I was settling down to watch Thunderbirds on Syfy yesterday morning to be astonished to hear the Syfy warn me that "the following programme contains scenes of violence".
It's Thunderbirds for farks sake, not a Steven Seagal movie!
In the episode I watched (indeed in all episodes) the central characters smoked (even on planes) and drank. I am surprised Nanny didn't warn me about that too!
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Well Ken, don't you get the same warning before the evening TV news?
ReplyDeleteNo? Why not?
It never ceases to amaze me just how many "warnings" we get each day;
ReplyDeleteWarning, the following programme contains flash photography/mild violence, mild peril,strong language, scenes of surgury, scenes that some viewers may find disturbing, adult themes, etc etc....It is a bit like Aesop's fable of the Boy who cried Wolf.....If you falsly cry wolf too many times, people may ignore ypou when you actually do see a wolf and need help.....When people watch programmes with one or more of these silly warnings attached and see nothing wrong with it, so they will ignore all warnings.....My own favourite warning was one on TCM which stated "The following film contains views that many people may find old fashioned." Now that HAS to take the biscuit!!
I wonder who actually tells the media companies to offer these warnings, bearing in mind that, they already have been through nanny's censor and have been granted certificates?
Strangely enough some of my Dr. Who DVDs have the warning that they contain scenes of mild violence (presumably Daleks doing a bit of exterminating). Now these are almost all from the Hartnell era and back then were children's programmes. The smoking and drinking scenes in Thunderbirds were nothing unusual back in the mid-1960s and to warn that we might see Lady Penelope with her long cigarette holder just shows how far we've slipped down the PC brainwashing slope. Even BBC 7 warns that archived comedy shows represent attitudes of the time.
ReplyDeleteI happen to have every episode of Thunderbirds on DVD... And I've checked. They are rated "U" by the BBFC. That means "Universal", i.e. suitable for all.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the world coming to when U certificate films need a warning?
Have you noticed how few films get a U certificate these days? Most films seem to get a PG or a 12A "just in case".
Let me draw to attention "Star Wars". In 1977 that film was rated "U". Can you imagine a film being rated "U" these days if it featured someone being tortured by being picked up by the throat and someone having an arm amputated in a bar brawl? No?
Toytrumpet, I think one of the reasons most films get a PG or 12A certificate is because that's the way the industry likes it. They feel that a "U" certificate will put off the profitable teen market, who'll think it's just for little kids, so they slip in a mildy sext scene or a bit of bad language to ensure a "PG" or "12A" rating.
ReplyDeleteThere was some talk recently about re-classifying classics like "101 Dalmations" due to smoking scenes, thankfully the BBFC saw sense and realised how it would be laughed out by folk.
ReplyDeleteHave just bought myself a DVD set of the 'Few Dollars' films.
ReplyDeleteThe 'puff' on the box says //Unremitting violence... spectacular gun battles... brutal bandits ... they riddled him with bullets// (Fair enough?)
The '18 + Licencing' panel says // Infrequent strong violence and language//
WTF would they call 'frequent'?
For goodness sake, it's time these morons got a grip: we are talking about a childrens tv programme, featuring puppets, not the Texas Chainsaw Massacre!
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised your Thunderbirds had smoking, because 20 years ago ITC spent a FORTUNE rotoscoping all the cigs out of all the shows. Maybe that was only for the U.S. shows.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised your Thunderbirds had smoking, because 20 years ago ITC spent a FORTUNE rotoscoping all the cigs out of all the shows. Maybe that was only for the U.S. shows.
ReplyDelete