Presentation on censorship in the 1970s

Presentation on censorship in the 1970s

By katya & AdamBy katya & Adam

Key PointsKey Points

•During the sixties it was recognised that teenagers had specific concerns of their own which ought to be reflected in the category system. The introduction of the 'AA' was finally approved by local authorities and the industry in 1970.

•During the sixties it was recognised that teenagers had specific concerns of their own which ought to be reflected in the category system. The introduction of the 'AA' was finally approved by local authorities and the industry in 1970.

70s SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND OTHER CONTROVERSIES

•The seventies did indeed see the release of a number of provocative films, in particular those that linked sex and violence, for example Straw Dogs (1971), and A Clockwork Orange (1971), both of which contained controversial rape scenes.

•There were a number of other controversies during the seventies, for example Ken Russell’s The Devils (1971), which was accused of blasphemy, Last Tango in Paris (1972), which was accused of being 'obscene' and The Exorcist (1973), which was accused of having a psychologically damaging effect on young people.

•Stephen Murphy, who became Secretary of the Board in July 1971, resigned in 1975 and was succeeded by James Ferman. One of the first films Ferman looked at was The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which his predecessor had already refused to classify shortly before his departure. Ferman agreed with Murphy that the violence and terrorisation in the film (directed largely towards a woman over a sustained period) was unacceptable. In an early interview, Ferman remarked that it wasn't the sex that worried him but the violence and, in particular sexual violence. During his time at the BBFC, Ferman permitted increasingly explicit sexual material whilst clamping down on sadistic violence (especially when perpetrated by heros) and sexual violence (particularly where it seemed that the portrayal of rapes and assaults were intended as a 'turn on' to viewers).

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