Media Analysis 1 – Media Policy
Q 2. British Film Board of Classification
By: Peter Packroff
Due date November 12th 2004 Friday seminar, taught by Claire Mackie
List of contents
Introduction
p3
The determinism of technology and censorship
p4-5
The need of protection
p6-7
The classification in practice
p8-10
The accessibility
p11
Conclusion
p12-13
Bibliography
p14
Appendices
p15
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Introduction:
In 1984 it was decided by law that the non-governmental British Film Board of Classification should become the legal official gatekeeper, deciding what should be released on video (DVD), digital games and to classify films shown in cinemas in Britain. Every producer of films or games shall pay the BBFC to get their film classified. In 1912, the British Board of Classification (as it was called then) should protect the image of the British Empire, and must e.g. not expose the Royal Family in a bad light. The essay will look into the technological determinism that has been argued, is leading to new needs of protection, year 2004. The essay will examine from which criteria the Film Board seem to be making their decisions. It will use examples from films, and also games that have been classified, with different reasons given. It will question, if the world still needs to be protected, and if so, is BBFC then the right organisation to so, in the new century?
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The determinism of technology and censorship
When the train for the first time moved into the cinema in the beginning of the 20th century, the world was amazed, but also frightened of the new media. So frightened, that the educated over-class soon believed in the power of the new media, and the need of controlling the public – to protect the established society. The level of relaxation in censorship and classification has then followed the development of technology through time. The technology in film making has developed so fast that films that once were scary to watch, just 10 years ago, like “Child Play”, now only entertain as being funny. A scary computer game on the Commadore64 is no longer to be perceived to be scary. In the 1980’tees the first Strip Poker game was launched to the Commadore64: Squared cards on a black background, with a squared pink woman. Her bikini was a triangle and two squares connected with two blue lines. This game was revolutionary and the public, like today, meant that vulnerable groups had to be protected from these demoralising games. When the internet became accessible in 1995, the word “sex” was the worlds most used search word. This trend changed 9 years later, and became number 2, after the Janet Jackson stunt at the MTV award. The search for sex online is now in decline, and the public find the internet more useful, than just to provide sex. Above examples shows a tendency, that public is afraid every time a new media is introduced. However, not many today would argue, that playing Ping Pong would lead to a changing social behaviour. As the law is today, the classification remains the same, once the film has been classified. If, people become more toughened and demanding by time, 4
and if the films no longer have same impact, it could be argued that all films should be revised- or that the classification should only last for a period of 10 years.
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The need of protection
When BBFC started back in 1912, its aim was “to protect the working class”. It was believed that nudity, swearing and violence on screen would demoralise the population. Today, BBFC says its aim is to protect vulnerable groups through classification. Beside of what public can be shown of legal reasons, the BBFC can also demand cuttings in the movie, if to be released in the UK (this has only happened in rare cases). According to Nielsen Media 1990, an average child in the US spends more time in front of the TV, than time in school. Before graduation a child would have watched 8000 murders and 100.000 acts of televised violence (Psychology, p. 215). A famous sociological experiment on how the violence affects children, gave the significant result that children adopted the violent behaviour. The children watched how adult people on TV treated a dull. One group watched an aggressive reaction toward the dull, and the other group watched a nonaggressive behaviour. The aggressive group then repeated the adult behaviour on a provided dull after the movie (Psychology, p. 216). It is a fact that there is a rising problem of violence, and a rising degree of cruelty of violence, all over the world. When two young children in England, around 10 years ago, killed a 2 year old baby, a judge, for the first time, suggested the possibility that watching “Child Play” could have contributed to their abnormal behaviour- A comment that spoke for more censorship.
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It is examples like this that inspire pressure groups like “Family and Youth Concerned”, that also were against the 12A rating on Spiderman (see appendix 1). There have been released many of surveys that suggest that violence is adopted by children playing computer and watching film. For example a survey on children, showed that the interviewed children believed other children would take damage of playing a specific game (see appendix 1). Should people’s assumptions be enough reason to change the law? “All too often policy has been driven more by phantasy than realism. It has led to over-hyped and then over-extended telecommunication and IT industries” (p. 206 Power without Responsibility)
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The classification in practice
Like its previous version, the newly released computer game GTA St. Andreas has been criticised for being too violent. The game has, as most other “1st person shooters”1 the 18 classification. The reason for this classification is the assumption that 3D games “1 st Person” involve the gamer on a higher level than an isometric game2 (see appendix 2). However, though BBFC is more likely to age 2D games to 12+, BBFC had following comment on GTH: “Grand Theft Auto was an isometric (top down) game with old-fashioned graphics and it didn’t provide players with the visceral depictions of gore in something like the graphically accomplished Soldier of Fortune 2. However, it still received an 18- certificate because of the amoral content in the game”. (See appendix 2). Resident Evil has been classified the 15 year certificate. The game contains a lot of blood and extreme shock effects from dead zombies. The game is also a 3D game, but a “3rd person”3. Gangland, which is a “top down” 3D game, has been giving the 12+ certificate. On the back cover it says, “…contains same level of violence as GTA”. However, Gangland moves further away from reality with its “Hollywood comments” like “do you think that hurts” and “is that all you got”, when a person gets 100 bullets fired against him from an Uzi. Gangland glorifies murder with its ironic distance. Also War of the Ring and Empire are like Gangland “top down” game. You can zoom into the middle age environment, and see the details of blood pulsing out of the body etc. 1
The player views the game through the main characters eyes. The player views the game from above, or as a platform game. 3 The player sees the person, in the 3D world, but with a bigger distance from the game. 2
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These examples show a concern of the engagement with the game. The policy of the BBFC seems to be; the less realistic the game, and the further it moves from reality, the better. This concludes that it is not necessarily the amount of blood of violence in the game that sets the limit.
BBFC still uses same classification system to classify both games and movies. However, the reasons for the classification seem to differ. Concerning films, use of the f-word, naked people and drugs tends to be the main concern: Ken Loach accuses BBFC for being old fashioned and ridicules because of the 18 classification that Sweet Sixteen was given. He urges people to ignore the law and the classification, as everybody earns to watch the movie (Interview from “extras” on Sweet Sixteen). The BBFC’s reason was mainly the many drug references and strong language. The film is socio-realistic of genre, and it has to be stressed that it does not glorify drugs- or the hard language. The purpose of the movie is the exact opposite. He argues that it is the way people in Greenock speak. Every Scotsman of any age knows that, so why should the Scottish not be aloud to watch the film, just because a London directed board is denying the facts? A remark on the cassette tells that Sweet Sixteen contains an adult theme. This might as well be the reason for the classification. In contradiction, South Park, which is an animated teenage comedy TVseries, now also as film, holds the record 4 for its number of f-words in a movie. 399 times! This is 5 times a minute. All released series of the South Park have the 15 mark, except one on 18 (www.bbfc.co.uk). The new film from the producers of South Park, Team America- the World Police has not yet released, but is already classified 15. The actors starring are 4 well known American, active in politics. This time they act in form of cord 4
Guinness Book of Records
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driven dolls. The film’s theme is protecting America from all kind of different threats as Osama Bin Laden and The North Korean dictator- who they nuke! This can be argued, to be an adult theme, made entertaining. American Pie has the 15 classification. The main theme is teenage party and sex. However, American Pie is a comedy and does not have an adult theme, or raise any questions to society. If zombies does not affect people aged 15, how can the f-word and a nudity affect people that age? Most youngsters under 18 have already had their first sexual experience. No youngsters hear the f-word for the first time when they turn 18. Drug misuse among youngsters is a growing problem, and perhaps many have already tried marihuana and stronger drugs, before they turn 18, as the drugs are now widely available in UK.
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The accessibility
By the Video Act 1984 it became illegal to import any DVD, if the DVD has not been classified by the BBFC, weather it is for private or public use. From the BBFC’s home site it should be possible to check information on the classification given every film. However, far from all films were proved accessible, when searching for examples to support this essay. The internet has now made it possible to download most of all films available on the market. And all children now have access to porn of every aspect on the internet. However, 18R hardcore porn movies are still only available in the around 100 licensed sex shops in UK. Porn magazines are widely available in most news agents, and no books are censured by a legal organisation like BBFC. The f-word is widely accessible in uncensored music: Eamons “Fuck you (I don’t want you back) repeats the fword 20 times in less than 4 minutes (this is worse than the South Park film record), available from broadcasted radio (!!!), and music shops. As a result of the failure of legal organisations to control the media flow, many companies are today making a lot of money on providing parental control in form of digital TV and internet software packages (see appendix 3 for example).
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Conclusion
BBFC tried to renew itself by changing name to British Film Board of Classification, but BBFC has, as “the old elephant” BBC, the inheritance from old the days: The fear of media’s impact that goes back to the effectiveness of the WW2 propaganda. They are caught in the same dilemma of people’s different expectations: “who decides what is good for us”? BBFC sends a lot of ambiguous signals. It makes it hard to understand who they try to protect. Is it vulnerable groups, individuals, morale of society, or just an attempt to please different pressure groups? The essay concludes, based on the results of the research, that there is no significant material available that proofs people aged 15 take damage of hearing the f-word in a film. Neither that non glorifying references to drugs and nudity in movies can lead to rape attempts and drug-misuse. BBFC does not attempt, at all, to separate violence and drug-misuse, shown as entertainment, from socio-realistic and realistic films, which purpose is to inform and raise issues. This essay argues that watching Sweet Sixteen will not lead to demoralisation and drug misuse, but enables the viewer to deal with the danger from drugs and prepare the viewer for the world he/she lives in. In other countries socio-realistic films are being used as background for political debates for students, not aged 18. And what is the reason that children in Scandinavia are aloud to use Spielberg’s Schneider’s List and Passion of the Christ (both classified 18), as part of education? Are they not a part of the vulnerable group? If not, why are the British children (youngsters)? American Beauty is classified 18, but was shown in a screening on Caledonian University to students, some aged 17. The essay is of the opinion that socio-realistic films and films that can create basic for debates should not 12
be classified by BBFC, but should be up to the teacher or parents to decide what they believe is good culture for the children.
The 3D computer games are a new invention like DVD’s, and it might take years before scientist can give any scientific proven assumptions on their impact. In the near future there will be much more traffic of media over the boarders. Already now, film and TV streaming over the internet is a reality. In Scandinavia, new optical lines provide internet on 20Mbit/sek, and soon double the speed. A common private ADSL line in UK is 256- 512Kbit/sek. In future neither BBC nor BBFC will be able to control the flow of what people are watching. In future, an international standardised, maybe European classification – that would only work as an advisory classification - could become a reality. Or maybe an international law would demand film producers to declare the strong contents etc. on covers. Maybe even provide sampled scenes for download that the parents could make their decisions on? Consumers could then go to a Consumer Board with their complaint, if they found that the declaration was not complete. A central common consumer board that would not only concern media, but all aspects of consumer goods, because in future, the public view on media might become ranked equally to any other consumer goods.
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Bibliography
Primary Loach, Ken Sweet Sixteen (film) Icon Home entertainment. Penner, Bernstein and Roy Clarke- Stewart Psychology 6th edition Houghton Mifflin www.film.guardian.co.uk www.pcadvisor.co.uk www.x-pcsoft.com/cguard.html Secondary Branston, Gill and Stafford, Roy The Media Student’s Book 3rd edition Routledge Curran, James and Seaton, Jean Power without Responsibility 6th edition Routledge Williams, Kevin Get Me a Murder a Day! 1st edition Arnold www.bbfc.co.uk www.net-consumers.org
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Appendices Primary 1. “Spider-man Seizes the under-12s” (www.film.guardian.co.uk) 2. “X-reted gaming” (www.pcadvisor.co.uk) 3. “Parental Control Software” (www.x-pcsoft.com/cguard.html) Secondary Material printed from www.bbfc.co.uk and www.net-consumers.org. The material is not referred to in the essay, but has contributed to research on the subject of BBFC.
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