Comedian James Mustapic's show with his mum Janet has been found to have breached the Broadcasting Standards Code.
Comedian James Mustapic's show with his mum Janet has been found to have breached the Broadcasting Standards Code.
Dan Mustapic’s formal complaint against his son’s TV show, James Must-a-pic His Mum a Man, has been upheld on several counts, but he tells Joanna Wane the case isn’t over yet.
TVNZ has removed material from comedian James Mustapic’s show James Must-a-pic His Mum a Man after acknowledging some ofthe content was highly offensive, inaccurate and breached his father’s privacy.
“They [TVNZ] are quite happy to create this impression of me, which is factually incorrect, let it run for six weeks, and at the end of it just go, ‘Oops, we’ll take it out’ once the damage is done,” he told the Herald.
“I just don’t believe anybody who had a sound mind would think that is satisfactory or fair.”
A comic reality show, James-Must-a-pic His Mum a Manfollows James’ attempts to get his mum, Dunedin psychologist Janet Millichamp, back on the dating scene “in hope of finding the father he’s always wanted”. The six-episode series went to air in early March and is available for streaming on TVNZ+.
Dan Mustapic, a former curling champion who works in the mental health sector in Wellington, laid a formal complaint with TVNZ under the Code of Broadcasting Practice, claiming hurtful comments made about him in the programme were “grossly untrue and unfair”.
The Broadcasting Standards Code covers aspects such as balanced and accurate reporting, and rights to privacy and fair treatment. Factors determining whether disclosure of private information is “highly offensive” include whether the individual has consented to the broadcast and whether the content is particularly embarrassing or has the potential to impact negatively on reputation.
In its decision, the TVNZ Complaints Committee notes that James – a former Celebrity Treasure Island winner – has the right to freedom of expression under the Bill of Rights Act. However, it accepts the inference that Dan Mustapic had not paid child support was incorrect and would be “highly offensive to a reasonable person in your shoes”.
An inference that Mustapic had been asked to take part in the show but refused was also found to be incorrect. Both statements have been removed, as breaches of the code’s privacy and fairness standards. The programme has been further edited to remove identifying information, including references to curling and Mustapic’s involvement in the 2006 Olympic team.
On Mustapic’s request, a disclaimer has now been added to the start of each episode, stating: “This is a comedy that features some dramatisation and the stories are told from James’ perspective, based on his recollections.”
However, other aspects of the complaint were rejected, including Mustapic’s objection to James claiming he grew up “without a dad in my life” after his father left the family home when James was 3.
The committee’s report, while recognising “it may be uncomfortable for a parent to hear their child publicly say that they consider the parent was absent from their life”, finds the programme makes it clear to viewers that these subjective facts are James’ opinion.
Last year, James Mustapic won the seventh season of Celebrity Treasure Island.
Mustapic says he hasn’t had contact with his son since they met for dinner in early 2020. He later became aware James was using personal material about him in his stand-up routines, despite being “quite explicit” that he did not want to be involved in any shows or videos, but knew nothing about this latest project until promotional ads were screened on TVNZ.
He claims the programme itself was harmful to him and that damage to his reputation may harm his future employment prospects. “A couple of hundred people [at a stand-up comedy show] is one thing; basically they put this out for the entire country to see.“
TVNZ describes James Must-a-pic His Mum a Man as “a satirical comedy series, told from James’ point of view”.
In one of the opening scenes, James gets advice from The Bachelor’s Art Green while they’re sitting in an ice bath, with his mum listening in from the shower cubicle. Later, he sets up celebrity dates for his mother with TV presenter Matt Gibb (axe throwing), Act’s David Seymour (ten-pin bowling) and the “Elvis of Papakura”, Wayne Anderson, who serenades her in a bar.
TVNZ told the Herald it takes the formal complaints process seriously and had no further comment while the matter is under consideration by the the Broadcasting Standards Authority. James Mustapic also declined to comment.
Joanna Wane is an award-winning senior feature writer in the New Zealand Herald’s Lifestyle Premium team, with a special focus on social issues and the arts.
