the film the interview is one of the most recent banning of a film due to political and blasphemous content. It sparked critical reviews and had the potential to cause controversy with the already unstable north korea.
Dave Skylark, host of the talk show Skylark Tonight, interviews celebrities about personal topics and gossip. After Dave and his crew celebrate their 1,000th episode, Aaron Rapoport, the show's producer, is upset by a person from the same business, criticizing Skylark Tonight as not being a real news program as it only covers entertainment and gossips. A while later after Aaron reveals his concern and urge for change, which Dave agrees. Dave discovers that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a fan of Skylark Tonight, prompting Aaron to arrange an interview. Aaron travels to rural China to receive instructions from Sook-yin Park, the North Korean chief propagandist, and Aaron accepts the task of interviewing Kim, on behalf of Dave. The next day, CIA Agent Lacey shows up at Dave and Aaron's place, proposing that Dave and Aaron assassinate Kim. After watching the trailer it is clear to see just how it could spark contreversy for political reasons, it has a false depiction of political leader kim-jong-il and the fact they are given the task to kill him. this may have caused an issue as the unstable state of korea was not a fan of america to begin with, and so the film had potential to make a situation even worse.
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A ClockWork Orange - Features Rape scenes, horrific cases of violence and the promotion of gang cultures/ultra violence.
Last House on the Left - convicts kidnap two teenagers and they are forced to complete sexual acts, and are eventually raped, mutilated and strangled. The events were so surreal that the actors were traumatised, and had to leave the set. Last Tango In Paris - Director Bernanardo Bertolucci was served a fourth month prison sentence for his sadomasochistic content, and extensive rape scenes. The Exorcist - A young girl is possessed by demons in the horror film branded "religious porn" and also classed as the scariest film ever. It was claimed that the film contains subliminal messages which tap in to the unconscious mind. Salo/120 days of sodom - a small group of children are kidnapped in fascist italy and are used for nazi pleasure. It features rape, incest, suicide, and other forms of mutiliation. The films creator was soon murdered after the films release. I spit on your grave/Day of the women - A swimmer is graphically raped and then decides to take vengeance upon her attackers, graphically destroying the men. The film was censored and claimed to be a "vile bag of garbage" the Life of Brian - Banned for blasphemous content and the mocking of the struggle of jesus. Kids - The 17 year old anti hero of kids, telly, unwittingly infects girls from his teenage peer group with HIV by insisting on having unprotected sex. Drug taking, acts of violence and rape are depicted in this film and makes for a very controversial film. Baise-Moi - Two women who were both subject to rape and violence go on a road trip of murder and they eventually gain national notoriety, they are then killed. The film was rated 16, even with the two lead actresses being former porn stars. Anti-Christ - The film depicts sadomasochistic sexual acts and is labelled as torture porn, 4 people fainted during the first screening of the film and it is generally pretty mental. Key trend over time = Liberalisation and rationalisation
Moralistic paternalism - Unwritten rules - Shared values, rigid moral code - We know what's best for you TO Bureaucratic protectionism - Published guidelines - Public consultation - Child protection 1980's Home video take offs Video nasties Video recordings act 1984 Name changed to BBFC A becomes PG, AA changed to 15, X becomes 18 and R18 12 added in 1989 (Batman) Video Nasty - Introduced by Mary whitehouse Anything horrifically gory or disgusting. Video Recordings act 1984 - Requires BBFC to have special regard for any harm. The Pirate Bay (shortname:TPB) is a Swedish website that indexes Bit Torrent files. It was created by Gottfrid Svartholm, Fredrik Neij and Peter Sunde. The Pirate Bay is ranked as the 85th most popular website by Alexa. The Pirate Bay had to face many lawsuits and a raid in relation to copyright violations. It was shut down on December 9, 2014 by Swedish police, and came back online on January 31, 2015. The National Security Agency (NSA) has hacked cell phone networks worldwide for many years, according to a report in the Intercept based on documents provided by Edward Snowden. Ryan Gallagher’s article analyzed the contents of at least nine NSA documents that show how the NSA has spied on hundreds of companies, as well as other countries that are close to the US. As Gallagher reported, through a secret program codenamed AURORAGOLD, the NSA sought security weaknesses in cell phone technology to exploit for surveillance. Furthermore, Gallagher wrote, the documents also revealed NSA plans “to secretly introduce new flaws into communication systems,” which would make those systems easier for the NSA to access—a “controversial tactic,” Gallagher wrote, because doing so could expose “the general population to criminal hackers.”
AUROAGOLD monitored the contents of messages sent and received by over 1,200 e-mail accounts associated with major cell phone service providers. In some cases, this allowed the NSA to intercept “confidential company planning papers” that would help it “hack into phone networks,” Gallagher wrote. “Even if you love the NSA and you say you have nothing to hide, you should be against a policy that introduces security vulnerabilities,” according to Karsten Nohl, a leading cell phone security expert and cryptographer. “Once NSA introduces a weakness, a vulnerability, it’s not only the NSA that can exploit it.” The existence of the NSA surveillance units that conducted AURORAGOLD has not been publicly disclosed. But the NSA documents revealed that as of May 2012, the agency had technical information on “about 70 percent of cellphone networks worldwide—701 of an estimated 985—and was maintaining a list of 1,201 email ‘selectors’ used to intercept internal company details from employees.” (Selector is an NSA term for a unique identifier, such as an e-mail address or a telephone number.) AURORAGOLD appears to have been active since 2010, according to the documents. As Gallagher summarized, “The operation appears aimed at ensuring virtually every cellphone network in the world is NSA accessible.” The corporate media did not cover AURORAGOLD when the Intercept broke the story in December 2014. News archive searches indicate no coverage, for example, in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, or on any of the major television and cable news stations. Among independent media, Der Spiegel (December 4, 2014), TechTimes (December 9, 2014), and the Christian Science Monitor (December 24, 2014) ran stories on it, while Democracy Now! featured AURORAGOLD among its December 5, 2014, headlines. Ryan Gallagher, “Operation Auroragold: How the NSA Hacks Cellphone Networks Worldwide,” Intercept, December 4, 2014 Student Researcher: Michael Brannon (Sonoma State University) Faculty Evaluator: Peter Phillips (Sonoma State University) 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. 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 -
Mods and Rockers are a case study of moral panic, as the media quickly jumped on the band wagon and made them to be appear at war. This is a prime example of two subcultures clashing, and the media amplified the severity, and being blown out of proportion. This was done to discourage others, however it simply escalated the matter and caused more and more people to join the mod, or the rockers.
Calcton - Small holiday resort on east coast of england on easter sunday 1964. Few bored groups started throwing stones at each other, mods and rockers started spreading out, windows broken, some back huts wrecked, 2 unpleasant days. Next day newspaper blows it out of proportion, media distorted what was going on, and other people were encouraged to join in. This is an example of a controversial video ad, in many cases it would appear to be about violence or harassment, when in reality it is comparing eating fish to that of sexual assault and domestic abuse. Obviously many people take animal rights very seriously however putting it in such a way does cause feelings of distaste, as rape is much more serious when compared to eating fish, which happens on a day to day basis. This is a PETA ad, which is designed to draw attention, even if controversial. This axe advert is another with that of controversy as it is very distasteful and would be viewed as crude perhaps by an elderly audience, at that parents and carers would not want to expose their children to this kind of content. Although the Ad clearly represents the product, it has unneeded sexual undertones, which are quite clearly used just to draw in the demographic which their product is made for, i.e. teenage boys/younger men. In many cases sex sells and so it is a crucial aspect of the advertisement business, however this advert perhaps takes a step too far with the visualisation and aesthetic.
Newspapers, unlike broadcasters are self regulated by a statutory body. PCC (press complaints commission) used to adjudicate what was going on and being put out, however this was taken over by IPSO (Independent Press Standards Orginisation) to adjudicate on behalf of unhappy subjects of press coverage. However critics claim these independent companies were weak, compared to that of powerful publishers. Many people tend to go to courts rather than through the IPSO due to issues regarding privacy or liabilities. Some argue self regulation is a flawed concept in an era when there are specialised statutory regulations covering almost every profession, form medicine to law.
After the Leverson Enquiry, he recommended that; - Newspapers should continue to be self regulated, and the government should have no power over what they can publish. - There had to be a new self regulating body, and refer to a new code of conduct (IPSO) - the body should be backed by legislation which would create a means to ensure the regulation was independent. - The arrangement would provide the public with confidence that their complaints would be dealt with seriously. "The phone hacking scandal claimed people had the power to wreak havoc in the lives of innocent people" Newspapers and magazine publishers said they did not support the proposals announced in march, with the Newspaper Society saying it rejected "state sponsored regulation" After the final draft of the government's royal charter plan was published in october, the industry said the proposals could not be described as either "voluntary or independent" and some feared it could give politicians too much power. DO you think the press should be entirely free? No, i feel that yes the press deserve freedom and that the press need to be able to publish pressing matters, however I feel the press sometimes release information which simply glorifies a matter, or is used as a money seeking tactic. for example the leverson enquiry. Do you think the the press should be controlled? Yes, I feel the authority should have the right to pull stories if it compromises a legal right or status which is currently underway, and may be affected by the publication of stories. Can you think of the press using what seems to be too much power? |
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