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. . . . . . . . . . "UK - US Censorship"
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Let's face it, the censorship situation in the US and UK is pretty
fucked up. For both countries there is such sickening hypocrisy and
institutional snobbishness that you just thank Human Ingenuity for the
Internet.
First, let's talk TV. The censorship laws are very different on both
sides of the pond. Firstly, apart from pay TV, the US has quite
unbelievably strict rules on content. No even mild swearing until at least
after 9pm, no nudity at all and strictly limited violence. All these rules
absolutely disregard context which, when your dealing with human expression,
is a pretty fundamental element. Yes HBO and the like have a free hand,
relatively speaking, but you have to pay to get it so, by definition,
there's going to be a limit to the audience.
The UK, however, is much more sensible if you ask me. I live in
London and I know what the rules are. There is a watershed of 9pm for
free-to-view channels (5 are available will others available if you get
digital TV) but that has been contravened a few times and also context plays
a major part. "Fuck" and "Cunt" can be aired on national, free-to-view TV
without sanction as long as there's a context. For instance, on BBC2 the
masterful Glengarry Glen Ross was shown uncut, "cunts" and all. Similarly,
"Kids" was just shown on Channel 4 at 10.30pm uncut. Channel 4 and BBC2
generally show off-the-beaten-track programming and have a policy not to
show a film at all if it needs to be cut. Both can be seen by anyone with a
TV for free.
This is good. This does not just include movies, by the way. Home
grown dramas, comedies and talk shows are all free and easy with realistic
language and sex scenes. Violence is also used at the discretion of the
programme maker. Rather handily, a lot of broadcasters over here broadcast
quality, and controversial, stuff and then get admonished but by then it's
been broadcast so we don't miss out on it.
It has taken some time to get like this but it's a damn sight better
than the US arrangement. Still the US has it better with theatre showings
of movies and commercial videos.
In Britain, we have unelected panels of "experts" who categorise a
film (U, PG, 15, 18 etc.) and then that becomes legally enforceable. So,
unlike in the US, a 10 year-old cannot go to an 18 rated film with an adult
because only 18 year-olds or above can see the film. It is not guidance to
content like in America (apart from NC-17, of course) it is a statement by
these people that "If thou art under 12/15/18 you shall not see this movie".
They take that choice away from adults and make their decision final.
And, again unlike the US, they can deny the release of a film by
withholding the relevant licence if they don't think it is suitable to be
seen!!!! So they could ban a film over here outright that had been in the
US top ten and we could do nothing about it.
In video it is even worse. The classification mechanics are the
same, with the same ratings certificates and the same legal enforcement.
There are embellishments to ratings to the effect that tapes for sex shops
are classified "18R" so they can't be sold outside of a licensed
establishment and there is a special "Uc" rating for kids cartoons but there
is little fundamentally different. Of course, the US has NO ratings for
videos and very jealous we Brits are about it.
Because video is treated in a very different way to cinema, the
criteria set for the above ratings is markedly stricter. They take into
account repeat viewings and the fact you can pause and play in slow motion.
The overall effect is that films like Reservoir Dogs took about a year
longer to get approval for a video release after numerous attempts despite
the fact that it was shown as an 18 certificate in the cinema without a
hitch. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has only just been allowed to come out
on video!!! I mean that's a system just advertising for bootleggers.
Censorship really gets on my tits. The Internet has been uncensored
for years and has the world collapsed? Has society imploded? Are we living
in a global domain of Sodom and Gomorrah? No. What stronger argument do
you need that censorship is merely there for suppression and serves no real
positive purpose?
We need more people like Jerry Springer (sorry if I've just lowered
the tone of the whole argument by mentioning him) who demonstrates that by
letting anyone, including fascists, have their say is not a dangerous thing.
He is one of the true protectors of free speech. O.K. I think the show is
utter sewerage but the principle that no one should be gagged (even Anti-
Semites) is vigorously upheld and I applaud him.
Oh, and Michael Moore rocks. And for your information, he wouldn't
have a TV show if we Brits didn't fund him. So there.
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. anada 121 by Schoolboy (c)2000 anada e'zine .
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