Therefore, we remove “The Saints over the forest and hello” – VG

ESPEN SKOLAND, editor-in-chief, Discovery Norway
HANNE MCBRIDE, Communications Director, Discovery Norway

Anders B. Aspen writes in VG that the decision to eliminate “Nissene over skog og hei” will put a damper on the spontaneity of many comedians, and that their space to express themselves is now becoming dangerously narrow. We share this concern, and this is precisely what should be weighed against the racism that many believe they are exposed to, when whites wear face paint to play games or caricature blacks.

In hindsight, we have received massive criticism for the decision, and the debate that is unfolding now is important: Where is the limit to what jokes are allowed? Will setting limits put free speech under pressure?

The debate contains many reflections of important principles and, like most debates on the subject, it is highly polarizing. We think Aspen may be right when he says that many comedians in the future may self-censor. However, we agreed that it was okay to delete the series. We spent a lot of time on the decision. We were aware of the consequences it could have. But we choose to set a limit in this specific case, and take a position as editor and broadcaster: we do not allow blackface on our channels. It’s a position that the producer behind “Elves Over the Woods and Hello” shares with us.

We don’t expect everyone to like the decision. But we would like to provide an idea of ​​the complexity behind such an editorial decision.

Blackface as a comedic grip stems from a deep racist tradition, where the humor was in mimicking blacks in the southern states and poking fun at stereotypes. We are 100 percent certain that there has never been the point or intent behind Espen Eckbo’s character, Ernst Øyvind, from “The Saints Over the Woods and Hello,” and that neither Eckbo nor the series have any racist motivation. But blackface as a comic grip is, in our opinion, obsolete and unacceptable because of its origin, origin and therefore how it is received. This regardless of the intention behind the use. This is an opinion shared by various announcers, and comedians, from around the world. We also believe that society benefits from the clear demarcation of some boundaries. By comparison, it hasn’t been many years since it was socially acceptable to use the n word.

Then we have the option of setting a limit. But this limit had already been drawn in many ways.

Could Blackface appear in a series produced in 2020 ?, we wonder. No, was the answer. Then a challenge also arises about how the historical material to which we are entitled should be treated. There have been different practices with different broadcasters and streaming services. Many remove content, some edit, while others outfit relevant episodes with text banners indicating that the content is inappropriate. We have not taken a final position on what our approach will be, and it is conceivable that it will have to vary based on the content we find. At the same time, we hope that “Nissene over skog og hei” does not have a legacy as a racist series.

An important premise for our evaluation is that we have considered a specific case: Blackface. We should not pretend that humor is simple and painless. It is challenging and difficult, and it reflects and propels society forward. Therefore, it is very difficult to establish guidelines for those who practice it, and it is understandable that it is perceived as paradoxical when that is exactly what we do. Therefore, it is important to emphasize that the guidelines in this case are about a grip, blackface, not about themes.