DIP me in chocolate and throw me to the lesbians" (as they said in Jerry Springer - The Opera). If you don't like it, don't watch it.

The moral indignity of the protesters who jammed the BBC's switchboard complaining about the programme's language or extremism is hard to fathom.

Why watch a programme, broadcast well after the watershed, if you know you are going to be offended by it?

Similarly, if some people in York are likely to be offended by strong language and outrageous humour when the show hits the stage at the Grand Opera House, don't go.

Reporter Haydn Lewis asks whether the show is 'Blasphemous or brilliant?' (January 11).

Actually, it's just not very good mainstream entertainment.

It's not as good as The Rocky Horror Show and I fell asleep half way through the TV version, it's a one gag wonder. But of course it should play in York if the Grand Opera House wants to stage it.

Thank God we don't live in a totalitarian state, where religious leaders would declare a fatwah on the life of Salman Rushdie for writing Satanic Verses and where blasphemy is punishable by amputation.

This is York. Generous, beautiful, modern, multi-faith and, above all, a tolerant city.

We owe it to our children to demonstrate through our deeds and actions that a piece of theatre is not worth worrying about. There are more pressing issues requiring our urgent attention. Let's show our children we have the maturity to recognise what these are.

Forget Jerry Springer, let's deal with poverty. In Africa 30,000 children die every week from preventable diseases.

That is worth getting cross about.

Clive Booth,

York's Conservative Parliamentary candidate,

Ash Street, York.

Updated: 10:33 Thursday, January 13, 2005