The Byron Review - For - 2
Dr. Tanya Byron claimed that there was no evidence of desensitisation from playing video games; idea of games as addictive is based on prejudice. Media may influence some activity/impact on children, however it should not be singled out as a cause. The psychological/sociological context is crucial. However the BBFC's steady liberalisation since the late 1990s, and the creation of Ofcom has led to more emphasis on 'self regulation' Regulation should now be in hands of the individuals, not institutions. Contradiction? Due to highly relatively unregulated internet. Douglas Gentile - Against - 5 Offers a range of scientific 'proof' that antisocial and dangerous behaviour increases due to the consumption of violent video games. Mark Kermode - 4 The public has a responsibility to look after itself and they are giving this up to regulators. Accuses the BBFC of being more liberal in their classification of "Arthouse' cinema' taking in to account assumptions about the white, middle class, middle aged audience. O' Davey -1 Violence cannot be distinguish from film as we cannot distinguish violence from life. Violence plays a vital part in all of our lives, it is often a catalyst for other emotions that lead to films being made that express these. Martin Barker - 3 We need to see violence as it is a part of our real lives, and helps us to understand the world we live in. We are a able to make a distinction between what we see on screen and violence which is seen in the real world. It is the content, not the amount of violence that matters.
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In terms of my first attempt at exam practise i have received a C-, and have been given a set list of targets to work towards in my next exam practise. These were; Use more clear and concise knowledge, and when referencing films or regulation companies make sure to use dates, names and specific examples to reference as evidence. Make sure to work on structure. Film Examples: A Clockwork Orange A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 dystopian crime film adapted, produced, and directed by Stanley Kubrick, based on Anthony Burgess's 1962 novella A Clockwork Orange. It employs disturbing, violent images to comment on psychiatry, juvenile delinquency, youth gangs, and other social, political, and economic subjects in a dystopian near-future Britain. Although it was passed uncut for UK cinemas in December 1971, British authorities considered the sexual violence in the film to be extreme. In March 1972, during the trial of a fourteen-year-old male accused of the manslaughter of a classmate, the prosecutor referred to A Clockwork Orange, suggesting that the film had a macabre relevance to the case. The film was also linked to the murder of an elderly vagrant by a 16-year-old boy in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, who pleaded guilty after telling police that friends had told him of the film "and the beating up of an old boy like this one." The Interview The interview is a more modern example of a banned film, however the reason for its banning is a little more niche than that of A Clockwork Orange. The interview was banned for it's political agenda and the controversy it was predicted to invoke. The premiere was held in Los Angeles on December 11, 2014. The film scheduled a wide release in the UK and Ireland on February 6, 2015. Following the hackers' threats on December 16, Rogen and Franco canceled scheduled publicity appearances and Sony pulled all television advertising. The National Association of Theater Owners said that they would not object to cinema owners delaying the film to ensure the safety of movie-goers. Shortly afterwards, the ArcLight and Carmike cinema chains announced that they would not screen the film. In fear of provoking conflict between the US and Korea, the film was pulled from a wide variety of screenings and was in turn banned. Sony pictures did not want to put movie goers in harms way by displaying the film, and so it's release, as well as it's showings were cancelled. These are two examples are a both modern, and less recent example of films being banned from cinema's, and we can see how the reasons for banning have changed. Violence and other extreme cases are no longer seen as necessary for banning, what with desensitisation and modernisation of society. If A Clockwork Orange was released nowadays it would not receive the harsh criticism that it had back in the day, and probably wouldn't even be banned. Yet we can see how a political agenda means more to the movie industry than violence and rape. Films are very rarely banned nowadays, which is why it is strange that a film was banned for it's political views. Game Examples: Games are also open to receiving criticisms as well as bans, being such an involved part of children's lives games have the power to influence the younger generations heavily. As of the UK only 3 games have been banned and/or received a refusal of certification. This includes Carmageddon for it's portrayed violence towards humans, the game was later revised and had its human content replaced with Zombies. Next was Manhunt 2 for it's gross use of violence, sex and harrowing content, it was cut and resubmitted, then initially refused. However after this denial it was allowed to be sold, much to people's dismay. The final game was The Punisher, and was banned for a very similar reasoning to Manhunt 2, it featured horrific torture scenes, murders and sexual scenes. At the request of the BBFC, the game was cut and resubmitted and later sold. Carmageddon In many countries (including Germany and, for a short time, the UK), the first release of the game was censored. They contained zombies with green blood or robots with black oil instead of people, as running over the non-human figures was considered more acceptable by their respective ratings boards. In the UK, the BBFC refused to certify the game unless all blood and gore was removed. After 10 months of appeal, the BBFC certified the original version. In some countries, the game was banned completely, including Brazil. In Portugal and Australia the game was passed completely uncut with an +18 and MA15+ rating, respectively. Manhunt 2 On June 19, 2007, less than a month prior to the game's worldwide release, Manhunt 2 was refused classification by both the BBFC and the IFCO. David Cooke, Director of the BBFC published a statement: Rejecting a work is a very serious action and one which we do not take lightly. Where possible we try to consider cuts or, in the case of games, modifications which remove the material which contravenes the Board's published Guidelines. In the case of Manhunt 2 this has not been possible. Manhunt 2 is distinguishable from recent high-end video games by its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone in an overall game context which constantly encourages visceral killing with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing. There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are committed, and encouraged, in the game. Although the difference should not be exaggerated the fact of the game's unrelenting focus on stalking and brutal slaying and the sheer lack of alternative pleasures on offer to the gamer, together with the different overall narrative context, contribute towards differentiating this submission from the original Manhunt game. That work was classified '18' in 2003, before the BBFC's recent games research had been undertaken, but was already at the very top end of what the Board judged to be acceptable at that category. Against this background, the Board's carefully considered view is that to issue a certificate to Manhunt 2, on either platform, would involve a range of unjustifiable harm risks, to both adults and minors, within the terms of the Video Recordings Act, and accordingly that its availability, even if statutorily confined to adults, would be unacceptable to the public. The Punisher The Punisher features extremely gruesome scenes of torture and dismemberment and, as a result, it has the distinction of being one of the only games ever threatened with an ESRB rating of AO strictly for violence. While never officially given the rating, the developers chose to show the "interrogation" scenes in black-and-white to make them less graphic in order to achieve the far more commercial M rating. In the UK, the BBFC forced THQ to further extend the solarization effect on the scenes, distancing the camera before the killings and adding a zoom effect during them, in order to pass it with an 18 certificate, making The Punisher one of the only games to require BBFC cuts in order to be rated 18. Regulation: The monitoring of and intervention in media production and consumption. The media industries are subject to regulators of various types to ensure what they produce is suitable and appropriate. Classification: Restricting access to media material on the grounds of age. Censorship: The use of power by authority figures to control what individuals, groups or society can or cannot see, hear or read in media products. My Opinion on Importance - Regulation is fairly important in the world of media, it allows the industries to protect people and keep the media clean. With the media being essential in life in almost all formats, we can see that that regulation helps keep the media in control. The media has the power to shape a generation, and so keeping it clean is essential. Classification is more or less a specific sub-genre of Regulation, however it is aimed strongly at age rather than appropriateness. I feel this is still very crucial in protecting the younger years from content which could possibly shape the generation. For example age restrictions of movies are so ingrained in society that it is the norm for people to obey the rules. Censorship seems to be the least understood, and more or less the least cared about due to the fact it is so broad. We understand that certain age groups are not allowed to see or read certain subjects however we don't see the authority figures imposing these rules. What with the growing increase of internet usage and modern day communications, everyone is more or less open to everything, and so they cannot prosecute everyone. Censorship Debate Some people/organisations are passionate about the importance of restricting and censoring what images are accessible to the public. These people believe that behaviour is learned and that society could be unnecessarily influenced by what they see on screen, ultimately impacting on their moral compass. Others believe that media should be unrestricted and uncensored. These people tend to believe that censorship imposes the values of certain people on those who may feel otherwise. They also argue that censorship implies that viewers are not mature or capable enough to distinguish ‘good’ from ‘bad’. The Hays Code The Hays Code was introduced in the 1930s as a result to a lot of profanity and risqué scenes. The main principles: 1.No picture shall be produced that will lower the moral standards of those who see it. Hence the sympathy of the audience should never be thrown to the side of crime, wrongdoing, evil or sin. 2.Correct standards of life, subject only to the requirements of drama and entertainment, shall be presented. 3.Law, natural or human, shall not be ridiculed, nor shall sympathy be created for its violation. Do's and Don'ts of the Hays Code 1.Pointed profanity – by either title or lip – this includes the words "God," "Lord," "Jesus," "Christ" (unless they be used reverently in connection with proper religious ceremonies), "hell," "damn," "Gawd," and every other profane and vulgar expression however it may be spelled; 2.Any licentious or suggestive nudity – in fact or in silhouette; and any lecherous or licentious notice thereof by other characters in the picture; 3.The illegal traffic in drugs; 4.Any inference of sex perversion; 5.White slavery; 6.Miscegenation (sex relationships between the white and black races); 7.Sex hygiene and venereal diseases; 8.Scenes of actual childbirth – in fact or in silhouette; 9.Children's sex organs; 10.Ridicule of the clergy; 11.Willful offense to any nation, race or creed; ●Be Careful's -
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February 2016
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