#article : Foxtel perpetuate ADL Serial Killer Myth

[Howie]

I think this myth is getting a little old now.

Liberals miffed at Foxtel promo
Article from: NEWS.com.au

January 12, 2008 08:00am

IS Adelaide the serial killer capital of Australia? Foxtel and the SA Liberals are at each other's throats over the claim, made in a new program promotion.
The Liberals were dying to announce that they were proudly protecting the image of the state and they had had the offending promotion "pulled" from Foxtel's cable channels.

Watch the ad here and vote!



Foxtel accused them of being in a state of "modest hysteria" and said the promo was only being "rested" for the weekend.

The promotion features Michael C. Hall of Six Feet Under fame who in a new TV series Dexter plays a sociopath serial killer.

Hall is in an airport terminal waiting for a flight to Adelaide and tells a fellow passenger: "Adelaide has more serial killers per capita than any other city in Australia."

Wounded by this claim after receiving a "flurry of complaints", Liberal tourism spokesman Michael Pengilly wrote to Foxtel telling it "references to Adelaide as some sort of serial killers' capital damages the city's reputation and its tourism industry".

Mr Pengilly yesterday said at a joint press conference with Acting Opposition Leader David Ridgway that the serial killer tag was "a stigma that's been attached to Adelaide for quite some time ... and I think it's not in the best interests of the state".

"We've got through Snowtown (12 murders), we've got through Truro (seven murders), South Australia's got this reputation of having these things happen," Mr Pengilly said.

"We don't need that," he said, adding that it went all the way back to the mid-1960s and the unsolved disappearance of the three Beaumont children from an Adelaide beach.

"A leading criminologist says that Adelaide isn't the serial killing capital. In fact, it's below the national average.

"I'm a proud South Australian and I don't want this sort of reputation being bandied anywhere around the nation."

Both Liberal frontbenchers said their requests to Foxtel to pull the promo had "neutralised" the damage being done.

Foxtel yesterday said it had not pulled the promotion, asserting it had been taken out of context by the Opposition.

"An independent decision was made by Showtime that given some modest hysteria by the SA Opposition (which has chosen to exploit a media opportunity) that its promo would be rested during the weekend," Foxtel said, no doubt relishing the free publicity it was getting.

The cable company said it had not had any other complaints and would reconsider the matter next week.

South Australia's Acting Tourism Minister Paul Caica questioned why the Opposition, if it was so concerned by the TV advertisement, had reiterated the message to the whole of Australia.

"The Opposition have succeeded only in making sure everyone knows about the claim they're supposedly so concerned about," Mr Caica said.

[Cruise]

Mind if a post it on SSC?

[Howie]

go ahead mate if you want to.

[Will]

For the sake of some publicity the SA Liberals have done a great disservice to this state. If the SA Liberals had not done this, very few people would have found out about his. By highlighting the add, the SA Liberals have only further perpetuated this stereotype. My question to the SA Liberals is; was it worth trashing the reputation of Adelaide for some publicity?

[crawf]

After reading some of the horrible crimes interstate recently (especially in Melbourne), this myth is just BS. Yes there have been some shocking crimes here, but SA is by far not the only state and times are alot different these days.

Its pathetic the add was even made, same goes for the 'city of churches' tag. Adelaide is no more religious than any other major Australian city.

Its just some typical pathetic attempt at having a go at SA.

[Will]

After reading some of the horrible crimes interstate recently (especially in Melbourne), this myth is just BS. Yes there have been some shocking crimes here, but SA is by far not the only state and times are alot different these days.

Its pathetic the add was even made, same goes for the 'city of churches' tag. Adelaide is no more religious than any other major Australian city.

Its just some typical pathetic attempt at having a go at SA.

Adelaide did not get the tag 'city of churches' because it is more religious or more conservative than other Australian cities. Adelaide got that tag because of our religious freedom which allowed every different denomination, including some that were being persecuted in Europe and banned in the other states from worshiping in peace and being able to erect their own places of worship. As such, because of the resulting religious diversity, there were more churches built in Adelaide compared to other Australian cities.

[crawf]

That is true, however majority of people who use the term wouldn't even know any of that.

I much prefer the "Festival City"

[Will]

That is true, however majority of people who use the term wouldn't even know any of that.

I much prefer the "Festival City"

Yes, unfortunately the majority of people use the term 'city of churches' to put down Adelaide. It seriously pisses me off, how every time Adelaide is introduced in the media or in shows like Australian Idol they have to use 'city of churches'.

[Pistol]

I thought that promotion was pretty well done.

Quite honestly who cares? As if this would damage our reputation - I think that there are other issues damaging our reputation at the moment.

[AtD]

For the sake of some publicity the SA Liberals have done a great disservice to this state. If the SA Liberals had not done this, very few people would have found out about his. By highlighting the add, the SA Liberals have only further perpetuated this stereotype. My question to the SA Liberals is; was it worth trashing the reputation of Adelaide for some publicity?

Yes you're quite right. It's the oldest trick in the advertising book - say something confrontational, the moral police have a whine about it, you free publicity in all the major news services.

[PhilM]

Don't be so damn precious. Truth is Port Arthur has done very well out of its tragic reputation.

The crying shame is the Liberals thought it was worth getting together and making an issue out of it.

Heaven knows there are issues that have the potential to make SA's most successful business the South Australian Asset Management Corporation! Pity all they get to do is fill in holes in the ground.

[Cruise]

More importantly i didnt know snowtown and truro were suburbs of Adelaide.

Learn something new every day

[ReallyBad]

Dexter would have to be one of the bet TV shows of all time - I may have found the show "accidently fall onto my computerv " - if you can see it, watch it you will not regret it.

[rev]

Is this what Liberal voters are looking for in a government?
Rather then make alternative policy, our state opposition is either nailing posters to trees, the same trees they tried to save mind you, and/or fighting with pay tv companies. Enjoy an extended stay in opposition folks.

[muzzamo]

agreed this is a fantastic show... If you know how to operate channel BT, dont hesitate to get your hands on it.