Poll: Censorship?

[AlphaOmega]

Instead of spending money on censorship and blaming media. they should spend the money on learning parents to actually raise their children properly.

 

[Gunner 51]

While some censorship is a good thing in theory - I think that the final say should ultimately rest with informed parents who know what they are doing.

There will always be one or two unhinged individuals in society who will act badly once they see something in the media. But why should all of society be punished and held back for the sake of a few pushy puritan types *cough cough Jack Thompson* and negligent parents.

The rest of society and all the good parents out there know what's appropriate for their child and not some faceless suit who works in the BBFC or other regulatory body.

 

[Pain Is Inevitable]

Censorship is a ridiculous and archaic practice that doesn't belong in the 21th century.

 

[GoldenRaz]

Censorship of entertainment media in any form is completely useless, considering that if someone doesn't like what they hear, read or see, then they could just stop and walk away from it and avoid it in the future.

Censorship in the "remove conflicting ideas or information" is just bad. There is almost no way that forced ignorance can be "good", if you'll excuse the wording.

 

[Fire Daemon]

but my point is if 3rd parties can force ISPs under threat of lawsuits to filter what they consider objectionable content how far will it go? Bloggers being cut off because they are taking from newspapers, etc?

That's a risk all countries are facing. You might want to check out Network Neutrality [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_neutrality]which is pretty much making the Internet more similar to a television station in which what you are able to view is based upon your subscription. Like how with pay TV you pay for a particular package. If you want a lot of websites you have to pay a lot of money. I sure hope that doesn't happen.

 

[Justice Shades]

Censorship is rarely in our best interests for the simple reason that it goes against freedom of expression. The government are merely public servants, they have no place acting as moral police who decide what we can and can't see and say it's for our own good. What is and is not acceptable should be down to the individual and, in the case of children, the parents. If it offends you, don't look.

 

[HentMas]

Censoreship is just a way of mingling with "Free Speach"

it is supposed to be there so that little kids will not go and get "influenced"

but in the end its the parents fault, not the censores, if a parent is not able to teach his son the difference betwin right and wrong, the son will probably learn those things in other places.

 

[Hikikomori Ookami]

I'm not that old, but when I was a kid the parents were the censors. If they think a movie is to violent they turn it off or send me to play in my room so they can watch it. If they think it's safe to watch but turns out being violent then they explained it was all made up and real people didn't do things like that.

But now a days, parents are using TV's as babysitters. I keep hearing parents (and grandparents) mention that the walk in to a room and find that their kid managed to order an adult channel because they thought the Playboy Logo meant cartoons.

But, most TV's, cable boxes, satelites, however you want to put it, allow you to control the content your kids are watching. Even video games do that. Press a couple buttons and all of a sudden my console doesn't play Rated M games or my TV doesn't show Rated PG13 movies or above, or only show E rated shows. And if you decide to watch you just plug in a password.

So are video games, movies, TV, and music too violent? Or are parents just not doing a good enough job censoring their children?

Slightly off topic, maybe my interest in anime comes from my Dad letting me watch Heavy Metal and deciding there's nothing wrong with a nude drawing running around.

 

[LopezMeister]

I'd say the idea behind censorship is good (aka to stop "vulnerable" people from witnessing stuff they shouldn't at their age) but it is badly implemented more often than not.

 

[Epitome]

but my point is if 3rd parties can force ISPs under threat of lawsuits to filter what they consider objectionable content how far will it go? Bloggers being cut off because they are taking from newspapers, etc?

That's a risk all countries are facing. You might want to check out Network Neutrality [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_neutrality]which is pretty much making the Internet more similar to a television station in which what you are able to view is based upon your subscription. Like how with pay TV you pay for a particular package. If you want a lot of websites you have to pay a lot of money. I sure hope that doesn't happen.

I do have to hope that in the end its all a futile effort to close the open floodgates of information , i mean look at Iran during the post-election riots those people wpould never have gotten a say in how the felt without the nets freedom of speech? I always felt that cyberspace was the last bastian of free speech where every1 from leftish rebels to right wing extremists got to have a say. I dont know of any realtime filters that are operation today that cannot be bypassed but we should all be afraid of the censors and their quest. Like in the UK its illegal to publish anything with a gag order on it , it was originally used so papers couldnt run fatality numbers of friendly soldiers in ww2 so as to protect public morale, now sleezy politians use them to try cover up their own misdeeds. I believe evry individual has a right to privacy from their state.

 

[General Ken8]

Censorship can actually make some things funnier, with the random bleeping noise, but other than that it sucks, we've all seen everything that is censored before, so there's no point in not seeing or hearing it again

 

[DaMan1500]

I think that ratings for content in media is good, so that people don't have to view anything that they don't feel comfortable with, but I think banning material for content is wrong and a crime against humanity as a whole. For one person to choose what other people view is wrong, which is why the very first Amendment banned censorship with freedom of speech. I don't want to ever play Manhunt, I think flag burners are stupid, and fuck Scientology, but I respect the right that these people, groups, or forms of medium have to express whatever they want, even if I don't agree and choose not to partake. Letting the government bleep certain words in movies is like China erasing certian search results form Google.

 

[Cocal]

(my opinion here)

ALL CENSORSHIP IS HORRIBLE

I think that Movies, Books, Video Games, Television shows, Internet, Any Writing, ect ect should not be censored in any wave,shape of form. It is art. I mean some movies, and games go too far, but it should just be stricter to obtain, instead of just having some 12 year old's parents go to the local Best Buy and get a copy of the next 17+ game that has something that is questionable to let a 12 year old watch then DON'T FUCKING BUY IT. What I'm saying is, if it is not just porn or senseless murder, but has some sort of "value" to it, weather or not it's a story or the graphics or the cinematography or what-have-you leave it be. But if it is just a bunch of Sex, Drugs, Violence then just make it harder to get.

 

[Snotnarok]

I never understood censorship I saw all sorts of R-rated movies when I was a kid, Terminator, Aliens, Alien, I'm not a violent person

 

[skitzo van]

I think it's stupid, like the late great Frank Zappa said:" Are we going to put a great big J over the records with Jewish artists?"

 

[Jacobistheshiz]

Censorship is trying to protect little kids from touchy subjects. Which eventualy they will have to deal with. Things that they'll probably learn by grade 3 to 5. So it's fair to say it really doesn' protect children. Maybe... just maybe.... it's to protect scared little parents, affraid of haveing to teach their off-spring something more than how to eat a burger. And if you have a catholic flower child, why in the fuck! Are they watching gore films and playing violent video games? Or listening to suggestive songs, or watching porn. Either they're uneducated on how a remote or keyboard works, hasn't been told where not to go on T.V or the internet, or just aren't the little angel you thought they where.

Censorship is BULLSHIT!!! If you can't stand the heat! Get out of the kitchen!

 

[kinetix271]

I can understand the point of censorship but I believe that it should be up to the parents to decide what is suitable for their child to watch or play.

 

[The_Echo]

Censorship angers me.

 

[icyfresh]

i think it SUCS
cuz in god of war 2 there is a sex minigame (in the beginning when u r first in a pool if you go to the right instead of diveing u see two TOPPLESS girls (LITERALLY TOPLESS) but when u **** them then it moves this camera to a statue who is peeing and shows ur progress by the streem stoping and starting
Y DF DID THEY CENSOR THAT IF U CAN SEE DA F ING GORE!!!!!!!

 

[AbsoluteVirtue18]

Some is necessary, bu others just seem stupid.

"Stop, or we'll shoot you with our invisible guns!"

"It is implied that I'm being punched."

4Kids is especially bad.