NationStates Jolt Archive

There was a bill signed into law by President Bush this past Wednesday that provides legal protection to the DVD filter program ClearPlay. I had never head of this until I read this article (http://chud.com/sewerchewers/2687) about it. Basically, consumers buy a ClearPlay DVD player and install filters for different movies on it. The filter edits out any "questionable" material to make it appropriate for family viewing.

My problems with this are numerous. The main one mostly involves the filmmaker's artistic vision. Each director has a unique idea of what s/he wants out of a film, and for a good filmmaker, every small detail is intentional and adds to the overall effect and theme of the piece. This includes sex, swearing, and drug use. It all has a purpose, no matter how offensive it is to some people. If parents don't want their children exposed to this (which is a whole other rant), they shouldn't spend money on an edited one that detracts from the film altogether.

Out of curiousity, I went to the ClearPlay website and looked at what some of the films I have watched recently have been edited for according to the ClearPlay standards:

Lord of the Rings: threatening dialogue, intense action/adventure, intense life/death situations, war themes, disaster themes, fantasy/sci-fi action, scary moments, non-graphic injury/wound, intense battle sequences, alcohol consumption, smoking, murder topic
Star Wars (OT): intense life/death situations, fantasy/sci-fi action, scary moments, alcohol consumption, intense battle sequences, intense thematic elements, non-graphic injury/wound, murder topic
Garden State: thematic sexual situation(s), implied premaritial sex, revealing clothing, some suggestive dialogue, teen partying, alcohol consumption, smoking, drug use, drug references, bar/club environment, mature thematic elements, intense thematic elements, dysfunctional relationships
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure: implied maritial sex, revealing clothing, teen partying, alcohol consumption, smoking

And now I feel very depressed with the state of the world.

Well, if I see ClearPlay on any DVD player I want to buy - I'll avoid it like the plague.

All the best movies I know will be unwatchable under those standards.

And now I feel very depressed with the state of the world.

Don't worry, it's just the States... Where I happen to live...

*shudder*

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure: implied marital sex, revealing clothing, teen partying, alcohol consumption, smoking
.

implied marital sex - the worst kind of sex!

So what movies does it allow?

Not even Bambi would be safe....what a depressing thought

implied marital sex - the worst kind of sex!

haha, didn't catch that, my bad

So what movies does it allow?

Not even Bambi would be safe....what a depressing thought

Not even "It's A Wonderful Life" would be safe from censorship. Holy shit.

At least one can choose whether or not to use it, and it does not actually change the film. I still buy the full version at Wal-mart, and I can decide whether I want some, none, or all of the filters to screeen what I am seeing.

What I find abhorrent are the "services" which actually edit the films for "family viewing" for profit. This IS changing the director's vision, and I believe such services should be sued out of existence for copyright infringement.

If you believe that 'threatening dialogue' and 'intense battle sequences' and 'non-graphic wounds' are inappropriate -- then what the FUCK are you doing watching Lord of the Rings?

What next? Porn films with no sex?

What next? Porn films with no sex?

Oddly enough, they show those on Trio. "Good, Clean Porn". Why anyone would watch this is beyond me.

:rolleyes:

Which begs the question, then -- why bother?

I mean seriously, if I am offended by Mexican food, should I go to the restaurant expecting hamburgers and fried chicken?

If you don't want to watch the original movie, don't watch it. The graphic violence in "The Untouchables," for instance, was appropriate and without it, the film simply is not as visceral.

This is the pinnacle of 'political correctness' -- the idiotic idea that the world DOES have to change to fit an individual's view, and not the other way around.

I wonder if it will filter anti-government/non-patriotic scenes?

:rolleyes:

Which begs the question, then -- why bother?

I mean seriously, if I am offended by Mexican food, should I go to the restaurant expecting hamburgers and fried chicken?

I've seen just that from the idiot cowboys who live in my area. It's ridiculous.

If you don't want to watch the original movie, don't watch it. The graphic violence in "The Untouchables," for instance, was appropriate and without it, the film simply is not as visceral.

Couldn't agree more.

This is the pinnacle of 'political correctness' -- the idiotic idea that the world DOES have to change to fit an individual's view, and not the other way around.

Yep. Sucks immensly, doesn't it?

You realize movie/show editing already goes on every time something is put on basic cable, right? Maybe not to the extent of ClearPlay (I haven't seen a movie on something using ClearPlay), but it happens. They made Sex and the City without the sex so TBS could show it.

You realize movie/show editing already goes on every time something is put on basic cable, right? Maybe not to the extent of ClearPlay (I haven't seen a movie on something using ClearPlay), but it happens. They made Sex and the City without the sex so TBS could show it.

...Which shouldn't happen in the first place. It's government censorship. FCC, anyone?

If the FCC were to vanish over night, things would be a lot better for everyone.

But.....then how is it still porn? o.O

And Lord of the Rings without all those things is just Gandalf's fireworks at the beginning (if witchcraft and deviltry is acceptible, that is), and 20 min of Frodo and Sam looking deeply into each other's eyes (which would be implied homosexuality, I suppose. I guess all we get to see is a whole lot of walking. Fun)

But.....then how is it still porn? o.O

It's not. It's just poorly-directed movies with horrible acting. In other words, it's shit.

And Lord of the Rings without all those things is just Gandalf's fireworks at the beginning (if witchcraft and deviltry is acceptible, that is), and 20 min of Frodo and Sam looking deeply into each other's eyes (which would be implied homosexuality, I suppose. I guess all we get to see is a whole lot of walking. Fun)

Yeah, LOTR would be wonderful with such censorship. My god, that would be boring...

Exactly my point. I guess what bothers me the most is some of the things they edit out: Revealing clothing, teen partying and dysfunctional relationships....come on! How sheltered do we want kids today to be exactly?

If we protect childeren too much they would be absolutly shocked if they experience "the real world".

well now
what i do in the privacy of my own home is my business eh? if i want to buy a device that automatically removes "questionable" content so i can let my 8 year old watch....kill bill volume 2 ....all 10 edited minutes of it....then that is MY business.

it is the same as me going through my cosmo magazines blacking out all the sex talk with a magic marker so my 8 year old can read it. stupid but utterly legal. i bought the damned thing, i can do with it as i please

as long as i dont sell my edited version without permission from the copyright owner its fine. when tbs started showing the edited version of sex in the city, it was with the cooperation of the owner. that makes it FINE. if you dont want to watch it, you skip it altogether or rent the unedited version from your video store.

freedom goes both ways. as long as i dont force it on YOU, its fine.

I do not see how this is much different than the massive editing that goes on whenever TNT or TBS or USA airs a movie. It would be one thing if ClearPlay was installed in every DVD player, mandatory, but so long as it is optional, let it be. If people wish to deprive themselves of quality movies because their delicate sensibilities might be offended, then let them. It is their loss, not any of ours.

But I love pornography :(

But I love pornography :(

Don't we all?

We can all make a statement and run to the wilderness. DAMN we demand harsh language and stripping. Just madness what comes up in those sensorers minds. Damn just got deja vu-feeling. If you cant block the trash let it slide,those who got the brains to cope it let them shine, those who can't let them use it.

What I want to know is why something would block out homosexuality from a movie and not anything relating to hetrosexuality (except sex). For example, there's this ultraconservative movie editing company that does exactly the same thing Clear Play (or is it View?) does. Except they block out anything that even looks like it could relate to homosexuality. That thing in Lord of the Rings where Sam and Frodo stare into eachothers eyes for twenty minutes, yep that'd be gone. No matter that in the third movie Sam marries some girl hobit and has several children.

from what I understand Clearplay to be... the Parents can program out the objectionable stuff.

so what's the point...

either the parents take responsibility of what their children watch... or the Government does.

this bill, it seems, puts the responsibility in the parent's hands... not the company nor the government.

I'm not saying it should be illigal, I'm saying it's stupid. Unlike republicans, I don't presume the right to outlaw anything I don't like :p

I'm not saying it should be illigal, I'm saying it's stupid. Unlike republicans, I don't presume the right to outlaw anything I don't like :p


Who led the charge to put warning labels on albums, thus preventing labeled albums from being sold in certain locations, and keeping it out of reach from some minors?


Tipper Gore. Insert foot in mouth.

True, the democrates do it too. From now on I shall be more even-handed in my sarcastic remarks.

Who led the charge to put warning labels on albums, thus preventing labeled albums from being sold in certain locations, and keeping it out of reach from some minors?


Tipper Gore. Insert foot in mouth.

Exactly, which is one of the reasons I don't support the Democratic party.

"Ah, Tipper come on
Ain't you been getting it on
Ask Ozzie, Zappa, or me
We'll show ya what it's like to be free

Ah, Tipper come on
It's just a smokescreen for the real problems
SNL deficit
The homeless
The environment"

I am torn on this issue

On one hand, clearplay is censorship plain and simple.

However, if it keeps parents from complaining about video content and does not infrenge on my right to see a good rated R movie.

No matter what, A chip in a TV or filter on a DVD player is never a good subsitute for good parenting.