Write-Place

After the "Bias in Eastenders" talk yesterday, I have been reading a study by the British Medical Journal (like you do ! ) who's objective was "To measure mortality among characters in British soap operas on television. " (with thanks to the Ugley Vicar blogspot for discussing the subject and the BMJ http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/315/7123/1649 ) I am finding the subject of people's responses to soap operas quite fascinating and thought you might be interested in the Key Messages from the analysis. "Characters in soap operas lead very dangerous lives Their lives are more dangerous even than those of Formula One racing drivers or bomb disposal experts People suffering from many forms of cancer and other serious diseases have better five year survival rates than do these characters Could the exaggerated portrayal of these violent and dangerous lives be contributing to our distorted national perceptions about violent crime and death? " ...

There's been "complaints" that Eastenders shows an "anti Christian bias". The BBC has had to defend a storyline after viewers accusations.The plotline in question shows a Christian Pentecostal pastor, as a mad killer whose actions are motivated by his Christian faith. And now over 100 viewers have written to the BBC saying that they find the storyline deeply offensive. Years ago whenever Eastenders started my children were "banned" by me from watching it after having seen a bit of an episode when someone got hit on the head with a chair on the Christmas Day episode, I think it was. I didn't think it was suitable viewing for me as an adult never mind my impressionable offspring. Now they accuse me of hypocrisy (jokingly, I think) as about 6 months ago I started watching it and now follow it regularly. My children are grown up enough now to choose if they wish to watch or not - most of the time they are too busy with their own children to have tim...