Censorship

[Susan Foreman]

Mary Lighthouse...

In the early 1970's, she tried (unsuccessfully) to get the BBC to ban the Chuck Berry song 'My Ding-A-Ling' due to the innuendo in the lyrics



However, she was more successful in getting the BBC to stop featuring Alice Cooper with 'School's Out' on 'Top Of The Pops'..Mind you, Alice thought that the publicity was good, and so he sent her a bunch of flowers to thank her for her help in getting the song to #1 in the charts!

The following year, in 1973, he wrote the song 'Mary Ann' on the 'Billion Dollar Babies' album about her!

[Mojo]

She should have married James Ferman.

[nosferatu42]

Originally Posted by Mojo

She should have married James Ferman.

Yeah but the Ferman could occasionally be reasonable, (ie with arty films ).
Much more of a suitable match would have been Mathew Hopkins (witchfinder general),
Just imagine the offspring.

[Susan Foreman]

Pink Floyd namecheck her in the song 'Pigs (Three Different Ones)' from the "Animals" album:

"Hey you Whitehouse, ha ha, charade you are
You house proud town mouse, ha ha, charade you are
You're trying to keep our feelings off the street
You're nearly a real treat
All tight lips and cold feet
I know you feel abused
You gotta stem the evil tide
And keep it all on the inside
Mary you're nearly a treat
Mary you're nearly a treat
But you're really a cry"

[Susan Foreman]

A list of the 41 films and videos cut by the BBFC and distributors in 2014

BBFC Cuts by the Year: 2014

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by suziginajackson

A list of the 41 films and videos cut by the BBFC and distributors in 2014

BBFC Cuts by the Year: 2014

A large chunk of this sounds like studio cuts to lower the certificate. The worrying bit was the suggestion that us versions now might be bbfc approved

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by keirarts

A large chunk of this sounds like studio cuts to lower the certificate. The worrying bit was the suggestion that us versions now might be bbfc approved

Like you said, most of the entries were distributors taking the BBFC's advice following an advanced screening and removing parts of a certain scene to secure a 15/12A/PG rather than the higher certificate.

The part about Soulmate was interesting because the director responded by saying the BBFC said (and I paraphrase) 'remove the suicide bit or the entire film will be banned – I made a video nasty without even trying', even though her intended version would have been shown uncut with an 18 certificate.

Basically, it is distributors choosing the lowest certificate available to maximise profits, which is their primary interest, overriding artistic integrity.

[Make Them Die Slowly]

Interesting stuff, the word spastic will get a U cert film a 12 cert and a bugger a PG. Do the BBFC have a ratings scale of swearing and insults and how does that work taking into account swearing and insults within the context of different cultures.

I was quite shocked that a realistic suicide method would get an outright ban. I'm volunteering Boo to kill himself in this manner as a direct protest against copy cat behaviour.

[Boo Radley]

So I heard that BBFC decisions on censorship of films might now be used as a World Standard. The pain is too much...even more than the night MTDS and Ron spit roasted me. Goodbye cruel world.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78424DwqUPk

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Make Them Die Slowly

Interesting stuff, the word spastic will get a U cert film a 12 cert and a bugger a PG. Do the BBFC have a ratings scale of swearing and insults and how does that work taking into account swearing and insults within the context of different cultures.

I was quite shocked that a realistic suicide method would get an outright ban. I'm volunteering Boo to kill himself in this manner as a direct protest against copy cat behaviour.

I'm pretty sure 'spastic' was frowned on (as it should be) because of the cultural difference between how it is used in the US and in the UK, which is a little like 'retard'. I imagine the BBFC will have a list of what words are acceptable with each certificate and how context (humorous or aggressive) changes it.

As for the suicide, It said the suicide as was would have been shown intact in an 18 certificate film:

"16s of cuts to remove just the vertical cutting details of the suicide but leaving the suicide otherwise in place. This would then have been 18 rated. (Suicide in films for under 18s is a very sensitive area these days)."