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UTV & Special Olympics Ireland Games

Special Idents Aired Today (June 2006)

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SCBNI
As some of you may already know, UTV are the offical media partner of the 2006 Special Olympics Ireland Games which start today. UTV have been celebrating with a set of special idents filmed at the Odyssey Arena where the opening ceremony takes place. So far I've only managed to capture two:

http://www.utvtoday.co.uk/images/olympics1.jpg

http://www.utvtoday.co.uk/images/olympics2.jpg

For anyone who's interested, UTV will be showing highlights of the opening ceremony tomorrow afternoon in a two hour programme starting at 4pm.
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SCBNI
Ident 3, which aired after the lunchtime news:

http://www.utvtoday.co.uk/images/olympics3.jpg

http://www.utvtoday.co.uk/images/olympics4.jpg

http://www.utvtoday.co.uk/images/olympics5.jpg
MA
marksi
Am I the being unfair in feeling a little uncomfortable with these?

Is it exploitative? Condescending? Maybe it isn't and maybe I'm wrong. But there's something niggling at me.
TV
tvarksouthwest
marksi posted:
Am I the being unfair in feeling a little uncomfortable with these?

Is it exploitative? Condescending? Maybe it isn't and maybe I'm wrong. But there's something niggling at me.

I'm undecided. Some actual footage might help. Then again, BBC1 has got away with showing wheelchair-bound dancers for the past four years.
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SCBNI
tvarksouthwest posted:
Some actual footage might help.


Here's video clips of the first two idents. I missed the start of one of them so it starts just after the animation:

Ident 1

Ident 2

I'll upload the other two when I get a minute.
MA
marksi
tvarksouthwest posted:
marksi posted:
Am I the being unfair in feeling a little uncomfortable with these?

Is it exploitative? Condescending? Maybe it isn't and maybe I'm wrong. But there's something niggling at me.

I'm undecided. Some actual footage might help. Then again, BBC1 has got away with showing wheelchair-bound dancers for the past four years.


Yes and that occured to me earlier, but that doesn't sit quite the same way for some reason. The people in that ident aren't in it *solely* because they are in wheelchairs. The action fits in with the other aspects of the BBC ONE idents, such as they are.

I think it's the fact that it's UTV saying "look aren't we bloody marvellous for being associated with this event which involves disabled kids" which I'm finding rather distasteful. Great that they're doing programmes covering the events, I'm not criticising them for that, I just feel that to use this in channel idents is just a bit exploitative, and the "proud to support" text is not helpful in this respect. That's the condescending bit for me.

If someone has donated generously to charity then that's great, but you wouldn't expect them to then wander round the streets with a kid in a wheelchair while telling everyone how they'd contributed. That's what this feels like to me. I think I'm decided it's in poor taste.

Like I said earlier, perhaps I'm being unfair. But it doesn't feel right to me.
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SCBNI
marksi posted:
Yes and that occured to me earlier, but that doesn't sit quite the same way for some reason. The people in that ident aren't in it *solely* because they are in wheelchairs. The action fits in with the other aspects of the BBC ONE idents, such as they are.

I think it's the fact that it's UTV saying "look aren't we bloody marvellous for being associated with this event which involves disabled kids" which I'm finding rather distasteful. Great that they're doing programmes covering the events, I'm not criticising them for that, I just feel that to use this in channel idents is just a bit exploitative, and the "proud to support" text is not helpful in this respect. That's the condescending bit for me.

If someone has donated generously to charity then that's great, but you wouldn't expect them to then wander round the streets with a kid in a wheelchair while telling everyone how they'd contributed. That's what this feels like to me. I think I'm decided it's in poor taste.

Like I said earlier, perhaps I'm being unfair. But it doesn't feel right to me.


Why do I get the impression you wouldn't be saying this if these idents were for the ordinary olympics with ordinary athletes? Just because these people are disabled in some way doesn't mean they are being exploited by appearing in these idents. UTV are just showing how proud they are to be associated with such a large event in our country. I'm sure the BBC, or any other broadcaster for that matter, would also be proud if they were the ones broadcasting it.
MA
marksi
StevieB posted:
marksi posted:
Yes and that occured to me earlier, but that doesn't sit quite the same way for some reason. The people in that ident aren't in it *solely* because they are in wheelchairs. The action fits in with the other aspects of the BBC ONE idents, such as they are.

I think it's the fact that it's UTV saying "look aren't we bloody marvellous for being associated with this event which involves disabled kids" which I'm finding rather distasteful. Great that they're doing programmes covering the events, I'm not criticising them for that, I just feel that to use this in channel idents is just a bit exploitative, and the "proud to support" text is not helpful in this respect. That's the condescending bit for me.

If someone has donated generously to charity then that's great, but you wouldn't expect them to then wander round the streets with a kid in a wheelchair while telling everyone how they'd contributed. That's what this feels like to me. I think I'm decided it's in poor taste.

Like I said earlier, perhaps I'm being unfair. But it doesn't feel right to me.


Why do I get the impression you wouldn't be saying this if these idents were for the ordinary olympics with ordinary athletes? Just because these people are disabled in some way doesn't mean they are being exploited by appearing in these idents. UTV are just showing how proud they are to be associated with such a large event in our country. I'm sure the BBC, or any other broadcaster for that matter, would also be proud if they were the ones broadcasting it.


Was there a similar ident with riders from the NW200 with "proud to be supporting" on it? No. In fact, has there been anything similar? Why be more proud of this than any other big event?

As I've already stated, I may be being too cynical. But the same cynicism tells me that UTV wouldn't have made such an ident if the participants were not disabled. THAT'S the condesceding bit.

I wouldn't like to think anyone has deliberately set out to take advantage or anything, I think it's probably done with the best of intentions... but to me it just doesn't feel quite right.
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SCBNI
marksi posted:
Was there a similar ident with riders from the NW200 with "proud to be supporting" on it?


Yes there was actually. OK, it didn't say "proud to be supporting" on it, but UTV do generally create special idents for events that they feel deserve them. Everyone here knows what the NW200 is, which is why they didn't feel the need to say what it was about. If they had played out these idents with no description as to what they were for, anyone who didn't watch the news wouldn't know what they were for! Hence the "Proud to be supporting" rather than just a couple of words saying what the idents were.
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marksi
StevieB posted:
marksi posted:
Was there a similar ident with riders from the NW200 with "proud to be supporting" on it?


Yes there was actually.


Shows how much I watch UTV (or ITV in general)!
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SCBNI
marksi posted:
StevieB posted:
marksi posted:
Was there a similar ident with riders from the NW200 with "proud to be supporting" on it?


Yes there was actually.


Shows how much I watch UTV (or ITV in general)!


Lol! Just in case you didn't believe me! Wink

http://www.utvtoday.co.uk/images/Caps06/NW200_2006/Idents/nw200_1.jpg
PC
Paul Clark
Yes, something isn't quite right with that IMO. Surely some wide shots of the venue/event would have been fine, considering that seems to be the general style of shot for idents across the board on UTV.

People who are disabled or impaired in whatever way, should never be singled out because of that, or seen only for their particular disadvantage (although it does happen and probably always will to some extent). I can't see the sort of approach that's used here being used in future for general competitive sports events. Even if the intentions are good, it comes across to me as being distasteful, and I dislike it.

As for the BBC ONE wheelers, it does fit in with the theming and is not particularly singled out -- just another sequence to add to the "inclusive" list alongside the all-ages Salsa class, Bollywood bhangra Indians, and African tribesmen.

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