# Saving Private Ryan on ABC: Are other R rated films to follow? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 10, 2002, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-on-abc-are-other-r-rated-films-to-follow/136122 "2002-11-10T09:10:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-on-abc-are-other-r-rated-films-to-follow/136122/21 "2002-11-11T04:07:56Z")
I think I agree with El. I really don’t mind ABC airing the movie. To say, “change the channel,” however doesn’t prevent the time it takes for you to see something “horrific” just flipping around. I think people trust that their children can safely view (depending on age), programing at 8:30PM without hearing the “f” word, or seeing an arm torn off, or whatever. That’s to say the parents CARE greatly that their children sees something like that. I personally probably would not care that much, unless the 30 seconds of them viewing it effects them horribly. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-on-abc-are-other-r-rated-films-to-follow/136122/22 "2002-11-11T04:31:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by El Elvis Rojo \* > \*\* > May not be the best place to respond to this, but personally, I don’t see self-censorship of television programs by the studios to be some big huge human injustice. They’re not forcing their views of morality on anyone, they’re expressing their own and complying to what they perceive to be the morals of their audience. Most families don’t want their 6 year old children watching movies full of horrific violence and foul language at 4:00 in the afternoon on Satrudays, so the stations edit it out (or at least, most of it…you can’t cut all violence out of an action flick). People don’t have time to monitor their children’s television viewing 24-7, so it’s a comfort to a lot of people that these self-censors are set in. As for the “change the channel” line, if you really feel having the violence, sex, and foul language cut out of a movie ruins it…go out and rent the fucking movie. \*\* If you had quoted my full message, you would see that I advocate a watershed time after which R rated movies could be shown. I suggested 9:00 PM, so both your mention of 4:00 PM and MyFootsZZ’s mention of 8:30 PM would be times when you could expect wholesome viewing anyway. And I do go out and rent the movie (adjective deleted in case any child reads this). I really don’t see why I should have to pay $45 a month for my TV and then an additional $4 for every movie just because of other people’s morals or unwillingness to monitor their kids’ TV viewing. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-on-abc-are-other-r-rated-films-to-follow/136122/23 "2002-11-11T07:44:20Z")
I notice you say: “I really don’t see why I should have to pay $45 a month for my TV”… a TV doesn’t have to cost that much, and it’s only one payment. Do you mean Cable? Because we aren’t talking about cable. We are talking about network TV. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-on-abc-are-other-r-rated-films-to-follow/136122/24 "2002-11-11T10:37:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MyFootsZZZ \* > \*\*I notice you say: “I really don’t see why I should have to pay $45 a month for my TV”… a TV doesn’t have to cost that much, and it’s only one payment. > > Do you mean Cable? Because we aren’t talking about cable. We are talking about network TV. :rolleyes: \*\* All the channels I get for my $45 are censored except for the Independent Film Channel, so most of cable is the same as network. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-on-abc-are-other-r-rated-films-to-follow/136122/25 "2002-11-12T03:19:17Z")
They may be censored, but not as much. You think TV shows like South Park would be on a network channel? FOX included! People even joke about cable being more edgy. “How did your kids learn so much about sex!?” “We have cable”. There’s a difference. People, (maybe now less that ever) count on network TV to be somwhat more tame. At least they used to… ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-on-abc-are-other-r-rated-films-to-follow/136122/26 "2002-11-12T05:04:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MyFootsZZZ \* > \*\*They may be censored, but not as much. You think TV shows like South Park would be on a network channel? > \*\* I’m British. In England, The Sopranos and Sex in the City are on network TV. South Park is pretty mild (and incredibly juvenile). ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-on-abc-are-other-r-rated-films-to-follow/136122/27 "2002-11-19T03:26:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\*Steven Spielberg has enough clout that he can insert into his contracts provisions that forbid any tampering with the films without his permission. > > \*\* When **Annie Hall** was first broadcast on TV, Woody Allen had similar clout. There was one scene where his character as a kid (Jonathan Munk was the actor’s name) has to endure a tipsy friend of his parents at a cocktail party, sticking nickels on his forehead and saying, “My name’s Jimmy Nichols! That’s how you remember my name—Jimmy Five Cents! Haw haw haw!” Young Alvy finally extricates himself and slouches away muttering, “_What_ an _asshole_.” Uncut on broadcast TV! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-private-ryan-on-abc-are-other-r-rated-films-to-follow/136122.md?page=1)