The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland have rejected 11 complaints about Blindboy Boatclub’s comments about Holy Communion on The Late Late Show.
The BAI’s most recent decisions were published today, and 11 complaints were related to The Rubberbandits star’s appearance on the chat show, which was broadcast on RTE One on January 6, 2017.
According to Independent.ie, complaints referred to when Blindboy referred to Holy Communion as “haunted bread” while another panellist said it was like eating bits of body and similar to cannibalism.
The female complainant also said that the show was broadcast on January 6, which is a holy day in the Catholic calendar, and that the references were hurtful, offensive, and mocked her religion.
Another complainant said that the comments “crossed a line into, not merely, gratuitous offence, but sheer nastiness, hatred and contempt for the Roman Catholic faith and for those who sincerely profess it.”
Another complainant said it was a “disgraceful comment based on his erroneous and insulting understanding of The Eucharist”, and condemned the “presenter’s shameful endorsement of the comedian’s description of Holy Communion as a ‘great description’.”
In response to the complaints, RTE said the phrase “haunted bread” was “provocative” but that “the comedy of The Rubberbandits generally is, to provoke thought and not to be pointlessly offensive.”
They also revealed that Blindboy Boatclub apologised to fellow panelist Mr Michael Harding for any offence caused after finding out that he was a former priest.
The BAI rejected the complaints, but urged that they do “not agree with the contention by the broadcaster that this panelist was speaking for his generation, the Committee considered it legitimate for a panelist to articulate their own personal views.”
