OTTAWA – A comedy program that included a scene involving a dog licking a man’s behind did not violate any broadcast codes, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) has ruled.
The CBSC investigated an episode of Workaholics, an American comedy program about three men who live, work and party together. An episode entitled “Dorm Daze” that aired on Much on December 25, 2015 at 9:00 PM Eastern time included a scene of U.S. Coast Guard officers having their dog lick the bum of one of the main characters in retaliation for his having made crude comments about their profession.
A viewer in Alberta complained about the scene, characterizing it as “bestiality” and “animal cruelty”, and objecting to the fact that the program appeared at 7:00 PM in the Mountain time zone.
The CBSC’s English-Language Panel examined the complaint under the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) Code of Ethics and Violence Code but found no code violations. It determined that the scene did not “promote, sanction or glamorize” violence against animals, as the scene was part of the humorous plot of the episode.
It also noted that Much appropriately scheduled the program at 9:00 PM Eastern, but being a single-feed specialty service means its programming appears earlier in time zones west of Ontario. The codes clearly state that the broadcast time is based on the time zone in which the signal originates.
The Panel further concluded that Much provided sufficient viewer advisories and that the 14+ rating was acceptable, although the constant barrage of sexual innuendo in the program meant it was close to the 18+ category.
