Banned

By medium: banned books - banned films - banned music

Related: censorship - forbidden - law - morals - social - taboo

La Règle du Jeu/The Rules of the Game (1939) - Jean Renoir [Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]

La Règle du Jeu (1939) was initially judged to be too gloomy and was greeted with derision by a Parisian crowd on its premiere. The French government duly banned it, but after the war it has come to be seen as one of the greatest films of all-time. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rules_of_the_Game [Sept 2004]

Book burning, May 10, 1933, Berlin

Definition

A prohibition imposed by law or official decree. --AHD

Forbidden [...]

Banned Media Products

For nearly the entire history of book and film production, certain media products have been either boycotted by political and religious groups or literally banned by a regime for political or moral reasons. Paradoxically, banning a media product often completely fails to achieve its intention of preventing a media product from being perceived- the publicity given worldwide to banned products often results in it being given attention it might not otherwise receive.

With the advent of the internet, the ability of groups or governments to ban media products is hindered. Obvious problems with using the internet as a distribution system include the inability for a producer to profit from his or her product. Recently, Michael Moore stirred up controversy by encouraging people who were curious about but didn't want to financially support his film, Fahrenheit 9/11, to download it and watch it on their computers. --adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banned_films [Oct 2004]

Banned Films [...]

For nearly the entire history of film and movie production, certain films have been either boycotted by political and religious groups or literally banned by a regime for political or moral reasons. Paradoxically, banning a movie often completely fails to achieve its intention of preventing a movie from being seen- the publicity given worldwide to banned movies often results in it being given attention it might not otherwise receive.

With the advent of the internet, the ability of groups or governments to ban a film is hindered. High-speed internet and better file compression give more people access to digital copies of movies that might not be available for viewing in theaters. Obvious problems with using the internet as a distribution system include the inability for a producer to profit from his or her film. Recently, Michael Moore stirred up controversy by encouraging people who were curious about but didn't want to financially support his film, Fahrenheit 9/11, to download it and watch it on their computers. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banned_films [Oct 2004]

Banned Books [...]

Ulysses by James Joyce was recently selected by the Modern Library as the best novel of the 20th century, and has received wide praise from other literature scholars, including those who have defended online censorship. (Carnegie Mellon English professor and vice-provost Erwin Steinberg, who praised the book in 1994, also defended CMU's declaration that year to delete alt.sex and some 80 other newsgroups, claiming they were legally obligated to do so.) Ulysses was barred from the United States as obscene for 15 years, and was seized by U.S Postal Authorities in 1918 and 1930. The lifting of the ban in 1933 came only after advocates fought for the right to publish the book. In 1930, U.S. Customs seized Harvard-bound copies of Candide, Voltaire's critically hailed satire, claiming obscenity. Two Harvard professors defended the work, and it was later admitted in a different edition. In 1944, the US Post Office demanded the omission of Candide from a mailed Concord Books catalog. ----John Mark Ockerbloom

Banned Music

http://ericnuzum.com/banned/
A selective on-line chronicle of popular music that has been censored, banned, suppressed, or altered against the wishes of its creators and intended audience.

For radio airplay the perceived drug reference "I get no kick from cocaine," is changed to "I get perfume from Spain." in Cole Porter's classic "I Get A Kick Out of You." --http://ericnuzum.com/banned/incidents/50s.html [Mar 2005]

Censorship [...]

Censorship is the use of state power or public body or writer/ director/actor etc to control freedom of expression. Censorship 'criminalizes' certain actions or the communication of such actions-or suggested communications of such actions. In a modern sense censorship consists of any attempt to suppress information, points of view, or method of expression such as art, or profanity. The purpose of censorship is to maintain the status quo, to control the development of a society, or to stifle dissent among a subject people. For this reason, censorship is very common among organized religions, clubs, social groups and governments. However there are been groups fighting against censorship-indeed not representing a minority group correctly is a form of censorship. --wikipedia, Aug 2003

Books

1. Forbidden Films: Censorship Histories of 125 Motion Pictures - Dawn B. Sova, Marjorie Heins [Amazon.com]
   Even though this book brings important items out to light, the work itself is lacking and at times incomplete. It also has a strong sense of sensasionalism to it, think of watching NBC on daily news. The mention of films like The Great Dictator as items under censorship and controversy is in itself sensasionalistic, as opposed to Citizen Kane which is not mentioned at all, gives a better idea of how subtle and hyped this work is, besides, the constant reference to the De Grazia book by title Banned Films: Movies, Censors and the First Amendment, makes it look like it is a copy of such book and no actual research was ever done to actualize, itemize or distinguish one text from the other. In short this book could be helpful on legal matters and cross reference from one legal case to another,since it does provide the actual case numbers and states where cases where trialed (picture yourself battling the Supreme court and having this book as a resource for enlightment on appeals, injunctions and motions), as far as film is concerned, I personally know of at least 125 more banned films within one decade alone and after the Hays Production Code or the Christian Legion of Decency to write a book on. Sova deserves credit for sticking it out with the female stars and the sex/erotic/porn oriented genre, but I for one think of film as a much broader medium in which the powers that be relish to exert their power to limit the means of expression whether this be of religious, sexual or political nature. Recommended for the high school reader with a strong suggestion to do further reading --An Amazon.com Customer from Los Angeles, CA USA

2. 100 Banned Books: Censorship Histories of World Literature - Nicholas J. Karolides [Amazon US]
   Scheduled for publication during Banned Books Week (September 25, 1999-October 2, 1999), this reference gives extensive insight into titles that historically have faced a high rate of censorship, both in the United States and abroad. The text is arranged in four sections, with titles divided by the main groundsApolitical, religious, sexual, and socialAfor censorship. Introductory notes for each section define what the book's authors mean by that type of suppression and summarize its history. Each title is identified by author, date and place of original publication, publisher, and literary form, and each entry includes a comprehensive summary of the text. These summaries are followed by a full censorship history and suggested "Further Readings" sections directing readers to accessible sources of additional information. By limiting the texts under consideration to 100, the authors are able to provide highly detailed accounts of each title's censorship history in what is surely the most exhaustive single-volume reference available. A valuable tool for those seeking information on particular banned books or on censorship in general; recommended for public and academic libraries. [This book is an adaptation of Facts on File's four-volume "Banned Books," LJ 6/1/98.AEd.]--Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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