More puritanical idiocy from the USA

[Darth Wong]

Lord Poe, I love your new Spidey sig, and props to Chardok for the Church Lady.

That being said, let's not delve into Canadian Idiocy, Mike. Quebec anyone? Its just that here in the US more people complain, so we have to accomodate them. Its not like we've gone crazy and legislated bilingual laws

Did I ever say that I support Quebec stupidity? They can go fuck themselves for all I care; they're bigoted shitheads. But it's interesting that this bizarre "Tu Quoque" fallacy is the only thing you have to say about the subject.

[Petrosjko]

Sometimes when these things come up, I come into the thread and say, "Oh no, it's not that simple. They look like screaming retards, but actually they're reacting this way because of this valid reason that's being obscured." I've got nothing this time around. This is nothing but hysterical puritanism. When I saw the promo, know how I reacted? "They're going to give TO shit because this commercial implies that he would abandon his teammates if some blonde cupcake threw herself at him". I didn't even think about it being sexually objectionable until...well, hell, this morning, because there was nothing about it yesterday.

From what I can gather from all the hysterical bleating, the main objection is not that they showed her back, but that she dropped the towel and jumped into his arms. Race hasn't been brought up by either side in the local media yet; I suspect that had she jumped into a white player's arms (say, Peyton Manning or Tom Brady) the reaction would have been about the same. Locally, anyway.

That is pretty much word for word my reaction... they're gonna get T.O. for bailing on the team for nookie. Sex? Controversy? Huh-wha?

Thing is, the NFL market sex like crazy. Lingering cheerleader shots, anyone?

(Bless the edit, I almost typed 'lingering cheerleader shits' and risked moving this topic in a totally different direction.)

I remember a short while back when the NFL declined advertising for Vegas, on the basis that good old Sin City was not the sort of image that the NFL wanted associated with it. One of the backers of the Vegas consortium came out and replied in so many words "Yeah, at least our ads don't have women wrestling in their panties and brassieres."

Referencing the infamous Miller Light Catfight ad, of course.

[Tsyroc]

Speaking of Cheeleader shots. Check out any team's Chearleader Calender.

I bought a Raiderette one for a friend for Christmas last year and it was a lot more revealing than I expected and the actual calendar portion was tiny to the point of almost being invisible.

[Petrosjko]

Speaking of Cheeleader shots. Check out any team's Chearleader Calender.

I bought a Raiderette one for a friend for Christmas last year and it was a lot more revealing than I expected and the actual calendar portion was tiny to the point of almost being invisible.

And most football preview mags feature a photo section of cheerleaders, often in some form of highly decorative dental floss, to boot.

[Tribun]

After reading how much fuss was made about so little flesh, I had to laugh for ten minutes, before I was able to write this response.

It is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heared. I have to compare that to German TV, where even outside of porn broadcasts, lots of naked flesh, and even tits and butts are shown quite regular.

Sorry, but I'm unable to understand these American prudes.

[Uther]

After reading how much fuss was made about so little flesh, I had to laugh for ten minutes, before I was able to write this response.

It is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heared. I have to compare that to German TV, where even outside of porn broadcasts, lots of naked flesh, and even tits and butts are shown quite regular.

Sorry, but I'm unable to understand these American prudes.

This is the same country, on the other hand, that was so freaked out by Half Life that they had the soldiers scream "I'm leaking oil!" when shot.

[Edi]

This is the same country, on the other hand, that was so freaked out by Half Life that they had the soldiers scream "I'm leaking oil!" when shot.

Do you understand the conceptual difference between having consensual sex or implying something related to it, and killing people or implying things to that effect? Granted, the German legislation regarding violent video and computer games is stupid, but it's a lot less stupid than the puritanical bullshit being pulled in the US.

Edi

[Durandal]

Thing is, the NFL market sex like crazy. Lingering cheerleader shots, anyone?

(Bless the edit, I almost typed 'lingering cheerleader shits' and risked moving this topic in a totally different direction.)

Heh, I thought you said "lingerie cheerleader shots" and was about to demand pictoral evidence of your claims.

[Raptor 597]

I like the way these infantile fucktards think it's going to send a bad message to let kids see a woman's bare back, but all of the fucking BEER COMMERCIALS shown during a typical football game are great family programming.

Well that's simple because here anyway alocohol is very acceptable and seen as cool by everybody. That would explain why this state's rednecks are always so fucked up all the time.

[Uther]

This is the same country, on the other hand, that was so freaked out by Half Life that they had the soldiers scream "I'm leaking oil!" when shot.

Do you understand the conceptual difference between having consensual sex or implying something related to it, and killing people or implying things to that effect? Granted, the German legislation regarding violent video and computer games is stupid, but it's a lot less stupid than the puritanical bullshit being pulled in the US.

Edi

Europeans have bizarre hang ups about shooting Army Rangers sent in to shut up the scientists at Black Mesa after tearing a rift in the space time continuum. But THEY react by passing mass legislation that effectively prevents Germans who just want to shoot up some army men from playing the game in its original form. In America, we just move everything to HBO.

[Edi]

Europeans have bizarre hang ups about shooting Army Rangers sent in to shut up the scientists at Black Mesa after tearing a rift in the space time continuum.

Hasty generalization. The number of Europeans who give a shit about that is rather low.

But THEY react by passing mass legislation that effectively prevents Germans who just want to shoot up some army men from playing the game in its original form.

Well, there were enough idiots in the German legislature to get that law passed. However, it does not prevent Europeans from ordering the game online from the US or UK or some other such place where these ridiculous restrictions are not in effect, at virtually the same cost. Things are a bit different with public broadcasting stuff, as the difference between an individually run independent system and a single-point to multi-point broadcasting system are completely different in concept and execution, and the US television broadcast flap is about stuff related to the latter and the German example is related to the former.

In America, we just move everything to HBO.

And quite out of reach of people who do not have access to it, and there is a lack of an equal-cost alternative. So this is irrelevant.

Edi

[Uther]

Hasty generalization. The number of Europeans who give a shit about that is rather low.

Ya, and how many Americans cared about this thing? 100 hyper active soccer moms? 1000? Oooo.

Well, there were enough idiots in the German legislature to get that law passed. However, it does not prevent Europeans from ordering the game online from the US or UK or some other such place where these ridiculous restrictions are not in effect, at virtually the same cost. Things are a bit different with public broadcasting stuff, as the difference between an individually run independent system and a single-point to multi-point broadcasting system are completely different in concept and execution, and the US television broadcast flap is about stuff related to the latter and the German example is related to the former.

Oh please. So because it's easy to get around the restrictions, it's ok? HBO isn't that expensive. And I want to play Half Life in the tongue of the Fatherland, dammit.

And quite out of reach of people who do not have access to it, and there is a lack of an equal-cost alternative. So this is irrelevant.

Edi

Basic cable isn't that expensive. Oh boo hoo, I have to pay an extra $50 a month for teh boobies. It's the end of the freakin world.

[Dalton]

I like Colin Powell, but his son is a fucker and the people he panders to should not be in any position of power whatsoever. I can't believe this even made the news.

[Sebastin]

Europeans have bizarre hang ups about shooting Army Rangers sent in to shut up the scientists at Black Mesa after tearing a rift in the space time continuum. But THEY react by passing mass legislation that effectively prevents Germans who just want to shoot up some army men from playing the game in its original form. In America, we just move everything to HBO.

There´s a common misconception about the law in question. The game is not banned. And it wouldn´t be banned even if the publisher choosed to sell it here unchanged. The game would be put on the index which only means that it cannot be sold or advertised to minors. Such games can still be legally sold to adults and legally given to minors by a responsible adult. The publisher just choses to alter the game in order to avoid these restrictions on their marketing.

Very few things are downright banned in germany and I understand that all of those are also banned in the US.

[weemadando]

Australia isn't nearly that bad...

No wait - Broadband rollout subsidisation was knocked back by the gov't because "The internet contains pornographic materials...", the gov't yesterday introduced to the house a HARDCORE new censorship bill that relates only to the computer gaming market, the OFLC regularly bans movies that are deemed "controversial" - but then Margaret Pomeranz hosts an underground screening that gets raided by the police has a 30 second back and forth with the ranking officer thats all caught on the news cameras (who were there to start with) and then everyone goes home.

But at least we can have titties on TV without the backlash. Though unfortunately under the new "free" trade agreement we are signing up to massive amounts more of US TV and possibly US censorship restrictions (we're already on the FUCKING copyright bandwagon - fuck you Disney - fuck you very much).

[Uther]

Europeans have bizarre hang ups about shooting Army Rangers sent in to shut up the scientists at Black Mesa after tearing a rift in the space time continuum. But THEY react by passing mass legislation that effectively prevents Germans who just want to shoot up some army men from playing the game in its original form. In America, we just move everything to HBO.

There´s a common misconception about the law in question. The game is not banned. And it wouldn´t be banned even if the publisher choosed to sell it here unchanged. The game would be put on the index which only means that it cannot be sold or advertised to minors. Such games can still be legally sold to adults and legally given to minors by a responsible adult. The publisher just choses to alter the game in order to avoid these restrictions on their marketing.

Very few things are downright banned in germany and I understand that all of those are also banned in the US.

So in order to be economically profitable, Germany forced the creators to compromise their artistic vision. Well that's just peachy keen.

Is ANYTHING actually banned in the US? Besides like illegal drugs? Seriously, I don't know.

[pellaeons_scion]

Australia isn't nearly that bad...

No wait - Broadband rollout subsidisation was knocked back by the gov't because "The internet contains pornographic materials...", the gov't yesterday introduced to the house a HARDCORE new censorship bill that relates only to the computer gaming market, the OFLC regularly bans movies that are deemed "controversial" - but then Margaret Pomeranz hosts an underground screening that gets raided by the police has a 30 second back and forth with the ranking officer thats all caught on the news cameras (who were there to start with) and then everyone goes home.

But at least we can have titties on TV without the backlash. Though unfortunately under the new "free" trade agreement we are signing up to massive amounts more of US TV and possibly US censorship restrictions (we're already on the FUCKING copyright bandwagon - fuck you Disney - fuck you very much).

You're kidding. Their entire basis for their argument is "There is bad stuff out there like nekkid people enjoying themselves!" I knew about the censorship of film though, and I give credit to Margaret for at least trying to show the movie, Ken Park I believe it was, to interested people. I can't believe they actually sent the police to stop it.

While we do get TnA on telly (Eg: Blokesworld, sponsored by Ford and late at night), and swearing is par for the course, how long will that last once the FTA comes into full effect? And will that mean that our censorship laws will have to fall in line with the US, or only in regards to imported US content? I'm hoping not, if this place becomes Jesusland 2, I'm back to NZ

[Knife]

Bah, not that I've ever watched this show, Desperate House Wives?, but it looks like I'm going to have to start. That chick was hot.

Damn idiots and their stupid over reacting of the small two pixal janet breast.....

[Gandalf]

It looks some folks want it to be 1954 all over again.

Could this push that we're seeing to revert to a nostalgic 1950's America be correlated to the American economic supremacy of that era?

I'm wondering if this puritinism and pandering to fundamentalism is a symptom of a greater trend of the country being in a state of denial about our lessened status in the world since the end of WWII.

I think you're on to something. The US was The Man back in the 50's. Nothing could youch the US. Since 9/11 they feel vulnerable, and want those days back... including all the bad trappings.

[Thinkmarble]

So in order to be economically profitable, Germany forced the creators to compromise their artistic vision. Well that's just peachy keen.

To expound
There is no automatism.
Someone, for example a local youth office (Jugendamt) has to complain.
Then the BPjM is going to take a look at it and will then make a decision.
Media can be put on the "Index" when they are
- inciting violence
- inciting racial hatred
- are "unsittlich" (basically pornography)

It should be noted that the touchiness of the BPjM is often overestimated.
Best example is the decision of Westwood to replace all soldiers with robots in the command and conquer series.
Blizzard on the other hand did not change the human space marines into robots, and guess what they had not a fucking problem.

There exist a couple of case were a media article is automatically "indiziert"
- anything violating criminal code (eg. instructions for comitting a crime, denying the holocaust, ...)
- anything glorifing war
- media presenting children/teenager in unnatural positions stressing (?) sex characteristics (?)

One does have legal recourse against a decision, there are cases were verdicts by the BPjM were overturned (mainly because the liberty of art rates higher then the protection of the youth)

[THEHOOLIGANJEDI]

Check this out: ABC is forced to apologize to an outraged public because of a shot of a naked woman's back, from the waist up.

ABC apologizes for steamy MNF intro

Posted: Tuesday November 16, 2004 4:02PM; Updated: Wednesday November 17, 2004 8:58AM

-- NEW YORK (AP) -- ABC's "desperate" bid at cross-promotion backfired on Monday Night Football.

The network's steamy intro to the Philadelphia-Dallas game, featuring a naked Nicollette Sheridan jumping into the arms of Eagles receiver Terrell Owens, drew complaints from viewers and the NFL.

ABC Sports apologized Tuesday for the segment, used a day earlier to promote the hit show Desperate Housewives and broadcast just nine months after another football flap -- the Janet Jackson Super Bowl fiasco.

"We have heard from many of our viewers about last night's 'MNF' opening segment and we agree that the placement was inappropriate," ABC Sports said in a statement.

The NFL called the intro "inappropriate and unsuitable for our Monday Night Football audience."

"While ABC may have gained attention for one of its other shows, the NFL and its fans lost," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.

The spot showed Owens and Sheridan in an empty locker room, with Sheridan wearing only a towel and provocatively asking Owens to skip the game for her.

After she dropped her towel, he smiled, agreed to be late for the contest and she jumped into his arms. Sheridan was shown only from behind and above the waist after she dropped the towel.

Then the shot panned out to two more stars of Desperate Housewives, Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman, watching the scene unfold on a television and commenting on desperate women.

The Eagles said they appreciated ABC Sports' apology.

"It is normal for teams to cooperate with ABC in the development of an opening for its broadcast," the team said. "After seeing the final piece, we wish it hadn't aired."

ABC has broadcast Monday Night Football with a 5-second delay this season, a precaution after Jackson's wardrobe malfunction at February's Super Bowl.

At halftime of that game, Justin Timberlake ripped off part of Jackson's brassiere, exposing her right breast to a TV audience of some 90 million. The Super Bowl was broadcast on CBS, which was fined a record $550,000 by the FCC.

Yes, now we're so hopelessly puritan that the back of a woman's torso is cause for viewer outrage, hand-wringing, and gnashing of teeth. Grow up, America.

It's about time!! I think women should speak when spoken to. And Niggers should remember where their place is!!

Ugh!! Seriously a massive population decrease in middle America and the South is needed.

[Tom_Aurum]

Every time you masturbate, god kills a kitten.

Please, think of the kittens.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Lord Poe, I love your new Spidey sig, and props to Chardok for the Church Lady.

That being said, let's not delve into Canadian Idiocy, Mike. Quebec anyone? Its just that here in the US more people complain, so we have to accomodate them. Its not like we've gone crazy and legislated bilingual laws

Did I ever say that I support Quebec stupidity? They can go fuck themselves for all I care; they're bigoted shitheads. But it's interesting that this bizarre "Tu Quoque" fallacy is the only thing you have to say about the subject.

Well, that's because the only americans who care are the ones who give a crap, and they're a small vocal minority. That's why I'm comparing them to Canada's small, vocal minority.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Lord Poe, I love your new Spidey sig, and props to Chardok for the Church Lady.

That being said, let's not delve into Canadian Idiocy, Mike. Quebec anyone? Its just that here in the US more people complain, so we have to accomodate them. Its not like we've gone crazy and legislated bilingual laws

Did I ever say that I support Quebec stupidity? They can go fuck themselves for all I care; they're bigoted shitheads. But it's interesting that this bizarre "Tu Quoque" fallacy is the only thing you have to say about the subject.

Well, that's because the only americans who care are the ones who give a crap, and they're a small vocal minority. That's why I'm comparing them to Canada's small, vocal minority.

And the comparison is totally irrelevent and tangental to the discussion at hand - it is made only as somesort of weakass Tu Quoque against Canadians because of our quite frankly embaressing cultural and social problems.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Ok, I don't know who "Tu Quoqote" is, I'm just saying other countries besides the US have some crazy, annoying people who ruin things for everyone else. My question is; So what?