The Dangers of Eggs - Update

This just in:

"Dear Mr Frost,

Many thanks for sending me the link to the blog.

It appears that you disagree with the TV advertising code which all TV advertising should comply with. Clearcast is not responsible for its wording, and you therefore may want to raise your concern with those responsible.

Kind regards,

Kristoffer Hammer

Kristoffer Hammer | Editorial Standards Manager
Clearcast Ltd
2nd Floor | 4 Roger Street | London | WC1N 2JX"

The Dangers of Eggs

Those of you with long memories may well recall that fine old series of adverts (featuring Tony Hancock) "Go to Work on an Egg".

However, times change, and since then Nanny in her many guises (the rot set in with Eggwina Currie) has been lecturing us about the evils of eggs (aside from their "binding qualities", they are harmless).

I don't know why she has got such an antipathy towards them, they are:

1 An excellent source of protein

2 Cheap

3 Versatile

4 Tasty

5 Easy to store and cook

Nanny would have us believe that they are a dangerous source of cholesterol.

This is of course bollocks.

Anyhoo, Nanny has got herself into a right old state over a proposed advert for eggs by Noble Foods that uses children's voices.

The advertisers want to use the children's song, "Chick, chick, chick, chick, chicken, lay a little egg for me".

Nothing wrong with that is there?

WRONG!!!!!

Nanny's trolls in the advertising watchdog Broadcasting Advertising Clearance Centre (a little known body, that is only notable for having banned last year's revival of the Hancock egg adverts...can you see a pattern here folks?) are very upset about the whole thing and have banned it.

Their rationale?

Using children's voices was outside the television standards code, even though no children actually appear in the advert.



Kristoffer Hammer, from BACC, said that BACC allowed children under some circumstances to feature in egg adverts, but their voices could not be used to "promote" omega 3 eggs, a concept that most children would not be interested in.

Noble Foods spokesman, Finn Cottle, said:

"We're beginning to suspect that the BACC has a vendetta against eggs."

Indeed she has Mr Cottle!

I can only assume that when she was a child Nanny suffered some form of egg related trauma, which has left her scarred for life. If not, she should have done!

Last year, you will recall, BACC banned the Tony Hancock advert.

Why?

It featured him eating two eggs for breakfast.

BACC said that this promoted an unbalanced diet.

My message to BACC is simple:

FARK OFF!!!

Breeda McBrearty, a nutritionist, quite rightly thinks that BACC is talking out of it own backside. She said that it was "ridiculous" to suggest that children should not enjoy eggs as part of a healthy diet.

Those of you wishing to drop Kristoffer Hammer of BACC a line, with your thoughts on the matter, can email him here kristoffer.hammer@clearcast.co.uk

Take a trip down memory lane and watch BACC's banned Tony Hancock adverts here:

-Housekeeper

-Soul

-Burst Pipe

-Crossword

-Bill

-Englishman

-Star

-Violin

Maybe BACC will try and ban this site too?

Knobheads - Nanny Bans Eggs

I have been writing articles for this site since September 2004 and, on occasions, one can be a tad "sensitised" to the nonsense of Nanny and not react with the full vigour, righteous indignation and ire that this old witch should provoke.

However, fear not, in this particular case my indignation is righteous, my ire is inflamed and my dander is up.

So incensed am I about this, that I am forgoing my prestigious "Prats of The Week" award and presenting the miscreants with my "Knobheads of The Year" award.

What has caused such a response in my normally mild mannered persona?

I shall tell you.

EGGS!

Yes, that's right, EGGS!

Harmless enough, you would have thought?

A nice meal or snack; fried, boiled, poached, scrambled raw etc...it's all good.

Not if you are Nanny's chums in the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre (BACC). They have decided that eggs are evil, and have banned the advertising of them.

The story begins 50 years ago, when eggs were advertised by Tony Hancock with the slogan:

"Go to work on an egg".

The British Egg Information Service (BEIS) had planned to re-broadcast these adverts to mark the 50th anniversary, and to get us to eat more eggs.

No problemo!

That is until Nanny's knobheads in the BACC, which vets television advertisements before they are screened, stuck their gnarled old noses into to the yolk and said that the campaign breached current Ofcom rules on promoting a varied diet.

Kristoffer Hammer, a BACC spokesman, whined that the issue was not whether a daily egg with your breakfast would be harmful; only that it should be served with fruit juice or toast.

"We are not questioning the effect

it would have on your health.

Our role is to ensure that advertising

that goes on television is in compliance

with the [Communications] act.

It's quite clear from the act that they should

be presented as part of a balanced diet."

What a bunch of knobheads!

As can be clearly seen in the adverts, Tony is eating the eggs with bacon, soldiers and tea. Why do we have to see juice and muesli as well?

Not everyone wants juice and muesli.

Also, do we not have other meals in the day?

The adverts are quite clearly not telling us to eat only eggs throughout the day for fark's sake!

The BEIS thinks this is a load of old bollocks:

"We have been shocked by this ruling,

as eggs are a healthy,

natural food which are recommended by nutritionists.

What's more, there are no restrictions

on the number of eggs people can eat,

which was recently confirmed by the Food Standards Agency,

and between five and seven eggs a week

would be totally acceptable for most people.

In addition, many other advertisers clearly

promote their products to be eaten every day,

such as breakfast cereals, so we are very surprised

that eggs have been singled out in this way."

FACTOID: I can eat 4 eggs in one sitting when having my multi component fry up!

Fay Weldon, who created the slogan, thinks the ban is bollocks as well:

"When you think of what can be run

and what is being run, like low-cost airlines

and cars ... Cars kill,

eggs aren't actually likely to do so."

As said, BACC well deserving the "Knobheads of The Year" award!

Take a trip down memory lane and watch Nanny's banned adverts here, careful that Nanny doesn't arrest you:

-Housekeeper

-Soul

-Burst Pipe

-Crossword

-Bill

-Englishman

-Star

-Violin

Sign the petition, asking for the adverts to be shown, here: Petition

Tell BACC that they are Knobheads here enquiries@bacc.org.uk