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I thought it would be interesting to dedicate a thread to discussing the most shocking and controversial TV moments of the decade. The noughties have seen its fair share of drama and outrage, whether it be from reality shows, news broadcasts or even fictional dramas. Below are just a few examples of shocking TV. Please add any moments that come to your mind as I am bound to forget many.

Race Row (Celebrity Big Brother, 2007)




One of the interesting aspects of Big Brother was the fact it gave an unfiltered view into life inside the house. Viewers could watch the housemates around the clock meaning any slip-of-the-tongue, any embarrassing moment or anything unsavoury could be aired in an instant. So when the emergence of a “culture clash” swiftly turned into racist bullying, the world was outraged. Channel 4 was found in breach of several broadcasting regulations. Many viewers were appalled by the way the channel and the show's producers handled the situation. Why weren't Jade and co removed? Why did the channel have to broadcast such ugliness? The defence would be that it's a social experiment and the in-house dynamics should evolve naturally... The behaviour of Jo, Danielle and Jade was inexcusable and the situation shouldn't have been allowed to escalate as far as it did. One moment that really stands out is the Oxo cube argument and Jo and Danielle just laughing like pathetic sidekicks of a playground bully. The race row signalled the beginning of the end for Big Brother as ratings declined year after year following this scandal. Post-show, Jo had a mental breakdown (she was interviewed on GMTV while in hiding and was a mess), Danielle’s career didn’t seem to suffer so much(!) and we all know what happened to Jade…


Laura White Elimination (The X Factor, 2008)



The fifth series of The X Factor saw the show’s biggest ratings yet. With higher viewers (courtesy of newly-appointed judge Cheryl Cole) came higher media interest. One of the biggest shocks of series 5, if not the biggest shock, was the premature elimination of fan-favourite and bookies second-favourite Laura White after battling it out with series underdog Ruth Lorenzo in the sing-off. Laura’s elimination caused so much outrage the matter was raised in parliament! Ruth deserved to fight another week though. While Laura gave a pretty sleepy performance of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, Ruth powered through ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’ and rightfully built up a loyal following throughout the series. We love a dark horse!


Janet Jackson’s Tit (Super Bowl Halftime Show, 2004)




So this one still annoys me. It isn’t the actual incident that I find offensive – it’s the unfair response and double-standards that is the problem here. Now I’m not saying Justin’s career should have suffered the same as Janet’s did, but how is it that the guy who caused the “wardrobe malfunction” gets off scot-free while poor Janet’s career grounds to a halt? As the man himself said: “I think America is harsher on women. I think America is unfairly harsh on ethnic people”. I mean seriously, it's just a tit!

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Please share the TV moments that shook you the most. I'll add more as well when I can think of them.