Paedogeddon
[1] In the format of a current affairs programme, a team from a live studio reports their organized efforts to secure children in stadiums across the country, and Morris makes an appeal regarding the sighting of a paedophile disguised as a school.
The series had already established a controversial reputation, attracting media attention for duping celebrities and politicians into promoting fictitious and absurd campaigns.
[3] Sharon Lockyer and Feona Attwood writing for Popular Communication highlights the context in which the special was made, explaining that from the late 1990s British media developed a profuse interest in predatory paedophiles.
It resulted in violent vigilante protests and innocent people mistakenly targeted, such as a paediatrician being confused for a paedophile;[2] the veracity of this story is disputed however.
[5] In one sequence that was discarded, Morris would dress up in a top hat and horse riding gear and inhale helium, obtained for the scene at the last moment with great effort, and go door-to-door in a Balham neighbourhood informing people that a paedophile who wore strange clothes and spoke with a squeaky voice had moved into the area.
Channel 4 carried forward the high viewership of Big Brother that aired prior, and before the programme an announcer warned, "Now on 4, a Brass Eye Special which takes an uncompromising look at the subject of paedophilia.
[5] Although it is often thought that Brass Eye was intentionally provoking media anger, writer Peter Baynham said that he and Morris "were just presenting things that had come out of our brain".
[11] Upon discovering his appearance was a hoax, Collins sought legal advice and stated that he was led to believe that he was participating in a legitimate public service programme that would be distributed to schools and colleges.
[12] MP Gerald Howarth appears in the special presenting an allegedly discovered phonebooth card of a partially nude man that reads "Kids, I can help with your homework", and expresses disgust.
[13] After learning his appearance was a hoax, he told the BBC Radio 4 programme Today that Channel 4 failed its duty to the public, although admitted he had not seen the special himself.
[15] Newsreader Nicholas Owen appears in the sequence claiming online video games can be predatory, describing an in-game cartoon dog named Pantou who spies on children.
He appears in the sequence where Morris lists a series of nonsensical names, such as "nut administrator", "bush dodger", "small-bean regarder", and "The Crazy World of Arthur Brown", to which he replies, "it's just another form of racism".
[20] Sarah Arnold writing for News of the World claimed the Channel 4 offices in London were seen by police hours after it aired due to bomb threats.
The Daily Mail decried the special in a headline quoting Minister for Child Protection Beverley Hughes, that read "unspeakably sick", and described it as "filth for the delectation of perverts" created under the boastful facade of liberal values that in fact concealed a lack of creativity and intelligence in television making.
[20] Simon Heffer wrote it was, "the most grievous breach of taste I have ever witnessed on TV, and a programme that only a small proportion of the psychologically sick could have found enjoyable" adding he could only watch half of it.
"[24] BBC entertainment editor William Gallagher criticised the celebrity campaign segments as too repetitive and numerous, writing that it simply padded out the programme's runtime, concluding "It was not a great piece of comedy but it was pretty good [...] it had the right idea about how vilified anyone can be for the mere mention of paedophilia.
"[28] An editorial piece in The Daily Telegraph criticised the involvement of senior politicians, "On hearing the word [paedophilia], otherwise calm people are expected to assume an attitude of incoherent rage.
It is worth pointing out, if only for the record, that Brass Eye was a parody, not of paedophilia, but of the low-grade investigative programmes that seem to dominate evening television"[23] The News of the World published the names of all writers of the special in a "Roll of shame".
Baynham in 2021 recalled this headline and quipped, "I remember being in my flat and quaking in my boots at that", and said of Morris that the overall controversy at the time was "like water off a duck's back for him".
[9] Baynham said the author of the article had aimlessly "just gone through the credits of the show", noting it additionally printed the names of the sound supervisor, catering, and Peter Fincham who would become controller of BBC One.
