• Norway's news in English
 
app_header_v3

Lusty Norwegian teens too much for US pastor

The Local · 7 Jun 2012, 16:07

Published: 07 Jun 2012 16:07 GMT+02:00

Methodist pastor John Kearns contacted the Tuscaloosa Arts Council after seeing an advertisement for the movie Turn Me On, Dammit!, news site AL.com reports.

Affronted by the film’s apparent focus on the sexual awakening of a 15-year-old girl in a small Norwegian town, he asked organizers not to show a film he complained was "not in step with community standards".

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Arts Council said it had agreed to axe the screening of a film written and directed by Jannicke Systad Jacobsen.

"Due to the misunderstanding surrounding the theme and content of the film, the Arts Council and Bama Theatre have made the decision to cancel its screening, whether represented by the Council or outside entities. We hope this decision represents the wishes of all our constituents."

In what she described as a “dangerous precedent”, outgoing Arts Council board president Rebecca Rothman said Mayor Walt Maddox had personally contacted the council to ask it to rethink its plans to show the film, AL.com said.

"The Arts Council receives city and county funding. We are in the midst of a big fund-raising effort for the new cultural arts center. We were put in a very difficult position,” Rothman told the site.

Reacting to the decision not to show her film, Systad Jacobsen said it was “sad” that anyone would judge the film without actually having watched it.

“Had they done so, they would presumably have expressed themselves differently after seeing that it actually has a Christian conservative message about waiting,” Systad Jacobsen told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

“It's not our intention to offend anyone, and I don’t feel that the film is particularly offensive when compared to half-naked Rihanna album covers and the like,” she added.

Olaug Nilssen, the author of the book on which the film is based, described the situation as laughable.

Story continues below…

“I have to smile when I hear this, but first and foremost I consider it regrettable that such a sweet and innocent film gets censored in the US, especially when the reason appears to be the threat of funding cuts,” he told NRK.

Turn Me On, Dammit! (Få meg på, for faen) has been very well received by US critics, with Systad Jacobsen winning a Best Screenplay Award at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival.

The Local (news@thelocal.no)

Your comments about this article

Today's headlines
Norway helicopter crash due to technical failure
A woman lays flowers near the crash site on Turøy. Photo: Vidar Ruud / NTB scanpix

No human error in the crash that claimed 13 lives.

Philippine militants threaten hostages in video warning
Kjartan Sekkingstad at the wheel of a yacht in the marina. Photo: Holiday Oceanview Marina

Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad forced to plea for his life in new video.

Norway's Solheim to head UN environment agency
Erik Solheim will lead the UN Environment Programme. Photo: NTB Scanpix

Former environment minister Erik Solheim to take over top UN post.

Eurovision 2016
Norway's Eurovision hope struggles with mental 'hell'
Although she is struggling mentally, Agnete Johnsen said she is still in it to win it. Photo: Julia Nagelstad/Eurovision

21-year-old singer Agnete Johnsen has cancelled all public appearances ahead of next week's contest.

Child welfare or 'kidnapping'? Parental anguish in Norway
Foreign parents who say Barnevernet 'kidnapped' their children protested in Oslo last month. Photo:Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB Scanpix

Recent global protests have put Norway's child welfare services back squarely in the centre of controversy.

Norway to send 60 soldiers to train Syrians fighting Isis
Norwegian troops are already training Kurdish peshmerga fighters in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. Photo: Torbjørn Kjosvold/Forsvaret

Nordic nation ups its efforts in anti-Isis coalition.

No distress call in Norway helicopter crash
The pilots reportedly gave an "everything okay" update shortly before the crash. Photo: Torstein Bøe / NTB scanpix

UPDATED: The pilots in Friday’s fatal helicopter crash did not send out a distress call before the aircraft went down, indicating that there was no time to react.

Norway's oil fund to take on executive pay controversy
If the fund takes a stance on executive pay, it could be felt in corner offices around the world. Photo: Iris/Scanpix

Norway could greatly influence the global debate on CEO salaries with a change to its investment strategies.

Looming strike could paralyse Norway public services
Representatives of the four large trade union confederations and state representative Gisle Norheim (centre). Photo: Berit Roald / NTB scanpix

The state is "very far" from a labour agreement with some 100,000 public employees.

All 13 on board die in Norway helicopter crash
Rescue crews reported no signs of survivors. Photo: Marit Hommedal/Scanpix

UPDATED: Eleven dead bodies have been recovered and the two remaining people are presumed dead.

Sponsored Article
How to launch your international career
All 13 on board die in Norway helicopter crash
National
All 13 on board die in Norway helicopter crash
Sponsored Article
What's the best way for expats to transfer money abroad?
National
Norway violated mass murderer's human rights: court
Norway to allow gay church weddings
Society
Church of Norway to allow same-sex weddings
Norway to allow gay church weddings
Society
Church of Norway to allow same-sex weddings
For first time, majority in Norway don’t believe in God
Society
For first time, majority in Norway don’t believe in God
Norway preps 'breakthrough' on gender change
Health
Norway preps 'breakthrough' on gender change
Breivik says he'll fight 'to the death' for Nazism
National
Breivik says he'll fight 'to the death' for Nazism
Sponsored Article
Retiring abroad: ensuring your health is covered
National
Memo: Norway 'not mentally prepared' for refugees' impact
Norway is the world's fourth happiest country
Society
Norway is the world's fourth happiest country
Norway moves closer to allowing dual citizenship
National
Norway moves closer to allowing dual citizenship
Sponsored Article
Why expats choose International Health Insurance
Politics
Norway's tough asylum plans face resistance
National
'Patriot' group Soldiers of Odin debut in Norway
National
Oslo is the real ‘Capital of Scandinavia’
Health
Norway ads use Hitler teddy bear to scare parents... about dust
National
Migrants: Norway 'sending us to death' in Russia
Norway under fire over tough new asylum plans
Health
Norway doctors push plan for 'tobacco-free generation'
2,112
jobs available