Deep Throat on Dutch TV

Nutter politicians in Netherlands are up in arms over an upcoming public television broadcast of the 1972 porn classic Deep Throat.

It is a historical symbol of unashamed sexual exploitation and of perverse greed, Christian Union party leader Arie Slob told Radio Netherlands. The film brought 600 million dollars into the box office, but it also ruined a human being. The so-called star, [Linda Lovelace], later declared that she was pressured into her acting.

Public broadcasting corporations BNN and VPRO plan to air the Gerard Damiano feature Feb. 23 on Dutch TV channel Nederland 3 as part of a late-night block of programming about the history of adult films. The movie will be shown along with a documentary about the movie and a discussion panel with director Pieter Kuijpers, porn actress Kim Holland and German academic Ingo Schiweck, a historian specializing in adult movies.

Robert Interlandi, marketing director for Deep Throat rights holder Arrow Productions said: I know that everyone was very surprised when HBO aired the NC-17 version of Inside Deep Throat, the documentary about Deep Throat…but screening the full movie on television…wow!

Online discussion groups have suggested that the Christian Union’s efforts might be better focused on the excessive amount of violence shown on television.

BNN television director Maarten van Dijk told Radio Netherlands that he thinks young people should be able to see the Linda Lovelace classic, particularly if the film is properly introduced by a special edition of our lifestyle program, plus a documentary on Deep Throat.

Dutch Media Minister Ronald Plasterk sees no possibilities nor desire for banning public broadcasters BNN and VPRO from showing the explicit porn film Deep Throat.

Christian government party ChristenUnie appears to be accepting this decision.

On 23 February, shortly after midnight, BNN and VPRO plan to show the explicit film. ChristenUnie considers this disgusting.

Opposition party SGP, a more conservative Christian party than ChristenUnie, asked Plasterk to prohibit the broadcast - it has been the only Lower House party to ask for a ban.

According to Plasterk the public broadcasters have 100% editorial freedom. There can be no question of a ban, and no investigation of this will be mounted either. The government also has no views on any programme, moral or otherwise, said the Labour (PvdA) minister via his spokesman.

Radio programme Standpunt.nl yesterday presented a poll with the statement: The public broadcasters must drop the showing of Deep Throat. A minority of 42% of listeners agreed.

Dutch culture minister Ronald Plasterk plans to take no action against public TV channel Nederland 3 to prevent it from broadcasting 13 X-rated movies this summer, reports the NIS News Bulletin.

The scheduled series, titled Cinema Erotica, follows a broadcast by the channel last February of adult classic Deep Throat, and is being protested as that broadcast was by Christian party leaders.

These films are characterized by connoisseurs as artistic, Plasterk said in a letter to parliament. He maintained that there is no reason to stop the broadcasts, nor does the government have the means to do so.