What Is the Purpose of Censorship?

What is the purpose of censorship?

Censorship is used within media to provide guidelines in media texts so the mass audience isn't provided with explicit content. This is why The Hays Code was introduced in the 1930's as motion picture producers etc realised the authority and trust they had on their shoulders. So they took the burden on their shoulders to recognise their responsibilities to their audiences and the public as their media took an affect on peoples life's and the way they were. This meant they decided what was allowed to be shown and what should be censored. This was because  they realised that some things were deemed to explicit to show. So for example in the 1920's you were not allowed to show scenes of misusing the american flag, white slavery, or using words such as "Christ". However now this is all considered okay. This is because over the years these have slowly been taken in by the public through media allowing the use and them unconsciously becoming used to whatever is being displayed. As what they're displayed they feel is correct and okay. This then makes us ask what should and shouldn't be censored and where can we draw the line. As well as this it makes us ask the question as to who should be allowed to choose what is censored and have this power to choose what is theoretically right or wrong in society and shouldn't be consumed by the public.

As well as this music videos currently are a great example of why media is censored. We have people like Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears and many others that use explicit content in their music videos. They have even gone to the extent of on some videos adding an age certificate to stop people below that age watching such videos. This is because music videos are normally meant to be okay with all ages and entertainment for all ages to watch. However in modern day we have women walking around naked and singers using harmful words in their songs meaning it has to be censored as usually these videos would be aired in daytime. These music videos are now censored to stop certain ages from watching some of the aspects in their videos and conforming to them and copying their ways of these bad habits and picking them up.

This then links in to watershed and the reason of it. The UK watershed is 21:00. The reason we have this is because usually kids from a young age go to sleep before 21:00 meaning after that time programmes on television can air content with more adult and explicit content. The reason for this is because kids cant be provided with programmes using language and scenes of explicit ideas otherwise they will get the wrong idea and use these ideas in their life and think it is acceptable to do or say what they are. This is why there is a watershed to stop them from seeing such things as adults are more mature and can handle themselves as well as realising what is right and wrong in society.

How does it suggest we are a passive audience?

This can suggest that we as an audience are passive because we are unconsciously falling to these subliminal messages being sent by television, film, and radio producers or directors etc. This is because when we are are shown something we don't realise it but we take note of what we have seen and categorise it in our head. So when we hear explicit language constantly used everywhere we start to think this is acceptable without consciously thinking it or engaging with the media. This is because we become used to things and eventually conform or copy what we see or hear, whether we intentionally engage with it or not. The reason we are a passive audience is because we are just so stubborn to our senses are tend to ignore the bigger situation. As we realise something is either being sent to us a message yet we just take it in and go along with media instead of asking question of why is this not allowed to be shown and even if there was something horrible shown we would't complain as eventually it would be shown more and eventually we would become used to it as passively we are becoming used to it and not really knowing what is right or wrong as its just what the media has portrayed to us, instead of our own thoughts as we are constantly being led by the media and injected with their opinions instead of our own.