Petition to stop BBC broadcasting Eurovision song that glamorises sexual strangulation (before the watershed!)

[DreamyHedgehog]

Someone has created a change.org petition calling on The BBC and The EBU to not broadcast “Choke Me”, a song competing at Eurovision this year which glamorises sexual strangulation - unless the lyrics are changed.

The song is due to be broadcast on May 14th shortly after 8pm on BBC One - before the watershed.

I’ve just signed, sharing here in case anyone else wants to sign and share too.

https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-bbc-airing-eurovision-content-that-normalises-violence-against-women

These are the full lyrics to the song:

Phantom
You feel like a phantom
Why do you wanna tame me?
It's hard to breathe in
Do you feel me?
Do what I say
And don't you ever betray me
You are here to obey me
Are you not?
All I need is your love
I want it to choke me, choke me, choke me
Born for you to control
I want you to choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Love me, make my lungs explode like oh oh oh…
All I need is your love
I want it to choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Choke me
Choke me
Choke me
Save me
Inside I'm blazin'
I want you to call me, call me, call me
Call, my body is begging
Do what I say
And don't you ever betray me
You are here to obey me
Are you not?
All I need is your love
I want it to choke me, choke me, choke me
Born for you to control
I want you to choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Love me, make my lungs explode like oh oh oh…
All I need is your love
I want it to choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
All I need is your love
I want it to choke me, choke me, choke me
Born for you to control
I want you to choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Love me, make my lungs explode like oh oh oh…
All I need iѕ your love
I wаnt it to choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me

Research is showing that even when it doesn't cause obvious outward harm, it leads to persistent brain injury that builds up over time and looks remarkably similar to the brain damage seen in American football players who get repeatedly hit in the head. There are all kind of studies showing changes in brain function on MRI, effects on memory and cognition, etc.

It's so f-ed up when you consider that surveys are showing that over 60% of young women are being choked during sex nowadays. Seems like there's going to be an epidemic of impaired brain function in an entire generation of women! And still they say it can be "healthy and fun" (see the second link below). It sickens me.

https://www.unimelb.edu.au/newsroom/news/2024/july/study-finds-strangling-during-sex-common,-but-understanding-is-low

bwell.brown.edu/tool/sexual-strangulation

No. You are wrong about the law.

Non-fatal strangulation is a specific criminal offence in England and Wales under Section 70 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which came into force on June 7, 2022. It applies when a person intentionally strangles or suffocates another, restricting their ability to breathe, with maximum penalties of up to 5 years in prison.
Key Aspects of the Law
Definition: The law makes it an offence to intentionally strangle or do any other act that affects a person’s ability to breathe, such as suffocation.
No Injury Needed: A conviction does not require proof of visible physical injuries, addressing a gap in previous legislation where cases were often hard to prosecute without marks.
Serious Nature: The offense is treated very seriously, often resulting in immediate custody, with a sentencing starting point of 18 months.
Consent Defence: While consent can be a defence, it does not apply if the victim suffers serious harm or the perpetrator intended/was reckless as to whether serious harm occurred.

Apparently.. the lyrics were never intended to be taken literally as a reference to autoerotic asphyxiation. It's supposed to be an edgy metaphor for being overwhelmed by emotion and self doubt. Take that for what it's worth.

So? It doesn’t matter how they claim they were ‘intended’ and I didn’t say it was glorifying murder, I made a reasonable comparison with glorifying murder (which strangulation often results in).

Where am I ‘fibbing’?

Strangulation in any form with any intention is dangerous and there is absolutely no justification for going anywhere near the topic unless to highlight the dangers.

Yes. These people who go on about ‘autoerotic asphyxiation’ like it is a legitimate sexual practice are part of the problem imo.

A far stronger public message alongside the new law is needed to communicate the harms and that this should never be tried.

Even on this thread Kimura has got the law completely wrong. How many others are similarly confused?

BBC coverage of Eurovision suffers huge UK ratings blow, losing a million viewers

I expect these viewers were lost for a number of reasons and most of all due to what's happening in Gaza, but I think I'll take this opportunity to write to the BBC and explain why I chose not to watch Eurovision this year, despite having been a fan for many years.. I'm disgusted by how weak the BBC have been... yet again.

Good idea to follow up now they've seen the numbers.