Ali G talks to film censor about "the best job in the world"

Ali G talks to James Ferman "must be the best job in the world, just watching porno all day"

From the 11 o'clock show Channel 4 c1998/99

James Ferman 1930 - 2002 (Film buff and censor)

Retired as director of the British Board of Film Classification in 1999 after 24 years, frequently came under fire for being too ready to pass controversial films such as Crash, Lolita and Last Temptation of Christ.

"I knew what this job would be from the first day, and I rather enjoy the crossfire. The job has such power that we need to be shot at. Someone with a powerful position in the media needs to be questioned by the public," he said.

Mr Ferman's controversial views on British laws relating to pornography were also well publicised, and criticised. In 1998 he argued that explicit pornography should be made legally available in licensed shops to stop violent sex material flooding the country. His annual report suggested that the ban on "conventional" explicit pornography had encouraged a black market in far more obscene videos involving children and animals.

But his proposals were met with outrage from MPs and family values campaigners, who insisted that more explicit imagery would stoke up demand for more hard core porn.
When he stepped down as director of the BBFC, the man who described himself as "a film lover and a film buff" advised his successor, Robin Duval, to get hold of a flak jacket.

Source Guardian - 27/12/02

Category:

Comedy

Tags:

• Ali
• G
• AliG
• film
• censor
• Porn
• James
• Ferman

[DestructableMe]

I wanted to love his show but I can't stand laugh tracks it just annoys the crap out of me.

I don't understand why they added them though, first thier weren't laugh tracks, but that was then.

[thingsihaveseen4]

I totally agree about laughter tracks, especially in stuff which is fully filmed and then shown to an audience such as M*A*S*H and Red Dwarf VI. But I don't think the producers had any other choice here, because The 11 o'clock Show was filmed in front of a live audience and the bits by the then unknown "ALI G" were introduced by the hosts.

[rudjoe]

thats my grandad woo

[thingsihaveseen4]

Is he really? - I've always liked the way Sacha gives his interviewees the space to shine in all three of the ALI G uploads I have. When I first uploaded this 6 months ago, I was very sad to see that James had died so soon after. I was not surprised that the obituaries I read (one of which I've put in the info) bore out the impression, I already had, that he was one of the good guys.

[Brownismyname]

they're sitting really close to each other

[imabeastnimadawg]

I think this is the fist interview Ive seen with him where the guest figured him out

[RantNRavinFection]

@DestructableMe

that's a live audience, i used to watch the original british episodes

like the chappelle show, its not laugh tracks

[strange6]

@aghneyya James Ferman was a master at defending 'his' BBFC with the media. No matter what you thought of him, he was probably one of the best BBFC directors in terms of defending the BBFC and its decisions, both from a legal stance and from a press stance.

[PLPFraternity]

James Ferman graduated from Cornell where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity.

[devvomashup]

'Why did they ban Chocolate Orange?'

[christopherfrost]

@thingsihaveseen4 It's not a laughter track, it's coming from a live studio audience

[bean12disco]

@DestructableMe its the audience on the show not a laugh track pan head

[kargomail]

14 secs the way he says wicked iz spazzi and 32 secs aye what doez that mean

[rubix7k]

And popular US comedy shows like Friends, Will & Grace, Frasier and Grounded For Life and Different Strokes never had laughter tracks in them, did they???

[markmaxy125]

Ali G wasshown on the 11'0clock show... the two presenters in the first second of the vid. It's not alaugh track, it's the audience laughing while it's shown to them. It'salive audience! This was from back in the day