NationStates Jolt Archive

I was reading this (warning: hot african-american pr0n alert) (http://turnoffyourtv.com/commentary/boobtube/boobtube1.html) page. The subject matter I would rather not drag up since it has been done to death already, all those months ago. However there was one part that jumped out at me.

(For those Europeans reading this article, if you don't know, in the U.S., all movies are "Edited for Television" with any nudity or dirty words deleted.)

Is this true? It seems to me that the truth is being stretched somewhat. For whatever reason, it seems unlikely to me that all movies are edited in such a way, some whould be understandable on some networks at certain times. Though I'd quite like confirmation.

I was reading this (warning: hot african-american pr0n alert) page. The subject matter I would rather not drag up since it has been done to death already, all those months ago. However there was one part that jumped out at me.



Is this true? It seems to me that the truth is being stretched somewhat. For whatever reason, it seems unlikely to me that all movies are edited in such a way, some whould be understandable on some networks at certain times. Though I'd quite like confirmation.

On non-pay television, the movies are heavily edited to remove nudity, most swearing, and "extreme" violence. There are a few exceptions but they are very rare (ie Saving Privat Ryan is shown uncut)

Even many pay channels edit the movies to some degree.

On non-pay television, the movies are heavily edited to remove nudity, most swearing, and "extreme" violence. There are a few exceptions but they are very rare (ie Saving Privat Ryan is shown uncut)

Even many pay channels edit the movies to some degree.

Really? So the statement is accurate then.

Wow. :eek:

most movies are edited but its mostly for lenght, but they do cut out nudity
most of the time they leave the bad words in or just do a voice over and change the words

On the "free" broadcast channels that's probably true, but I know on cable they show swearing and nudity all the time.

Yeah it's something in our culture against nudity and stuff whereas it's perfectly fine elsewhere in the world. So the only way if I wanted to see naked ladies on TV would be to pay for channels like HBO... And if I want to watch the entire movie with everthing in it, I should rent it, buy it, or borrow it.

On the "free" broadcast channels that's probably true, but I know on cable they show swearing and nudity all the time.

That's what sent alarm bells ringing in my head. I've watched american TV such as Penn and Teller's:Bullshit (ahh the beauty of the internet), which I believe is on Showtime, a channel you need to pay for. And there has been plenty of nudity (In fact on the "Sex, Sex, Sex" episode you could describe it as gratuitous. But I digress).

most movies are edited but its mostly for lenght, but they do cut out nudity
most of the time they leave the bad words in or just do a voice over and change the words

So networks cut movies because they think the length might dissuade people from watching it, and then cut out all the parts that might keep/make people watch it. :confused:

:p

That really doesn't happen much here. Don't get me wrong, it does, but generally what's used a lot more often is a kind of graduated watershed. The official watershed, before which sexual content, bad language and violence must be limited to what a child can see without being forever scarred, is 9pm, but afterwards, there's still a certain amount of self-imposed added watershedding. Channel 4 recently made the wise decision to run a series of very stark documentaries about "the darker side of modern sex," including nymphomania and the power issues of S&M, at 11:05pm. Last night it ran Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, but only after midnight.

What we do not do is dub over what people are saying. That, to me, seems like it's far more interference than editing for content. We just don't do that in Britain, as far as I'm aware. When I've seen it done (not in this country) it's seemed amateurish and on occasions totally ruined scenes.

What I'm curious about is the BBC/HBO drama Rome currently screening on BBC2 and, as far as I'm aware, HBO in the States. Does anybody here watch it, and if so, has it included the incredibly sexual lines such as:

"Oh, eat up, Octavian, it'll put oak in your penis."
"You will penetrate someone by the end of today or I'll burn all your damn books."
[about Julius Caesar] "You seduced him, didn't you? Oh, you're a bull of a boy, you are!"

All of it from the same character, oddly...

In addition to which, the BBC version, screened from 9pm-9:50pm, contains full-on sex scenes, fairly regular full nudity and plenty of other sex talk - not to mention some pretty horrendous violence, both implied and shown. Does the HBO version? Did it include the screams of the man having his thumbs removed, and the breaking of the Indian trader's arm?

I'm just wondering because I know this show was supposed to be controversial, and here, it has been, but it's aroused much less fuss here than I'd expect it to have in the States. Anyone got word on it?

<snip>

With regards to Rome. Yes, as far as I know, I assume the torrents I got were from when they were screened on HBO.

Oddly enough, I didn't think of that for the opening post.

Unless you pay specifically for the channel (Stars, HBO, Cinemax, etc.) the movies will be edited, moreso with network TV than cable (ABC, NBC, WB vs. Comedy Central). They edit out "fuck" "shit" and "god damn" most of the time, and frontal nudity. Also, scenes with large amounts of blood (think Blade Trinity) are often snipped to keep the scene, but not show the blood.

many times what they do rather than bleep a word is dub over with a different one. You notice it because the mouth doesnt match the word, but its better than hearing *BLEEEEP*

edit: The earlier poster was right. Saving Private Ryan is, I think, the only movie to be shown fully uneditied for content or length (atleast as far as movies which would traditionally be edited). This was because of the nature of the movie and the desire for the network to show as accurate of a story as possible.

most are, especially if they are on network tv. there are often quite hilarious edits made too. like if they can't get around the need to have a naked person say some line, they'll just edit the picture so that it zooms in on their face - which makes the picture quality look terrible. and then they actually edit in different words to cove up the 'bad' ones - from a different part of the movie in the better edit jobs, by a completely different person in the bad ones. and when they need to put in more commercials, they sometimes just remove entire scenes.

ah, america

Speaking of censorship. I was just wondering why on American radio stations they play "don't MESS with my heart" instead of "don't PHUNK with my heart" by the BEP.... I mean, seriously!!!! I am so baffled I don't know what to say to that...

That really doesn't happen much here. Don't get me wrong, it does,

True. But the only two examples I can think of where there have been cut are:

Look Who's Talking Now (The one with the dogs), in the dream sequence in the middle, when the main characters, John Travolta and the other one who I have forgotten, are dancing with other people Travolta's wife blows at the woman dancing with Travolta. In the uncut version she dissappears save for a couple of silicon breast enlargements which provokes the comment "I always knew they were fake." That was cut on TV when I last watched it (a good few years ago, around when I was 13 I think).

Indian Jones and the Last Crusade(?), when Indy is having a fist fight with huge guy which terminates when the huge guy is knocked into the propellers of a plane, in the cut version you don't see the blood splattering.

Again that one was a a while ago, also they were both on terrestrial TV, which might have something to do with it.

Speaking of censorship. I was just wondering why on American radio stations they play "don't MESS with my heart" instead of "don't PHUNK with my heart" by the BEP.... I mean, seriously!!!! I am so baffled I don't know what to say to that...

Really?

I was under the impression "don't funk with my heart" was the 'safe' version. :confused: (Not a BEP fan). But that just seems messed up.

<snip>




"Oh, eat up, Octavian, it'll put oak in your penis."
"You will penetrate someone by the end of today or I'll burn all your damn books."
[about Julius Caesar] "You seduced him, didn't you? Oh, you're a bull of a boy, you are!"

All of it from the same character, oddly...


-snip-

Shes such a wh-re, it'll be nice if/when she gets killed, along with that other hag ...


In addition to which, the BBC version, screened from 9pm-9:50pm, contains full-on sex scenes, fairly regular full nudity and plenty of other sex talk - not to mention some pretty horrendous violence, both implied and shown. Does the HBO version? Did it include the screams of the man having his thumbs removed, and the breaking of the Indian trader's arm?

Kalends[ last episode ] was pretty gruesome, but it just made me feel like doing backflips, not disgusted .

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As far as I know, Rome was shown uncut, as are all HBO movies. FX and TNT - along with Comedy Central and USA have everything edited I'am fairly sure.

most are, especially if they are on network tv. there are often quite hilarious edits made too. like if they can't get around the need to have a naked person say some line, they'll just edit the picture so that it zooms in on their face - which makes the picture quality look terrible. and then they actually edit in different words to cove up the 'bad' ones - from a different part of the movie in the better edit jobs, by a completely different person in the bad ones. and when they need to put in more commercials, they sometimes just remove entire scenes.

ah, america

Do you ever get any of the British "sex-comedy" films in the US (Confessions of a... et al)? They are ridiculous anyway, I wonder what they would look after they get 'Americanised' (for want of a better term).

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As far as I know, Rome was shown uncut, as are all HBO movies. FX and TNT - along with Comedy Central and USA have everything edited I'am fairly sure.

Interestingly, in the UK Rome was shown cut, as I understand it. For reasons of scheduling the BBC spliced the first two episodes into one cutting extensively. Though oddly enough (bare in mind I didn't watch Rome on the BBC), they kept all the sex in and removed lots and lots of important dialogue and plot. This has led some to claim that it made it look as if there was far more sex in the series then there actually is. Which led to hilarious comments such as this:

I saw the first ten minutes of Rome and was impressed by the lavish production and the vigour with which the tale was being told. Then I was unexpectedly faced by two people revelling in the joys of fornication, with nothing left to the imagination. Fortunately I had finished my meal or I am sure that my appetite would have been spoiled.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/rome/yourreviews_episode1.shtml

Take that America! I see your Puritanism and raise squeemishness, shock and revulsion :p

(sad to saw, the person who made that comment comes from Manchester, my home city :()

There's also this comment which I found funny:

The story, acting and sets were great. It was highly enjoyable, but I felt it was completely let down by having the pornographic sex scenes. They were soft porn, not entertainment and totally unnecessary...

:eek: I never would have thought such a ...___ comment would come out of the U.K..

Admittedly, if they removed even 20 lines of dialog it could be considered " soft porn " , bad soft porn at that..

As my sister-inlaw pointed out, theres one sex scene every single episode; and that one with the old lady and octavia? Distugusting.. :gundge:

As my sister-inlaw pointed out, theres one sex scene every single episode; and that one with the old lady and octavia? Distugusting.. :gundge:

Not really, you hardly see anything.

Yeah.. but it was the only "implied" sex that killed my apitite.

Kalends of Febuary[sp?] was the last episode till.... 07?

I loved the violence me self, especially the mace down the neck... but the " 13! 13! " was a little dramatic..

-snip-


So networks cut movies because they think the length might dissuade people from watching it, and then cut out all the parts that might keep/make people watch it. :confused:

:p

Actually, they cut the length so that they can fit in more commercials in the time allotted, not because they think it will be too long...

And that must be a terrible movie if the only attraction to watching it is to catch a few seconds of nudity or a few words??? I hope most movies have more to recommend them than that!;)

Actually, they cut the length so that they can fit in more commercials in the time allotted, not because they think it will be too long...[quote]

Sorry, being fascicious

[quote]And that must be a terrible movie if the only attraction to watching it is to catch a few seconds of nudity or a few words??? I hope most movies have more to recommend them than that!;)

Don't knock it. It worked for Channel 4 ;)

(For the benefit of non-Brits, Channel 4 used to put a "warning triangle" in the corner if there was going to be anything objectionable to warn viewers something 'explicit' was coming up. Of course, and Channel 4 knew it, it just meant people (read: adolescent boys) would watch the most turgid foreign films for the change to see a bit of booby. Remember, if it is in a foreign language and has subtitles it is art, not porn ;))

Remember, if it is in a foreign language and has subtitles it is art, not porn ;))

i once watched a movie that was full of hardcore sex and had no plot, but was also dubbed from one foreign language into a different foreign language, and contained subtitles in what i assume to be the first foreign language.

art at its finest

Do you ever get any of the British "sex-comedy" films in the US (Confessions of a... et al)? They are ridiculous anyway, I wonder what they would look after they get 'Americanised' (for want of a better term).

don't know. i'll assume not. british = foreign devils, after all.

the greatest dubbed censorship ever seen in america was in the movie 'half baked'. bob saget, of full house fame, originally said something to the effect of "marijuana isn't a drug. i used to suck dick for coke. have you ever sucked some dick for marijuana?" the tv censors decided that was a little too racy for them. so instead they dubbed it so that it said "have you ever sucked some feet for marijuana?" only they did it so that the 'feet' part was in a completely different tone and slightly louder than the rest of the line. and the same dub was used for both instances of the word dick. high-larry-us, i say.

i once watched a movie that was full of hardcore sex and had no plot, but was also dubbed from one foreign language into a different foreign language, and contained subtitles in what i assume to be the first foreign language.

art at its finest

Oh definately. I didn;t realise film had reached such hights in art :p

don't know. i'll assume not. british = foreign devils, after all.

For the best. They'd probably only be 10 minutes.

the greatest dubbed censorship ever seen in america was in the movie 'half baked'. bob saget, of full house fame, originally said something to the effect of "marijuana isn't a drug. i used to suck dick for coke. have you ever sucked some dick for marijuana?" the tv censors decided that was a little too racy for them. so instead they dubbed it so that it said "have you ever sucked some feet for marijuana?" only they did it so that the 'feet' part was in a completely different tone and slightly louder than the rest of the line. and the same dub was used for both instances of the word dick. high-larry-us, i say.

Ye gods! What time was this?

So networks cut movies because they think the length might dissuade people from watching it, and then cut out all the parts that might keep/make people watch it. :confused:

:pNot quite... They cut first to meet legal guidelines on what they can and cannot show, then, if the movie's still too long to fit in a standard timeslot, they'll edit for length to allow the movie to fit in, complete with commercials.

I was reading this (warning: hot african-american pr0n alert) (http://turnoffyourtv.com/commentary/boobtube/boobtube1.html) page. The subject matter I would rather not drag up since it has been done to death already, all those months ago. However there was one part that jumped out at me.



Is this true? It seems to me that the truth is being stretched somewhat. For whatever reason, it seems unlikely to me that all movies are edited in such a way, some whould be understandable on some networks at certain times. Though I'd quite like confirmation.

All movies on network TV and almost all movies on basic cable. Premium pay channels do not edit movies in such a fashion, nor do all PBS (public broadcasting station) channels, and pay-per-view porno stations obviously. PBS however mostly limits itself to artsy movies. And lately one of the PBS channels I get has started editing curse words. It was most disappointing to watch the last episode of season 4 of Coupling and see Sally recieve her engagement ring and respond, "____!"
"Pardon"
"____"
"____"

And it certainly ruined the dramedy of the moment when Susan asked for a "____ing epidural."

But the funny thing was that in Season 2 (I think) Sally quite clearly said "fucking" in the Spiderman episode.

The only exception I know of on basic cable is that the comedy channel has a feature called "Secret Stash" in which they play a movie or stand-up comedy special unedited at 1:00 AM on Saturday night/Sunday morning.

It isn't actually a law that such content be kept out, I believe that after 10:00 they're allowed to put anything they want on the air. The problem comes when religious wackos call up sponsers and threaten to boycott their products if they don't stop sponsering enterntaining content. You see, here if people don't want to advertise on your show, you don't have a show, no matter how many people want to watch it. The comedy channel got around this by finding sponsers who advertise things like "Girls Gone Wild" videos and local lingerie shops. These sponsers tend to figure that anyone who has a problem with the word "shit" on television probably isn't going to buy porn and crotchless panties anyway, so the threats aren't taken too seriously.

[QUOTE=Ruloah]Actually, they cut the length so that they can fit in more commercials in the time allotted, not because they think it will be too long...[quote]

Sorry, being fascicious



Don't knock it. It worked for Channel 4 ;)

(For the benefit of non-Brits, Channel 4 used to put a "warning triangle" in the corner if there was going to be anything objectionable to warn viewers something 'explicit' was coming up. Of course, and Channel 4 knew it, it just meant people (read: adolescent boys) would watch the most turgid foreign films for the change to see a bit of booby. Remember, if it is in a foreign language and has subtitles it is art, not porn ;))

I'd like to believe you, but last time I was there I saw an Italian movie about a woman who was married to an old guy who, rather than have sex, masturbated furtively under the blankets while she walked around naked. Then when he died she was so screwed up, and rich, she hired guys to walk around naked while she masturbated.

I have yet to see that one make it to PBS.

[QUOTE=Anarchic Conceptions][QUOTE=Ruloah]Actually, they cut the length so that they can fit in more commercials in the time allotted, not because they think it will be too long...

I'd like to believe you, but last time I was there I saw an Italian movie about a woman who was married to an old guy who, rather than have sex, masturbated furtively under the blankets while she walked around naked. Then when he died she was so screwed up, and rich, she hired guys to walk around naked while she masturbated.

I have yet to see that one make it to PBS.

That was the entire plot? Or is it some bad porn flick?

(For the benefit of non-Brits, Channel 4 used to put a "warning triangle" in the corner if there was going to be anything objectionable to warn viewers something 'explicit' was coming up. Of course, and Channel 4 knew it, it just meant people (read: adolescent boys) would watch the most turgid foreign films for the change to see a bit of booby. Remember, if it is in a foreign language and has subtitles it is art, not porn ;))
I would love to know if any mainstream US channel would show something like Queer as Folk.

Basically a programme about some gay guys (including a 15 year old) who spent a good lot of their time getting it on, including one scene in one epidode showing a blowjob that didn't even try to hide anything....Wiki can tell more "the first episode featured an extensive sex scene involving masturbation, rimming, and semen."

It seems to me that the truth is being stretched somewhat. For whatever reason, it seems unlikely to me that all movies are edited in such a way, some whould be understandable on some networks at certain times. Though I'd quite like confirmation.
It depends on the channel, the movie and the time of broadcast. There are definite limits, but mild nudity ( no female nipples and no genetalia of either sex ) is definitely on American TV. Most stations will block extreme foul language as well, but mild profanity ( damn, crap, etc. ) is on American TV.

They edit them because open TV is transmitted over the airwaves, which are public property and as such have to conform to the public code of decency. Different regions apply different codes.

Cable, on the other hand, travels over private networks, so you can have whatever you want in those.

I'd like to believe you, but last time I was there I saw an Italian movie about a woman who was married to an old guy who, rather than have sex, masturbated furtively under the blankets while she walked around naked. Then when he died she was so screwed up, and rich, she hired guys to walk around naked while she masturbated.

I have yet to see that one make it to PBS.

Oh, I didn't say they got cut or censored or anything. Just Channe; 4 put a red triangle there to "warn" (*nudge* *nudge* *wink* *wink*) viewers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_triangle

IIRC there was a small campaign called "Bring back the triangle" or something a few years ago. Though it was more nostalgia fans, then people who wanted to curb smut on the TV.

The thing about subtitles was just referencing a long standing joke about what art is. ;)

That was the entire plot? Or is it some bad porn flick?

Judging by some films I have seen on Channel 4, it was "art" ;)

And yes, that was probably the plot.

I would love to know if any mainstream US channel would show something like Queer as Folk.

w00t. I loved QAF. I've always been amazed that Russel T Davies wrote that fantastic series, and wrote the worst episodes in the recent Doctor Who. Maybe he just cannot write for children.

Based in Manchester :D. And included the famous Canal Street (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_Street%2C_Manchester), which some local wag knocked off the first letter of each word.

(I have actually met people who are confused as to why I think that is a good thing :confused: )

There are definite limits, but mild nudity ( no female nipples and no genetalia of either sex ) is definitely on American TV

It is interesting that we differ on how we define "mild nudity," which I would see as breasts (including nipples).

:)

It depends on the channel, the movie and the time of broadcast. There are definite limits, but mild nudity ( no female nipples and no genetalia of either sex ) is definitely on American TV. Most stations will block extreme foul language as well, but mild profanity ( damn, crap, etc. ) is on American TV.

I wouldn't call it nudity if you can't see at least the nipples. Bloody hell! I get disappointed if a movie has an N (for nudity) next to it in the TV guide & fails to deliver more than a quick flash or two of some breasts. I expect them to focus at least a few times on the breasts & maybe some pubes/full frontal in there too.