BCCSA: Comedian complaint a joke

Complaints against a song, by comedian Daniel Friedman, and which was aired on DSTV, were dismissed on Wednesday by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of SA (BCCSA).

Spokeswoman Shouneez Martin said two viewers complained that the song by Friedman, who is also known as “Deep Fried Man”, was racist and demeaning.

In the song, Friedman makes fun of South African stereotypes. It was aired last year on DSTV’s Comedy Central Channel, 122.

The first complainant claimed the song was racist towards white South Africans and was demeaning.

The second complainant said the song was offensive and made demeaning remarks about white men in particular.

Dismissing the complaints, commission chairman Professor Kobus Van Rooyen said it was important to guard against losing perspective and a sense of humour.

“To cry hate speech at the slightest provocation has the effect of cheapening the notion, and reducing its potency.” he said.

“It may no longer generate a response when the situation genuinely calls for it and when our social fabric is genuinely threatened by incitements to cause harm and utterances that really do promote violence.”

The BCCSA said both complaints could not be upheld. – Sapa

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BCCSA: Comedian complaint a joke