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 .   .   .   .  .   .  .   .  .   .            "UK - US Censorship"
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  . . .  .   .   . . .  . . .  . . .               by Schoolboy


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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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