most cinemas, or distributed as videos or DVDs, lack of BBFC approval generally makes productions of such films uneconomic.
In the case of films shown in cinemas, local authorities have the final legal say about who can watch a particular film. Almost always local authorities accept the Board's recommendation for a certificate for a film.
Under the Video Recording Act 1984, almost all video recordings must be classified by an authority chosen by the Home Secretary. This classification is then legally binding. Since the introduction of the Act, the BBFC has been the chosen authority. Certain works such as those that are related to sport, religion or which are designed to educate can be exempt from classification by the BBFC under the act.
The Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre pre-approves most British television advertising[65] (under Ofcom rules, other broadcasters can also approve their own advertising content, but most rely on the BACC). The Advertising Standards Authority is the regulatory advertising body, but can only prevent the republication of advertisements after upholding complaints from the general public.
The advent of the Internet access has made the act of censorship more difficult, and there has been a relaxation of censorship in recognition of this. BBFC guidelines have been relaxed further to allow the limited distribution of hardcore pornography under an R18 certificate, partially because of this, and partially because of a recognition that public attitudes have changed. Further confirmation of this change in attitude was provided by the French film Baise-moi, which was given an 18 certificate despite showing scenes of unsimulated sexual activity.
Ofcom is now the regulatory body for UK television, radio, and telecommunications services since the abolition of the Independent Television Commission.[66] Ofcom exerts its powers under the Communications Act 2003. The government's new requirements for Ofcom only require it to ensure adherence to "generally accepted standards" and prevention of harm, removing the former requirement to adhere to standards of "taste and decency".
Worldwide Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders, gave the United Kingdom a score of 5.17, making it 24th.[67]
Self-regulation of publication[edit]
A number of industries carry out what is known as self-regulation. Self-regulation seeks to keep content within the bounds of what is publicly acceptable, thus preventing government intervention to bring about official regulation. Some of the areas they are concerned about include obscenity, slander and libel. There is no clear line between self-regulation in matters of expression and self-censorship.
Industry self-regulatory bodies include the Advertising Standards Authority. In the wake of the Leveson Inquiry the Press Complaints Commission (PCC), which had been the main industry regulator of the press in the United Kingdom since 1990, was wound up and most national newspapers now belong to the Independent Press Standards Organisation, established in 2014, refusing to sign up to IMPRESS, the Leveson-compliant alternative.
Censorship by medium[edit]
Art[edit]
Art was often used as propaganda in Europe, often to point out political scandals but also to spread patriotism in times of need.[citation needed] More specifically, caricature was often used to satirize these events and people and bring attention to the artists' perspectives.[citation needed] Although censorship laws changed based on the stability of the monarchy and their opinions of the citizens, Britain was one of the European countries with the least amount of censorship in this area. During the French Revolution, Britain was in fact the only country where such propaganda was free and legal. The most famous British caricaturists at the time included Isaac Cruikshank, James Gillray, and Thomas Rowlandson. Although all three caricaturists had different perspectives and opinions, they were the frontrunners in the push towards patriotism of the United Kingdom when the UK faced attack from Napoleon.[68]
Film[edit]
Main article: Film censorship in the United Kingdom
See also: British Board of Film Classification
Internet[edit]
Main article: Internet censorship in the United Kingdom
Freedom of expression and protection of privacy over the Internet is guaranteed by UK law. Nonetheless, over the last few years there has been a shift toward increased surveillance and police measures. Combating terrorism and preventing child abuse have been widely used by state agencies and private commercial actors (e.g., Internet service providers) to justify the implementation of interception and direct filtering measures. Nevertheless, in 2010 the OpenNet Initiative (ONI) found no evidence of technical filtering in the political, social, conflict/security, or Internet tools areas. The U.K. openly blocks child pornography Web sites, for which ONI does not test.[69]
98.6%[70] of UK internet traffic consume a service called the child abuse image content list which uses data provided by the Internet Watch Foundation to identify pages judged to contain indecent photographs of children.[71][72] When such a page is found, the system creates a 'URL not found page' error rather than deliver the actual page or a warning page.
In July and again in October 2011, the UK High Court ruled that BT Retail must block access to a website (newzbin.com) which "provides links to pirated movies".[73][74] In September 2011, in response to the court ruling and with encouragement from government, leading UK ISPs are reported to have privately agreed in principle to quickly restrict access to websites when presented with court orders.[75] In May 2012 the High Court ordered UK ISPs to block The Pirate Bay to prevent further copyright infringing movie and music downloads from the website.[76][77] Soon after, the High Court ordered UK ISPs to block other websites linking to, or endorsing online 'piracy', such as KickAss Torrents (kat.ph).
Since the end of 2013 a rolling program has been in place to ensure that most households in the UK have pornography and other material (such as suicide, alcohol and violence-related content) filtered from the Internet by default unless a household chooses to receive it. This follows an announcement by the Prime Minister David Cameron on 22 July 2013.[78]
Literature[edit]
See also under "Laws on obscenity and sexual content" above.
The Happy Land, before censorship, showing the singing, dancing members of Gladstone's government. Illustration by D. H. Friston for The Illustrated London News of 22 March 1873.
In 1873, controversy over the depiction of William Ewart Gladstone, Robert Lowe, 1st Viscount Sherbrooke, and Acton Smee Ayrton in W. S. Gilbert and Gilbert Arthur à Beckett's The Happy Land led to the play's licence being revoked by the Lord Chamberlain. A censored version of the play was eventually allowed to be performed, but uncensored scripts, with the censored portions printed in all capital letters, were printed by the theatre's manager. The play became a smash hit.[79][80]
The novel Ulysses by James Joyce was banned in the United Kingdom in 1922 when it was declared obscene.[81]
Novelist George Orwell wrote several articles on censorship including an item titled The Freedom of the Press in 1943. It appears that this was a preface for his book Animal Farm, but it is unclear if it had been deliberately suppressed or if Orwell himself chose not to publish it.
Any fair-minded person with journalistic experience will admit that during this war official censorship has not been particularly irksome. We have not been subjected to the kind of totalitarian ‘co-ordination’ that it might have been reasonable to expect. The press has some justified grievances, but on the whole the Government has behaved well and has been surprisingly tolerant of minority opinions. The sinister fact about literary censorship in England is that it is largely voluntary. – George Orwell[82]
Orwell went on to suggest that because both the UK and the Soviet Union were members of the Allied powers at the time, this self-censorship was preventing valid criticism of the Communist regime. Orwell worked for the Ministry of Information during the war and used it as his inspiration for the Ministry of Truth in Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Radio[edit]
Censorship of music on the airwaves was in effect the power of the BBC. (A full list of songs banned on the BBC can be seen here: List of songs banned by the BBC.) Some songs were banned for containing sexually explicit lyrics, or promoting the use of drugs. Some songs were banned for political reasons such as Paul McCartney and Wings song Give Ireland Back to the Irish in the 1970s, or in the 1980s Christy Moore's, Back home in Derry since it was written by Bobby Sands.[83]
In 1949, the BBC Variety Programmes Policy Guide For Writers and Producers (commonly known as "the Green Book") was issued by the BBC to its producers and writers of comedy. Among things absolutely banned were jokes about lavatories, effeminacy in men, immorality of any kind, suggestive references to honeymoon couples, chambermaids, fig leaves, ladies' underwear (e.g. ‘winter draws on’), prostitution, and the vulgar use of words such as "basket".[84] The guidelines also stipulated that "..such words as God, Good God, My God, Blast, Hell, Damn, Bloody, Gorblimey, Ruddy, etc etc should be deleted from scripts and innocuous expressions substituted."[84]
In April 2013, after the death of Margaret Thatcher, the song Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead from The Wizard of Oz (1939 film), rose to number two in the BBC Radio 1 UK singles chart as many people bought the song to celebrate the former PM's death. The BBC refused to air the full song however, with only a small clip being played on the hit chart show.[85]
Television[edit]
During The Troubles in Northern Ireland the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 regularly stopped or postponed the broadcast of documentaries relating to Ireland. A Real Lives documentary for the BBC, "At the Edge of the Union" was temporarily blocked in August 1985 by direct government intervention from the then Home Secretary Leon Brittan which led to a one-day strike by the National Union of Journalists to defend the independence of the BBC.
From November 1988 to September 1994,[86] the voices of Irish republicans and Loyalist paramilitaries were barred by the British government from British television and radio. This necessitated the use by broadcasters of an actor 'revoicing' the words which had been spoken by interviewees or at public meetings by the affected groups. The case of After Dark - "the most uncensorable programme in the history of British television"[87] - is also relevant, specifically the unmade edition of the programme in 1988 with Gerry Adams. The ban was lifted a fortnight after the first Provisional Irish Republican Army ceasefire, on 16 September 1994. The ban could not be enforced for the duration of election campaigns.
An international academic conference on censorship noted other "After Dark case histories which bear on issues of censorship include the intelligence services, drugs, freemasonry, sex[88]...and Oliver Reed."[87]
Video games[edit]
The introduction of controversial video games featuring photo-realistic images, such as Mortal Kombat and Night Trap, led to calls from the tabloid press for games to fall under the Video Recordings Act. The UK games publisher trade body ELSPA responded by introducing a voluntary age rating system in 1994. The ELSPA ratings were succeeded by PEGI in 2003.
Nevertheless, although games are generally exempt from the Video Recordings Act, those depicting sexual content, or gross violence towards people or animals, must still be submitted to the BBFC for consideration. BBFC ratings are legally binding, and British law imposes stiff penalties on retailers who sell to under-aged customers. However, the Act was discovered in August 2009 to be unenforceable.[89] The rating system is to be reviewed as part of the Digital Britain project.[90]
Carmageddon, in which the gameplay involved mowing down innocent pedestrians, was the first game to be refused classification in 1997, effectively banning it from sale.[91] The game's publisher, SCI, had a modified version created in which the pedestrians in question were replaced by green-blooded zombies, which completed a successful appeal against the BBFC to overturn their original decision. The uncensored, unmodified version of Carmageddon was later released under an 18-certificate.
In 2002 the Io Interactive game Hitman 2: Silent Assassin was withdrawn by a number of retailers due to religious sensitivities.[92] The area in question involved a Sikh sect that were depicted as terrorists involved in arms smuggling and assassination. It also involved a section that many Sikhs believed to closely resemble the 1984 massacre at the Amritsar temple.
In 2004, the parents of a murdered 14-year-old boy blamed Manhunt as having been "connected" to the murder. It was later found not to be, as the game was found in the victim's home, rather than the killer's.[93] Leicestershire police "did not uncover any connections to the computer game."[94] The accusations prompted some retailers to remove the game from their shelves.[95] Nevertheless, following this incident the sales of the game rose due to the free publicity from newspaper headlines. The sequel, Manhunt 2, released in 2007, was banned from being sold in the UK by the BBFC. On appeal to the Video Appeals Committee this ruling was overturned[96] however the BBFC launched a successful judicial review into the VAC's decision, forcing the VAC to reconsider its judgment.[97] On 14 March 2008, the VAC again recommended that the game be released, a position to which the BBFC agreed. The game is now available.
Specific cases[edit]
In 1795, the administration of William Pitt (the Younger) enacted the Treason Act and Seditious Meetings Act to suppress the burgeoning Radical movement calling for Parliamentary reform. Fearing a "Jacobin uprising" of the kind that had just been seen in France, the government censured reform societies such as the London Corresponding Society, despite no evidence suggesting that these organizations engaged in any illegal activities.
In 1963, in the Profumo Affair, the government instituted criminal proceedings against Stephen Ward to stifle press comment under the sub judice rule concerning the sexual relationship between the War Minister John Profumo and Christine Keeler, who was having a sexual relationship with Yevgeny Ivanov, a Soviet Naval Attache and alleged spy.
In 1972, Lord Longford and Raymond Blackburn decided to pursue a matter of pornography classification for the film Language of Love[98] into the Court of Appeal of Lord Denning, MR, and lost the writ of mandamus against the Police Commissioner, who had refused to intrude upon the BBFC remit.[99][100][101]
In 1977, the Sex Pistols' single God Save the Queen was "the subject of a blanket ban on BBC".[102][103][104]
In 1985, the British government attempted to ban the book Spycatcher by MI5 officer Peter Wright because of the sensitive material it contained. Several British newspapers attempted to report on its principal allegations, but were served with gag orders. They persisted and were tried for contempt of court, charges that were later dropped.[105]
In 1995, Prince Charles obtained a court injunction that prevented his former housekeeper Wendy Berry from publishing her tell-all book about his marital troubles. After publishing her book "The Housekeepers Diary" in the United States, Berry left the UK to avoid contempt-of-court charges.[106]
In December 2004, controversy surrounding the play Behzti sparked violent protests leading to the play's cancellation. A controversial scene set in a Sikh temple included rape, physical abuse, and murder. Some members of the Sikh community found the play deeply offensive to their faith.[107]
On 15 January 2008 it was announced that the trial of Wang Yam, accused of murdering Allan Chappelow, would be held 'in camera' on the grounds of the administration of justice and national security. This was the first UK murder trial held behind closed doors. The UK press were prohibited from speculating as to the reasons for this order.[108][109]
In 2008, the poem Education for Leisure was removed from the AQA Anthology, after complaints were received. The poem explores the mind of a person who is planning to commit a murder.[110]
Starting in 2008 the press were barred from printing the names of concerned parties in the murder of Baby Peter, a 17-month-old boy. Websites which published the names of the defendants and the boy came under police investigation for conducting an "internet hate campaign."[111] On 10 August 2009 the ban was lifted.[112]
In 2011, a series of privacy injunctions, so called 'super injunctions', gained widespread attention. The press was barred from publishing details about various prominent individuals. One case involving journalist and broadcaster Andrew Marr was dropped; another involving footballer Ryan Giggs became untenable, although many such injunctions remain in force.
In July 2011, highlights from The Daily Show, an American TV program, were not shown on Channel 4's More4 channel because showing coverage of the House of Commons in a comedic or satirical context in Britain is prohibited by parliamentary rules. American viewers were able to see the material.[113]
In January 2012, British communications regulator Ofcom revoked Press TV's licence to broadcast in the UK; it remains available via the internet. Ofcom found that the News channel's editorial control was based in Tehran, which breaches the Communications Act 2003. This had come to their attention while investigating a Press TV interview with journalist Maziar Bahari,[114] given under duress, in which he 'confessed' that western journalists working in Iran were spies. A connection has been made by opponents of the decision with Wikileaks cables suggesting the US and UK governments wanted to end Press TV's broadcasting licence in response to the Iranian government's jamming of the BBC Persian Service and the Voice of America.[115]
In August 2012, following publication of naked photographs of Prince Harry, lawyers for his father, Prince Charles, issued threats of legal action. The photographs were not used by British newspapers or television stations after St James’s Palace warned that the Royal Family regarded the pictures as a gross invasion of the prince's privacy.[116]
In September 2012, Britain's royal household began legal proceedings against a French magazine, Closer, that published paparazzi photographs of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge and wife of Prince William.[117] And on 18 September a French court ordered the magazine to hand over all digital copies of the topless photos within 24 hours and blocked further publication of what it called a "brutal display" of the couple's private moments. The case is the first of two legal actions, St. James's Palace said that family lawyers would also be filing a criminal complaint.[118]
Between July and August 2013, The Guardian newspaper was subject to prior restraint as well as property destruction by members of GCHQ following its publication of documents relating to PRISM, the NSA and Edward Snowden.[119]
From October 2013, The existence of the criminal case R v Incedal and Rarmoul-Bouhadjar was a complete secret until an application made by The Guardian newspaper. However, the details of the evidence involved and why the defendants were acquitted are still censored. The case involved Erol Incedal and Mounir Rarmoul-Bouhadjar who were charged under the Terrorism Act 2000 and the Terrorism Act 2006. "Accredited journalists" who were allowed to report the trial were denied possession of their physical reports (notebooks) and will be imprisoned if they publicly report their findings. The gagging order was upheld in February 2016 and censorship of the case continues.[120][121][122][123][124]
In February 2016, the Conservative government announced plans to ban "any public authority from imposing a boycott on a country signed up to the World Trade Organization government procurement agreement", in order to prevent anti-semitism and end town hall boycotts, that are considered divisive, by the government. In justifying the ban, Cabinet Office Minister Matthew Hancock is reported to have referenced a "separate move by the government to stop publicly funded organisations boycotting companies they consider unethical", however, whether the two acts of censorship are specifically related is unclear.[125][126][127]
In April 2016, Scottish YouTuber Mark Meechan uploaded a video showing how he had trained his dog to raise its paw (similar to a Nazi salute) in response to Meechan saying "sig heil" and "gas the Jews". Meechan was arrested after sharing the video, with the video having been seen more than three millions times before it was removed by YouTube. Meechan said the video was intended to annoy his girlfriend. On March 20 2018, the court convicted him of a hate crime under the Communications Act 2003, describing the material as "grossly offensive". Comedians Ricky Gervais and David Baddiel tweeted in support of Meechan.[128][129][130] Tom Walker and Shappi Khorsandi also defended Meechan while simultaneously criticizing other comedians for their silence on the issue.[131][132]
See also[edit]
Sub judice
1988–94 British broadcasting voice restrictions
Anne Dodd, imprisoned in 1728 for selling anti-ministry pamphlets
British Board of Film Classification
Campaign Against Censorship
Child pornography laws in the United Kingdom
Committee on Obscenity and Film Censorship
Freedom of the Press
Hate speech laws in the United Kingdom
Index on Censorship
International Freedom of Expression Exchange
Libel tourism
Mary Whitehouse, a Christian morality campaigner (founder of the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association) known for her opposition to social liberalism
Mass surveillance in the United Kingdom
Master of the Revels
Mediawatch-UK (formerly the National Viewers and Listeners' Association)
Open Rights Group
Society for Individual Freedom
Super-injunctions in English law
Taking Liberties (film)
Thomas Bowdler whose name is now used as the verb "bowdlerise" or "bowdlerize"
Areopagitica: A speech of Mr John Milton for the liberty of unlicensed printing to the Parliament of England
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Klug, Francesca (1996). Starmer, Keir; Weir, Stuart, eds. The Three Pillars of Liberty: Political Rights and Freedoms in the United Kingdom. The Democratic Audit of the United Kingdom. Routledge. p. 165. ISBN 978-041509642-3.
Jump up ^ Hensley, Thomas R. (2001). The Boundaries of Freedom of Expression & Order in American Democracy. Kent State University Press. p. 153.
Jump up ^ Klug 1996, pp. 175–179
Jump up ^ Public Order Act 1986
Jump up ^ Quinn, Ben (11 November 2012). "Kent man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet". The Guardian.
Jump up ^ Section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988
Jump up ^ Cockerton, Paul (25 May 2013). "Woolwich attack: Man held in malicious Facebook comments probe after soldier murder". Mirror Online.
^ Jump up to: a b Joint Committee on Human Rights, Parliament of the United Kingdom (2005). Counter-Terrorism Policy And Human Rights: Terrorism Bill and related matters: Oral and Written Evidence. Counter-Terrorism Policy And Human Rights: Terrorism Bill and related matters. 2. The Stationery Office. p. 114.
Jump up ^ Sadurski, Wojciech (2001). Freedom of Speech and Its Limits. Law and Philosophy Library. 38. p. 179.
Jump up ^ Conte, Alex (2010). Human Rights in the Prevention and Punishment of Terrorism. Springer. p. 643.
Jump up ^ Terrorism Act 2006
Jump up ^ Crook, Tim (2010). Comparative Media Law and Ethics. p. 397.
Jump up ^ Joint Committee 2005, p. 116
^ Jump up to: a b c "Blogger who encouraged murder of MPs jailed". BBC News. 29 July 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
^ Jump up to: a b c Possession of Inspire has been successfully prosecuted under Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000. "Online extremist sentenced to 12 years for soliciting murder of MPs" (Press release). West Midlands Police. 29 July 2011. In addition, Ahmad admitted three counts of collecting information likely to be of use to a terrorist, including the al-Qaeda publication Inspire. This is the first successful prosecution for possessing the online jihadist magazine.
Jump up ^ Treason Felony Act 1848
^ Jump up to: a b Klug 1996, p. 177
Jump up ^ Lemon, Rebecca (2008). Treason by Words: Literature, Law, and Rebellion in Shakespeare's England. Cornell University Press. pp. 5–10. ISBN 9780801474491.
Jump up ^ Emmerson, Ben; Ashworth, Andrew; Macdonald, Alison (2012). Human Rights and Criminal Justice (3rd ed.). Sweet & Maxwell. p. 200. ISBN 978-1-847-03911-8.
Jump up ^ Dyer, Clare (27 June 2003). "Guardian vindicated in treason case". The Guardian. Advocating the abolition of the monarchy in print is lawful and no one can be prosecuted for it, despite a 19th-century act still on the statute book that bans it…
Jump up ^ Klug 1996, p. 172
Jump up ^ Klug 1996, p. 173
Jump up ^ Klug 1996, pp. 169–170
Jump up ^ Klug 1996, pp. 156–160
^ Jump up to: a b Helsinki Watch; Fund for Free Expression (1991). Restricted Subjects: Freedom of Expression in the United Kingdom. p. 53.
Jump up ^ "Brown 'to change' protests laws". BBC News. 3 July 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2010. A 2005 law created an "exclusion zone" inside which all protests required police permission. ... The requirement for police permission was introduced in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.
Jump up ^ "The Obscenity of Censorship: A History of Indecent People and Lacivious Publications", The Erotica Bibliophile. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
Jump up ^ "1960: Lady Chatterley's Lover sold out", BBC News. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
Jump up ^ "The Obscene Publications Act, 1857". BBC. 30 January 2002. Retrieved 31 May 2006.
Jump up ^ Green, Chris (3 October 2008). "Blogger 'wrote of murdering Girls Aloud'". The Independent. London. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ "Man cleared over Girls Aloud blog". BBC News. 29 June 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ "Ban on violent net porn planned". BBC News. 30 August 2005. Retrieved 19 May 2006.
Jump up ^ "Man jailed for having 'paedophile manual'". BBC News. 2016-12-02. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
Jump up ^ "New tough sentences for possessing 'paedophile manuals' - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
Jump up ^ "Teen convicted for 'paedophile manual'". www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
Jump up ^ "PressReader.com - Connecting People Through News". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
Jump up ^ "Sex toys chain wins legal fight", BBC News, 18 June 2003. Retrieved 31 May 2006.
Jump up ^ "Jobcentre go-ahead for Ann Summers", BBC News, 18 July 2003. Retrieved 31 May 2006.
Jump up ^ Kincaid, Arthur. "Buck (Buc), Sir George (bap. 1560, d. 1622)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004. Online edn., May 2008, accessed 23 January 2012 (subscription required)
Jump up ^ Eccles, Mark (1933). "Sir George Buc, Master of the Revels", in Sisson, Charles Jasper. Thomas Lodge and Other Elizabethans, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, pp. 418–419
Jump up ^ Mason, Rufus Osgood (1887). "Charles Kemble". Sketches and impressions, musical, theatrical and social, 1795–1885. NY: G. P. Putnam's Sons. pp. 45–46.
Jump up ^ "International Journal of Speech Language and the Law". Equinoxjournals.com. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
Jump up ^ "Charlantry in forensic speech science: A problem to be taken seriously | Eriksson | International Journal of Speech Language and the Law". Equinoxjournals.com. 4 December 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
Jump up ^ "Threats over Swedish lie detector research – The Local". Thelocal.se. Archived from the original on 7 December 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
Jump up ^ Kristina Jogestrand (30 November 2010). "Forskare hotas av åtal" (in Swedish). DN.se. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
Jump up ^ "Lögndetektorer fungerar inte" (in Swedish). DN.se. 28 December 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
Jump up ^ Draft Defamation Bill: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20111013041437/www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/draft-defamation-bill.htm
Jump up ^ "Q & A: Blasphemy law", BBC News, 18 October 2004. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
^ Jump up to: a b "New effort to ban religious hate", BBC News, 11 June 2005. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
Jump up ^ "Raising the bar for hatred prosecution", BBC News, 1 February 2006. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
Jump up ^ "NSS Freedom of Speech Rally 25 March 2006", Nation Secular Society, 25 March 2006. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
Jump up ^ "The Offence Campaign: Free Expression is no Offence", English PEN. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
Jump up ^ "Atkinson attacks 'draconian' law", BBC News, 20 June 2005. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
Jump up ^ Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006, see section 29J, Protection of freedom of expression
Jump up ^ "Official Secrets Act 1989 (c. 6), Office of Public Sector Information. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
Jump up ^ "Lord Goldsmith quotes, ThinkExist. Retrieved 31 May 2006.
Jump up ^ "Media Gagged Over Al-Jazeera Memo", International Freedom of Expression eXchange. Retrieved 31 May 2006.
Jump up ^ Secrecy gag prompted by fear of new Blair-Bush revelations", Guardian Unlimited, 24 November 2005. Retrieved 31 May 2006
Jump up ^ "Terrorism Act 2006", Office of Public Sector Information. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
Jump up ^ "Q&A: Terrorism laws", BBC News, 13 April 2006.
Jump up ^ "Terror law "chilling for democracy and press freedom," warns IFJ", International Freedom of Expression eXchange, 7 November 2005. Retrieved 31 May 2006.
Jump up ^ " "The Impact of UK Anti-Terror Laws on Freedom of Expression" (PDF). (461 KB)", ARTICLE 19, April 2006. Retrieved 31 May 2006.
Jump up ^ Standing DA Notices, Defence Advisory Notice system, 20 April 2005. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
Jump up ^ British Board of Film Classification, British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
Jump up ^ Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre, Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
Jump up ^ Ofcom, Ofcom. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
Jump up ^ "Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2005 Archived 19 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine.", Reporters Without Borders, 2005. Retrieved 31 May 2006.
Jump up ^ Morris, Marilyn (1998). The British Monarchy and the French Revolution. Yale University Press. p. 229. ISBN 978-0300206456.
Jump up ^ "Country report: United Kingdom", OpenNet Initiative, 18 December 2010
Jump up ^ McIntyre, TJ. "Child Abuse images and Cleanfeeds: Assessing Internet Blocking Systems". Research Handbook on Governance of the Internet: 5. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
Jump up ^ "IWF/BT Project CleanFeed Archived 24 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine.", Internet Watch Foundation. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
Jump up ^ "How net providers stop child porn", BBC News, 7 February 2006. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
Jump up ^ "BT ordered to block links to Newzbin 2 website". BBC News. 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2011-07-27.
Jump up ^ "BT ordered to block Newzbin2 filesharing site within 14 days", Mark Sweney, The Guardian, 26 October 2011
Jump up ^ "Brit ISPs shift toward rapid pirate website blocking", Andrew Orlowski, The Register, 22 September 2011
Jump up ^ "Pirate Bay must be blocked, High Court tells ISPs", Matt Warman, The Telegraph, 30 April 2012
Jump up ^ "The Pirate Bay cut off from millions of Virgin Media customers", Christopher Williams, The Telegraph, 3 May 2012
Jump up ^ "David Cameron: Online porn will be blocked by default". Metro. 22 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Joseph S Meisel (1999), The Importance of Being Serious: The Unexplored Connection between Gladstone and Humour, History 84 (274), p. 278–300. doi:10.1111/1468-229X.00109
Jump up ^ The Illustrated London News, 15 March 1873, page 243
Jump up ^ "How to read this book", The Guardian (London), 11 February 2004. Retrieved 31 May 2006.
Jump up ^ George Orwell, 1945. "The Freedom of the Press". The Times, 1972 and Animal Farm, Penguin 2000. "The Freedom of the Press". Retrieved 19 May 2006.
Jump up ^ "Bobby Sands Celtic Artist". Answers.com. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
^ Jump up to: a b "BBC Variety Programmes Policy Guide 1949". gazilla.wordpress.com (Protected Blog). Retrieved 7 November 2015.
Jump up ^ Melanie Hall, Anti-Margaret Thatcher song Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead fails to reach number one, The Telegraph, 14 April 2013
Jump up ^ "Dubbing SF voices becomes the stuff of history", Irish Times, 17 September 1994, as reproduced on the Strathclyde University pages of David Miller.
^ Jump up to: a b Programme notes for the academic conference, 1984: Where Are We Now?, held 23 April 2014
Jump up ^ See After Dark (TV series) and List of After Dark editions
Jump up ^ Loophole over DVD age rating law, BBC News, 25 August 2009
Jump up ^ "At a glance: Digital Britain". London: BBC News. 16 June 2009. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
Jump up ^ "Carmageddon smashes British censor ban", BBC News, 4 November 1997. Retrieved 31 May 2006.
Jump up ^ "Shops take Hitman 2 game off the shelves". BBC News. 21 November 2002. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ "Game blamed for hammer murder". BBC News. 29 July 2004. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ "Police reject game link to murder". BBC News. 5 August 2004. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ "Manhunt game withdrawn by stores". BBC News. 29 July 2004. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ "Censors ban 'brutal' video game". BBC News. 19 June 2007. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ Waters, Darren (8 February 2008). "On the trail of Manhunt 2". BBC News. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "K" (part 2)
Jump up ^ "Raymond Blackburn". The Herald. 5 November 1991. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
Jump up ^ (1975) 21 McGill L.J. 269: "Private Prosecutions in Canada: The Law and a Proposal for Change" (Burns)
Jump up ^ Reported as [1973] 1 Q.B. 241 (C.A.)
Jump up ^ "Banned Songs: The Sex Pistols God Save The Queen" Unknown Author in Virgin Media, Date Unknown
Jump up ^ final response.pdf "Freedom of Information request – RFI20101633" Chris Burns in BBC FOI request, 11 January 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
Jump up ^ "Record Breakers and Trivia: Quirks of the Number One Position" Unknown Author in Every Hit, Date Unknown
Jump up ^ "1988: Government loses Spycatcher battle", BBC News. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
Jump up ^ Alderson, Andrew (8 October 2000). "Prince will not sue housekeeper who betrayed secrets". The Daily Telegraph. London.
Jump up ^ "Writer in hiding as violence closes Sikh play", Tania Branigan and Vikram Dodd, The Guardian, 21 December 2004
Jump up ^ "Bid for open murder trial fails". BBC News. London. 28 January 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2008.
Jump up ^ Regina v. Wang Yam, [2008] EWCA Crim. 269, United Kingdom Court of Appeal, Criminal Division, 28 January 2008
Jump up ^ Curtis, Polly (3 September 2009). "Top exam board asks schools to destroy book containing knife poem | Education". London: The Guardian.
Jump up ^ "Websites probed over Baby P posts". London: BBC. 20 November 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2009.
Jump up ^ "Couple behind Baby P death named". BBC News. London. 10 August 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
Jump up ^ Helen Lewis Hasteley "Why our parliament is literally beyond satire", New Statesman (blog), 27 July 2011
Jump up ^ "Iran's Press TV loses UK licence", BBC News, 20 January 2012
Jump up ^ Cable cited at "US embassy cables: Retaliation planned after Iran jammed BBC broadcasts", The Guardian (website), 5 December 2010
Jump up ^ "Welcome back to 1936: Naked pictures of Harry viewed by millions online all around the world ... but furious Palace BANS Britons from seeing them", Daily Mail Online, 23 August 2012
Jump up ^ "Royal Couple Sue Over Photos of Topless Duchess", Alan Cowell and John F. Burns, New York Times, 14 September 2012
Jump up ^ "French Court Rules for British Royals in Topless Photos", AP in the New York Times, 18 September 2012
Jump up ^ David Miranda, schedule 7 and the danger that all reporters now face, Alan Rusbridger in The Guardian, 19 August 2013
Jump up ^ "Erol Incedal terror case evidence to stay secret" Dominic Casciani in BBC, 26 March 2015
Jump up ^ "Erol Incedal: The trial we couldn't report" Jeremy Britton in BBC, 9 February 2016
Jump up ^ "Erol Incedal trial: media groups lose appeal over reporting restrictions" Ian Cobain in The Guardian, 9 February 2016
Jump up ^ "Erol Incedal cleared of terror attack plot but row erupts over secret courts" Tom Whitehead in The Times, 26 March 2015
Jump up ^ Guardian News and Media Ltd. Vs. AB CD , 2014/02393C1, 7 (Royal Courts of Justice, London 12/06/2014) (“The entirety of the criminal trial of the Defendants should be in private (i.e., with the public and media excluded) and the publication of reports of the trial be prohibited.”).
Jump up ^ "Councils and NHS trusts to be blocked from boycotting Israeli products" Rowena Mason in The Guardian, 15 February 2016
Jump up ^ "Ban on Israel boycotts denies us the freedoms we say we're defending" Michael White in The Guardian, 16 February 2016
Jump up ^ "Anger as UK moves to ban Israeli settlement boycott" Patrick Strickland in Al Jazeera, 16 February 2016
Jump up ^ "Man guilty of hate crime for filming pug's 'Nazi salutes'". BBC. 2018-03-20. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
Jump up ^ Coulter, Martin (2018-03-20). "YouTuber Count Dankula is found guilty of hate crime after teaching pet pug 'Nazi salute'". The Standard. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
Jump up ^ Kenan Malik (2018-03-25). "The 'Nazi pug': giving offence is inevitable and often necessary in a plural society". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
Jump up ^ Doyle, Andrew (2018-03-28). "Let's stand up for the right to be offensive". Spiked. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
Jump up ^ Khorsandi, Shappi (2018-03-23). "The conviction of Count Dankula sets a dangerous precedent for freedom of speech". The Independent. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
External links[edit]
Campaign Against Censorship
Edmund Curll and his prosecutions
"Failures in a Hybrid Content Blocking System by Richard Clayton, 2005" (PDF). (139 KB) (technical analysis of Cleanfeed)
Free speech now! - a Spiked project
Index on Censorship: quarterly UK publication of intelligent writing about censorship and free speech
Liberty guide to the Obscene Publications Act
Ofcom website
OfWatch: a site critical of Ofcom* The Melon Farmers: anti-censorship website
Open Rights Group
Theatrical Bill Inspectors and the Licensing Act of 1737
UK laws regarding prostitution updated for 2006
1942 Life magazine article with examples of photos censored by British government for wartime secrecy
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Billy Boy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
"Billy Boy" is a traditional folk song and nursery rhyme found in the United States. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 326. It is a variant of the traditional English folk song "My Boy Billy", collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams and published by him in 1912 as number 232 in Novello's School Songs. The song is very popular with the Orange Order.
Contents
[hide]
1 Lyrics
2 Origins and interpretations
3 Recordings
4 In popular culture
5 See also
6 References
Lyrics[edit]
One variant of the lyrics goes:
Oh, where have you been,
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Oh, where have you been,
Charming Billy?
I have been to seek a wife,
She's the joy of my life,
She's a young thing
And cannot leave her mother.
Did she bid you to come in,
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she bid you to come in,
Charming Billy?
Yes, she bade me to come in,
There's a dimple in her chin.
She's a young thing
And cannot leave her mother.
Can she make a cherry pie,
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she make a cherry pie,
Charming Billy?
She can make a cherry pie,
Quick as a cat can wink an eye,
She's a young thing
And cannot leave her mother.
Did she set for you a chair,
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she set for you a chair,
Charming Billy?
Yes, she sat for me a chair.
She has ringlets in her hair.
She's a young thing
And cannot leave her mother.
How old is she now,
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
How old is she now,
Charming Billy?
Three times six and four times seven,
Twenty-eight and eleven,
She's a young thing
And cannot leave her mother.[1]
Origins and interpretations[edit]
While the tone of the nursery rhyme is ironic and teasing, both the question and answer form[2] and the narrative of the song have been related to "Lord Randall", a murder ballad from the British Isles, in which the suitor is poisoned by the woman he visits.[3]
By contrast, Robin Fox uses the song to make a point about cooking and courtship, and observes that:
Feeding has always been closely linked with courtship […] With humans this works two ways since we are the only animals who cook: the bride is usually appraised for her cooking ability. (“Can she bake a cherry pie, Billy boy, Billy boy?”) In some cultures this is far more important than her virginity.[4]
Recordings[edit]
Further variants have been recorded, that greatly extend the number of verses and tasks that the wife can perform. An extended version of the song in which the lover performs many tasks besides the cherry pie was collected by Alan Lomax and John Avery Lomax: it appears in American Ballads and Folk Songs. The Lomax version names the woman being courted Betsy Jane.[5]
A version by the Dale Sisters was released in August 1960, billed as "Billy Boy, Billy Boy", on the B-side of their single, "The Kiss", on His Master's Voice (POP 781).[6]
Bing Crosby included the song in a medley on his album On the Happy Side (1962).[citation needed]
A version of the song by Jerry Lee Lewis was released on the 1975 album, Rare, Vol. 1.[7]
Millard Lampell of the folk group the Almanac Singers wrote an anti-war version of "Billy Boy".[citation needed]
The song was performed by Burl Ives and Beulah Bondi in the 1949 Disney film So Dear to My Heart.[citation needed]
Embedded in one of his "Schticks and Stones" medleys, Allan Sherman included a short segment about a then-current political scandal concerning Billie Sol Estes: "Oh, what have you done, Billie Sol, Billie Sol? ..."[citation needed]
Red Garland, Pianist of the Miles Davis Quintet, recorded a trio version of the song for the 1958 Miles Davis album Milestones.[citation needed]
Jed Clampett and Daisy "Granny" Moses sing a verse of the song while Jed is sharpening his plow in the Beverly Hillbillies episode "The Servants" (Season 1, Episode 7), which originally aired on November 7, 1962.[citation needed]
In popular culture[edit]
A line from the song was adapted as the title for Henry Jaglom's 1983 film Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?, which concerns a middle-aged New York City musician who, after being dumped by her husband, develops a relationship with a middle-aged divorced social worker. The song "Billy Boy" is also performed in the film.[8]
See also[edit]
Children's literature portal
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - Kids Pages - Billy Boy". Kids.niehs.nih.gov. 2010-12-15. Archived from the original on 2013-03-18. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
Jump up ^ More type 43f43f: see Bruce P. Hayes, Margaret MacEachern, Quatrain Form in English Folk Verse
Jump up ^ Fox, Dan (2003) "Billy Boy" in A Treasury of Children's Songs New York: Macmillan. ISBN 0-8050-7445-7, ISBN 978-0-8050-7445-1
Jump up ^ Fox, Robin: Food and Eating: An Anthropological Perspective. Social Issues Research Centre. p.11; see also Fox, Robin (1994): The Challenge of Anthropology: Old Encounters and New Excursions. Transaction Publishers, ISBN 156000827X
Jump up ^ "American ballads & Folk Songs - Page 0420". Traditionalmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
Jump up ^ "The Dale Sisters Discography - UK". 45cat. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
Jump up ^ "Rare, Vol. 1 - Jerry Lee Lewis | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
Jump up ^ Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? trailer, YouTube
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Billy_Boy&oldid=820257126"
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Eileen Davidson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Eileen Davidson
Davidson in 2014
Born
Eileen Marie Davidson
(1959-06-15) June 15, 1959 (age 58)
Artesia, California, U.S.
Occupation
Actress
author
Years active
1982–present
Spouse(s)
Christopher Mayer (m. 1985; div. 1986)
Jon Lindstrom (m. 1997; div. 2000)
Vincent Van Patten (m. 2003)
Children
1
Website
Official website
Eileen Marie Davidson[1] (born June 15, 1959) is an American actress, reality star, author and former model, best known for her performances in television soap operas. Davidson is best known for her roles in soap operas as Kristen DiMera on NBC's Days of Our Lives, and Ashley Abbott on CBS's The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful.
In 2014, for her role in Days of Our Lives, Davidson was awarded a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series; the second actress to win a Daytime Emmy Award in the category of "Lead Actress" for the soap.[2] Davidson also starred in the film The House on Sorority Row (1983), had a leading role in the short-lived CBS crime series Broken Badges (1990–91), and wrote a number of mystery novels in the 2000s. In 2014, Davidson joined the cast of Bravo reality television series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills with record salary of $750,000 per season.[3]
Contents
[hide]
1 Early life
2 Career
2.1 Early work
2.2 Writing and acting
3 Personal life
4 Filmography
5 Bibliography
6 Awards and nominations
7 References
8 External links
Early life[edit]
Davidson, the youngest of six children, was born in Artesia, California to Charlotte (1922–2016), a homemaker, and Richard Davidson (1915–1981), an airplane parts manufacturer. She was raised Catholic.[4][5] Davidson started her career as a model in Mexico City and California, eventually adding commercials and print work in Europe. Her roommate had recommended that she take acting classes and she trained at the Staircase Theater.
Career[edit]
Early work[edit]
Davidson originated the role of Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless in March 1982, beating out more than 100 candidates.[5] The character of Ashley became a front-burner character, and Davidson became an integral part of the show. She quit the show in December 1988 and the producers took her recommendation of hiring a look-alike actress named Brenda Epperson Doumani, whom Davidson had discovered waiting tables at a charity function. Davidson also appeared in several films during the 1980s, including a main role in the slasher film The House on Sorority Row (1983), and Easy Wheels (1989), opposite Ted Raimi.
Davidson then appeared in primetime television, but her show, Broken Badges (1990–1991), was canceled.[6] She returned to daytime when she assumed the role of Kelly Capwell on Santa Barbara from November 1991 until the soap's cancellation in January 1993. She next appeared as Kristen Blake on Days of Our Lives beginning in May 1993. As originally conceived, Kristen was a heroine, who had an Achilles' heel in that the show's supervillain, Stefano, had raised her after the death of her parents. James E. Reilly, who assumed head writing reins in 1993, began to make Kristen more of a villainess. Reilly eventually developed an outrageous second role for Davidson, having her play Susan Banks, a Kristen look-alike. Reilly eventually penned three more roles for Davidson (Sister Mary Moira, Thomas, and Penelope). Her character, Kristen, intended to keep her other character, Susan, prisoner on an island, but Susan ultimately prevailed and Kristen remained on the island until she returned to Salem in 2012. All other related characters were last seen in May 1998. Davidson's five roles earned her a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1998.
After a year-long vacation from acting, she returned to her role on The Young and the Restless in March 1999. After a successful return as Ashley Abbott, which included Davidson's second Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress, Davidson was fired from the show. In December 2006, Davidson told TV Guide that she was fired from The Young and the Restless due to lack of storyline.[7] Her last airdate as Ashley was January 11, 2007. According to co-star Melody Thomas Scott, the firing was protested behind the scenes of The Young and the Restless and was seen as unfair.[8] Scott said: "That was so heartbreaking. We're still upset about that. That was a blow. Terrible. Eileen Davidson was such a part of the core of the show and such a brilliant actress; beautiful and always prepared. It was crazy. I'm not the only one who feels that way."[8] In a surprise move a few months later, Davidson signed a three-year contract with The Young and the Restless's sister soap The Bold and the Beautiful to once again play her The Young and the Restless character Ashley Abbott at the request of The Bold and the Beautiful executive producer Bradley Bell. She first aired on March 9, 2007.[9] Ken Corday called Davidson about a week before she was fired from The Young and the Restless to get permission to use a picture of her on Days of Our Lives. The picture, which featured Davidson as Susan, was shown in December 2006.
Davidson at the 2014 Daytime Emmy Awards.
After she was fired from The Young and the Restless but before being cast in The Bold and the Beautiful, her niece Devon Martt, a fashion designer, approached her about designing clothes together.
Writing and acting[edit]
Davidson co-wrote her first novel with author Robert J. Randisi, a mystery set in the soap opera world titled Death in Daytime, released in October 2008. She followed it up with three sequels: Dial Emmy for Murder (2009), Diva Las Vegas (2010), and Swinging in the Rain (2011).[10]
In July 2008, Eileen was downgraded to recurring status at The Bold and the Beautiful. She returned to The Young and the Restless full-time as Ashley on September 26, 2008. In 2012, Nelson Branco announced that Sony Pictures Entertainment wanted Davidson on both The Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives, but that Y&R would not share the actress, leading Sony to terminate her contract with them. Thus, it was announced that Davidson would reprise her role as Kristen Blake DiMera on Days of Our Lives.[11]
Davidson made a brief appearance on The Young and the Restless in February 2013 for the soap's 40th anniversary.[12] In July 2013, it was announced that Davidson made the decision to leave Days of Our Lives after a year as Kristen.[13] Davidson exited the role on-screen on November 13, 2013.[14] In late November, it was confirmed that Davidson would return for an episode scheduled to air on December 3, 2013.[15]
On January 28, 2014, it was announced that Davidson would return to the role of Kristen DiMera in the summer of 2014.[16] On May 1, 2014, it was formally announced that Davidson was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series for Days of Our Lives. It's her third Daytime Emmy Award nomination, her second for Days. She won the award on June 22, 2014.[17]
On June 17, 2014, it was announced that Davidson had signed a contract to return to The Young and the Restless.[18] Subsequently, Davidson revealed that her Y&R contract was for two years and that it included a stipulation that she could continue doing Days of Our Lives in the future, as well as having the option of taking a break if work became too hectic.[19] Davidson also joined the cast of the fifth season of Bravo reality television series, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.[20] On November 17, 2014, it was announced that Davidson was back on-set of Days of Our Lives, with a stint set to air in spring 2015.[21] On June 12, 2017, it was announced that Davidson would return to Days of Our Lives.[22][23]
Personal life[edit]
Davidson has been married three times: first to actor Christopher Mayer from 1985–86. Her second husband was General Hospital, Port Charles, and As the World Turns actor Jon Lindstrom, to whom she was married from 1997 to 2000. Mayer and Lindstrom were both stars of TV series Santa Barbara, a show on which Davidson also spent two years. Neither appeared on the show at the same time. Her first two marriages ended in divorce. She is currently married to actor, former tennis professional, and World Poker Tour commentator Vincent Van Patten. They have one child together, a son. The pair met in 2000, when Van Patten briefly appeared as Christian, Ashley's "boyfriend" during a cruise, on The Young and the Restless.[24]
Filmography[edit]
List of acting performances in film and television
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1982
Goin' All the Way!
BJ Film
1982
The Phoenix
Ellie Episode: "The Fire Within"
1982–1988,
1999–2013, 2014–present
The Young and the Restless
Ashley Abbott Series regular
1983
The House on Sorority Row
Vicki Film
1989
Easy Wheels
She Wolf Film
1990
Eternity
Dahlia / Valerie Film
1990
Broken Badges
J.J. "Bullet" Tingreedes Main role; seven episodes
1991–1993
Santa Barbara
Kelly Capwell #4 Series regular
1993–1998, 2012–2015, 2017
Days of Our Lives
Kristen DiMera / Susan Banks / others Series regular
2007–2008
The Bold and the Beautiful
Ashley Abbott Series regular
2012
Hell and Mr. Fudge
Mrs. Fudge Film
2013
Stranger at the Pentagon
Deena Thor Short film
2014–2017
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Herself Series regular (seasons 5-7)
2017
The Guest House
Dr. Hopkins Film
TBA
Symphoria
Vickey Lewis Film; post-production
Bibliography[edit]
Davidson collaborated with Robert J. Randisi on all the novels listed.
List of novels
Date of publication
Title
2008 (October)
Death In Daytime
2009
Dial Emmy For Murder
2010
Diva Las Vegas
2011
Swinging In The Rain
Awards and nominations[edit]
Year
Award
Category
Title
Result
Ref.
1986 Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama The Young and the Restless Nominated [25]
1988 Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Heroine The Young and the Restless Nominated [26]
1997 Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Lead Actress Days of Our Lives Nominated [27]
1998 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Days of Our Lives Nominated [28]
1999 Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Lead Actress Days of Our Lives Nominated [29]
2000 Soap Opera Digest Award Favorite Return The Young and the Restless Nominated [30]
2003 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series The Young and the Restless Nominated [31]
2014 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Days of Our Lives Won [32][33]
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "In The Middle". Soap Opera Digest. September 19, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
Jump up ^ What time do the Daytime Emmy Awards start? (2014-04-25). "Eileen Davidson poised to end 39-year drought for 'Days of Our Lives' at Daytime Emmys". Goldderby.com. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
Jump up ^ "Eileen Davidson 'joining The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills - Daily Mail Online". Mail Online. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
Jump up ^ "Eileen Davidson profile". Filmreference.com. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b Lipton, Michael A. (August 11, 1997). "Daze of Their Lives". People.com. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
Jump up ^ "Faces to Watch | TV". Entertainment Weekly. April 5, 1991. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
Jump up ^ [1][dead link]
^ Jump up to: a b "Y&R's Melody Thomas Scott May Not Have a Storyline, But She Has a Lot to Say". Soap Opera Weekly. 2007-02-13. pp. 10–11.
Jump up ^ "Eileen Davidson to B&B!". Soap Opera Weekly. 2007-02-13. p. 5.
Jump up ^ "eileendavidsonbooks.com". Eileendavidsonbooks.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-11. Retrieved 2016-03-28.
Jump up ^ Fairman, Michael (2012-06-26). "Eileen Davidson Rejoins Days of our Lives as Kristen DiMera and Susan Banks!". Michael Fairman On-Air On-Soaps. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
Jump up ^ Logan, Michael (2013-02-20). "Exclusive: Eileen Davidson on Her Return to The Young and the Restless". TVGuide.com. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
Jump up ^ Logan, Michael (2013-08-01). "Exclusive: Eileen Davidson Talks About Her Shocking Departure From Days of Our Lives". TVGuide.com. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
Jump up ^ Sloane, Stephanie (November 18, 2013). "Comings and Goings". Soap Opera Digest. American Media, Inc. 38 (46): pg.11. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
Jump up ^ Sloane, Stephanie (December 9, 2013). "Comings and Goings". Soap Opera Digest. American Media, Inc. 38 (49): pg.10. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
Jump up ^ "Exclusive: Eileen Davidson Returns to Days of Our Lives". TV Guide. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
Jump up ^ Fairman, Michael (2012-06-26). "41st Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced". Michael Fairman On-Air On-Soaps. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
Jump up ^ Digest, Soap Opera (2014-06-17). "EXCLUSIVE! EILEEN DAVIDSON SIGNS CONTRACT WITH Y&R". Soap Opera Digest. soapoperadigest.com. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
Jump up ^ Magazine, TVSource (2014-06-19). "Soap Star Eileen Davidson Appearing on 'Home & Family'; Reveals Y&R and Days Scoop!". TVSource Magazine. tvsourcemagazine.com. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
Jump up ^ "Days of Our Lives Actress Eileen Davidson Joining The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills". Us Magazine. usmagazine.com. April 1998. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
Jump up ^ All reports discussing the spring 2015 return of Eileen Davidson to Days of Our Lives:
Ramos, Anthony (November 17, 2014). "Eileen Davidson's 'Days Of Our Lives' Return! (Photo Exclusive)". Access Hollywood. United States: accesshollywood.com. NBCUniversal. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
SOD. "EILEEN DAVIDSON BACK AT DAYS!". Soap Opera Digest. United States: soapoperadigest.com. American Media, inc. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
Lewis, Errol (November 17, 2014). "Eileen Davidson Set For 'DAYS' Return". United States: Soapoperanetwork.com. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
Jump up ^ SOD (June 12, 2017). "Eileen Davidson Back To DAYS!". Soap Opera Digest. United States: American Media, Inc. Odyssey Magazine Publishing Group Inc. Archived from the original on June 12, 2017. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
Jump up ^ Logan, Michael (June 12, 2017). "Emmy Winner Eileen Davidson Returns to Days of Our Lives". TV Insider. United States: CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
Jump up ^ Vincent Van Patten on IMDb
Jump up ^ "Event: Soap Opera Digest Awards (1986)". Internet Movie Database. February 27, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Event: Soap Opera Digest Awards (1988)". Internet Movie Database. February 27, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Event: Soap Opera Digest Awards (1997)". Internet Movie Database. February 27, 2013.
Jump up ^ Littleton, Cynthia (March 11, 1998). "ABC tops Emmy noms". Variety. Los Angeles, California: Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Event: Soap Opera Digest Awards (1998)". Internet Movie Database. February 27, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Event: Soap Opera Digest Awards (2000)". Internet Movie Database. February 27, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Nominees for Daytime Emmys". USA Today. Tysons Corner, Virginia: Gannett Company. Associated Press. March 12, 2003. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
Jump up ^ Bowe, Jullian (June 22, 2014). "Eileen Davidson WINS Daytime Emmy For Outstanding Lead Actress!". Zap2it. Daytimeconfidential.zap2it.com. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
Jump up ^ "The 41st Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Award Winners". New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. June 16, 2013. Archived from the original on June 23, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
External links[edit]
Eileen Davidson's official website
Eileen Davidson on IMDb
[hide]
v
t
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Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Elizabeth Hubbard (1974)
Susan Flannery (1975)
Helen Gallagher (1976)
Helen Gallagher (1977)
Laurie Heineman (1978)
Irene Dailey (1979)
Judith Light (1980)
Judith Light (1981)
Robin Strasser (1982)
Dorothy Lyman (1983)
Erika Slezak (1984)
Kim Zimmer (1985)
Erika Slezak (1986)
Kim Zimmer (1987)
Helen Gallagher (1988)
Marcy Walker (1989)
Kim Zimmer (1990)
Finola Hughes (1991)
Erika Slezak (1992)
Linda Dano (1993)
Hillary B. Smith (1994)
Erika Slezak (1995)
Erika Slezak (1996)
Jess Walton (1997)
Cynthia Watros (1998)
Susan Lucci (1999)
Susan Flannery (2000)
Martha Byrne (2001)
Susan Flannery (2002)
Susan Flannery (2003)
Michelle Stafford (2004)
Erika Slezak (2005)
Kim Zimmer (2006)
Maura West (2007)
Jeanne Cooper (2008)
Susan Haskell (2009)
Maura West (2010)
Laura Wright (2011)
Heather Tom (2012)
Heather Tom (2013)
Eileen Davidson (2014)
Maura West (2015)
Mary Beth Evans (2016)
Gina Tognoni (2017)
Authority control
WorldCat Identities
VIAF: 87336553
LCCN: n2006059177
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eileen_Davidson&oldid=816236063"
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1959 births
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Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series winners
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