Jerry Springer Controversy Continues
By James Inverne
24 Feb 2005
The controversy over Jerry Springer — The Opera clamors on. The proceeds from a special charity performance of the show in aid of a cancer charity have been turned down, after protests from religious activists.
The Maggie’s Centre stood to gain £3,000 from a performance on Feb. 18. However, the activist group Christian Voice warned the cancer charity not to take the money. According to The Scotsman newspaper, they told the charity that it would amount to profiting from “filth and blasphemy.”
David Soul, currently playing the title role in the show, has hit out at the pressure group’s “strong-arm tactics” and pointed out that cancer doesn’t only affect Christians. Meanwhile, Christian Voice’s leader Stephen Green said that his group are preparing to put pressure on the show’s planned U.K. tour. He told The Times newspaper, “The producers think there will be a U.K. tour, but we will see how it pans out. We will be picketing theatres.”
Opponents of the show object to the depiction of Jesus, God and other biblical characters. Although there were very few protests about the show for most of its run, it was the BBC television broadcast that sparked a record numbers of complaints (many before the broadcast had been shown) and threats of “bloodshed” against some BBC executives.
Contact Us | Advertise | Privacy Policy
Send questions and comments to the Webmaster
Copyright © 2008 Playbill, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
|