Culture Round-Up: DR’s children app back on Google after being labelled ‘inappropriate’

Roselyne Min

Aug 14, 2020

Anyone who has been in Denmark for a while will know that children’s television is a little different to what they’re used to.

Presenters fart when they feel like it and the word ‘fucking’ is used quite liberally (on one occasion on the junior version of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’).

While clips from films deemed unsuitable for children under the age of 15 in most countries regularly do the rounds on Ramasjang – most memorably a scene from ‘Kick-Ass’ in which a young girl dismembers, maims and kills grown men for fun.

Promotes smoking and violence
So it is perhaps understandable that Google removed the DR Ramasjang app from Google Play, after assessing that the children television logo wasn’t appropriate.

Google felt the image Uncle Reje, who beats up ninjas and hands out liquorice pipes to children, promotes smoking and violence.

But following criticism, it has restored the app to Google Play.

Back off, Google
DR’s media director, Henriette Marien Lund, contends that the platform shouldn’t be controlling or censoring Danish media.

“We have a comprehensive offer for children based on Danish reality,” he told DR.

Joy Mogensen, the culture minister, also disapproves, according to Politiken.

Charity auction takes place in Charlottenborg
Some 95 contemporary artists have donated works to an auction to raise money for Trampoline House, an organisation that helps refugees. On August 22, from 13:00-16:00, the Bruun Rasmussen auction house will sell works by Tal R, Olafur Eliasson, Michael Kvium and many more. The selection covers all price ranges. Bids can be made via brunn-rasussen.dk. Bruun Rasmussen is taking neither a buyer’s nor sellers’ fee in connection with the auction. The auction will take place at Charlottenborgs Festsal in Kongens Nytorv.

Connie Nielsen gets major role in new series
The Danish actress Connie Nielsen has landed a major role in a new NENT Studios series, BT reports. Filming work on the psychological drama series ‘Close to me’, which is based on Amanda Reynold’s bestselling novel of the same name and NENT’s first English-language series, will start in Britain soon. Nielsen, who has been one of Denmark’s best known actresses since appearing in ‘Gladiator’ and ‘The Devil’s Advocate’ two decades ago, is also one of the series’ executive producers. ‘Close to Me’ will premiere on Viaplay in 2021. NENT (the Nordic Entertainment Group) comprises more than 30 production companies in 17 countries.

New Ukrainian-Danish youth centre receives 18 million
The foreign minister, Jeppe Kofod, has allocated 18 million kroner to a new Ukrainian-Danish youth centre in Kiev. Some 24 million kroner has been allocated under the ministry’s Neighborhood Program to promote the involvement and participation of Ukrainian young people in society. The Danish Cultural Institute and the Danish Youth Council are in support. The Youth House in Kiev is scheduled to be ready in the first half of 2021.

Museums getting a record number of visitors
A large number of museums broke their visitor record in July: Aros in Aarhus, the Prison Museum in Horsens, the Museum of Maritime Affairs in Helsingør and Trapholt in Kolding. ARoS sold 126,039 tickets in July, almost twice its previous record. In comparison, 70,789 tickets sold in February 2014. The recent records have been mostly attributed to the government’s summer package, according to magisterbladet.dk, and many museums are far from delighted as they have not made up their lost earnings from the spring. Museum directors fear their autumn ticket sales will be way down because not many tourists will be able to enter the country.