To censor or not to censor, that is the question. Whether is it nobler to
let people prance uninhibitedly across the silver screen and TV tube, buck naked
and pronouncing all sorts of vulgarisms to the viewing audience or to take up
arms against such profanity and promiscuity has been a problem with which
Hollywood has always had to contend from its conception.
Starting in the 1930s, when the steamy actions of actress Mae West forced the
film industry to create the Hays Code to self-regulate what was to be seen and
heard in the movies, to the present days of the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that
granted state governments the right to decide what is subversive or obscene, the
controversial topic of censorship has been ever-present in our society.
When television became a prominent factor in American lives, the networks
hired censors to review TV scripts for racial slurs, foul language, nudity and
other naughty bits that could be perceived as subversive or un-American.
Ironically, in the 1990s, with the lose of many TV network censors and the
lust for more graphic programming themes such as nudity, homosexuality and
graphic violence, the traditional boundaries of decency have been pushed back
further and further to a point that compared to the 1950s, present day
television could be considered pornographic.
The 1970s brought about the free use of racial slurs such as "nigger," "wop,"
and "chink," on the sitcom ALL IN THE FAMILY/CBS/1971-83.
The 1980s raised to a new height the use of profanity on the cable channels
with such foul-mouthed comedy specials as "RAW" featuring Eddie Murphy and the
chauvinistic panderings of specials featuring stand-up comedian Andrew Dice
Clay.
In the 1990s, nudity which was the ultimate taboo in past years is freely
screened on cable( and videos for private home use) and network daytime soap
operas are pushing the limits on the sexual athletics depicted in bedroom love
scenes. As Sony and Cher once sang "And the beat goes on..."
The following section highlights examples of the sorts of censorship problems
encountered by the networks and the American public.
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See also -
SEX, LOVE & NAUGHTY
BITS |
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"Now listen, you queer,
stop calling me a crypto-nazi or I'll sock you in your Goddamn face and
you'll stay plastered." |
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--William F. Buckley to Gore Vidal on the floor
of the 1968 Democratic convention aired on ABC |
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"I was the James Michener of
dirty talk. It was the most elaborate filth you ever heard. I mean, there
were different characters, plotlines, themes, a motif. At one point, there
was villagers..." |
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-- Ross, Friends |
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