David Enright, the solicitor who led the successful campaign to challenge the Channel 4 “Bigger, Fatter, Gypsier” campaign has asked any families whose children have experiences abuse or attacks related in any way to the broadcasts or advertising campaign to contact him at d.enright@howe.co.uk or phone 0800 157 7070
Alternatively send a message through ACERT.
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A Guardian report shows the efforts that Channel 4 went to achieve the stereotypical and sensationalised images used in the advertising campaign recently criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority.
A Channel 4 art director tried to persuade the photographer working on its censured Big Fat Gypsy Weddings poster campaign to take pictures of “a very young girl pretending to be a bride” and also a “dirty kiss … with tongue” in a revealing email.
Pablo Gonzalez de la Pena, an art director with the broadcaster, emailed Elisabeth Blanchet, the photographer commissioned to deliver images for the controversial “Bigger. Fatter. Gypsier” ad campaign, in January asking her to “do what it takes” to get the controversial shots he wanted.
In the email de la Pena suggests he wants to see a photograph with “a dirty kiss between a couple, with tongue”; “a toilet, ideally an outdoor one [where] we can see the tail of a wedding dress coming out from it, like a bride has just used”; and “a very young girl pretending to be a bride”.
The photographer, who refused to cooperate, gives her side of the story with powerful examples of how the selection and choice of images and cropping exaggerated Channel 4s racist perceptions.
Evidence compiled by ACERT was used by MPs on the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, meeting on the 16th October, to challenge senior Channel 4 managers about the impact of the Bigger, Fatter, Gypsier billboard campaign on children. The evidence was gathered from teachers subscribing to the trav-ed mailing list.
The following day, David Enright, who spearheaded the campaign which resulted in the Advertising Standards Authority finding against two of the four adverts, was named “Solicitor of the Year” by the Law Society.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) today (Wednesday 03/10/2012) announced that Channel 4’s “Bigger Fatter Gypsier” billboard advertising campaign was irresponsible, endorsed prejudice against Gypsies and Travellers, was guilty of depicting a child in a sexualised way, and was likely to have caused mental and moral harm to children. Details of the case can be found on the ITMB website.
ACERT compiled evidence from teachers across the country on the impact that the programmes and the advertising campaign had on relations between Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils and other children in school. One teacher described how staff and children anticipated each new series with dread.
