Too Much Censorship?

Phantom · **on:** August 15, 2013, 11:38:22 PM

As you may have guessed, I hate censorship. It causes good movies to be edited (LBT) and hinders creativity. Even something as raunchy as Family Guy deserves, in my opinion at least, to say whatever the hell they want. Sure, I get offended sometimes, but that's life, and it's MY responsibility to avoid things that offend me. I guess I could vocally lobby against the things that offend me, but I don't want to ruin the fun for everyone else.
Anyway, the reason I made this topic is to discuss whether my school is overly sensitive. I was scolded for showing the following video at assembly for two reason (try to guess why);

http://youtu.be/2j-8nDfx0Q4
Just to clarify a few things:
1. This was approved by a teacher, but only out of pity (my videos never get shown).
2. I wasn't trying to be offensive at all.
3. Male seahorses give birth. I just found that weird.
Anyways, try and guess the two reasons why this video was frowned upon (and if you guess right, feel free to explain whether you find it offensive or not).

bushwacked · **Reply #1 on:** August 16, 2013, 01:58:25 AM

I'm guessing one of the reasons was because you named another school in a derogatory way?

I hate censorship as well, for the same reasons you do. Why should someone else have the right to decide what is or isn't suitable for me? If you're going to be offended by something you watch, read or whatever (and it's usually made pretty clear what you're getting into beforehand), then just don't watch it.

Petrie85 · **Reply #2 on:** August 16, 2013, 06:51:53 AM

Nothing offends me at all. I don't get offended by racist slur jokes being said about me. Heck I join in and bash the nationality that I am. And true they shouldn't censor TV at all. Family Guy gets away with a ton of racist jokes sex jokes and so on. I love that show and it's funny as ever. Heck they bash on the Jewish people a ton. And about half the writers are Jewish and they love it. That is what I love when people don't get uptight about little racist jokes. Censorship is stupid and dumb.

Phantom · **Reply #3 on:** August 16, 2013, 11:04:24 AM

Quote from: bushwacked,Aug 16 2013 on 12:58 AM

I'm guessing one of the reasons was because you named another school in a derogatory way?

I hate censorship as well, for the same reasons you do. Why should someone else have the right to decide what is or isn't suitable for me? If you're going to be offended by something you watch, read or whatever (and it's usually made pretty clear what you're getting into beforehand), then just don't watch it.

Nope, it was an even more trivial reason.

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #4 on:** August 16, 2013, 12:17:07 PM

Hmm... from seeing the video, I'd have to say that the person who was offended has no sense of humor and is too sensitive about whatever it is they are complaining about.

Not sure what it is, but whatever the reason, I'm sure it's stupid.

Petrie85 · **Reply #5 on:** August 16, 2013, 12:53:57 PM

Yes all censorship is very stupid and dumb. It doesn't need to added at all. I hate how they censor stuff. It's so lame they do this. How pathetic. It's sad really that people get offended about stupid little things a show saids. I shake my head at those people they get bent out of shape over that.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #6 on:** August 16, 2013, 01:01:20 PM

True, censorship can be annoying if overused and abused. But used properly, censorhip can be beneficial. It is just another tool to be used, and like any tool, it has to be used only at the proper time and place. Overcensorship can and does hurt. But no censorship at all is not really better.

LBTFan13 · **Reply #7 on:** August 16, 2013, 02:08:47 PM

There is such a thing as effective censorship, but then there is stuff that maybe doesn't need to be censored. In terms of Family Guy, I always found it weird how episodes on iTunes have parts cut out, but when they air on TV they have the added jokes in there.

Phantom · **Reply #8 on:** August 16, 2013, 02:38:12 PM

Quote from: pokeplayer984,Aug 16 2013 on 11:17 AM

Hmm... from seeing the video, I'd have to say that the person who was offended has no sense of humor and is too sensitive about whatever it is they are complaining about.

Not sure what it is, but whatever the reason, I'm sure it's stupid.

Well, the first thing was the use of the word "idiot".
The second was tearing up Scantrons.

Petrie85 · **Reply #9 on:** August 16, 2013, 03:56:09 PM

Your class got offended by the word idiot? Oh my god if that is true they need to grow up. That is so sad and dumb. Not trying to be a jerk here. But seriously that is stupid to be offended by the idiot. If this sounds like an attack than sorry not meaning to bash your classmates.

Phantom · **Reply #10 on:** August 16, 2013, 04:02:03 PM

Quote from: Petrie85,Aug 16 2013 on 02:56 PM

Your class got offended by the word idiot? Oh my god if that is true they need to grow up. That is so sad and dumb. Not trying to be a jerk here. But seriously that is stupid to be offended by the idiot. If this sounds like an attack than sorry not meaning to bash your classmates.

It was only the principal who was offended. And yes, it's ridiculous.

bushwacked · **Reply #11 on:** August 16, 2013, 04:48:49 PM

Your video just seemed tongue in cheek anyway. Some people are just odd. What did you say when any comments were made?

Phantom · **Reply #12 on:** August 16, 2013, 04:59:20 PM

Quote from: bushwacked,Aug 16 2013 on 03:48 PM

Your video just seemed tongue in cheek anyway. Some people are just odd. What did you say when any comments were made?

I just said that I didn't mean any harm.
What I thought was quite different.

Malte279 · **Reply #13 on:** August 16, 2013, 05:01:24 PM

Yet is all kind of censorship at any given time always to be condemed? Censorship in general always has a very bad taste to it and I am not an advocate of censorship. However, would it be fine to show (for example's sake) nazi propaganda movies meant to incite the hatred they needed to conduct the holocaust (for example the movie "Jud S¸?") without any comment or the like? Or should surviving victims of the holocaust or any other acts of genocide or terror of any sort have to endure movies making fun of it or promoting the action being shown on TV?
What about movies which deliberately falsify facts to show one side of a conflict as utterly positive and blinding out crimes of war or the like? What about movie which are made to stir up hatred against a given group of people (based on skin color, religion or the like?), should that too be permitted?
I do see the points and also agree with most of them regarding censorship as such being something to be avoided. However, I also don't agree with a kind of attitude that might be translated into a statement along the lines of: "I am not offended, so nobody else (including people from a group directly attacked by a movie) has the right to be offended either or to demand a stop to the offense."
Of course people should have a certain tolerance for things they don't like or things they find offensive so long they can turn the other way and ignore them. The question however when something becomes so extremely offensive, or when an offense becomes so far spread that indeed a prohibition of the offense would be the lesser of two evils is something that I think needs to be decided case by case since it seems almost impossible to create universal rules for this. I would not go so far however to say that no kind of censorship must be permitted ever. Mankind is not yet above the kind of reactions (or justified sentiments) that would allow for everything to be hurled at them without any chance for harm serious enough to justify censorship as being less harmful.

Phantom · **Reply #14 on:** August 16, 2013, 07:58:23 PM

Quote from: Malte279,Aug 16 2013 on 04:01 PM

Yet is all kind of censorship at any given time always to be condemed? Censorship in general always has a very bad taste to it and I am not an advocate of censorship. However, would it be fine to show (for example's sake) nazi propaganda movies meant to incite the hatred they needed to conduct the holocaust (for example the movie "Jud S¸?") without any comment or the like? Or should surviving victims of the holocaust or any other acts of genocide or terror of any sort have to endure movies making fun of it or promoting the action being shown on TV?
What about movies which deliberately falsify facts to show one side of a conflict as utterly positive and blinding out crimes of war or the like? What about movie which are made to stir up hatred against a given group of people (based on skin color, religion or the like?), should that too be permitted?
I do see the points and also agree with most of them regarding censorship as such being something to be avoided. However, I also don't agree with a kind of attitude that might be translated into a statement along the lines of: "I am not offended, so nobody else (including people from a group directly attacked by a movie) don't have a right to be offended either or to demand a stop to the offense."
Of course people should have a certain tolerance for things they don't like or things they find offensive so long they can turn the other way and ignore them. The question however when something becomes so extremely offensive, or when an offense becomes so far spread that indeed a prohibition of the offense would be the lesser of two evils is something that I think needs to be decided case by case since it seems almost impossible to create universal rules for this. I would not go so far however to say that no kind of censorship must be permitted ever. Mankind is not yet above the kind of reactions (or justified sentiments) that would allow for everything to be hurled at them without any chance for harm serious enough to justify censorship as being less harmful.

That's true. And I guess some things need to be censored. But jokes aren't in that category.
For instance, take these two phrases;
I did Nazi the holocaust coming.
Guess what? The holocaust happened.
One is a joke, the other is a statement. I suppose the latter might get points for randomness, but it's not really funny, and may offend people. Jokes are jokes, and for the most part, people don't think too hard about what they're saying. After all, laughing at the somber parts of life is what keeps us from curling up into a tiny ball and crying.

jansenov · **Reply #15 on:** August 16, 2013, 08:18:28 PM

I simply fail to see the offence in tearing up a Scantron. Just listen to how the word sounds. It begs to be torn apart. Seriously (humour aside, it's not because of vandalism, but because I think tests where you actually have to write a few lines of text require greater knowledge and foster a better studying culture than marking squares on a paper).

Phantom · **Reply #16 on:** August 16, 2013, 08:47:30 PM

Quote from: jansenov,Aug 16 2013 on 07:18 PM

I simply fail to see the offence in tearing up a Scantron. Just listen to how the word sounds. It begs to be torn apart. Seriously (humour aside, it's not because of vandalism, but because I think tests where you actually have to write a few lines of text require greater knowledge and foster a better studying culture than marking squares on a paper).

Apparently it was "disrespectful to school property" or something. But it was a JOKE. People laughed.

Nick22 · **Reply #17 on:** August 17, 2013, 01:51:46 AM

censorship is thrown around, well the trth is america has one of the freest society in the world, in terms of being able to say and do things. while i was at the newsuem in washington dc, there is a map of the world, depicting freedom of the press. freedom of the press involving having the ability to criticize the government. the number of countries in green, those that are 'free' are actually very few in number. not a single country in south america is free, almost none in africa or asia are free. most of europe is and the us canada and Australia are,
but outside of those countries, most countries restrict what you can say or do. most countries are yel;low, meaning some limit on that freedom, and many oare red, meaning there is no freedom of the press, if you are criticism of the government in those countries, you could do to prison or even be killed. so in the grand scheme, complaining about insensitivity is rather trite when people are literally dying to exercise rights we take for granted.

jansenov · **Reply #18 on:** August 17, 2013, 06:40:16 AM

^That doesn't mean you don't have to strive to become even better, though.

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #19 on:** August 17, 2013, 10:19:46 AM

*joke*Well then, here's my opinion on your principal, Phantom.

Since your principal gets so easily offended by the word "idiot", to the point where they would punish you for making a video with someone saying it, I have to say two things.

1. Your principal just proved themselves to be an idiot.
2. They have no good reason to censor anything EVER and should not be listened to.... EVER!

Excuse me, can I please get the information of who hired them? I would like to report this person's dumbness so they can be shown how much they suck at their job and get fired.*/joke*

In all seriousness though, if I was in that situation, I'd rally all of the students together, expose what happened, and have them show the principal just how wrong they are.