Forums » The Lounge

Censoring

    • 558 posts
    June 1, 2016 1:35 AM EDT
    I am sure that most people know that certain countries have different laws on what content is allowed in video games and other media. What is your opinion on censoring? Do you think that people should be exposed to extreme violence or pornography in movies or games? After all, it is their choice if they wish to experience such things.

    But, think of the kids. The infamous killer Ted Bundy claimed that pornography was the reason he was into his horrid pastimes. He was a normal young man until he got sucked down into progressively darker and more disturbing content.

    As a "master" of manipulation, Ted Bundy is hardly someone you would want to rely on, but what if he is telling the truth? Should we risk letting people consume things such as pornography even if it would mean another Ted? If he is telling just an ounce of truth, and censoring or even banning "adult content" could stop just one person from becoming a sick murderer, would you promote censorship? Is creative freedom worth human lives?

    All of that said, I am personally against most censorship. I do believe in creative freedom, and I think darker elements in entertainment are really awesome if done correctly.

    What are your thoughts? Is censoring prevalent in your country? Feel free to comment your opinion, I enjoy hearing other perspectives.
  • Tom
    • 624 posts
    June 1, 2016 1:59 AM EDT

    American.

    Fuck censorship. I think extreme violence or porn in games, books, television or any other media is fine. If one doesn't wish to read, watch, or listen to it, then they don't have the right to stop the rest of us from doing it.

    As a "master" of manipulation, Ted Bundy is hardly someone you would want to rely on, but what if he is telling the truth? Should we risk letting people consume things such as pornography even if it would mean another Ted? If he is telling just an ounce of truth, and censoring or even banning "adult content" could stop just one person from becoming a sick murderer, would you promote censorship? Is creative freedom worth human lives?

    Because this is utterly without scientific basis. If you want our children to not become murders, rapists, or drug dealers, then give them an adequate healthcare, food, shelter, and education. Lead does, in fact, cause children to grow up and do these things. GTA does not. Learn what actually causes these behaviors instead of letting the dumb cows who think nipples, cussing, and too much blood will make their children follow a literal freaking devil.

    Remember when Rock and Roll and D&D had the same bullshit said about it?

    It's about as dumb as saying video games make people sexist.

    • 288 posts
    June 1, 2016 5:00 AM EDT

    Porn is good - keeps you free from women

    Seriously, I have no idea what the censorship laws in my country are, because noone follows them anyway; in fact in my country most laws are just for show

    As for games - well, there's nothing wrong with there being games with more sexual and gore elements as long as it is somehow specified and one can avoid such games if he/she so desires.

    For me, personally - I'm a compartmentalization kind of guy, I like my things in nice boxes. When I want porn, I'll watch porn, when I want gore, I'll watch a horror; however I don't want sex or gore in my fantasy-themed books/movies/games; fantasy is for dreaming and high ideals as far as I'm concerned.

    • 273 posts
    June 1, 2016 7:30 AM EDT

    Honestly I think that censorship is unnecessary, if you don't want your kids to see violence/sexual things/etc then stop them, don't complain to the media or whatever about it.

    Your kids WILL be exposed to these things at some point anyway, the sooner they see it the better as far as I'm concerned because then they're desensitized to it, meaning they won't be like the whiny parents of this generation (or the last)

    • 457 posts
    June 1, 2016 2:09 PM EDT

    Aaaaand now I get to be that guy that everybody hates.

    I have nothing against creative freedom so long as it doesn't trample on the rights of others. It is true that people have the right to choose how they express themselves; however, I believe it is equally true that people have a right to avoid that content it if it makes them uncomfortable. To say, "Well then don't look!" is an overly simplistic statement. Ratings systems are censorship, but they let me know where the stuff that I don't want to see is... so then I can avoid it. But if  you give a person the freedom to put anything up anywhere they wanted, they have severely limited my right to avoid it.

    I'm a parent, and I agree that it is my sole responsibility to look after my kids. Part of that is making sure that I limit their contact with content that I deem inappropriate. For example, I have yet to take the Savage Strike or Devastating Blow perks... I think it's a bit over the top on the violence scale. One day they'll be all on their own, but I've got 18 years to prep them for that. My wife and I address the things that we know our kids will be in contact with... but we still want to limit that contact. Children are impulsive and impressionable; anyone who says otherwise has forgotten their childhood.

    The suggestion that desensitizing children to violence is a good thing scares me, and is possibly the worst argument against censorship a person could make. And to suggest that children will become desensitized to pornography if we expose them to it early is somewhat naive. Studies on addictive behaviors don't support that claim.

    Look. I'm certain that Ted Bundy was going to be Ted Bundy regardless of pornography (but I certainly don't think it helped matters). What concerns me about pornography isn't just the content. The industry, itself, is abusive and victimizes many of the individuals who start off thinking it'll just be a couple of nude shots. That's one of the better case scenarios. In the worst case scenarios, little or no choice is given to the victims (let's be honest... if you're forced to do it you are a victim). If people feel so inclined, they can watch children who haven't even hit the double digits being victimized. It's illegal in the United States. I have trouble apologizing for that kind of censorship.

    It's easy to say that censorship sucks, but to say a free-for-all is the answer is irresponsible. Yes, regulation and censorship may mean you have to make a concerted effort to get what you want (or not... in some cases it might take, perhaps, an extra two or three clicks on the computer), but I don't think that buffer is unrealistic... or unfair.

    • 457 posts
    June 1, 2016 2:13 PM EDT

    Flame on, Johnny! xD

    • 485 posts
    June 1, 2016 2:22 PM EDT
    devastating blow and savage strike are awesome perks. You're really missing out.

    But in all seriousness, Shin makes a very valid point. There are certain things you do not want kids exposed to before they've developed enough reasoning capability to determine whether what they're watching is right or wrong.
    • 1441 posts
    June 1, 2016 4:35 PM EDT
    True
    • 77 posts
    June 1, 2016 6:50 PM EDT

    Shin, you took the words right out of my mouth. 

    • 1217 posts
    June 1, 2016 7:34 PM EDT

    I'm right there with you.

    • 558 posts
    June 3, 2016 4:19 PM EDT
    Thank you for the replies, everyone. Everyone has made good points here. Many of the people for extreme censoring usually don't have science to back it up, like Tom said. I agree with ShinJin about the rating system, and I think probably 100% of people agree with us.
    • 122 posts
    June 3, 2016 5:55 PM EDT
    The vast majority of the games I've played which have touted themselves as "dark", "edgy", or "sexually charged" seemed like they valued shock value over an actual quality experience. Pushing the envelope has its place, but most of the time it seems as if people use it as an excuse to flop some boobs, blood, skulls, and/or boobs with blood and skull tattoos on them all over an advertisement instead of putting effort into literally any part of a creative work.

    Some games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age, which tried to go for darker and edgier without going over the edge into controversy,mwere enjoyable for me at first due to the character dialogue, but I personally found their overarching story lots and gameplay to be boring.

    I'm sure there are games and movies that don't follow my own experiences out there someplace, but I've never really felt I've missed out from not playing games like Duke Nukem Forever. I'm of the mindset that what I've heard of European censorship in television is more in line with my opinions on what is safe for people rather than the States. Gore, violence, disturbing imagery is something I'd censor more heavily, while nudity I would censor a little less simply because I don't believe it's as harmful to anything but our self-esteems to see an airbrushed Adonis or Supermodel without clothes on.
    • 1441 posts
    June 3, 2016 6:05 PM EDT

    I mean, MGS has done this, mostly the newer ones

    • 367 posts
    June 3, 2016 7:18 PM EDT

    This is a bit of an interesting one and I’m going to release a wild deer here. (Same as a curve ball; it’s really erratic and goes off line).

    Bringing this back to the Blog and The Story Corner with good reason in that I do take time with everyone’s stories and blog posts. There have been blog posts with content which I have censored for one reason or another. Sometimes it’s the level of violence is beyond what I think necessary to get the point across while other times content is of a sexual in nature and is too graphical for what is needed.

    Censorship is needed whether it’s in games; gaming sites films or even stories. There has to that level of what is acceptable and what isn’t, bear in mind it comes down to numerous things such as the age group the media is set out for and whether its applicable in that situation. In regards to does it fit the film, story, game.  

    I’m going to use my story as an example here as I know the inside and out of it and it’s easy for me to relate to.

    Everyone knows in my story Sotek and Aela have sex. It’s no surprise. The first time though readers know they are heading to that conclusion several chapters back. When it happens it fits the scene least I hope it does. If they started getting sexual with each other during a dragon fight then it has no right to be there. There is no need for it at that time.

    This is one such time when censorship does play a part. Does this game have to be so violent here? Do scenes of such heinous events have to be portrayed so graphically or could it be toned down so the event still holds such relevance without burning the eyes of the viewer?

    There are a few questions people should ask themselves when they make such pieces whether it’s a game, film, story or whatever.

    What is the point I’m trying to get across?

    Do I need to take it this far to get the point across?

    Do I need to get this point across?

    If someone asked themselves this and answered truthfully then maybe censorship wouldn’t be the level it is.

    • 177 posts
    June 3, 2016 7:51 PM EDT

    I personally dislike censorship quite a bit, but I don't think completely abolishing it is the answer.

    When I think of censorship, I don't necessarily think of gore and pornography. Actually, the first thing I think about is how "censorship" can be twisted and bent to mean anything to anyone, for example...

    Pearl_and_Rose_fusion_03

    This was censored in the UK because it depicts two female characters being romantic. I'm obviously a biased source, but I find this to be one of the many disgusting misuses of copyright. If copyright can be used cull out progress of struggling groups, what's the point in having it at all?

    But on the other hoof, there is the seriously messed up stuff that shows up in media. Necrophilla, pedophilla, etc. These kind of things I believe should be censored. If they are vital to the story of something, they can be insinuated, but I think that showing it is a bit...much. These games (Or movies or whatever) could get into the hands of children, and they definitely  don't need to be exposed to that dark shit until they are older. 

    But as for general violence or pornography, I think as long as it is labeled as so, that it is fine. At some point in all of our lives we see sex and violence in person, so why keep it completely out of media? 

    • 404 posts
    June 3, 2016 7:59 PM EDT

    in the same show another country made Ruby into dude. a lot of countries have issues with homoerotic actions. I also think Kids shouldn't get their hands on things that aren't at their Ratings. 

    • 558 posts
    June 3, 2016 8:23 PM EDT
    I honestly can't believe that the UK would censor something like that. It looks completely harmless. Strange.

    I agree with Sotek in that making things like video games or books too graphic for their own good is pretty bad. I don't know if you have heard of it, but there was a horror movie called "Human Centipede", and it was a perfect example of a movie being too graphic for it's own good. I didn't watch it myself, but I never heard people talking about the plot or even how good the movie was overall ;people only talked about the graphic content.

    I think some movies or video games can get away with extremely graphic content if they use it in a comedic or non-serious way. Mortal Kombat may be graphic, but it is so surreal, wacky, and over the top that it isn't too much... in a way, at least.

    Have you heard about Sweden trying to legalize necrophilia and incest? Progress.
    • 367 posts
    June 3, 2016 8:25 PM EDT

    You are right in saying there are two different types of censorship. One being what is acceptible from an opinion regarding people and who they are which is something I find to be wrong; to what people as a whole should be subject to.

    Ignorance is a poor excuse to use something like censorship and twist it into a weapon because someone don't agree with someone else.

     

    • 404 posts
    June 3, 2016 8:29 PM EDT

    wait what? so Sweden is becoming the Southerner Stereotype? On the Incest part, only idiots on Hill Billies like screwing their cousins and or Sister.

    • 558 posts
    June 3, 2016 8:43 PM EDT
    Come say that at an incest pride parade and see what happens.