Yahoo Lifestyle 
Official complaints made over 'foul' AGT act
He raised eyebrows on Sunday night with a display of some of the most ‘graphic’ art Australia’s Got Talent has seen, but the appropriately named Pricasso also had viewers shouting down the phone lines.
After objections were raised online following AGT’s final act of their premiere episode on Sunday night, it looks like some people went over Twitter’s head and took it up with the relevant authorities.
ACMA confirmed to Yahoo Lifestyle that the segment which featured the performance artist paint judge Shane Jacobson’s likeness, using only his nether regions, prompted official complaints.
The media authority said a number of official complaints had been made regarding the inclusion of the censored, but suggestive performance during a typically family-friendly time slot of 7pm.
“The ACMA has received three complaints about the episode of Australia's Got Talent,” the authority said last night.
The guidelines dictate that ACMA direct those with complaints to the broadcaster, in this case Channel 7, and if they don’t receive a response the authority will take up the issue after several weeks.
It’s not the last we’ll see of Pricasso either, the unorthodox act won over judges Nicole Scherzinger, Shane Jacobson, Manu Feildel and Lucy Durack, all of whom voted the artist through - which is apparently no easy feat according to Nicole.
Host Ricki-Lee’s side stage view gave her a more direct line of vision, and the former Australian Idol star was decidedly more taken aback, as were a slew of viewers who continue to blast the act online.
With complaints continuing to roll in, it remains to be seen what the show chooses to do with the controversial act.
Outrage online
A slew of negative Google reviews almost all cite the private-part-portrait-painting as the cause of their concern.
“Why oh why did they air that artist??? Ruining the show for everyone,” one irate viewer wrote on Google. “Honestly have some integrity.”
In the wake of the episode’s finale, Twitter has also blown up with irate reactions to the act which has been slammed as inappropriate for the kids that are often tuning in to the 7pm time slot.
You are right. We didn’t expect it. Happily watching show with my 10Yr old daughter. Once this act came on we switched the channel. It was unnecessary. Parts blanked out during broadcast. Clearly it was of concern to @Channel7 Disappointed this was on during a family time-slot
— Stewart Matthewson (@discostew2009) July 28, 2019
“Didn’t think this should be on a family show,” one outraged viewer tweeted. “There were kids in the audience.”
“In just one foul stroke you’ve manage to damage the entire @Channel7 brand,” another accused.
Others were fine with the act arguing that people were taking the whole thing too seriously.
Sure it’s fine to teach kids to stick swords down their throats or pour petrol on themselves and light it but how dare we teach kids to paint with natural resources 😒 well done Tim AKA Pricasso and channel 7 myself and my family thought it was great 👍
— Ducey (@Ducey) July 28, 2019
It’s not the first time the performance artist has taken his art to the silver screen.
Pricasso previously took his act to Sweden’s Got Talent where he slipped through to the second round with just two of three votes.
Other acts that night also had people talking, Apollo Jackson of The Bachelorette made his return with a death-defying magic act and a candid insight into the reality of life post-reality fame.
Got a story tip? Send it to lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com
Want more lifestyle and celebrity news? Follow Yahoo Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Or sign up to our daily newsletter here.
