American hypocrisy TV

Here in Sweden they show many American (US) movies and TV shows. Often one gets really tired of those, partly because of their censorship of reality on different levels. In most of these shows they can hardly talk five minutes before their words are drowned by a loud “beeep”. On other occasions a big blur covers logos on t-shirts, cars, aeroplanes, houses, signs and other places and things. And of course if someone should happen to show a little to much bare skin then the blur is there again.

 

One example of this that annoyed me was a show about a Native American people in the Amazon. This people wore very few clothes and because of this a lot of bare skin were visible. In an US show, that was intended for teenagers, they had blurred out the breast regions of the women and also the lower parts of both men and women. Such prudishness is really on the verge of the immoral. These Amazon people are not ashamed of the way they are dressed and they are not ashamed of showing their bodies. But in American TV their natural clothing and their bodies are made into something shameful, something obscene, something that must be hidden from the eyes of the poor American teenagers. Very strange idea and also a sign of the hypocracy and double standards that permeates US TV.

 

Sometimes though the censors seems to shut their eyes as in the TV show Jackass, where the most strange and grotesque acts are shown in the name of humour. And then they complain that not all TV companies around the world will buy this show, and they are even complaining about censorship.

 

I spent last summer in ultra-liberal San Francisco. Found it amazing that classic films (Such as Pulp Fiction) were heavily censored, with most of the swear words removed. I believe that considering how f-cked up the US really is (What with the urban ghetto's, massive crime and murder rates, huge public political illiteracy/apathy etc.) its a bit mental that they get so worked up over a few f**king swear words.

And yes, I included a couple of gratuituous swear words for added effect :)


Edited by Parnell - 10-Jun-2009 at 21:27

Originally posted by Parnell I spent last summer in ultra-liberal San Francisco. Found it amazing that classic films (Such as Pulp Fiction) were heavily censored, with most of the swear words removed. I believe that considering how f-cked up the US really is (What with the urban ghetto's, massive crime and murder rates, huge public political illiteracy/apathy etc.) its a bit mental that they get so worked up over a few f**king swear words. And yes, I included a couple of gratuituous swear words for added effect :)

On some channels such as comedy central they will air uncensored movies late at night and channels like HBO aren't censored ether.

I feel political correctness is a bigger problem, former television talk show host Don Imus was almost crucified because he called the mostly minority-all female Rutger's University basketball team "nappy headed h*es". 


Edited by Kevin - 11-Jun-2009 at 01:31

Originally posted by Kevin Originally posted by Parnell I spent last summer in ultra-liberal San Francisco. Found it amazing that classic films (Such as Pulp Fiction) were heavily censored, with most of the swear words removed. I believe that considering how f-cked up the US really is (What with the urban ghetto's, massive crime and murder rates, huge public political illiteracy/apathy etc.) its a bit mental that they get so worked up over a few f**king swear words. And yes, I included a couple of gratuituous swear words for added effect :) On some channels such as comedy central they will air uncensored movies late at night and channels like HBO aren't censored ether. I feel political correctness is a bigger problem, former television talk show host Don Imus was almost crucified because he called the mostly minority-all female Rutger's University basketball team "nappy headed h*es".

No that's just f**king racist coming from Don Imus - if Nick Diapolo said that I'd laugh.

What worries me more than censoring obscene words or even blurring nudity (which are pretty trivial when you come down to it) is what I gather Hollywood has done to Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials to make it palatable to Christians (and monotheists in general I guess).

Don Imus and Dipaolo are not worlds apart, they both feebly attempt humor and often times are offensive.  The thing is if anybody said what Imus said it would have been taken as racist.  If Nick Dipaolo while speaking about the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team said, "That's (sic) some rough girls from Rutgers.  Man, they got tattoos and –" then continued "that's some nappy headed hos.  I'm going to tell you know, man, that's some – whew.  And the girls from Tennessee, they all looked cute, so like – kinda like – I don't know."  You're telling me that Dipaolo wouldn't be racist just funny.  The thing is there will be racist undertones no matter who says it.  I personally don't have an issue with Imus's statement until he used the term nappy headed hos, but again the man's a shock jock and going to say what ever is provocative since that's what gets people to listen to his show.  Honestly, you're going to tell me that if Dipaolo made the exact same statement it would be funny?  The context of the Imus statement was meant to be funny but the statements missed the mark, much like Ted Danson wearing black face at the Oscars years ago when Whoopi Goldberg was still hosting them and dating him.  Danson's actions were meant to be funny but they missed their mark.