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What the hell is wrong with these censors? Adult Swim isn’t meant for kids, even if it is cartoons. Then again, if everyone is shocked about Janet Jackson’s nipple being shown (maybe even by accident) then this should come as no surprise. In an earlier opinion I wrote that the reason why 4Kids took mature teenager anime and toned them down is because they’re afraid of offending TV censors. It’s true for most dubbing companies, who hack up dubs. Even Card Captor Sakura, which is probably the least profane anime and manga that I’ve ever seen and read, was butchered to merely become Pokemon competition.
Please. True, there were several lesbians, but Syaoran and Yukito don’t count (Syaoran was attracted to Yue’s power of the moon), and they don’t say that Sonomi and Tomoyo are lesbian. It’s merely implied. The Touya and Yukito relationship is inevitable. You have to keep it in, or you screw a major subplot. (As a side note, I found it interesting that 4Kids was looking for anime with sex appeal, yet they censor sex appeal a lot. Those perverts are so inconsistent with themselves.)
It’s bad enough that 4Kids is ruining anime, but do we need television censors as well? Do we want that? No. Go away, censors. You don’t even know who you’re trying not to offend. Children? No child would watch Adult Swim if they felt that they weren’t ready for it. Parents? They don’t have to watch the show, and their kids don’t have to. Yourself? Most likely. There’s a difference between shows that advertise profanity to have more viewers and shows that have profanity, but don’t illustrate it. I don’t know any show that advertises profanity, but I can name shows that have it. Malcolm in the Middle, That 70's Show, and Smallville, to name a few. That 70's Show actually bleeps out nudity, so you don’t have to worry. Profanity’s part of life. Kids curse in middle school nowadays. We learn about sex in 7th grade.
Some parents drink alcohol. Teenagers watch shows like the three mentioned above. Some also watch the Simpsons, which is considered the first American cartoon for adults. I know people who read authors like Meg Cabot, and boy does she use profanity! If television shows are trying to portray real life, then profanity has to be allowed. People curse, drink, become druggies, have sex, etc. It’s not new. If anything, trying to hide profanity is not easy because once a kid enters middle or high school, they’ll be exposed to it every day by other students. If you take 8th grade history, then you learn how Hatshepsut married her brother Thutmose II, then adopted a son that he had with a maid, who should be her nephew. Then after Thutmose II died, she marries her son to have power before officially changing herself into a man. Eeech, I know.
But true. You also learn about King David in Hebrew history and how he fell in love with a married woman called Bathsheba...again, I know. But those are only two things that I learned in my Social Studies class this year. Think about it. If that had been censored by my teacher, then my class wouldn’t have gotten the truth. The truth, no matter how hard it is, should always be told. I think that if Americans had been told the truth for the past five years, then we would know why Bush was President when Gore won more votes...
(Note: This is not a political comment against Republicans. It was just an example too interesting to pass up.) I think I’ll stop here because by now you all understand my view on profanity or you censors are ready to fine me for writing this editorial. For those censors, go to hell. There. I said it. I may take it back, but for right now, just go. Your tickets are already booked. |