iTunes-a phobia

Those who follow me on Twitter and Facebook will notice that we found out this evening that Our Gay Wedding the Musical is being sold on iTunes with a "caution." A little digging suggests that "caution" in iTunes terms means that the film they're selling may not be suitable for children...

I find this both offensive and quite shocking, not least because I happen to know that the film initially went on sale with the same caution, and that Channel 4 successfully lobbied iTunes for its removal. This warning has subsequently re-appeared.

Plainly, in a film with no swearing and no scenes of a sexual nature, the only thing which could be considered inappropriate about the film is that it portrays two gay men getting married, which, in my view, is exactly the sort of thing which children SHOULD be viewing if we're going to bring them up in a liberal society. The fact that iTunes have decided to "caution" the film can only really be described as homophobic.

I am deeply offended by this, and have tweeted them demanding an explanation.

One of my friends on Facebook points out that some people might not WANT to watch Our Gay Wedding the Musical because not everyone likes gay people. This is of course true, but I would have thought the title itself would be enough to put these people off. It's also an invalid argument to suggest that something which people simply might not like is something which requires a caution. Some people don't like black people, but the Cosby show doesn't come with a warning! That would be deeply inappropriate.

Anyway, we went to bed at 1am last night and woke up thirteen hours later at 2pm today. This was not just surprising, but a little worrying because we had a dinner date with Jem and Ian! How is it possible to have slept for so long? I don't think I've slept in this long since I was a teenager. Actually, I remember once waking up when I lived in Tufnell Park after it had got dark, which was one of the most surreal experiences.

We finally arrived at Ian and Jem's an hour late but we were greeted with the most delightful food; a goat's cheese quiche and a beautiful chocolate mousse. Jem certainly knows how to cook. The company was rather lovely as well. We met an Australian opera singer called Catherine and her charming husband and daughter.

Anyway. Feel free to contact iTunes (@iTunesmusic) on twitter, if you feel similarly confused by their decision!