There is soon to be a new DVD player on the market, sold at Wal-mart and a possibly a few other locations. This "fabulous" item (note: sarcasm) will censor out the parts of the film deemed inappropriate by the player/company. Whether it be muting certain sequences or simply skipping an entire sequence, this DVD player has the ability to make Pulp Fiction viewable to a 5 year old.
Though the announcement is a bit old, some new facts have been brought out and a lawsuit has followed. This story by CNN has more details [link].
But first, some thoughts on the player itself. I have deemed this player the "3rd parent." It's utterly ridiculous how lazy parents have gotten that now they will (most likely at least) pay $50 a year to let their kids watch the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This is a disc that should never be put in front of a kid in the first place let alone viewed in any form. Besides, who decides what should be cut? Is "hell" or "damn" too much?
Also, what if little Johnny gets accustomed to watching DVD's and you haven't downloaded the appropriate file to censor that new movie? You run to the store and come home to Natural Born Killers right there on your TV, completely uncut. Oops. Movies don't need to be censored, parents simply shouldn't let their kids watch these movies, period. There will come a time when they will be able to watch them and comprehend what they are seeing. This is absurd.
Now, a lawsuit has been filed against this Clearplay DVD player by the Directors Guild of America. They claim their movies will be edited and changed from their original vision. I'm not sure which is more absurd: The player itself or this lawsuit.
Maybe film directors don't know this, but movies have been censored for years. They must've never watched a 90 minute movie get streched into a 3-hour marathon on a major network, all censored and edited to fit into the TV time (and to toss in 2 hours of commercials). Oh, they must have missed the entire VHS era which saw their movies shown in pan & scan which doesn't quite give viewers their original vision, does it?
Everyday, we get one step closer to hell freezing over. Today, we took two. It will be interesting to see if the suit goes through or if the player takes off. Either case will be a travesty and the beginning of the end here in America. Then again, if someone actually believes we need something like this, maybe we are at the end.
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Article comments
1 - Mimi
I understand your frustration but as a parent I can tell you that there are many movies I would love my children to see that have one or two scenes that I find inappropriate for their ages. I really don't think people will get this player to allow their children to watch Pulp Fiction or Texas Chainsaw Massacre. If parents are letting them see these films then my guess is they don't care what their kids see in the first place and aren't very responsible people to begin with. Thanks for letting me comment.
:)
2 - Heather
I own this dvd player. I have six kids under the age of 10. We do not have cable, and I do choose carfully the movies they watch. I did not however buy Clearview for their benifit, but for my own. My standards for myself are the same as my children. I do get a little tired of just kid movies. This machine will allow me to maintain my standards, and watch films I want to see, but refused to sit through the trash to see them. I do agree with you that there are people who will use it just as you said, and you are 100% right about how some movies do not need to be put in front of kids in any form. Believe it or not there are still some grown people who care about protecting their minds as well as the minds of their children. Thank you for allowing my comment.
3 - Carol
My husband and I do use our V chip. We saw the Clearview at Wal-mart and were gald to see it. We already use a system for ourselves. I see no worth in showing extreme violence, sex or excessive cursing in a movie. I don't see it adding anything to the meaning of the film. Many of the older movies that lacked these "enhancements" had so much more content, thought, and artistry. The quality of acting was better. I watch movies from other countries that do not have the "questionable content" and find them to be excellent. I don't see my viewpoint as bringing America down. Freedom to choose is part of America.
4 - n/a
I don't think editing videos for children is the only issue here. There are a lot of shows that I would like to see (as an adult) without the unnecessary and offensive language, innuendos, or violence. I think you ought to give the target market a little more credit.