OTTAWA – A 2009 promotional spot for The Roast of Joan Rivers broadcast which featured elderly women being beaten up by young men is a violation of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Violence Code, says the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council.
The tag line in the promo was “No one wants to see an old lady get taken down. Until now.” The line was a reference to 76-year-old American comedienne Joan Rivers, who was roasted in the program being promoted. The promo itself, however, featured a series of anonymous elderly women performing everyday tasks such as looking a greeting cards, dining in a restaurant, knitting and gardening. In each case, a young man came out of nowhere and punched, kicked or tackled the woman.
A viewer complained that the promo showed elderly women being physically assaulted without provocation. The Comedy Network explained that the promo was meant to be a humorous twist on the tag line of “taking down” an old lady, with “mild shock value at seeing older women brawling, which is unusual.” The station also acknowledged that some viewers could find it disturbing and assured the complainant that it would not air again.
The CBSC’s National Specialty Services Panel determined that the broadcast of the promo violated the code because it sanctioned, promoted or glamorized violence against persons based on both their age and their gender.
