Topic > A study of censorship in the music, television and film industries

Censorship has been present in many cultures around the world for as long as anyone can remember, especially in the United States where new technological advances have brought many new things and created new censorship for them. But in the worlds of music, television, and film, censorship has limited the capabilities of these industries, making it difficult for them to show or broadcast what they and their viewers like. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In a recent incident, rapper Dr. Dre sued the city of Detroit, the mayor's spokesperson, and two police officials, accusing them of censorship by threatening to arrest him and organizers if he aired a questioning video during a concert. Dre claims his free speech and due process rights were violated by Detroit officials who ordered the July 6 video to be pulled from a Joe Louis Arena concert featuring rappers Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Ice Cube . The video was about eight minutes long and featured nudity and a bloody shootout and was not shown. Mayor David Bowens said July 14 that he had not seen the lawsuit but described it as a "baseless and (a) shameless attempt to focus more attention" on the artists' Up in Smoke Tour. you can't even fill half of Joe Louis (Arena), this can't be seen as anything other than a publicity stunt to drum up business as they go along," Bowens said. The lawsuit alleges that the video, "an integral part of the performance (by Dr. Dre),” had been played during tour stops in 10 U.S. cities and Toronto “without incident before arriving in Detroit.” Hours before the local concert, the lawsuit says, Bowens, the two agents of police and "a significant number" of law enforcement gunmen appeared at the arena and demanded the video be removed. Police Chief Brown told organizers that the concern was whether the video was appropriate for young people and that the tour had not warned the public on tickets or in advertising. Even so, the lawsuit says, an audiotape loop played over speakers outside the arena advised of the show's "adult content," with similar written warnings on the arena's doors. Brown threatened to arrest whoever turned on the video, Dr. Dre and the tour promoters. , then immediately stop the show, the lawsuit says. Hours before a concert scheduled for the next day at the Palace in Auburn Hills, the lawsuit alleges, police in that suburb told Dr. Dre and promoters not to show the video. When a federal judge in Detroit ruled that Auburn Hills could not block the video from being shown, it aired as scheduled. Police issued a misdemeanor citation to Dr. Dre for promoting pornography. Police also reported the matter to the state Liquor Control Commission, believing the Palace violated its liquor license by airing the video, said Chris De Witt, a spokesman for the Michigan attorney general's office. If the state sides with Auburn Hills police, the Palace's liquor license could be suspended or revoked. The arena could also be fined up to $300. This is just one of the many incidents that have happened in the music scene that just doesn't seem right. The people who attend these concerts know what to expect from the show and have paid hard earned money for their tickets and deserve to get what they paid for. Like on television; if anyone paid for the TV awaycable, give him his money's worth. Let him or her watch broadcast shows without any censorship. For months, the Parents Television Council (PTC) has been harassing WWF sponsors to remove advertisements from Smackdown (a weekly wrestling show on cable television). So far, 30 major companies have voluntarily pulled huge sponsorships from the show. The Council has repeatedly attempted to harm WWF's business by trying to dictate what humans should be allowed to watch. One large company, MCI WorldCom, bowed to pressure and sided with PTC. Parents' Television Council Honorary National President Steve Allen congratulated MCI WorldCom on its decision to withdraw advertising money from WWF Smackdown!, one of the most offensive shows on prime-time television. “Thank you for bringing your concerns regarding MCI WorldCom advertising on the WWF Smackdown! television program to our attention. We appreciate the information you have provided regarding this matter and want you to know that we share your concerns and agree with all heart that advertising on WWF Smackdown! is appropriate,” wrote Bernard Ebbers, president and CEO of MCI WorldCom, in a letter to the PTC. “This is not the type of programming MCI WorldCom wants to be associated with, and MCI WorldCom has suspended all advertising on this program.” MCI WorldCom is the latest company to pull its advertising dollars from WWF Smackdown!. To date, more than thirty companies contacted by PTC have pledged to withhold advertising funds from the show, including corporate giants such as Wendy's, Ford, General Motors, Coca-Cola, AT&T, M&M Mars, Clorox, State Farm, Office Depot, Walgreens , Saks Inc., Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Allstate Insurance, Gap, Procter & Gamble, Hershey's, McDonald's, SBC Enterprises, Maytag, Colgate-Palmolive, Kellogg's, Pfizer, Domino's, Federated Department Stores, Best Foods, Wrigley's, Bank of America and Johnson & Johnson. Once the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard became aware of the content of Smackdown!, they also withdrew their sponsorship, stating that the show did not reflect their core values. Wrestling has been a part of the television world before many people were. born. The millions of viewers who watch these programs understand that it is just entertainment. For them it's just like football, baseball, basketball or hockey: just a sport to watch when you feel the need for a little action. If you can't watch it on television, another alternative is to simply rent a movie. Using a law rarely enforced in the past decade, Jefferson Parish prosecutors filed obscenity charges against the owners of three major video stores for renting sexually explicit movies. Their decision to bring criminal proceedings reopens a debate on the difficult questions of determining "contemporary community standards," a key phrase in the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling by which obscenity cases are judged, and on how to apply standards in an era where Internet pornography has made R-rated material available to the public. Additionally, while Major Video has distributed both sexually explicit and mainstream films, other Jefferson Parish businesses specialize in adult material but have not been charged. District Attorney Paul Connick Jr. denied singling out Major Video, saying his office reviews every case submitted by law enforcement. The sheriff's office said deputies began investigating.