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The very controversial Bonnie Blue documentary aired on Channel 4 on Tuesday (29 July) evening, and everyone seems to be saying the same thing.
1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story follows the 26-year-old British adult content creator, real name Tia Billinger, for six months, including the sex stunt that made headlines around the world.
For those who don’t remember, she claimed to have slept with 1,000 men in a single day, prompting backlash around in the UK and beyond.
The new documentary’s description reads: “When adult content creator Bonnie Blue announced that she’d slept with 1057 men in 12 hours, was she dangerously pandering to male fantasies or being an empowered sex-positive entrepreneur?”
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It’s described by the channel as ‘sensitively exploring the central question polarising debate about her: Is she a “dangerous predator”, pandering to male fantasies and perpetuating the patriarchy? Or an empowered, sex positive, businesswoman having the last laugh?’
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However, what no one expected was just how explicit some of the scenes would be, including graphic sex scenes.
Viewers have taken to social media to point out that the TV programme oddly came out just days after the Online Safety Act was introduced to stop children from watching pornographic images and videos online.
As of last week, people in the UK trying to access X-rated sites such as Pornhub, along with other adult websites, will now have to undergo rigorous age verification checks.
And it looks like some people are finding the two events in one week quite contradictory.
One X (formerly Twitter) user wrote: “Putting a documentary on TV about bonnie blue at 10pm showing literal porn with no filter just days after the age verification thing went live is actually crazy work Channel 4.”
And a second wrote “So Bonnie Blue gets a documentary on channel 4 where she can promote and glamorise her lifestyle for the kids watching at home but we need IDs to see posts on X because 'we need to protect the kids #bonnieblue.'”
While a third questioned: “So I noticed nobody had to prove their age to watch the Bonnie Blue documentary. But it's all about protecting children, right?”
And a fourth chimed in with: “Wondering...This C4 TV show tonight will show "graphical scenes". Some vulnerable children will watch it.
“Where's the equivalent to the Online Safety Act age check? It's okay for vulnerable children to watch it on TV, but not on the Internet? Hmmm.”
When approached for comment, Channel 4 said in a statement to Tyla: "Careful consideration has been given to the content and the way in which it is included.
"The explicit content in the documentary is editorially justified and provides essential context; making pornographic content is Bonnie’s job, and this film is about her work and the response to it. Crucially, the content is presented in a non-gratuitous manner and viewers were alerted to the sexual content in a programme warning at the start and after each ad break to ensure they understood from the outset the nature of the programme.
"The programme was broadcast after watershed and is compliant with the Ofcom broadcasting code."
Additionally, when quizzed on whether the doc ‘glamourises’ the adult star’s controversial lifestyle, the channel told The Tab: “1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story is an observational documentary in which director Victoria Silver follows Tia/Bonnie over the course of six months.
“The director does put many challenges to Bonnie throughout the documentary, and the film clearly lays bare the tactics and strategies Bonnie uses, exploring her highs and lows.
“It is an accurate portrayal of six months with Bonnie and leaves audiences open to forming their own opinions.”
Tyla has contacted Channel 4 for comment.
Topics: Channel 4, TV And Film, Social Media, Twitter, Parenting, UK News
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Madison Burgess