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Honestly I see a double standard in censorship. They allow crap like Jersey shore and what not, yet everyone gets all freaked out when uncut versions of anime are aired late at night. Its like what the heck??
Thinking on the question things that I think were acceptable in the 1960s, but might get censored now, include
Cigarette smoking - Particularly on a kids show. Many old cartoons are censored due to smoking content.
Parental discipline - Several shows in the early 60s had parents who hit their kids with belts or even tree limbs. There were also episodes of shows where parents who didn't do this were seen as ridiculously modern and foolish. Although many American parents still practice corporal punishment it's become somewhat taboo to show such parents as anything other than weird or bad.
Racial insensitivity - Even some of the "noble" black characters from early 1960s TV would maybe not be allowed now as being patronizing. Also much of the depiction of American Indians, and "Chinamen", in old Westerns would probably not be allowed now. (I mostly see this)
Homosexuality as immoral or diseased - Gays weren't depicted in TV then, I don't think, but there were documentary specials on TV about them. That plus film usually portrayed the, then mainstream, view that homosexuality was a mental illness. TV now tries to avoid ever having a character who even thinks homosexuality is wrong, unless that character repents later. (This is, as far as I can tell, universally true. To the point that even in King of the Hill, where they're pretty much all Bush-loving/Hippie-hating Texas Republicans, they never mention any social or religious disapproval of homosexuality) Again this is not necessarily because Americans are an intensely pro-gay people who would not tolerate an unrepentant social-conservative or "homophobic", if you prefer, character. I think it's that people who do TV feel it goes against their morals to portray religious or elderly opposition to homosexuality in anything other than a negative light. So it's more self-censorship. (This is not saying TV won't make fun of gays, but I think TV is pretty much universally agreed that the Sexual Revolution was good and homosexual relationships must be accepted. Gay men are therefore often "silly" but totally to be supported)
An exception to this is "period pieces." If you show the 1940s you can have kids smoking and getting slapped by their parents without having to make a huge commentary on it. Although even then I'd say they usually will make a commentary on it.
Censorship today seems to spring from disconnected laws than an overarching sense of morality as it did back in the day. We can't air a cartoon with a cigarette in it, but Timmy can turn to HBO and watch all manner of gore and sex (especially if Game of Thrones is one, hehe).
As for racism, bleeping out the words will not save Timmy from becoming an inveterate racist if he's already going down that past.
I'm of the opinion that censoring our cultural history is a travesty.
I'm not sure I go that far, but I go halfway there
I do think it's strange Cartoon Network will edit old cartoons for offensive content, even if they're shown after midnight as I recall, but produce things like Robot Chicken. I mean they do put big warnings on Robot Chicken, but still it's odd.
Censorship today seems to spring from disconnected laws than an overarching sense of morality as it did back in the day. We can't air a cartoon with a cigarette in it, but Timmy can turn to HBO and watch all manner of gore and sex (especially if Game of Thrones is one, hehe).
As for racism, bleeping out the words will not save Timmy from becoming an inveterate racist if he's already going down that past.
I'm of the opinion that censoring our cultural history is a travesty.
I think the bleeped words on the episode of the Waltons where the college educated daughter of the neighbor returns is the n word. Fact is it was used. We go all horrified over it now but this is set in a place and time when it was. (and the portraits of that in that show are quite unromantized). I think its better for Timmy to see a portrait of a time with all the details and get from it how it was wrong over noticing they said words he shouldn't say.
I'm pretty sure that "McHale's Navy" will never make it back to broadcast because of all the dialog references to "Nips" and "Japs".
I loved McHale's Navy. I knew what they meant when saying Japs but I never understood what a Nip was. Maybe I was to young but could you tell me what they meant?
I loved McHale's Navy. I knew what they meant when saying Japs but I never understood what a Nip was. Maybe I was to young but could you tell me what they meant?
busta
"Nip" is just another slang word like "***" for Japenese. I think it comes from the word Nipponese.
I found it.... Nipponese - a native or inhabitant of Japan
From Nippon (romanized version of 日本, the native Japanese name for Japan) + -ese.
Some of it just seems like regular "Elmer Fudd if he was Japanese" stuff but you do have the infamous "here you are slant-eyes, here you are monkey-face" scene that's a little more specific.
Face it, political correctness and "everything shown must be at a 5th grade mentality" invades every aspect of American lives....
Can anyone picture Amos & Andy being shown on any channel today?
The original Popeye series where either Bluto or Popeye get the crap beat out of them?
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