Super. If you could help out by drawing up a list— two categories, art and not art— we can get started banning everything in your “no” column.
Thanks in advance for stepping up to the task. We really need a firm decision-maker in charge of these things, otherwise the masses would be left to decide for themselves whether or not things had artistic or entertainment value. It’d be aesthetic anarchy.
Yep, when I think of barbarians, I think of people going around ruthlessly and brutally censoring videogames for being too violent. :dubious:
I don’t need to - we’ve got the BBFC to do that for us 
The fact that Hostel and Kill Bill were released in the UK probably indicates that I should not be in charge, which is fine by me. But the Government (with the power vested in it by the will of the people) has the right to define that there are limits to the freedom of publishers to produce books and films and games.
And to prevent cries of political interference, that body is independent. And they don’t actually ban very much, so for them to ban Manhunt 2 (and not Hostel/Kill Bill/Saw III) means that they had good reason.
Si
I profess to complete ignorance over UK censorship laws— but what does “independent” mean, in this case? Does it also mean they are answerable to no one?
In the U.S. we have the MPAA, another ostensibly “independent” group, to assign ratings to movies that are “voluntarily” submitted by the film producers.
Sneer quotes employed because while they are “independent” in the sense that they are not a government body, they are (as this documentary recently illustrated) an extremely shadowy group that keeps its membership highly secret, provides no transparency on who assigns the ratings or what method they use to determine them, and offers no realistic recourse for filmmakers to appeal the ratings. And “voluntary” in that filmmakers are not required to submit their films for ratings, but failing to do so is a de facto death knell for the movie’s chance at commercial success, as most distributors and theaters will refuse to show unrated movies. (Employing some detective work and going through the ratings process for his own film, the documentary director discovered that the ratings board included members of the clergy and the “appeals board” was composed largely of film distributors, theater chain owners, and major film industry executives.)
Here’s the statement about Manhunt on the BBFC website.
I guess we can decide for ourselves if we think these are good reasons or not.
Meanwhile, I shall be on the lookout for the CCFC, for they are a real threat and truly scary. They can’t even be bothered to check out the product before giving their collective opinion.
I just want to say I am surprised that the BBFC has the power to ban a work. Seriously, they can do that? If I’m Joe Q. Storeowner (and I was in the UK) and I order some copies directly from Rockstar, and put up some huge ads saying that I’ve got Manhunt 2, the cops are going to come take them away?
I can understand a de facto banning, like Manhunt 2 is likely to get: If it stays rated AO (by the ESRB, American video game raters) Nintendo won’t let it be on Wii, and most retailers wouldn’t publish it (if they found a platform, probally PC). But a full on Manhunt is illegal? Color me surprised.
It is unrated by the relevant authority, and therefore illegal to sell or import.
Si
That’s just messed up. Next time I hear someone laugh at our Super Bowl boob fiasco I’ll point them in this direction.
Marc
Well, I should think so to!? BTW Is that your name, Martini, or was there a typo error?
Read my last post again, and ask yourself where exactly I stated that!
It’s a good thing you’re here to tell us, Arbiter of Art. What else is not art? The Register? Should that get banned too?
Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany, sure. I wasn’t aware that we were assuming mid-20th-century totalitarian governments for this argument, though.
But a British parliament that believed in freedom and liberty could step in at any time and stop this nonsense.
If I killed someone tomorrow, would it automatically be justified because I’ve never killed anyone before?
[quote=Haunted]
Are they, really? I’ve never even heard of this group. Do they have any power?
His name refers to a rifle brand or something.
Well, it looks like Take-Two is pulling the game, for the time being, anyways.
I’m still surprised that games and films can actually be banned in the UK. It’s incredible.
It’s not without precedent. Someone else mentioned another game that was censored in Britain 10 years ago, and Mark Ecko’s The Art of Getting Over is banned in Australia.
NO SHIT, SHERLOCK ??? Well, you live and you learn. Or, as is the case for some, you live and you die stupid. Which way is it going for you? 
If you have a problem with me, take it up in the Pit. Otherwise, kindly take your attitude and shove it up your ass. If you can’t figure out how to act in Cafe Society, maybe the SDMB isn’t the place for you.
I guess my american ignorance is shining though…
I wonder if this is worth starting a GD over… do any of you brits or aussies want these laws changed?
So wait, let me guess this straight. In the UK, videogames can be banned by a NON-governmental body, and the result of such a banning is that selling the game is illegal and the government (in the form of police) can arrest you?
If you can be arrested for selling a banned game, then the banning is absolutely a government issue, regardless of how “independent” the arbitration committee is in title.
The MPAA can effectively “ban” a movie, but it is in no way illegal to sell copies of a “banned” movie. (In fact, labeling a DVD as the “unrated version” is actually a selling point.)
You personally liking something or finding merit in it is not a prerequisite of it being art.
Additionally; I don’t know how the law is today, but back in the early 90s at least, it was illegal in Germany to show blood in videogames. It wasn’t enough to provide an option to turn off the blood–the German government could actually have Acclaim’s ass for having any blood at all in Mortal Kombat. I seem to recall that the European versions of a lot of games went to market with sweat or (minimal) green alien-looking blood instead of the red stuff.
Personal attacks are not acceptable in Cafe Society, LOUIS CYPHERE (or anywhere outside the Pit–and even there a limit exists). Please go back and re-read the Registration Agreement and the forum rules; if this keeps up, you may find your posting privileges revoked.