The coarsening of public debate and the rise of bad language

People often complain these days about a coarsening of public debate, but it’s not just happening on social media. I’ve noticed a tendency for bad language to become more common in mainstream media, both from interviewees and even worse from presenters. The practice has long been common in film and TV drama and if you want to avoid it you ‘d have to confine viewing to pre-9 pm.

A recent drama series I, Jack Wright (BBC One) was full of it, adding nothing to the dramatic intensity – and this show was very intense, a high class whodunnit with surprising plot twists as secrets were revealed like wasps flying out of a nest. I can tolerate the swearing sometimes if there’s one foul-mouthed character, as this is a character trait, but when they’re all at it it’s off-putting, and even worse if child characters are using it, as happens here. It’s particularly offensive when swear words are combined with the name of God, as again happens here. This displays a distinct lack of respect to people of faith. Any number of classic films and TV shows prove that the foul language is not needed.

Over the years I’ve drawn attention to some comedy dramas that were humane and warm hearted, and didn’t rely on regular swearing. Currently there’s Ann Droid (BBC One, Fridays, with repeats BBC Two Mondays) an appealing and quirky comedy about an elderly lady Sue (Sue Johnston), given a household humanoid robot by her adult son who hasn’t time to look after her. Hilarity ensues, with a tinge of wistfulness added to the whimsy. The robot, ‘Linda’, is played brilliantly by Dianne Morgan (of the Cunk series), and predictably a sort of ‘relationship’ builds between the two. It’s not family viewing as there is some ‘adult humour’, but it is all heart with some useful insights into technology, AI, and social care. Sue is missing her deceased husband and in last week’s episode she asks Linda if there’s an afterlife – Linda robotically declares that’s a matter of faith rather than proof – and this was hardly the show where you’d get an exploration of the nature of proof! In another scene her son is given a cross to wear as a sort of good luck charm for an open mic event – tasteless, but at least the son is uneasy with it, and one could argue the practice is being satirised. The whole business of people wearing crosses for fashion rather than faith could do with a dig.

There’s a warmer approach to care of the elderly in Only Child (BBC iPlayer, Sky Go). This comedy series has an adult son, Richard (Greg McHugh) coming home to look after his aging but feisty father Ken (Gregor Fisher), who is missing his deceased wife. The move is not initially motivated by filial love, as Richard has just lost his acting job in a detective series. Like many great dramas one of the attractions is the ensemble playing between a bunch of well-drawn characters, including the minor ones. Particularly good is Amy Lennox as Emily, Richard’s potential love interest and the quirky Digsy (Paul Rattray) a hapless petty thief, seen robbing stuff in every episode.

Austin (BBC One, Friday) is another warm comedy, despite some skewed values – the second series finished last week. Austin (Michael Theo) is a high functioning autistic young adult from Australia who has reconnected with his biological father in London. The father Julian (Ben Miller) and his wife Ingrid (Sally Phillips) are really engaging characters despite their considerable foibles, and their prickly scenes together are the best. The second series isn’t as good as the first – Austin going off the rails and alienating his true friends before copping on is a bit of a hackneyed storyline and a relationship between Austin’s mother and a government minister is rather pointless and forced, but a lot is forgiven when it’s such a good show. In last week’s final two episodes there was too much silliness, some of it tasteless, about who gets to play the bear in the TV adaptation of the couple’s children’s book. A lot of targets are satirically skewered – egotism, vanity, media fickleness, social media pile-ons and cancel culture – Julian was cancelled for ‘liking’ a tweet by a neo-Nazi!

Like all good dramas, the quality is in the well-drawn and believable relationships, and when that’s married to razor sharp wit, you have a winner.

Prayer and Reflection
BBC One, Sunday, August 9, 10am
An evening prayer service from St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, Armagh, commemorating St Oliver Plunkett.

Road to Rome: Training Priests for the Third Millennium
EWTN, Wednesday, August 12, 7am and 5.30pm
An inside look at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome and its method for training the priests of the new millennium.

Taken: Putin’s Stolen Children
RTÉ 2, Thursday (night), August 13, 1.20am
Explores the emotional story of the thousands of Ukrainian children kidnapped by the Russian state and the desperate attempts by their families to get them back.