Radio T***s

Last week's Radio Times (we've got busy lives here at Eejit Hall, OK?) contained an interview with cover star Jarvis Cocker. He had a, um, pop at Pop Idol, which is the bit that got mentioned elsewhere, but we needn't concern ourselves with that.

Rather more worthy of note is the magazine's teeth-grindingly twee policy on 'bad language'.

Towards the end of the interview, talking about his infamous appearance during Michael Jackson's messianic wank fantasy, Cocker says

To suddenly become known by a lot of people simply because I waggled my arse at somebody isn't brilliant, is it? [...] Although my arse-waggling is second to none, I would rather people remember me for what I create.

Except he doesn't appear to say that. He, instead, talks about his a**e.

What? His what?

It's even included in one of the boxed-out quotes

To become known simply because I waggled my a**e at somebody isn't brilliant, is it?

Are the readers of Radio Times judged to be so fragile of spirit that they'll suffer immediate prolapse if they read the word 'arse'? A quick google search for The Royle Family reveals that the BBC's online comedy guides have their entries supplied by Radio Times; also, that the 2000 BAFTA Television Awards, which contained a nomination for Caroline Aherne, were sponsored by the Radio Times, so I'm guessing that a lot of the readers may have a familiarity with the series, whose catchphrase was, of course, "My Arse!". I have a feeling they ran a poll of favourite comedy characters, or catchphrases, which Jim Royle scored highly in, or maybe I imagined it; they're usually doing something like that. Maybe they're about to do one.

Maybe 'arse' is judged more offensive in print, where minors might see it, and have more time to peruse it. I hope there's no one under 16 reading this; I'd hate to be responsible for their moral corruption by exposing sustained and gratuitous arse at them.

Ultimately, it's just a bit silly. If the editorial team can provide evidence that readers find such words offensive, then those same readers ought to have their televisions confiscated, and their windows bricked up. If they can't, then they ought to stop treating us like morons, or Victorians. Any publication that can seriously feature a box-out like that isn't fit to w*p* my arse on.