Cancelled

Some of the world’s best loved comedians have tiptoed on the edge of decency and political correctness from time to time. Take, for example, the acerbic wit of Joan Rivers, whose skits about the Holocaust regularly whipped her audiences into a tizzy and firmly established her as one of America’s sharpest mouthpieces. Before Perez Hilton blogged and mocked A-listers falling out of rehab, Joan was doing it on stage IRL. It may come as no surprise then, that the star of today’s episode, Kathy Griffin, was a close friend of Joan’s, and her partner in crime - no pun intended. 

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The year is 2004. George W. Bush is president, Britney is married to K-Fed, and the iPod Classic is the ultimate Christmas gift.

But anyone about to upload Baby, It’s Cold Outside to their MP3 device might think twice after reading an article published by Canada’s National Post on December 20th, which argued for the song’s immediate ban from Canadian airwaves. Written by Rob McKenzie and Joe Bodolai for their humour column, the piece is widely regarded to be the first to publicly question some of the song’s lyrics by stating, “the song in question has a lovely melody but it’s an ode to statutory rape. In sum, the man gets the girl drunk amid her protests so he can take advantage of her.” Since this takedown of the song was written with a sarcastic tone, the piece was widely viewed as tongue-in-cheek. But this marked the beginning of countless thinkpieces cross-examining the song’s controversial lyrics. So is this 1940s festive favourite really just a thinly disguised celebration of sexual violence? Let’s take a closer look…

This episode was written by Rory Boyle 

This is a Broccoli Production 

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1987 is a pretty bleak Christmas. The year is marked by disasters. The British economy is wrecked. It is a time when everyone could use some yuletide joy. Challenged by their producer, Elvis Costello, to write a Christmas hit, the Irish-Anglo punk band The Pogues believe they are the ones to provide some egg-nog infused nourishment to the people. Fairytale of New York is what founding member, Jem Finer, and lead singer, Shane MacGowan come up with which will eventually be considered a holiday hallmark - but despite its title, it is no traditional winter warmer. The song descends from nostalgia and euphoria to vitriol and melancholy in the space of four and a half minutes. Fairytale of New York will eventually be certified 4x Platinum in the UK. Christmas fans will go on proudly singing those stinging lyrics. And yet, years later a dark cloud settles over the song’s legacy...

This episode was written by Rory Boyle

This is a Broccoli Production 

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It’s January 2007: at least ten years before ‘cancel culture’ will become a part of our everyday life. The world is a less connected place. Twitter is yet to celebrate its first birthday. The iPhone is nothing but a rumour. Yet, we are about to witness cancellation on a global scale. In January, a new series of UK’s Celebrity Big Brother begins. On its third day, Jade Goody, a fan favourite from the civilian Big Brother House, enters. Over the next two weeks, her life changes forever, for a second time. Quite unexpectedly, she triggers an international incident that results in debates in the Houses of Parliament and effigies of her face being burned in India. In just 14 days, her reputation is left in tatters. She goes from the nation’s sweetheart to public enemy. In other words, she is well and truly cancelled.

This episode was written by Michael Chakraverty 

This is a Broccoli Production 

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December 20th, 2010. It’s pitch black on-stage at the Foxwoods Theatre in Broadway. Stunt performer Chris Tierney attaches himself to a safety cable, and takes a deep breath. The centre of the stage lifts, creating a ramp. He’s done this many times before. Breathing out, he runs up the ramp and leaps from its edge. Immediately, it’s clear something is wrong. The cable hasn’t gone taut. There’s half a second as he floats in the air, realising that the other end of his safety line is unattached. Then, he’s in freefall, plummeting thirty feet towards the concrete floor of the orchestra pit. He hits the ground with a sickening crunch. Someone screams. The audience is deathly silent. Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark is a cautionary tale...

This episode was written by Michael Chakraverty 

This is a Broccoli Production 

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Sometimes, those who get cancelled predict their own fall. They tempt fate, because to risk cancellation usually means to incite infamy. Some look for hatred -  and then brandish it as their weapon. Say or do something abhorrent, endure the criticism, and then cry that they’re under attack from the feral woke mob. But in the case of Jimmy Carr, it’s more complex. Comedy is always a dance with the devil. Sometimes, inevitably, you cross the line. To be a comedian is to be a shapeshifter - from entertainer to polemicist and back again. But then, he crossed a line too far. And the backlash was a stain that wouldn’t come out...

This episode was written by Anton Ferrie

This is a Broccoli Production 

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“You’ve got 3 minutes to change your life”. This is the sentence that Simon Cowell used as words of encouragement to contestants of television singing contest, X Factor. With its title referring to star quality that you can’t quite put your finger on, the show vows to take ordinary, everyday people to the top of the music industry.  For every rare appearance of a competitor praised as a superstar-in-the-making, there were thousands of wannabes who were mocked, ridiculed, and in some cases, had their entire lives defined by an unsuccessful audition. But it was the show itself that would end up facing the most scrutiny. While allegations of everything from manipulative editing, to fixing of votes would begin to fly like wildfire, X Factor’s demise would ultimately boil down to its power to change someone’s life in just 3 minutes - for better or for worse…

This episode was written by Rory Boyle

This is a Broccoli Prodction 

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Originally founded in 1892 in New York City, by David T. Abercrombie, the fashion brand started as an outfitter for the elite outdoorsman. By the time we reach the 2000s, American mall culture is everything and Abercrombie & Fitch’s preppy clothes have morphed into the ultimate accessory for a US teen. After all, A&F aren’t just selling their customers apparel. The company's brand image is heavily promoted as a near-luxury lifestyle concept. For many teens desperate to fit in, donning any garment with the brand’s signature moose logo is a quintessential status symbol. But behind the fantasy sold to millions lie many dark truths. And it’s only a matter of time before accusations of racism, illegal employment practices, misogyny, sexual assault and elitism will shatter the “All American” aesthetic we’ve been told to strive for.

This episode was written by Rory Boyle

This is a Broccoli Production 

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2007 was a hellish year for Britney Spears. It began with the breakdown of her marriage and culminated in a patchy buzzcut, stalking and public humiliation at the hands of the paparazzi, and a bitter custody battle. By the close of the year, she was widely reported to be no longer speaking to her family, an estrangement more significant for the fact that it was Britney’s success that lifted her family out of financial difficulty. The (celestial) stars were clearly not in alignment in 2007 for the Spears family because that same year the other Spears sister, Jamie Lynn,  would face her own crisis in front of the public’s glare. And as Succession so expertly showed, the most scintillating of stories is often those built on blood.

This episode was written by Rory Boyle

This is a Broccoli Production 

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It’s 2013. Miley Cyrus has dramatically shed her Disney Channel persona with her hit track, Wrecking Ball. Daft Punk are dominating dancefloors worldwide with Get Lucky, and Beyoncé has broken all records by dropping a 14-track album with no advance warning.

Despite all this, one song looms large over the year - dwarfing all that came before or after it. Its name? Blurred Lines.

It’s a cultural flashpoint. The court of public opinion spins into overdrive, with the song’s creators Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams and T.I., hurled into the dock. Before long, Robin Thicke has become the poster child for provocation. His appearances generate headlines and record-breaking twitter storms, and his name becomes synonymous with sleaze. But who does his controversial cancellation serve – and did he know exactly what he was doing?

This episode was written by Michael Chakraverty

This is a Broccoli Production 

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