←back to thread

The Big [Censored] Theory

(pudding.cool)
1444 points feross | 3 comments | 29 Aug 22 17:34 UTC | HN request time: 0.6s | source
Show context
briantakita ◴[29 Aug 22 19:35 UTC] No.32642516[source]▶
Companies & Governments in the US & West censor for political reasons. Why is this any different?
replies(4): >>32642962 #>>32642992 #>>32644010 #>>32647974 #
camdenlock ◴[29 Aug 22 20:12 UTC] No.32642962[source]▶
Citation needed. Please show an example of a foreign piece of content which has been chopped to bits by the US government before being allowed to be distributed here.
replies(1): >>32643173 #
Dracophoenix ◴[29 Aug 22 20:32 UTC] No.32643173[source]▶
Broadcast anime on daytime television. While companies like 4Kids that did the actual censoring (like digitally editing cells) and replacing lines ( "localization" as they would call it), it is the FCC that has power over broadcast licensing and provides a disincentive for showing work that soccer moms found distasteful, even if otherwise covered under the First Amendment.
replies(1): >>32645663 #
1. trinovantes ◴[30 Aug 22 01:24 UTC] No.32645663[source]▶
broadcast != distribution

It's not illegal to import/purchase the unedited original versions with guns, deaths, and nudity (excluding lolita). With online streaming being the norm now, the government has no say in the content consumed.

replies(1): >>32646073 #
2. Dracophoenix ◴[30 Aug 22 02:44 UTC] No.32646073[source]▶
In this context of both the GP and the main post itself, broadcast is no different from distribution, whether via television or the Internet.

> It's not illegal to import/purchase the unedited original versions with guns, deaths, and nudity (excluding lolita).

One could say the same about China. There's no law against importing uncensored movies for private consumption and any laws against their sale by local denizens, if such laws exist, go unenforced. Even in Beijing, you can buy high-quality, uncensored bootlegs of practically every American movie and TV show.

replies(1): >>32646196 #
3. trinovantes ◴[30 Aug 22 03:02 UTC] No.32646196[source]▶
I'm referencing your comment about 4kids anime censorship. Guns and deaths don't exist in their TV broadcasts but you can still buy/import/sell the original Japanese versions without government interference. You can also watch the original Japanese versions online without government interference. Any censorship that does occur like 7seas is at the discretion of their editors who probably spend too much time on Twitter.

The same cannot be said about China. Official online anime broadcasts are still censored if not outright banned.

There's no point in discussing bootleg and other illegal distribution channels. It's already illegal, why does censorship dodging matter for the distributors?