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Censorship in modern society
Effects of censorship on children
Censorship in modern society
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Censorship Without the history of Censorship, what type of things would children be watching? Without the unique methods of Censorship, what kinds of films would be being released into the public? Throughout this essay I will be explaining the steps taken to achieve the level of Censorship, that we have now. In 1900-1950 every movie in the world was rated before being released. The government, of the country in which the movie was made always did this. In 1956 the rules were changed. Each movie’s script was now required to go before a Film Board, before being produced. If approved the company was allowed to go on with production. In 1968 the Film Board of the Motion Picture Association of America adopted a new classification system. Instead of the scripts being read, the movies were made, rated by the Board and then put into a category. In 1968 the motion Pictures Association, the National Association of Theater Owners, and the International Film importers all gathered for a meeting about an organization called CARA (classification and rating administration). The main objective of this organization was to educate parents on the films and television that their children watch. This rarely changed any movies or television shows it just put an age limit on the people to be able to watch them. Anyone over seventeen years of age was allowed to watch anything they chose. There were four categories: 1. G-General 2. PG...
...jective, then the parents also need to be subjective and judge whether or not their child should be able to see the film in question. However, with films, such as 2013’s raunchy The Wolf of Wall Street, containing record setting language, abundant amounts of nudity, and a gratuitous quantity of drug use, continuously pushing the limits and boundaries of what can be seen in a movie theatre, the MPAA has to not only classify what is in films, but make sure they are keeping kids safe and restricting the limits filmmakers can go to to make sure their motion picture can fit into the most financially suitable rating. The MPAA is not doing its job to keep the undeveloped minds of the youth of America from seeing the things that they are unable to handle and is creating a reality in which lives do not carry meaning, morals are not upheld, and life is just like the movies.
The idea of Hollywood, before it was Hollywood as we know it seems foreign. However, it did exist and was known as "Pre-code." Pre-code Hollywood refers to the era in the American film industry between the introduction of sound in the late 1920's and the enforcement of the Hays Code censorship guidelines, which went into effect on June 13, 1934 (Association of Motion Picture Producers 1934). Durin...
Although Valenti and the Rating System's advocates claim that parents should have the final choice in what their children view, the system may, in practice, obstruct that purpose for parents who decide that their children should see some films. For films with the controversial NC-17 rating, the theatre is prevented from letting young John Small and his under-aged ilk from seeing a film despite his parents' permission. In fact, had John actually been accompanied by his parents, the theatre would have had every right -- some would even say responsibility -- to refuse his admission. The printing of the NC-17 rating often does not read -- as would be reasonable -- "Intended for Adults Only" but rather the more rigid "Not to be Attended by Children Under Seventeen.
In 1968 Jack Valenti, the president of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), established the Classification and Ratings Administration (CARA) in an effort to reduce the amount of objectionable material in film. Before 1968, the MPAA required that all films follow the guidelines of the Production Code. The Production Code stipulated what was and was not appropriate to appear in films. In 1966, the MPAA elected Jack Valenti president and he changed the code to a rating system based on the amount of objectionable content in a film. The rating system went through several amendments until the current rating system. A controversy arose when The Weinstein Co. film Blue Valentine received an NC-17 rating for a sexually explicit scene involving the main characters in the film. The controversy over the rating of the film stirred up the question of the effectiveness of the MPAA rating system. Critics were already questioning the effectiveness of the MPAA, but the recent controversy helped to stimulate those questions. The rating system that the MPAA enforces on films is ineffective.
Many Americans love films, the meanings behind those films and the impact some films have on people’s lives. Ever since films were created there have been people and organizations that have tried to censor and block what the public can and cannot see. Even to this day there are certain things that if put on film because of censorship, would never make it to the public. This is very sad. Film is one of this country’s great expressive outlets. Many filmmakers and the people who enjoy what these filmmakers put out are effected by the horrible concept of censorship. When a film is put out to the public it is first reviewed by a movie rating board who then assigns the film a rating to tell people what age groups the film is suitable for and what the film contains. Movie selection for minors should solely be the responsibility of that child’s parent, not some critic that watches films and then makes decisions for other people about who can watch it and who can’t. People just need to start to understand the real meaning of free speech and expression in this country. Too many people are taking it for granted. People who are for the censorship of films may argue that it’s for the good of our children, shielding them from violence and sex, and not exposing them to something that they claim may be mentally harm...
Parents can determine if they want to allow their children to watch certain movies by using the film rating system. The film rating system went into effect on November 1, 1968. Even though the decision of whether or not to use the film rating system is voluntary, the vast majority of theaters in The United States enforce the Classification and Rating Administration’s guidelines. This was a voluntary system sponsored by the Motion Picture Association of America and the National Association of Theatre Owners.
Darryl F. Zanuck, a talented filmmaker and writer who had been highly involved in Baby Face, resigned his position as production head at Warner Bros Studios (Wilson 352). This was due to the fact that when it came to censoring Baby Face to please Will Hays and the censors, Zanuck protested because he believed that the film must remain impact to reflect the original theme. Jack and Harry Warner therefore accepted Zanuck’s resignation after assuring Hays the film would undergo the necessary cuts to make it acceptable (Wilson 353). It is amusing how Baby Face is known to give a real effect to the production code. In 1934, it was pulled from theaters by the production Code disregarding the censorship cuts that had been made. It was said that no amount of cuts or clean-ups could make the film appropriate enough to be released to the public(Leff and Simmons 58-62) . The Production code was continued to be enforced in Hollywood until 1966 when it was replaced. In 1968 the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) instituted the first iteration of the voluntary ratings system, still used today (Jefferson Center). This system had the support of the MPPDA and theater owners. In fact, the ratings system enforced then and now is not government mandated but actually another adaptation of self-censorship in order to prevent the government from intervening in production or censorship. Hollywood’s liking for self-censorship and filmmakers’ continual
these scenes out to allow that age group to see it, it should be left
Censorship divides the people from the facts and the freedom of knowledge. People did not know that books are bad and that they are useless. In the 1950s, censorship was very prominent. In the 1950s, many laws were passed to keep thoughts and ideas from people’s
Wyatt, Justin. “The Stigma of X: Adult Cinema and the Institution of the MPAA Ratings System.” Controlling Hollywood: Censorship and Regulation in the Studio Era. Ed. Matthew Bernstein. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1999. (238-264).
This essay explains the journey of Bollywood (Indian Film Industry) and how it has changed itself and its audience’s perspective on Hindi Cinema. Applying the key features from Dennis McQuail’s “Normative Theory”, the relationship between Bollywood and the audience, controlled by the censorship board will be explained; and how both, the Bollywood industry and Censor Board are responsible for bringing changes to each other in the terms of rules, regulations, audience’s attitudes and their demands, in every period of time. According to McQuail (2010), a normative theory is adopted to clear the confusion prevailing in the information industry, that has become self-centred in modern days; and also to examine if the information created is to serve own self or the government. There have been endless debates by the contrasting individual ideas on how the media should be controlled from displaying unethical contents, and normative theory helps in guiding the individuals (theorists, writers, society and general public) to produce suggestions and ideas that media should follow, for the benefit of society and media (McQuail, 2010). The Indian Film Industry was established in 1913 but began to be known in 1920 (Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, 2010). Bollywood, since then, was and is still controlled by the censor board, however the censor board went through a few transformations, from being independently owned by police heads of every region, to Bombay Board of Film Censors, and finally to the Central Board of Film Censors in 1952 (Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, 2010). Cinema rules were reedited in 1983 and the censor board was re-named to the Central board of Film Certification (Indian Ministr...
Ever wondered the reason behind racial discrimination, sexual discrimination, children committing crime or violence? The main reason is that censorship is not properly imposed or there is a need of censorship in the society. Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information that certain people, individual, groups or government officials find it objectionable, offensive or dangerous on others. There are varieties of other definitions but all have in common the concept of withholding information and/or resources from those who seek it. Hence censorship is essential in society to eliminate discrimination on basis of race and sex, protect children, maintain stability and restore what censor sees as lost moral values. Censorship occurs when expressive materials like books, magazines, movies, videos, music or work of art are restricted to particular audiences based on their age or other characteristics. (http://www.ala.org/oif/intellectualfreedeomandcensorship.html)
Since the foundation of the United States after a harsh split from Britain, almost 200 years later, an issue that could claim the founding grounds for the country is now being challenged by educators, high-ranking officials, and other countries. Though it is being challenged, many libertarians, democrats, and free-speech thinkers hold the claim that censorship violates our so-called unalienable rights, as it has been proven throughout many court cases. Censorship in the United States is detrimental because it has drastically and negatively altered many significant events.
Censorship affects our society in many different ways, it affects the music we listen to, the movies we watch, the books we read, and many other aspects of our everyday lives. Even though many might argue that censorship doesn't really have a place in a society that emphases freedom of speech and the freedom to express oneself, but censorship is an essential and needed part of our growing society, it's needed in the television industry, the Internet, and the music industry. Censorship helps to make our world a better place because it creates a better environment for us to live in.
The argument against media censorship has been going on for years, even decades. It is still a hotbed issue for some. Should something that offends some be banned for everyone? Should forms of media be censored, and if so, how is it done fairly and equally? Arguments will be presented as well as some as some deeper issues as well.