Flavor Brigade(censorship and morality)

[kuwaizair]

If you clicked this, thank you, you'd never know what its about unless you look. Plus it's a lesson in humor. Anyway here I go.


How do you feel about the "war against tastelessness" or what ever that so-called noble cause is called.

The world is a dark ball of immoral media, so people need to fight to clean things up with rightous mops. We had TV with cussing, movies with violence and sexy music, what will be come of our children? That is the cry of those who see we have a problem.

For movies we have a nice little buddy, some these people take movies and edit them without permission of the creators. Then they redistribute the movies. (Or so I read about) Not only this but there are machines that are programmed to "self edit", if Jr. Needs to watch Saving Private Ryan, Mommy can let him and edit out what she thinks he should see. Apparently this is not illegal, it's protected by some act that needs to "protect families"

If the Motion Picture Rating's folk didn't do enough work, really the movie says "sexual content, drug use and extreme gore" obviously it's indented for 10 year olds, it's just too much for little Johnny (who is 7).

Also the air waves aren't to free, we'll have bleeped music and bleeped radio show hosts, possibly the one who's getting the most attention is Howard Stern, his show is a lot "safer" now but he has being watched greatly, not just that, he and some others are in a spot that one wrong move and you'd get fined a lot of money just for saying something remotely "R" rated. Maybe they're not picking on him, maybe so. I don't know how his show used to be, but the radio and the TV version is under great scrutiny. They see people like this as a threat to decency and morality. My mom listens to him on the way to her work (and when I get driven to school) and sometimes things do 'get too much". Also, he's brought up that our best friend Opra can talk about things on her show and get away with it. Her content is normally "calm" and not like other talk shows, but sometimes she will have "private sex lives of teens", Howard on the other hand can barley talk about anything remotely sexual. But this? Context and content. She can talk about poop, he can't. I don't think its fair either. That is why he is moving to satellite, the land of the free.

Censors are friends, they tell us what we don't want to see. Part of me wants to side with them, part of me wants to say, "get rid of the beasts". Ever watch a movie on TV to see that some words are edited. That is funny, it truly is. Censors are also stupid. They bleeped out a word that is spelt the same way as a kind of fish, and they leave in one that is "the mother of bad words". Tell me, what are you protecting me from again?
I'm no expert but I did a report on censorship, its gotten better, there was a time when lots of little things were no-nos. Now a days its "OMG no boobs for little Timmy, he just got weend off the teet" (some people don't opt for unnatural bottles and early weaning) or "Sally can't see butts even if she helps me change her baby brother. I mean that's baby butt, not man-butt...that's wrong" ah censors, you old chop and crop.

Amidst all this some people have forgotten the Internet. Partly. They banter and lament on all the horrors but someone forgot to do a little goggle searching (then they censored that too) we're anime and game fans here? Tell me the horrors? Some of us could be into, anthropomorphic animals (aka Furry/furries), we should know the horrors! Sure some anime is supposed to be adult, but fandoms make things horrible. So what next? The Internet needs to be attacked and washed clean for those who can't/should not see such. I think some of them are funny, I do, if someone is 14 and can't see questionable content, and then that 14 year olds shouldn't be a pervert on line. It's laughable. Not just that but when they're off line? Who is to say they are not influenced? So we're protecting "minors" from what? Keep it clean for the real innocents.

Again, walk and listen, anti-squick forces blame kid's behavior on these things, should we" should we say someone was influenced by icky content s/he saw on the internet for their behavior? What if they weren't? What if they learnt those things from classmates who learnt it from big brother who learnt it from his friend's parents who got it from a book? Oh yeah books, those won't be free for long. People want to censor books as well, because "the horrors".


Lastly there is fear, that one day these people will start attacking art, not horrible furry or anime or fantasy art on sites like DA or personally owned, no this is the classic "put pants on David" and "Justice is showing a boob, she's bad". It just makes me want to try to push the limits of tastefulness. Don't like naked anthrop-fork-people with god-given parts? To bad.

I hope this can be a remotely intelligent convocation, mind you I live In America, and have no clue as to how laws are over in your Countries, maybe they are lax, maybe they are worse (put pants on that cartoon dog!) so lets share our thoughts and culture on the topic of "the flavor brigade", showing us what is tasteful and what is just squicky.
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(i've been wanting to make this post for a few weeks now. I hope its not to long, really I didn't expect it to look as such)
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few runes short of a set of 27

[Sai Fujiwara]

Ha ha ha ha, that's some pretty funny stuff, kuwaizair. You know what, I pretty much agree with you, sometimes I like what censors pull, other times it's like, come on... Just give me a break.

For instance, non-sexual nudity... Ok, what's so wrong with a naked bottom, anyway?! I've been mooned before, and I've mooned others before I was even 10 years old. And not only that, a lot of children help their mothers change diapers, so it's not like it's something they haven't seen before, right? I think it's all about the context of things.

Granted, some garbage just shouldn't be on tv, because it's just plain crap, and serves no purpose. However, this doesn't ALWAYS mean that it's bad words, or naughty parts. That's the stupidity of censorship, they single out the F-word or a boobie. I mean, by themselves, they don't mean jack. Now, how about a rape scene on national TV... No nudity, and no swearing, but serioiusly... That sort of thing shouldn't be shown on national television, and I've seen clips of that kinda' crap before. Really, in a movie, that's restricted, that's one thing, but on national TV, that's another.

Censorship is a double-edged sword, that's for sure. I just think that (in America) we ought to start using censorship a little more intelligently. I mean, kids these days are swearing like sailors in elementary school, so something is wrong, but I don't blame it on not enough censorship... I blame it more on the parents who are supposed to pay attention to their children. I also think that content, more than specific things like words or parts should be censored. Nudity certainly isn't harmful, if it isn't for sexual purposes, since we're all born the same way.

Oh well, these are just some random mumblings of a passerby. Nice topic, kuwaizair.
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Happily Married to the Lovely Lady Chris Lightfellow! :D

[kuwaizair]

don't forget cultural exchanges and change. a long time ago even minor words would of made a church explode if spoken, now adays "crap" is even in kids shows (I swear Helga from "Hey Arnold" said that word in two episodes)

also now adays we need to portect everyone, or so i see it. I hear in other contries they aren't as uptight, so topless women can be seen on Billbords and in Magizeen adds, and who knows, there may be even so level of "dirtyness" in childrens programing (nudeity)

The you have people who think personal maturity is good thing, look around the internet or talk to people, some "had their first porno mag" anywhere from 8 to 10 years of age. so they can take it? Little Timmy can't, is them that shold be shielded and the first are just awfull children bound to be parents at 13.

Its also fun to mock the censors I think, or do reverse mocking, "the world where it dosen't matter", that means well, questionable content for kids.

don't grill me, heck I didn't invent (those fancy panties..laguneria?) for kids, yet because Little Lilly needs to be like mommy and idolizes Pop Stars she now can, I think its wrong, funny but wrong. I read an artical once about our female youth and how they are acting from the influance of these people, some mothers thankfully refuse to let their 9 year old wear a tube top (she's in no harm of heat stroke mind you, its not a summer thing) and mini shorts. others well, thats their parenting we can't knock their choise.

anway Thanks Sai for posting. I feel loved.
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few runes short of a set of 27

[Earthquake923]

Well I'ld just like to say CENSORED FOR CONTENT.



No seriously. I think people need to think alittle more. When the South Park movie had come out, me and a friend went to go see it. I was surprised as to how many kids who looked about 10 were in the theater by themselves, and to top it off a 6 year old kid with his father came in. After the movie I thought I was too young for that movie(i am 30), but I couldn't help but think how appropite the movie was with the kids being exposed to things they shouldn't be. Parents should take a more active role. My Mom NEVER let me see anything with an R rating unless
1)She knew there was no nudtiy
2)She had seen it first.
There are movies like Clockwork Orange, and Fritz the Cat. I mean when my parents were 18 they were rated X. Nowadays they are considered R. I disagree with that for CLockwork Orange given the content. I can't say the same for Fritz the Cat, I've never seen it. But I fell that once a movie is labeled as such, the ratings shouldn't really change, after all there WAS a reason.

Oh well my 2 potch.
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If anybody asks about the avatar, I did it for Jess.

[kuwaizair]

Oh don't go on about inappropate films, the most famous is Passion of the Christ. "its a jesus movie, lets take the kids, instill god in them". or just lazy parents. somtimes kids can talke it, somtimes the'll be tramatized/infulaced.

also raunchy animation gets lots of scrutiney because, in America "if its animated its for kids, cartoons are for kids" which is funny, because loony tunes was made for adults in mind. Though I must admit, I've been watching The Simpsons sence if Left Tracy Alman(spl)'s show (i'm 23 mind you)
Ive also watched Beavis and Butthead with my mom, it was pretty sad when they movied that show to 9:00+.

when It comes to violece people are mad because Kids emulate it, I just wonder what would happen if we had other content in programing ment for kids, would they emulate that? some people alredy think we are to friendly with the violance and nutty when somthing gets a bit steamy (shut up and go to the internet then folk, its filled with that kid of stuff) that is the day, and a good reason I don't know flash or any animation programing. always hope with puppets, Sesamy Street, will never be the same.


anway I'd like to see more cultural views here. disussion fourm.
(thanks Earthquake923 for partaking in this)
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few runes short of a set of 27

[Inko]

kids should be able to watch what they want, but if there parents say they can't watch it then they shouldn't be able to.

As for censors on TV I think that as well is stupid, but only in the sense of cuting out curse words, after all most of kids friends at school use language that is worse than anything that comes on movies. I do however belive in not having nudity on TV, for instance little Timmy(age 6) is fliping through the channels and flips on some Hard-core porn...

[St. Ajora]

I guess I'm devil's advocate here, because I actually support that type of censorship at my age. When it comes to swear words and "boobies" well yeah, if I had a kid, I wouldn't want he or she to be flipping through and somehow coming to their own conclusions about a woman's body and such from television. I am totally not comfortable with that. True, kids these days can be more foul mouthed than adults, but does that mean we should just accept that as the norm? I don't think so. And in saying that, I don't believe that we should just desensitize ourselves to words that are meant to be careless and insulting. That isn't to say that I'm not hypocritical (because I am, and I obviously do swear) but I wouldn't want my own child to be like that. I don't want my son or daughter watching tv, hardly blinking when it's f-this, f-that. When you get past all of the trends of today's society, they are filthy words. I'd be horrified if I heard my own speak like that. Until they got a mind of their own, of course ;)

Moving past swearing, and getting back to the sexuality thing, I don't mind black bars moving across my screen. Like I said before, I don't feel comfortable with the thought of a child drawing conclusions from television, which is hardly reality in itself. It may show that sexuality is a healthy, normal thing, but picking up such serious information from television...isn't that the parental substitution these days?

[kuwaizair]

yeh well Like I said, i'm sure some folk would think the oppsite, that little Timmy can and should have some soft porn, because of their own hair brained reasons. (again serch people some will admit to having that stuff when they were 8, and its not pretty, its not)

as for learning from TV some folk don't even want kids to learn from teachers, then again some think kids don't learn enough about sexuality from school, they are the ones who deliver the tastless ness that makes me want to agree with the "hide from 'virgin" eyes" people. ( I was reading a post in a feminist community on LJ, and what i read just was well kinda ick)

there needs to be a ballance between this stuff, like knowlage of apparopatness, you don't let an impressionalbe child watch certain things, or even if not, you just don't do it.

I seem to think I have awhole dark, mocking and outragous battle plan on these things, then again some skits on shows like SNL and MAD TV may of helped, some of them are quite tastless, but funny, beause somwhere somone is going to be like that. Its just then that may break things and make such humor illegal (like using what I read in that LJ community for a skit, you don't have those kind of books to give to 12 year old girls, so what if they need to learn "every gal is differnt". thats just awfull"

oh and -stuff of that content- some people thing we should teach with that, tell me, who is the true villan, a person who makes a moive with a gun toting nude chick, or the person who has their own agenda on "education"? trust me I see and hear these thigns.(or mis interperte)
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few runes short of a set of 27

[St. Ajora]

They both are. Guns being associated with sex is damaging enough, but so is a person in a position in authority, with a bias. And quite frankly, it's hard to recognize those that acknowledge their bias and try to deal with it. Many can not. What a child needs to be taught from their role model (parents, anyone) is to be open and to make their own decisions regarding that sort of content. Or any content. Sex, violence, feminism, history, etc. We can appreciate someone else's hidden agenda, but we should be able to function with the thought "well that was her interpretation and I do not wish to follow that" instead of saying "well she may be right when she says that women don't really need men to do anything" (for example). And that's what's so tough these days. I mean, you can tell your child to make up their own mind and appreciate another point of view, but you can't hammer that ability into their head. You can most certainly say television may not portray a totally realistic society, but you can't stop a child from actually believing that, if they choose. So it's hard to get those important messages across, which is why censored or uncensored content can be so dangerous these days.