What is the impact of randomly censored words on TV?

[Pengwuino]

You know what's got me confused? Why are the most random words censored on certain channels? For some reason words like "the b word" are allowed but "***" and "god damn" aren't allowed. Then on some channels it's the other way around... then "the N word" is allowed on certain channels or programs while not in others (irregardless of the program or station catering towards or mainly staring african americans). Has anyone else noticed it? I have a few movies on dvd and I watch them... and then I see them on actual television and I've started noticing what words were allowed and what weren't and it's completely random with the sole exception being the F word and S word from what I can remember...

And yes, I didn't want to fill this thread with cursing so I did write it a bit childishly.

 

[junglebeast]

I find the entire concept of censoring words to be childish to begin with. Swear words are not mature topics, they merely convey anger. The real mature topics are ideas that can be conveyed with almost any words.

 

[jgens]

I agree that a lot of the rules regarding the censorship of language don't make any sense.

By the way, regardless is a dumb (non-standard) word.

 

[Pengwuino]

By the way, regardless is a dumb (non-standard) word.

Ok Stewie. I use that word as much as possible ever since stewie said he would have people jailed for using that amongst other words if he took over the world.

 

[russ_watters]

The "b" word is allowed because Hillary Clinton used it once.

 

[JasonRox]

I don't even know why they censor the body and sexual acts on TV. It's lame.

After like 9pm in Canada, it's pretty much anything goes.

 

[mgb_phys]

After like 9pm in Canada, it's pretty much anything goes.

Watched Usual suspects the other night. In the line up scene they say "fairy-godmother", I'm pretty sure that's not what they said at the cinema.

In The Dambusters they simply blanked out the name of the dog.
(I can't put the word here but the black dog is named after the Joint Russian-Nigerian gas company http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8118721.stm )

 

[Pengwuino]

Has anyone ever seen idiocracy? They have that blurry crap everywhere in that movie! Especially when that fast food place ButtF***ers is on the shot haha.

 

[Pupil]

I've never understood censorship of any kind. What is the purpose of perpetuating the meme that certain acts and words are taboo? Are we such a backward society that watching people kill one another is the norm, but seeing two people make love, expose a select piece of skin, or say a word is forbidden? What is the cause of this strange censorship?

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Different times of day there are different FCC standards. Also certain sponsors and stations wish to promote a particular image to cater to their preferred demographic. If the station has a tendency to allow 'foul' language they may get complaints from their demographic and lose sponsors that do not wish to be associated with them due to their content.

 

[DaveC426913]

I've never understood censorship of any kind. What is the purpose of perpetuating the meme that certain acts and words are taboo? Are we such a backward society that watching people kill one another is the norm, but seeing two people make love, expose a select piece of skin, or say a word is forbidden? What is the cause of this strange censorship?

Because young people are impressionable? Because they are often too underdeveloped to understand the context in which an act is commited or a word is used, and when it is inappropriate? So we censor on the rationale that they will be more thoughtfully introduced to these things under more caring and controlled (likely parental) tutelage?

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I've never understood censorship of any kind. What is the purpose of perpetuating the meme that certain acts and words are taboo? Are we such a backward society that watching people kill one another is the norm, but seeing two people make love, expose a select piece of skin, or say a word is forbidden? What is the cause of this strange censorship?

I've hypothesized that it is primarily and unconsciously for the purpose of preserving the titilation people experience at hearing or seeing the 'taboo' thing.

 

[DaveC426913]

I've hypothesized that it is primarily and unconsciously for the purpose of preserving the titilation people experience at hearing or seeing the 'taboo' thing.

The censored version of Robot Chicken's Palpatine Takes a Collect Call is way funnier than the uncensored version.

And a girl wearing nothing but a man's dress shirt is way sexier than a girl wearing nothing at all.

IMO.

 

[junglebeast]

Because young people are impressionable? Because they are often too underdeveloped to understand the context in which an act is commited or a word is used, and when it is inappropriate? So we censor on the rationale that they will be more thoughtfully introduced to these things under more caring and controlled (likely parental) tutelage?

The censorship is not designed to censor anything meaningful. Surely you can agree that watching a person force another person to eat their brains while they are still alive, or chop them into pieces with a chain saw, rip their teeth out while still alive, stab them in the esophagus and then take pleasure out of watching them choke to death on their own blood...is far more disturbing than someone stubbing their toe and saying the F word. Guess what..all of the above are scenes in popular movies made for children.

 

[protonchain]

Our family has seen the movie Apollo 13 several times. I remember one of the lines from Gene being "God damnit I don't want another estimate, I want the procedures... NOW".

On the TV they bleep out God and it's just "Damnit I don't want another estimate, ..."

How in the hell is saying God on television bad? Evangelists should be banned from TV in that case :P

 

[junglebeast]

How in the hell is saying God on television bad? Evangelists should be banned from TV in that case :P

I think it's the evangelicals that banned that one, because they don't like people ordering their God around

 

[DaveC426913]

The censorship is not designed to censor anything meaningful. Surely you can agree that watching a person force another person to eat their brains while they are still alive, or chop them into pieces with a chain saw, rip their teeth out while still alive, stab them in the esophagus and then take pleasure out of watching them choke to death on their own blood...is far more disturbing than someone stubbing their toe and saying the F word. Guess what..all of the above are scenes in popular movies made for children.

In what movie made for children do they force another person to eat their brains while they are still alive, or chop them into pieces with a chain saw, rip their teeth out while still alive, stab them in the esophagus and then take pleasure out of watching them choke to death on their own blood?

 

[Pupil]

Because young people are impressionable? Because they are often too underdeveloped to understand the context in which an act is commited or a word is used, and when it is inappropriate? So we censor on the rationale that they will be more thoughtfully introduced to these things under more caring and controlled (likely parental) tutelage?

The large part of being a parent is to give children the context of situations and words and when it's appropriate, which parents do for every other situation except reproduction and 7 choice words. Why? For what reason are these things taboo while other more complicated things to explain aren't?

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

In what movie made for children do they force another person to eat their brains while they are still alive, or chop them into pieces with a chain saw, rip their teeth out while still alive, stab them in the esophagus and then take pleasure out of watching them choke to death on their own blood?

:?: I was wondering the same thing.
The first one sounds like the scene from Hannibal which is certainly not a childrens movie. The others can be from just about anything but I don't remember them being in any childrens movies.

 

[moose]

Our family has seen the movie Apollo 13 several times. I remember one of the lines from Gene being "God damnit I don't want another estimate, I want the procedures... NOW".

On the TV they bleep out God and it's just "Damnit I don't want another estimate, ..."

How in the hell is saying God on television bad? Evangelists should be banned from TV in that case :P

God dammit is apparently worse than dammit. Same thing goes with ******* compared to ***. A lot of times you'll hear ***(beeeep).

EDIT: ok I won't even bother, too many stars

 

[DaveC426913]

The large part of being a parent is to give children the context of situations and words and when it's appropriate, which parents do for every other situation except reproduction and 7 choice words. Why? For what reason are these things taboo while other more complicated things to explain aren't?

That is a completely distinct argument from what we are currently discussing.

What we are discussing is 'why does mainstream media censor?' The reason is (idealistically at least) that this puts these sensitive topics in the hands of those closest and best able to handle it sensitiviely.


Whether parents actually do this to your satisfaction is not merely highly-debatable but also beside the point of this discussion.

 

[Pupil]

That is a completely distinct argument from what we are currently discussing.

What we are discussing is 'why does mainstream media censor?' The reason is (idealistically at least) that this puts these sensitive topics in the hands of those closest and best able to handle it sensitiviely.


Whether parents actually do this to your satisfaction is not merely highly-debatable but also beside the point of this discussion.

Perhaps you were arguing for censorship only by mainstream media, but I was not -- as was alluded to in my post. I'm generalizing for society as a whole. I ask why as a society we consider these topics sensitive. I'm going to the root of the problem. That the media does censor certain acts/words is a corollary of our sensitivity to these things as a society.

As for violent acts seen by children, why only consider movies? By the time a child is 18 he or she has seen 40,000 murders and 200,000 acts of violence. One only needs to turn on the television at any hour of the day to see that.

 

[Pengwuino]

As for violent acts seen by children, why only consider movies? By the time a child is 18 he or she has seen 40,000 murders and 200,000 acts of violence. One only needs to turn on the television at any hour of the day to see that.

Source? Does that include people like me whos kids will spend their entire cihldhood watching reruns of Scrubs and Futurama?

 

[Pupil]

Source? Does that include people like me whos kids will spend their entire cihldhood watching reruns of Scrubs and Futurama?

Huston, A.C. et al (1992). Big world, small screen: The role of television in American society. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

If you're an average child it does include you.

 

[Pengwuino]

Huston, A.C. et al (1992). Big world, small screen: The role of television in American society. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

Actual place in teh book? It's available free online apparently.

 

[ideasrule]

Because young people are impressionable? Because they are often too underdeveloped to understand the context in which an act is commited or a word is used, and when it is inappropriate? So we censor on the rationale that they will be more thoughtfully introduced to these things under more caring and controlled (likely parental) tutelage?

That's probably the reason, but anybody who seriously thinks a child first learns about swear words or sex from parents rather than from peers is out of touch with reality. In fact, censoring a word or image probably has the effect of making the word/image more well-known, for the simple fact that children are more likely to tell their friends about something "inappropriate" than about something completely mundane. That's why "swear words" are swear words: their censorship reinforces society's notion of their inappropriateness. It's also why so many teenagers use illegal drugs: because they're illegal, not because taking them is fun in itself.

 

[JaredJames]

It's also why so many teenagers use illegal drugs: because they're illegal, not because taking them is fun in itself.

"Uh yeah, I'm going to smoke me a joint because it's illegal, not because it gets me high as a kite!"
Seriously, are you really telling me it's the illegality of it that makes people want to take drugs, not the fact it does something to them like get them high or give them a rush? If that's your reasoning, nobody would be drinking alcohol.

WRT censorship, if a child hears a word on tv, say the F word, and then runs around a shop shouting it, because they don't know they shouldn't and don't have any understanding of it (although neither do many teens), it's embarassing for the parent and puts a bad light on them as a parent. Imagine your child running up to your boss and shout "f*** you", because they don't realize what they are saying.

Yes, I think a child should learn the words (and many other things) sooner rather than later (preferably not from inapropriate sources), but until they are able to comprehend exactly what they are saying and understand when they can and cannot use it, they shouldn't be exposed to them all the time. I think censorship of many things simply continues because of peoples views of the words or acts and they don't want their children exposed to them at all, leaving them to learn them from movies, friends and tv, which leads to a lot of inapropriate use.

In my house growing up, nobody swore around me and my sister, I never had the urge to swear, I still don't. It just seems a pointless way to pad out a sentence. However, in my cousins house they swear around the children all the time, those kids now use the words all the time completely inapropriately with no understanding of them (arguing with their parents for a start). I think that is bad. They aren't old enough (8 and 10) to know what they are saying and the continuous use by their parents means they are taking it as the correct way to speak. Yes, I would want my child to know the words/acts or whatever, but I also would like them to understand you can't just go about swearing or there are certain things that are inapropriate.

After 9.00pm in the UK, anything goes.

 

[skeptic2]

"Foul or hostile language will not be tolerated on Physics Forums. This includes profanity, obscenity, or obvious indecent language; direct personal attacks or insults; snide remarks or phrases that appear to be an attempt to "put down" another member; and other indirect attacks on a member's character or motives."

Perhaps we could have some input from the PF Mentors why posters who are only discussing such words and not using them in an offensive or insulting manner must still disguise them by saying "the F word" or "b****" so that everyone knows what is meant but the actual use of the word has been avoided. Is it the particular arrangement of letters that is important or the meaning associated with that arrangement? If the same meaning can be conveyed by using other arrangements of letters (I hesitate to call "b****" a word) what has been accomplished by avoiding the use of the word itself? It would be helpful if the PF Mentors would provide a list of prohibited words that are never allowed even in academic discussions of prohibited words.

 

[JaredJames]

"Foul or hostile language will not be tolerated on Physics Forums. This includes profanity, obscenity, or obvious indecent language; direct personal attacks or insults; snide remarks or phrases that appear to be an attempt to "put down" another member; and other indirect attacks on a member's character or motives."

Perhaps we could have some input from the PF Mentors why posters who are only discussing such words and not using them in an offensive or insulting manner must still disguise them by saying "the F word" or "b****" so that everyone knows what is meant but the actual use of the word has been avoided. Is it the particular arrangement of letters that is important or the meaning associated with that arrangement? If the same meaning can be conveyed by using other arrangements of letters (I hesitate to call "b****" a word) what has been accomplished by avoiding the use of the word itself? It would be helpful if the PF Mentors would provide a list of prohibited words that are never allowed even in academic discussions of prohibited words.

I agree. What is it people don't like? I find it is the use of these words that is the problem. They are almost always used out of context or in situations where their meaning is irrelevant. They are simply thrown at you to insult/express anger etc. When looking at the definition of "the F word" and then the conversations it is used in, it doesn't fit the majority of the time. Like I said, sentence fillers. It is just the stigma ascociated with the use of these words that causes people to be offended by them and for people to use them.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Perhaps we could have some input from the PF Mentors why posters who are only discussing such words and not using them in an offensive or insulting manner must still disguise them by saying "the F word" or "b****" so that everyone knows what is meant but the actual use of the word has been avoided.

There is an automatic filter so mentors don't have to manually clean up the posts of people who use such words inappropriately. Its easily side stepped as you have pointed out and I've not really known anyone to get in trouble for side stepping the filter. If it weren't made known in this fashion that PF prefers not to have such language used on the site then it may become much more prolific than it is now.

 

[skeptic2]

There is an automatic filter so mentors don't have to manually clean up the posts of people who use such words inappropriately.

Of course I was talking about people who use the words appropriately, not inappropriately. Nevertheless this does answer one of my questions. It IS the arrangement of the letters that is important not the meaning associated with that arrangement.

Its easily side stepped as you have pointed out and I've not really known anyone to get in trouble for side stepping the filter.

Affirming that it is the arrangement of letters that is important and answering my question about what is accomplished by censoring the word but not the meaning - nothing.

If it weren't made known in this fashion that PF prefers not to have such language used on the site then it may become much more prolific than it is now.

Has there been a proliferation of posts with "the F word" in them? Is it too much to expect highly educated people to be able to use words appropriately?

With regards to my last question, would it not be helpful to know what words are in the filter.

I remember when I was taking a night course in conversational Spanish and the instructor, an older woman, got onto the topic of dirty words. We had a whole two hour session on which words were bad and which normal words had sexual connotations. She had no difficulty using the words in front of the class and talking about the sexual references. It was refreshing to have a discussion without resorting to euphemisms or disguises like "the F word".

 

[DaveC426913]

Has there been a proliferation of posts with "the F word" in them? Is it too much to expect highly educated people to be able to use words appropriately?


I remember when I was taking a night course in conversational Spanish and the instructor, an older woman, got onto the topic of dirty words. We had a whole two hour session on which words were bad and which normal words had sexual connotations. She had no difficulty using the words in front of the class and talking about the sexual references.

Note the fundamental difference between the above two scenarios.

The latter is intimate and controlled; a closed loop between conversants who know who they're conversing with.

Compare that to the former where it is a public forum, open to any age, at any time.

 

[DaveC426913]

Perhaps you were arguing for censorship only by mainstream media, but I was not -- as was alluded to in my post. I'm generalizing for society as a whole.


I ask why as a society we consider these topics sensitive. I'm going to the root of the problem.

I used mainstream media because I find it's always better be specious rather than general. The principle applies to society as a whole. These are topics that society feels should be left to the parents to introduce to their children.

As for violent acts seen by children, why only consider movies? By the time a child is 18 he or she has seen 40,000 murders and 200,000 acts of violence. One only needs to turn on the television at any hour of the day to see that.

Yes. Big issue. Lots of concern there, no question. A really tough balance.

But look at what you're implying: "since we can't stop chidlrfen from seeing murder and violence, let's not bother trying to control it".

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Has there been a proliferation of posts with "the F word" in them? Is it too much to expect highly educated people to be able to use words appropriately?

With regards to my last question, would it not be helpful to know what words are in the filter.

Well the short answer is that not all persons on this forum are "highly educated" adults. We have members as young as 13 or 14 (I do not remember the actual age limit). I believe even Greg Bernhardt, our humble host, was in high school when he started this forum as a project for school.

The filtered words include your common cuss words (see: George Carlin's seven dirty words) as well as at least the one most common racial epithet.

 

[DaveC426913]

The filtered words include your common cuss words (see: George Carlin's seven dirty words) as well as at least the one most common racial epithet.

On this planet where people haven't heard of Farrah Fawcett or Princess Bride, can we count on them knowing who George Carlin was? :tongue: