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Television Censorship

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Author: Jude

If you want to get an interesting conversation (perhaps a brawl) started at any social gathering, mention television censorship. You can bet that the opinions about television censorship in any group will be from one extreme (none) to the other (more).

The battle has been raging since the first television picture was transmitted back in the mechanical age of television.

Back in what some call "the dark ages," married men-and-women couples could not be filmed even SITTING on a bed together. All bedroom scenes featured married couples and twin beds. NO four-letter words (curse words) were allowed AT ALL. Nudity wasn't even a possibility. Times have changed, and not everybody is sure that the change is for the better.

Today all kinds of words can be freely used on public television (sh**, da**, a**, bit**, bast***, etc.), and when words like "f***" and moth**f*****" are bleeped out, the camera stays on the actor's lips, and anybody with half a brain knows what words are being uttered.

Frontal nudity still isn't allowed but lots of skin is almost a requirement for today's television programming. Even the commercials get in on the "lots of skin showing" thing — JC Penney and Victoria's Secret, for example.

Do I want to return to the days of Victorian principles regulating television programming? No. Do I want the industry to clean up their act? YES! The theory that foul language and nudity is a fact of life and should be shown on television with abandon just doesn't hold water.

If a visitor to most homes in America used the foul language that is used in prime-time television today, they would be shown the door. If some visitor came into most American homes as scantily clad as actors in prime time, they would be tossed out on their ear. The industry needs to clean up their act.









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