Okay, you wankers...

Channel 4 has apologised for an administrative error that led to the broadcast of the word "wankers" in an edition of The Simpsons shown last month at 6pm.

The episode, shown on April 15, featured a cameo appearance by the pop group U2 during which one of the band members called his colleagues "wankers".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/09/channel4.ofcom

How old is this episode? Did they "bleep" the word in the original broadcast?

Some questions for the Brits & U.K. people here:

Also, how bad is "wankers?" Is it like something you might say in front of your friends, but not at work... Or is it something that has been pretty much mainstreamed, but still may cause offense to fuddy-duddies?

Oh, and what does "watershed" mean? From the article, it sounds like America's prime-time dividing line.

-- R Flowers

This episode is circa U2's 'Popmart' phase (easy to tell, based on concert and garb shown in the episode), so the episode is somewhere around 1997-2000.

It's very much the latter. It's hardly considered obscene by most normal people. You'd normally use it in a derogatory sense, of course.

Watershed = a big moment, event, or even precedent, perhaps.

I'm not a Pom, but I guess we Australians have a better understanding of Pom terminology and quirks.

"Je�us" wrote

I sort of thought a previous Prime Minister (Paul Keating) had used the word in parliament some time back, but it must have been another bad word (he was known for it!)

Even so, the search '"Paul Keating" wanker' returns 557 results!

Paul (no relation.)

** Among the epithets that have taken flight from his [ie Prime Minister Paul Keating's] tounge during the course of public debate, and are to be found gracing the pages of whatever is the Australian equivalent of Hansard, have been scumbags, pieces of criminal garbage, sleaze-perfumed gigolos, gutless spivs, boxheads, immoral cheats and stunned mullets ** ~ Bill Bryson Down Under, 2000

LOL, yeah... he was the best :)

I'm probably one of the few people who will admit to liking Keating. He used to make me laugh my arse off...

I used to *love* watching question time when Keating was on the scene, he was a master of sarcasm (and probably cynicism) and could tear shreds off anyone debating/challenging him. Although he was prone to using unpleasant (for some) words, he could back up whatever he was arguing with facts as well, as good as any politician could, anyway.

No surprise there...

Yeah... "scumbag" was probably his favourite :)

Remember when he put his arm around the Queen? Heh. Ironically, despite the above, he was arguably the most intellectual and sophisticated Prime Minister we've had thus far.

I would work in a joke involving the Austrian Parliament... but... meh.

Pretty much. It is considered swearing, but it is pretty low down the rank of offensive words but it is still considered offensive. You certainly wouldn't use it in a professional environment. Not sure if you know, but "wank" is UK slang for masturbation.

In the UK 9pm is the current watershed. Any program that airs before 9pm must adhere to certain guidelines like no swearing (unless in context and cruicial to the show) and only content that would be appropriate for minors. After 9pm you can swear and show things not appropriate for minors.

R Flowers wrote:

I think the problem was that it was at 6 PM. Normally, you can say pretty much anything (except the F-word) on British TV, but I think they have some rule similar to the old "family hour" rule in the USA.

-- Don

The F-word is perfectly acceptable on British TV. You can even say the C word or M-F as long as it is justified and in context.