U.S. cable 'decency'

[fightdapopo]

After watching Caddyshack on TCM(Turner Classic Movies) and noticing several exposed breast shots, I was just curious if that was legal. After the outcry over Janet Jackson and my whole life of censored PG13 cable viewing I just assumed nudity wasn't allowed on standard cable TV. Does anyone know if there is a legal line and where it is? Same thing with the whole South Park saying sh*t episode.

[mf]

Poor guys. I bet you also get aired a specially cut version of Life of Brian, if and when the movie airs on cable? It has some pretty full nudity.

Edit: wow.
From iMDB.com
Certification: Argentina:16 / Australia:M / Canada:R / Chile:(Banned) (1979-2002) / Finland:K-16 / Ireland:(Banned) (1979-1987) / Ireland:15 (re-rating) / Norway:(Banned) (1980) / Norway:15 (re-rating) (1989) / Norway:18 / South Africa:(Banned) / Sweden:15 / UK:15 (video rating) / UK:AA (original rating) / USA:R / West Germany:12 (re-rating) (2003) / West Germany:16 (1979-2003)
I think here in NL it's classified as either AL (all ages) or 12. All I know is that normal cable channels just air it, I think once a year or something.

[GIR]

I always thought the USA was considered the "Land of the Free" if movie ratings are anything to go buy (AU vs USA) it sorta points to the very opposite, this is typical of most movies rated here in .au land, most of the time they are rated lower than the US, things are more relaxed here, nudity, swearing etc, no one cares, I just hope that censorship doesn’t become a cancer here like it is elsewhere.

[Kedirekin]

Here in the US, I believe broadcast censorship is relaxed a little after 'prime time', which in the central states is about 9:00 PM. Nudity is allowed, and even profanity if I'm not mistaken, as long as it isn't too gratuitous. It was a big deal a few years ago, but now not so much.

@GIR, great nym. I love that show.

[KpeX]

AFAIK anything is legal on cable, but most cable networks voluntarily limit graphic content. I believe only broadcast TV is regulated.

[Joe Fenton]

Censorship is only required by the FCC for broadcast programming. Cable and satellite can show anything they want.

Seeing how MOST Americans WANT nudity and violence in their TV, cable and satellite usually charge extra for channels featuring nudity and violence, but they don't have to.

[CzechMate]

I really do love my country, but damn the government makes stupid choices. And don't even get me started on Bush...

but...

Why is it ok to show a mangled iraqi body on nightly news, but not a nipple?

A friend of a friend moved to the US from Europe, and has been living here for a couple months now. He said he was very suprised at the amount of violent programming shown on TV in the US. Basically, he said most European countries are far more tolerant of nudity on TV, and very down on violence. Hey...that makes sense to me.

[Neo Neko]

It's part of the problem violence is ok. But sexuality is not. Repressed sexuality often leads to violence. But that's ok. Right? ;) I don't often agree or see eye to eye with Michael More. Though he often has some very good points. And I think in his film "Bowling For Columbine" exposes some interesting issues. If you have ever seen an US news broadcast it is almost strictly a diet of fear and impendig doom. The heartwarming public intrest storries are almost never covered. Instead it is murder, death, violence, and who want's to kill your family this week. Things as simple as a slightly different strain of flu shows up and the news paints the situation as if it were a plague. Sending people running to get unneccesary flue shots that sometimes end up doing more dammage than if they had just gone without. A single cow is found with mad cow disease. Any of the parts of the animal capable of transmitting the disease are never used in food products. But turn on the news and you will see storries of how you and your family are in serious jeapordy and how you should not eat beef. Eggs are bad for you. Then they are good for you. Beef is good for you. Then it will kill you. I got news for these people. Water can kill you. Stop drinking anything containing water before it kills you! And while your at it sign this petition to ban Dihydrogenmonoxide before it kills us all and ruins the environment. And if getting your daily dose at 9, 10, 12, 4, 5, 9, 10, and 11 is not enough then you have the cable news networks. All doom, all the time. The result is overly wound americans with a penchance for violence. And if that is not enough all you have to do is wait for Dubbya to announce the color of the day. Then everyone screams real loud.

They are so tightly wound that reporting of a terrorist sneezing or passing gass can cause major market fluctuations. Where the terrorists have failed I think our society has succeded. It's a long sad storry. :p

[GIR]

I'm gonna sing the doom song now!

Doom doom doom doo doom doom....

:D

[CzechMate]

Originally posted by GIR
I'm gonna sing the doom song now!

Doom doom doom doo doom doom....

:D

Actually, that should be the doom"9" song! :)

Seriously though Neo...you are absolutely right. How, as a society, can we say violence is fine and nudity/sex is not?? I just don't get it...

[dani82]

when i watch the news, i hear kids imitate the violence they see on tv, i'm alright with that, cause they're young & stupid; but when was the last time someone heard of a kid imitate an sex act they seem on US tv? (premium & pay-per-view channels doesn't count)

i think i'd remember an episode of Full House and Xena where they had brief nudity, hard to remember unless i had the original airing of the episode recorded.

[mf]

I find news to be boring. It's either stuff about terrorists, the middle east, politics, or if the former doesn't fill the time something about some small thing that happened in a small town on the other end of the country. Politics aren't remotely interesting with the government we have in NL now, and honestly, how little they matter, the small tidbits of news from unknown villages are the most interesting of what's on the news. A sad development, really. I can only guess the US situation is ours squared.

[Kedirekin]

Originally posted by GIR

Doom doom doom doo doom doom....
:D

6 months later
GIR... Would you please stop singing?

LOL! :p

[JustinH]

Originally posted by KpeX
AFAIK anything is legal on cable, but most cable networks voluntarily limit graphic content. I believe only broadcast TV is regulated.

Yes thats right.

[joshyg2]

Hi, I live in Australia, and we also have TCM(Turner Classic Movies) on cable. I to saw those breast shots. And it was on around 3-4pm, this time is usually when children get home from school.

The Comedy Channel, has M - MA stuff all the time, every hour of the day, except for Whos Line Is It Anyway, etc. lol The sh*t episode of South Park was aired in AUS at like 8:00pm.

But I assume that cable has different rules, than free-to-air, meaning that they can show what they want, when they want, and its the parents responsability to use the password protection on their boxes.

[Neo Neko]

Yes cable and broadcast have different standards. Rather it should be called wired or wireless transmission. Because right now it is all still mostly broadcast. With wired/cable transmission you only get the signal when you are at a terminating end of the of the wire/cable. So technically that in and of itself is an act of acceptance. With wireless as long as you are within the broadcast radius you can recieve the transmission. This is a much less concious effort. You could accidentally wander into a transmission area without intent to recieve the transmission. If you plug cable or sattelite into your TV you have every intent of recieving what it gives you. And that is where the distinction is made. And also it is somewhat a delimeter for fair use. You may record and share freely publicly broadcast material. Freely also reffering to the price charged. You must not charge. But you can give it to anyone. Cable/satelite however is not publicly broadcast. It is made avalible through private providers with whom you enter an agreement with. As such fair use is more restricted. You can record for your own use and share with other people who recieve the service. But sharing any large segments with people who do not have the service via some provider is not strictly covered.

[Sirber]

Banning Pyton's movies is kinda stupid. These are the best movies ever made :devil:

[Joe Fenton]

Satellite providers can get pretty pissy. DirecTV is suing people who buy EQUIPMENT that MIGHT be used to make a smartcard decode satellite without paying. How's that for ridiculous?

[BoNz1]

I saw that American Pie 2 was on broadcast TV last night where I live. The uncut edition. It is not common where I live to flick on the television and this is broadcast television (after 8PM) and see bare breasts and often much worse. Hell, I have turned on the TV at ten o'clock and there is like hardcore porno movies on. Again I emphasize that this is broadcast television, I do not have cable. Violence is another thing like has already been said before it seems to be perfectly acceptable to broadcast brutal violence on the television if you don't like it you just have to change the channel. I have seen studies of this kind of thing where things like this are allowed to creep into society in several European countries to the point where it is the norm to see this on the street. In fact the studies suggest that believe it or not it may actually reduce crime somewhat. You can see why I guess. Some guy will come home and watch what he wants and then go to bed instead of going out and doing something worse. But I would be really concerned about childern in such a society, adults supposed to be able to make informed decisions and I do say supposed because that is debatable. If I had kids I would be very concerned, I mean they could potentially flick on the TV where I live intending to watch the Simpsons and watch something entirely different. It really suggests to childern that this sort of behavior is ok and without consequences which is disturbing. I know when I was growing up not that long ago none of this kind of media was readily available. And BTW I live in Canada.

[Mug Funky]

i just hate the fact that people hold the TV accountable for the "downturn of society, save the children!" thing.

PARENTS must be accountable for fuck's sake! don't just leave the kid in front of the teev all night, come home from the pub and find the kid's turned into a social maladjust.

my opinion is any society so apathetic that it lets television raise it's children deserves what it gets.

kids need parents more than they need cable.

[BoNz1]

i just hate the fact that people hold the TV accountable for the "downturn of society, save the children!" thing.

PARENTS must be accountable for fuck's sake! don't just leave the kid in front of the teev all night, come home from the pub and find the kid's turned into a social maladjust.

Guess what there are parents (a lot) who don't care about what the hell their kids do or they think that it is perfectly ok. In a perfect utopian society this parents would take the responsibility they should ... I guess you could say the same thing about society. Unfortunately we have plently of social malajusts both you and I elect them every single year. At a certain point you would hope society and the government would do something. Unfortunately I can't see that it will - it will get worse; so my view is just as apathetic as yours.

[Neo Neko]

Actually if anything violence should be banned from tv and replaced with sex. "Make love not war"? ;) Treating the largely prodestant foundation and basis for US society as some sort of social science experiment it is clear it has flaws as do islamic fundamentalist societies. Perhaps it would be better reffered to as prodestant fundamentalist. They have things in common. Sexuality is frowned upon and violence is accepted and sometimes glorrified. Islamic fundamentallist are on the far end of the spectrum but still the same end. It would seem such societies are more proficient than most at turning out violent sexual deviants. Could it have something to do with the culture?

Things are out of balance. And I blame the parents. By not exposing and explaining such things parents are avoiding their responsibilities. Namely teaching their children responsibility. Frankly there are many things in this world worse than sex and sexuality. Murder for one. Yet we can show murder on TV and in fact many of the most popular shows on TV today revolve around murder. But a little T&A is out of the question? I would much rather have people wacking off at home than going out and shooting people. But owning/watching porno is fround upon. Having a gun is a time honored tradition and right of every American. :rolleyes: There is work to do. Plenty of it. But it does not include further restricting sexuality or expanding copyright. Why should it be such a big deal to see a nipple or breast on TV? I mean don't many american households keep books around to educate their children than have pictures of breasts? Last I saw encyclopedias were still popular for school children weren't they? Just so long as you don't let them read the B volume. :p

[lapin]

I can say that i agree with a lot that has been said in this thread.

About TCM and nudity: Here in europe, they regularly air "A Clockwork Orange", don't they also do in us ?

[avih]

Originally posted by lapin
I can say that i agree with a lot that has been said in this thread.

About TCM and nudity: Here in europe, they regularly air "A Clockwork Orange", don't they also do in us ?

r u serious? they'll sue them to death ;)
(i'm not a us citizen)

[Kedirekin]

I have never seen A Clockwork Orange on any commercial station in the my neck of the woods, broadcast or otherwise. The puritans in this country would have a fit - it has violence and nudity, and often both of them combined (gasp!).

[Mug Funky]

hell, even i have difficulty watching A Clockwork Orange. it's such a brutal film. it's good though. worth watching if you can take it.

i can't see that film being shown in australia except on pay tv (IIRC it's been shown there a few times). if any channel were to show it it'd be SBS, and LATE at night.

hehe. there's a famous cinema in my city that shows classics like that all the time, so i wouldn't be upset if it never made it onto TV here. i would however be worried if puritans (we call them "wowsers" here...) started demanding that the Astor censor it's content and stop showing movies like a clockwork orange, etc.

freedom of speech does have meaning here though. we've had cases where prominent film critics have attended screenings of banned movies that have been raided by the police midway through (any aussies remember the "baise moi" fiasco?)

hmm... this thread's getting a bit political. probably not a good sign.

[Neo Neko]

I don't see things getting political. At least not in a bad way. Most of the comments made by people are about their own societies, cultures, and politics. Which IMHO they are qualified to speak on. We don't have people from outside attacking a different political structure. All I see is a discussion about perception of decency where one lives and how it effects them. Nothing wrong with that.

As to "A Clockwork Orange" it will likely never be shown on public TV here. Or even advertised for that matter. The only time it has ever been shown is on pay cable stations such as HBO or Cinemax. And then it has only been shown late at night well after midnight. Oddly enough if it were not for the rape sceen and related nudity there would be no problem airing the show in prime time public broadcasts. Because everyone here is agreeable to a little "Ultra Violence". It is really just the nudity they can't stand.

[duartix]

"A clockwork orange" - you say?

A mighty light flic if we consider "Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma", Pier Paolo Pasolini's depiction of the Marquis de Sade's "120 Days of Sodom", which in many intelectual circles is considered a masterpiece.
Saw it last year on national TV in a weekly movie cicle dedicated to Pasolini. How is that for public service?

Rape, sodomy, coprophagia, child abuse, sexual humiliation and extreme torture. Does it ring any bell? Perhaps an army of alarm clocks?

I guess after getting though it all, what shocked me the most was the last minute scene, where two of the raper/torturers, are talking about their girlfriends and some other banalities, like they were Joe regular. :scared: :devil: :angry: Perhaps I didn't understand it, but after abusing myself so much by watching it to the end, disgust by disgust, I couldn't expect such a revolting portrait.

I also can tell you (being almost 32 years old and hundreds of European movies more judicious) it was the first and only time I thought censorship could make some wild sense. Not for long, though.

[easybeat]

Duartix - I had to re-read your post after I thought you said RAPPERS/torturers.

Wishful thinking on my behalf!

[DK64_MASTER]

Water can kill you. Stop drinking anything containing water before it kills you! And while your at it sign this petition to ban Dihydrogenmonoxide before it kills us all and ruins the environment.

http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html


Looks like people have started!!


(See if you can detect the sarcasm in that statement).

[Neo Neko]

It gets worse! (http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/16/1419252&mode=thread&tid=133&tid=186) :D

[duartix]

Duartix - I had to re-read your post after I thought you said RAPPERS/torturers.

Wishful thinking on my behalf! Let me set something straight. Pasolini is consider by many people (mysef included) one of the inescapable italian directors along with Bertolucci. The movie I mentioned is also considered by many as his masterpiece. This was the only reason why I forced myself to watch the entire movie - as my guts were reaching it's limits - was I expected some kind of redemption at the end. This was not what happened IMHO. :( Others may disagree.

I haven't read Marquis de Sade but many people swear the movie is heavily faithfull to the text. Would anyone here consider censoring another of the inescaple writers of the 18th century?:scared:

Can a depiction of a violence be considered violence by itself? Think about it...

[mf]

Originally posted by duartix
"A clockwork orange" - you say?

A mighty light flic if we consider "Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma", Pier Paolo Pasolini's depiction of the Marquis de Sade's "120 Days of Sodom", which in many intelectual circles is considered a masterpiece.
Saw it last year on national TV in a weekly movie cicle dedicated to Pasolini. How is that for public service?
Actually, I saw that on public TV a while ago. It aired late at night, but public nevertheless. It was an interesting movie.

[easybeat]

Duartix - I have to admit I have never read a book by the Marquis de Sade, it's not my cup of tea to be honest. It's the same with a lot of the 'Classic's' by Shakespeare, Dante etc they are brutally violent, full of sexual content and were written in a lot of cases several hundred years ago. Kind of shows we haven't changed much since then doesn't it?

[nikthebak]

I remember watching "A Clockwork Orange" here in Finland on broadcast TV somewhere around 10 o'clock in the evening or so. And it was aired by a rather conservative, government-owned channel. I guess they think it as a great social commentary, as do I.

A public commercial channel showed most of Peter Jackson's old movies some time ago, although the heavily cut versions of those. For the young LOTR maniacs out there, Mr. Jackson has done some rather disturbing movies in the past.

But for some totally obscure reason, they banned "Night Of The Living Dead" in the 90's -- that makes no sense at all!

They finally aired it last year, though.

[Neo Neko]

Here is an on topic slashdot (http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/04/03/19/1852216.shtml?tid=103&tid=129&tid=153&tid=188&tid=99) link. Things appear to be degrading.