Banned Movies and Video Games: How Do You Feel About It?
 

In conjunction with my show Wednesday night I have come up with the topic of Banned films and video games. I saw this article and I wondered what everyone else thought of the whole idea of banning films and video games. Some of the games on this list are absolutely laughable and most of the movies I found here were just crazy to think that other countries would ban some of them. I know the US is a lot more leniant when it comes to thing but I just don't understand severely cutting up movies to release them. Like the fact that Freaks is banned in Cleveland, Scarface is banned in Chicago, or Frankenstein is banned in Kansas make me just chuckle.

What do you guys think?

The consumer should have the choice.
Parents of anyone 16 and under should make an assessment on the basis of their child in particular.
I don't think that ratings should be anything other than an advisory, and I think that BANNING something is a foolish act - if one wants to see something, they will. Besides, it's not the best way to deal with something you don't like/agree with, by pretending it doesn't exist...that's just dogmatic bullshit.
There should be a clear advisory on games and movies, and anyone should be able to make the CHOICE from that point onwards.

I absolutely agree with you. I just love how they get to chose what we can and can't watch. It is our right as human beings. Plus the fact that if you ban something odds are it will make someone want to watch it MORE to see what the hype is all about.

I got a laugh out of some of the banned movies in other countries as well. Malaysia especially. The Simpsons? Really?? Videogames are worse IMO right now, with the industry threatening to slap an AO rating on games like Manhunt 2 which pretty much means they'll never see the store shelves. It's pretty much; "Change your content or you won't sell a single copy.". When are videogames as a media going to be allowed to portray the same acts that rated R films do without the fear of being "banned"?

Yeah it is really funny to see what movie's that other countries can't stand. I love how Martin Scorsese and Brad Pitt are both banned for life in China.

I would really like to see The Profit but the crazy fucking lemmings in the "Church" of Scientology won't allow it

Thetans my aching ass

Yeah I'd also like to see The Profit.

I swear Scientologists are crazy.

Australia likes to ban things.

Manhunt 2 - banned
Reservoir Dogs game - banned

You see, in Australia they don't have an R or AO rating for games - because no-one over 18 plays games, right? :rolleyes:

We also like to ban movies. You see, in Australia, ratings are mandatory, not voluntary like in the USA. Media has to be rated to be sold legally - that includes films, magazines, games, etc. So if the ratings board reviews the film but doesn't think it can give the film a rating based on its guidelines, it becomes "Refused Classification", which is the same as being banned.

Things can get banned, unbanned, and rebanned. Caligula, available here for many years, was banned just recently. I hope they include devices to erase one's memory, because suddenly it is against our moral fibre to watch.

As you can probably tell, I don't agree with banning films and games ;)

I don't have a problem with ratings - it allows people to make a choice about what they watch - then they can't complain when they see something that offends them as they were warned :) It also allows people to make a choice about what they expose their children to, and allows for the protection of children.

But for adults - we can make our own minds up. If you can't read the back of a DVD case and follow the ratings/warnings, then I don't know how you will do when you have something really difficult to decide upon, like what colour undies to put on in the morning. Could still be in the bedroom at lunchtime trying to decide.

That stuff is just ridiculous.

I think people should stop banning films and games.It's pointless, casue if it's out there and someone wants it, there gonna get it one way or another.If I hear something's been banned that makes me wanna see it 10 times more.

I wonder why Scarface and Frankenstien got banned?

Probably doesn't help much with the piracy issue either.
Can't get a legal copy? = Download.
Guess telling people what they should and shouldn't watch is a more important issue, eh?

mostly, it's just laziness. if you don't want to watch something, then don't watch it. if you don't want your kids to watch something, then take some parental action and don't let them. i'm not a parent myself, so i can only go so far with that one. i mean, i know it's impossible from keeping kids from everything, short of locking them in their rooms, but it's just ridiculous.
everyone wants a scapegoat i guess.

I find no problem with the ratings of games and films - sex and violence are clearly for adults only. If you are not an adult, you cannot (or at least should not) access sex and violence. Some would argue that there are plenty of PG-13 sexy and violent horrors, but they aren't really are they? Comical/CGI gore and ditsy situations are very different to the extremities of hardcore horror and exploitation. Same goes for games such as the Manhunt series, which despite being essentially no more than a lot of moving pixels, do exhibit a large amount of cruel, sadistic, graphic violence.

If we're going to ban anything, ban fucking rap/hip-hop/elitist R&B which in the broadest sense absolutely, positively does glamourise and promote narcissism, misogyny and gun crime. And then ban MTV, which pays the interchangeable little gits to show off their mansions and supercars paid for by fat men in suits. And while we're at it, ban the kids who buy their records and we'll get shot of 'em all at once.

:D

I find it amusing that "Memoirs of a Geisha" is banned in China despite the fact that the leads are played by Hong Kong actors and actresses.

Then again, I wonder if the "banned in China" is the same as "banned in Hong Kong" (very possible that "Memoirs" wasn't banned in Hong Kong).

I agree with P in regards to selective censoring tactics. The news sensationalizes human horror and aggression as much as video games does (not to mention perpetuating and encouraging stereotypes and racial profiling).

It also amuses me in regards to what's banned in Australia, considering their rating system...

I was dating an Aussie boy a few years back... It was midday in Brisbane and we thought we'd catch a flick at this little indie theater. This movie called 9 Songs was playing and I suggested we see that.

My boyfriend: That's rated R. It's like, practically a porn.
Me (Being the know-it-all American perfectly familiar with the rating system): Oh, big deal?!

...

So, after an unexpected hour and a half of nudity and blatant sexual acts (she jerks him off with her TOES at some point) it dawned on me that I had just dragged my boyfriend to watch a porn movie with me in a theater.

...

My point: Australia will ban these films, but they will easily air pornographic movies in the middle of the day in a non-porno theater (I mean, had it been a porno-theater, I would have been upset if it WASN'T porn!)...

Selective censoring... At least be consistent.

The Australian rating system is very different to the US rating system, even though we use some of the same letters.

R rating here means that no-one under the age of 18 is legally allowed to see it. It is more like the NC-17 rating in the USA, however not even these are really equivalent.

XXX is the porno rating here, but that is only allowed to be shown/sold in certain places - ie you can't buy a XXX video in Sydney but you can in Canberra.

And yeah, there is not much consistency. The same films are banned and unbanned and rebanned. Salo was available for a period of time after being unbanned but before being re-banned :-)

Ha, yeah, I wish I had known that... Big dumb American... "Oh, it's an R rating... What's the big deal?!"

:p

And the consistency comment isn't just Australia... It's all over the place.

Lol don't be hard on yourself - it is pretty logical to assume that if the letters are the same, they mean the same thing.

True, and now my Ex can tell the story about how he was dragged to a soft core porn in the theater. lol

So I had this one girlfriend...

Good Ex story. :p

I'm sure he hated every moment of it :)