TV censorship
January 23rd, 2014 at 5:05:13 PM
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So I am watching a Law&Order rerun on the WE network
The defense raised an issue of "the Jews run the world" as a defense
Earlier in the episode, an anagram was figured out in the suspect's yearbook to read: "Kill all kikes"
The phrase was printed on a piece of paper on the evidence board and shown on screen
However, later in the episode, during trial, whenever either attorney made mention of the phrase, it was beeped out.
Now, I remember seeing this on NBC when it first aired and nothing was censored…why censor it now?
This is not a referendum on the phrase itself…just television randomly censoring various phrases.
The defense raised an issue of "the Jews run the world" as a defense
Earlier in the episode, an anagram was figured out in the suspect's yearbook to read: "Kill all kikes"
The phrase was printed on a piece of paper on the evidence board and shown on screen
However, later in the episode, during trial, whenever either attorney made mention of the phrase, it was beeped out.
Now, I remember seeing this on NBC when it first aired and nothing was censored…why censor it now?
This is not a referendum on the phrase itself…just television randomly censoring various phrases.
January 23rd, 2014 at 5:20:13 PM
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I have noticed network TV censorship becoming more and more choppy in the last year or so. There are now constantly shows on after 8PM (sit-coms or series) where the word "shit" or "asshole" is routinely used.
Words like this would never have been used even as short a time as 5 years ago. On cable maybe but never on Network TV.
As for your situation it is some producer who decides to be too careful instead of getting sued by every group known to man.
Is a "Kike" a reference to a Jewish person or a person who is considered a "gangster" or a bad person from another culture?
Pardon the ignorant question.
Words like this would never have been used even as short a time as 5 years ago. On cable maybe but never on Network TV.
As for your situation it is some producer who decides to be too careful instead of getting sued by every group known to man.
Is a "Kike" a reference to a Jewish person or a person who is considered a "gangster" or a bad person from another culture?
Pardon the ignorant question.
“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” - Winston Churchill
January 23rd, 2014 at 5:26:55 PM
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It is a derogatory term for a Jewish person
January 23rd, 2014 at 5:30:32 PM
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Although I'm Jewish, I do not know the source of this reference. Yeah, a "Kike" is an objectional reference to a Jew.Quote: TomspurIs a "Kike" a reference to a Jewish person or a person who is considered a "gangster" or a bad person from another culture?
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http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ —————————————————————————————————————
Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
January 23rd, 2014 at 5:36:38 PM
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Quote: DJTeddyBearAlthough I'm Jewish, I do not know the source of this reference. Yeah, a "Kike" is an objectional reference to a Jew.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kike
January 23rd, 2014 at 5:40:27 PM
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Quote: aceofspadesIt is a derogatory term for a Jewish person
It may be a far stretch but if it had been a derogatory statement about another nation or group it would have stood but because the Jewish community is so big in TV and entertainment, do you think that had anything to do with the producer's decision to bleep out the word?
“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” - Winston Churchill
January 23rd, 2014 at 5:46:31 PM
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Quote: TomspurIt may be a far stretch but if it had been a derogatory statement about another nation or group it would have stood but because the Jewish community is so big in TV and entertainment, do you think that had anything to do with the producer's decision to bleep out the word?
The printed word was not blurred out and NBC did not censor it on first run
January 23rd, 2014 at 5:50:42 PM
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Quote: aceofspadesThe printed word was not blurred out and NBC did not censor it on first run
In my opinion it would come down to the editor who is running the show at that time. He may have had an alert about the word and thought it would be ok if he simply bleeped out the offending term but didn't go as far as to blur out the actual writing?
These guys are not very good at their jobs, not all of them anyway.
Funny, here in Korea any image of smoking or violence is blurred out of every single movie on TV albeit local or international, without exception.
“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” - Winston Churchill
January 23rd, 2014 at 6:05:24 PM
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The news censors quite often by removing a voice or photoshopping things too. When that reporter from CNN was speaking to Rob Ford first you heard his supporters speaking to him then later was edited to only have his voice. You'll be seeing old shows beginning to insert advertisements now too. These cases of censorship are a lot worse than hate speech being censored, but it's always dishonest and sometimes well beyond.
I am a robot.
January 23rd, 2014 at 6:29:21 PM
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There is some room for judgement calls. If the word printed on the paper was a critical clue to the plot and their solving the case depended on it, I can see them leaving it in sight. I'm also guessing that the word could be extrapolated from the context of the dialogue later in the show, so they could bleep it out, which jerks you out of the "willing suspension of disbelief" mode needed to enjoy fiction, but did not destroy the intent of the work. (Maybe for blind people, if they didn't have the information from seeing the board.)
But I also agree in general standards are changing. The word "bitch" is everywhere (thank you, Sugarbaker). Naked buttocks abound (thank you, NYPD Blue). "Pissed" is another one that you now hear routinely (Thank you, everybody, it seems). And the language the directional mikes in sports doesn't seem to have a 7 second delay any more. Along with the other words mentioned above.
But I also agree in general standards are changing. The word "bitch" is everywhere (thank you, Sugarbaker). Naked buttocks abound (thank you, NYPD Blue). "Pissed" is another one that you now hear routinely (Thank you, everybody, it seems). And the language the directional mikes in sports doesn't seem to have a 7 second delay any more. Along with the other words mentioned above.
If the House lost every hand, they wouldn't deal the game.
January 23rd, 2014 at 6:35:43 PM
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.Quote: beachbumbabsThe word "bitch" is everywhere
It's bee-atch, you spelled it wrong.
Quote: beachbumbabsNaked buttocks abound
Really? I want to see picture proof. Start
with the Dallas Cheerleaders.
Quote: beachbumbabs"Pissed" is another one that you now hear routinely
Pissed to Brits means drunk. Our language
just confuses them.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
January 23rd, 2014 at 7:31:14 PM
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Things get changed for syndication. The WE network may just be experiencing collateral damage from a decision by the syndication company to remove some of the rougher edges from the show to make it easier to sell.
Someday, joor goin' to see the name of Googie Gomez in lights and joor goin' to say to joorself, "Was that her?" and then joor goin' to answer to joorself, "That was her!" But you know somethin' mister? I was always her yuss nobody knows it! - Googie Gomez
January 23rd, 2014 at 7:44:20 PM
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Perhaps the rerun us subject to different standards on the WE network. The original NBC show aired at 10 pm. Perhaps the time the rerun is shown is a factor.
Agreed, the permitted language on television today would have been unthinkable short years ago, although I do recall the Archie Bunker character letting loose with some racial slurs.
Agreed, the permitted language on television today would have been unthinkable short years ago, although I do recall the Archie Bunker character letting loose with some racial slurs.
“You don’t bring a bone saw to a negotiation.” - Robert Jordan, former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia
January 23rd, 2014 at 7:54:53 PM
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This article give some insight into the FCC's guidelines for taboo language:
Which Swear Words Are Banned From TV?
Which Swear Words Are Banned From TV?
“You don’t bring a bone saw to a negotiation.” - Robert Jordan, former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia
January 23rd, 2014 at 8:38:06 PM
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Best protest poster I ever saw was a NYC Arab with a sign imploring passersby to kill all Jews: Kill All Juice.
Second Best was by a hippie type newly arrived from the Bay Area, I happened to ask him how old was his sign and he finally realized I wasn't talking about the zodiac but was referring to his display material. He seemed a bit leery of me, perhaps thinking I represented some property-owning class and had just dined upon some workers, but soon relaxed a bit and told me it was five years old. I couldn't believe that in five years no one had corrected his "corprate" to "corporate". So much for the Socialist Worker's Party educational outreach program.
Perhaps its incidents like that which lead to today's receipt of an invitation to a Rainbow Gathering and Morning Circle of Friendship. I'm way too old for a sleeping bag in the woods type event though it was nice of them to offer to have me deputized by a Ranger and made a Camp Fire Safety Monitor. I thought for awhile I had been teleported to the corner of Haight Ashbury and 1964.
Second Best was by a hippie type newly arrived from the Bay Area, I happened to ask him how old was his sign and he finally realized I wasn't talking about the zodiac but was referring to his display material. He seemed a bit leery of me, perhaps thinking I represented some property-owning class and had just dined upon some workers, but soon relaxed a bit and told me it was five years old. I couldn't believe that in five years no one had corrected his "corprate" to "corporate". So much for the Socialist Worker's Party educational outreach program.
Perhaps its incidents like that which lead to today's receipt of an invitation to a Rainbow Gathering and Morning Circle of Friendship. I'm way too old for a sleeping bag in the woods type event though it was nice of them to offer to have me deputized by a Ranger and made a Camp Fire Safety Monitor. I thought for awhile I had been teleported to the corner of Haight Ashbury and 1964.
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:19:01 PM
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Quote: BleedingChipsSlowlyPerhaps the rerun us subject to different standards on the WE network. The original NBC show aired at 10 pm. Perhaps the time the rerun is shown is a factor.
Agreed, the permitted language on television today would have been unthinkable short years ago, although I do recall the Archie Bunker character letting loose with some racial slurs.
All In the Family would never be greenlit in today's politically correct society...neither would the Dean Martin roasts
January 23rd, 2014 at 9:22:09 PM
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Quote: aceofspadesAll In the Family would never be greenlit in today's politically correct society...neither would the Dean Martin roasts
You can't find most of those shows in reruns even.
You have to buy the DVD's. Archie says racial
slurs in every episode, I mean shocking slurs. It's
how people talked then, though. I talked that way
and so did my friends.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
January 23rd, 2014 at 10:38:38 PM
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Quote: EvenBobYou can't find most of those shows in reruns even.
You have to buy the DVD's. Archie says racial
slurs in every episode, I mean shocking slurs. It's
how people talked then, though. I talked that way
and so did my friends.
Yeah, you're right; the show couldn't be aired today on network. But the whole point of Archie was to mock him being such a bigot; hearing it out of his mouth was a funhouse mirror (not that you don't know that, but we're talking 40 years ago now; the majority of this board wasn't watching the show if they were even born yet). It was also the first tv show to show a toilet, and hear it flushing. I think there were a lot of firsts, like when Edith got an abortion; unheard of on a comedy.
We talked that way, too. Everybody who wasn't a WASP was a target. Hard to unlearn, but the world changed. I remember going to our basketball games at the Catholic high school; it was a big joke to throw fish and bread on the court at some point. Bestselling paperbacks were ethnic joke books. Crazy times.
If the House lost every hand, they wouldn't deal the game.
January 23rd, 2014 at 11:06:47 PM
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All in the Family was good, but I actually preferred Sanford & Son. However, there's no way in hell that the famous court scene would fly today:
Fighting BS one post at a time!
January 23rd, 2014 at 11:42:16 PM
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Quote: Beethoven9thAll in the Family was good, but I actually preferred Sanford & Son. However, there's no way in hell that the famous court scene would fly today:
We saw this on network TV, on a weekday night in
our living rooms. It was hilarious. Now, if you talk
like this, it's hate speech and you can be arrested.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
January 24th, 2014 at 12:00:09 AM
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I saw that episode when it first aired, too. When Redd Foxx delivered his hilarious line, me & everyone else in the room fell down laughing. It didn't occur to us that it was "offensive". It was just good comedy.Quote: EvenBobWe saw this on network TV, on a weekday night in
our living rooms. It was hilarious. Now, if you talk
like this, it's hate speech and you can be arrested.
That's another episode where LaWanda Page (Aunt Esther) uses the same language, and it's equally hilarious. All of my black friends laugh just as hard at both scenes.
Fighting BS one post at a time!
January 24th, 2014 at 12:07:23 AM
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Quote: Beethoven9thThat's another episode where LaWanda Page (Aunt Esther) uses the same language, and it's equally hilarious. All of my black friends laugh just as hard at both scenes.
This was how people talked in real life and
the networks were applauded and given
awards for being 'progressive'. 40 years
ago. What we have now is supposed to
be progress. I felt far closer to minorities
in 1974 than I do now.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
January 24th, 2014 at 12:29:46 AM
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I just read through this thread. So a couple of things:
1. Tastes and standards change.
2. Tastes and standards will change if NBC is airing a program first-run and is willing to take the heat, or if it is being sold into syndicaiton and the show is being "homogenized" for other markets where there are different standards and practices.
3. Tastes and standards vary with city and time of day based on the possible audience.
4. Tastes and standards differ between entertainment shows and news programs.
I never saw that episode of Law and Order, but NBC might have cleared it for late night and if I recall that show carries a warning about offensive language and violence.
When sold into syndication, it might have been edited to run in all dayparts including when kids are watching.
A couple of memories from when I started in TV news in 1973:
I was not allowed to use a sound clip from a gas station owner who said he was "pissed off at the Arabs" during the embargo.
When I did a series of reports on the "Gay lifestyle in Central New York" (groundbreaking because I interviewed gay couples and reported on "non-procreative sex" and why it was against the law in NY State) a decision was made to air it only on the 11pm news and not the 6pm news because they didn't want KIDS to see it.
Clearly when NBC first ran it -- it was not by accident that the offensive words and images got on the air. These programs go through all sorts of "standards and practices" checks from concept to final editing.
Even my Infomercial programs are screened in advance by the TV stations they run on to be sure there is nothing offensive or would violate any laws.
1. Tastes and standards change.
2. Tastes and standards will change if NBC is airing a program first-run and is willing to take the heat, or if it is being sold into syndicaiton and the show is being "homogenized" for other markets where there are different standards and practices.
3. Tastes and standards vary with city and time of day based on the possible audience.
4. Tastes and standards differ between entertainment shows and news programs.
I never saw that episode of Law and Order, but NBC might have cleared it for late night and if I recall that show carries a warning about offensive language and violence.
When sold into syndication, it might have been edited to run in all dayparts including when kids are watching.
A couple of memories from when I started in TV news in 1973:
I was not allowed to use a sound clip from a gas station owner who said he was "pissed off at the Arabs" during the embargo.
When I did a series of reports on the "Gay lifestyle in Central New York" (groundbreaking because I interviewed gay couples and reported on "non-procreative sex" and why it was against the law in NY State) a decision was made to air it only on the 11pm news and not the 6pm news because they didn't want KIDS to see it.
Clearly when NBC first ran it -- it was not by accident that the offensive words and images got on the air. These programs go through all sorts of "standards and practices" checks from concept to final editing.
Even my Infomercial programs are screened in advance by the TV stations they run on to be sure there is nothing offensive or would violate any laws.
January 24th, 2014 at 3:07:28 AM
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Quote: Beethoven9thAll in the Family was good, but I actually preferred Sanford & Son. However, there's no way in hell that the famous court scene would fly today:
I remember when this was first re-run on Nick at Nite and they gut this segment. I hadn't seen it is years but was sure it was cut. Next day on a blog like this several people posted saying, "They cut that!" Happens to anything not PC.
All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
January 24th, 2014 at 6:43:33 AM
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Redd Foxx Defines Indecent
The definition of indecent – when it’s in long, and it’s in hard, and it’s in deep – it’s in decent.
The definition of indecent – when it’s in long, and it’s in hard, and it’s in deep – it’s in decent.
Shed not for her
the bitter tear
Nor give the heart
to vain regret
Tis but the casket
that lies here,
The gem that filled it
Sparkles yet
January 24th, 2014 at 7:05:32 AM
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Gambling example of censorship to share about
Sunny In Philadelphia, airing on Comedy Central, the entire casino scene from Harrahs in Atlantic City, where Charlie bet it all on roulette continuing to press his bets, was cut. I don't know the reason if it was considered an advertisement or an anti-gambling stance for the cut.
Sunny In Philadelphia, airing on Comedy Central, the entire casino scene from Harrahs in Atlantic City, where Charlie bet it all on roulette continuing to press his bets, was cut. I don't know the reason if it was considered an advertisement or an anti-gambling stance for the cut.
I am a robot.
January 24th, 2014 at 7:18:38 AM
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I find it fascinating that the word "fart", which has been always been avoided or censored, has made the cut (no pun intended) to be aired (again, no pun intended). Even the sound of flatulence was never used, though reactions of "Who ripped one? Oh, that's nasty!" were said to infer that someone did the deed. Now the word "fart" flies freely (*ahem*) on TV.
-Dween!
January 27th, 2014 at 3:29:18 PM
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Quote: onenickelmiracleGambling example of censorship to share about
Sunny In Philadelphia, airing on Comedy Central, the entire casino scene from Harrahs in Atlantic City, where Charlie bet it all on roulette continuing to press his bets, was cut. I don't know the reason if it was considered an advertisement or an anti-gambling stance for the cut.
I noticed that, on this last season of Dancing With the Stars, when Bill Engvall danced to "Viva Las Vegas," all references to casino games were cut from the song. I also notice I never see "21" on TV, even on channels like TNT that show other movies with such objectionable material as cursing, outlaw behavior, and casting Kevin Spacey.
I also notice that censorship seems to be very choppy and inconsistent. Recent episodes of South Park no longer bleep the word "shit" but won't show an innocuous appearance by Muhammad. My personal favorite? Deleting all references to Popeye's Fried Chicken from "Little Nicky." Not sure how you do Little Nicky without Popeye's.
