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The Big [Censored] Theory

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Re: The Big [Censored] Theory

#191

Post by the_optimist »

sltkr wrote: post #57
TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #2

It's really interesting that such a bland, un-subversive show whose only mentions of sensitive topics are in bad throwaway jokes is so heavily censored. I guess a more interesting show would just not get aired at all.

Personally I'm mostly offended how stale and unoriginal a lot of these jokes are, but I can definitely see why the censors took offense at some of them. For example, the joke about the Chinese restaurant ("I'd be more concerned about what they're passing off as chicken") plays off of the stereotype that Chinese people eat dogs and cats, and the “passing off” remark implies that the Chinese restaurant owners are decep…

Agree, these are 'jokes' are pathetically trite, bland fare. However ironically, liberal college grads are mostly the ones writing the shows. Hard to wrap one's head around.

Re: The Big [Censored] Theory

#192

Post by micromacrofoot »

welshwelsh wrote: post #155
darawk wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is right. If people vote for censorship in a democracy, that's a perfectly fine form of governmental heterogeneity. What's happening in China is not that.

I completely disagree. An individual's rights should have nothing to do with the people who happen to surround them and what they happen to think. If different countries allow different things, that would mean that what a person is allowed to do would depend on where they happen to live, which is usually close to where they happened to be born. That doesn't make any sense to me- the lottery of birth should have no im…

Despite the ideology that it shouldn’t matter, the lottery of birth is probably the single largest factor on someone’s life trajectory today - changing that is incredibly difficult and would likely require the dissolution of many countries

Re: The Big [Censored] Theory

#193

Post by wizofaus »

alldayeveryday wrote: post #146
wizofaus wrote: post #137

Is aversion to discussion of sex a part of traditional Chinese culture? Seems odd given I'm not aware of any puritanical religions taking hold there.

Why would a culture require a puritanical religions to have an aversion to discussion of sex? And do you consider an aversion to discussion of sex to be default lacking or present in a population?

Because why else would such an aversion arise? I don't think there are any sensible "defaults" for human cultures. But I wouldn't expect aversion to talking any sex to arise spontaneously among a population that hadn't had it imposed by prior generations or from outside. We're naturally curious beings and have lots of sex (compared to other species).

Re: The Big [Censored] Theory

#194

Post by sadgrip »

briantakita wrote: post #138
function_seven wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bullshit. Sorry, this "we're the same" retort is exhausting. The United States government does not employ censors to remove portions of shows before allowing them to air (or stream, whatever). The closest thing I can think of is DoD not giving access to a movie unless it paints Navy pilots in a certain light. Okay, fine. Not nearly the same as what this site is showing us. Yes, we have cultural taboos, like any cultu…

Not Bullshit. If the Government & Corporations care so much about others censoring, they should lead by example. Lectures by hypocrites will otherwise be ignored...even if the censorship that you may like is categorized as being justified by you. If you don't like China's censorship policies, then appeal to China's sensibilities as their censorship is categorized as justified by them. Otherwise, the Chinese governmen…

What censorship are you referring to? Streaming services as far as I know can show anything that isn't illegal. Is that not the case?

Re: The Big [Censored] Theory

#195

Post by pjc50 »

joe_the_user wrote: post #171

It's worth noting that American censorship in, say, 1960, was at close to the same level. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_censorship_in_the_United_...

When I saw the comment about "perfectly aligned with China’s “main melody” perspective that justice always wins.", I was immediately reminded of the Hays code. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hays_Code

(reading that again I discovered https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_Film_Corp._v._Industria... ; the idea that movies were not counted as free speech for several decades in the US may come as a surprise to other HN readers)

Re: The Big [Censored] Theory

#196

Post by bobsmooth »

wizofaus wrote: post #152
commandlinefan wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> plays off of the stereotype that Chinese people eat dogs and cats So... you support government censorship of jokes that somebody, somewhere might be offended by?

Wouldn't that happen even in the US? A movie full of vile racist and sexist jokes bordering on abuse is not going to get a [G] rating, meaning the government is censoring it for some viewers. Edit: it seems it's actually relatively easy to find jokes that are genuinely offensive and degrading in PG rated films. Why that's considered less potentially harmful to kids than showing sex between consenting adults I honestl…

MPAA ratings are decidedly not government censorship.

Re: The Big [Censored] Theory

#197

Post by some-human »

function_seven wrote: post #115
commandlinefan wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> such a bland, un-subversive show ... is so heavily censored American censorship is honestly no better, it's just that the show was written with the specifics of American censorship in mind.

Bullshit. Sorry, this "we're the same" retort is exhausting. The United States government does not employ censors to remove portions of shows before allowing them to air (or stream, whatever). The closest thing I can think of is DoD not giving access to a movie unless it paints Navy pilots in a certain light. Okay, fine. Not nearly the same as what this site is showing us. Yes, we have cultural taboos, like any cultu…

Say the word "Bullshit" and then show a erect penis on Wheel of Fortune and see how that 'we don't censor things' goes for you.

Re: The Big [Censored] Theory

#198

Post by jrochkind1 »

commandlinefan wrote: post #143
jrochkind1 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure what aspects of the current Chinese government/communist party would be called "left". For instance, they don't seem especially interested in prioritizing any kind of equality of distribution of resources or power (I'm not sure if they even pretend they are, at least in a way that even any 'true believers' believe? I'd be curious for a read from someone in China though); or with providing any real level…

> what aspects of the current Chinese government/communist party would be called "left" That would be the end-state of what inevitably happens when you adopt leftist policies.

That's an opinion and a boring argument, but I don't think it has much to do with "horseshoe theory". I think that read (that adopting "leftist policies" (like... social security? immigration liberalization? not sure what we're talking about) invariably(!) leads to a result that is not legible as 'left' at all but for its history) is probably incompatible with "horseshoe theory".

Re: The Big [Censored] Theory

#199

Post by nindalf »

jedberg wrote: post #86
sltkr wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Personally I'm mostly offended how stale and unoriginal a lot of these jokes are, but I can definitely see why the censors took offense at some of them. For example, the joke about the Chinese restaurant ("I'd be more concerned about what they're passing off as chicken") plays off of the stereotype that Chinese people eat dogs and cats, and the “passing off” remark implies that the Chinese restaurant owners are decep…

> I dare you to show that scene at a liberal college and notice how few laughs you get. Did you see the recent video where the white guy dressed up in a poncho, big hat, and fake mustache and carried around maracas? He asked a bunch of white kids on a college campus if they thought his outfit was offensive to Mexicans, and they all said yes. Then he went to the Mexican part of town and asked actual Mexicans, and they…

It’s extraordinary that people are taken in by such videos. Those videos are selectively edited to make the creators point.

Tell me, when Jimmy Kimmels producers go out on Hollywood Boulevard and find that not even one person can point to a country other than America on map (https://youtu.be/kRh1zXFKC_o) - do you think that’s real too? Or is that selectively edited for laughs?

Re: The Big [Censored] Theory

#200

Post by the_optimist »

ryanobjc wrote: post #163
lwansbrough wrote: post #78

Interesting to see what passes for a joke on The Big Bang Theory. I knew the show was bad but wow. Perhaps just as surprising is the author's suggestion that a xenophobic remark about a Chinese restaurant is "harmless". I'm not even particularly sensitive when it comes to race relations, but that's just such a negative stereotype it's hard to ignore. I despise Chinese censorship, but I would support the Chinese gover…

So here's the thing, is that joke making fun of a Chinese restaurant, or is it making fun of racist americans who make comments like that? The reality is most Americans have someone like that in their family. Read the rest of the scene: Leonard is distinctly uncomfortable, tries to politely correct the wordage, the comment is lost and the originator moves on. In any case, are you saying that... words that offend you…

The joke is the latter. The woke college grads who write the shows think it's funny to have/lampoon racist characters. However, it is a staple of the fare that these characters must exist in the shows to add foils and character depth.
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