This just arose as I was watching my friends Buffy videos. At the start of each episode it would say that the following show contains supernatural themes. This is not a warning I have come across before and I found it amusing.
Is this a common warning in the US? Do they use it for all shows with supernatural themes - for example ‘Touched by an Angel’ and "The Outer Limits’ (when it is one of their alien/angel ones). Did it come in for the X-files occasionally? How is it just on the programs that focus on the darker or pagan beliefs? Does it apply to documentaries about Voodoo for example?
I watch A LOT of TV and I don’t think I have ever seen that warning. Its probably just a Buffy thing. There are usually just warnings about nudity and violence.
Never seen the “supernatural themes” warning before, but I am not a Buffy fan. I suspect this is merely a euphimism for “violence with ghosts a goblins and vampires, oh my.”
The “Don’t be stupid at home” warning is usually worded like, “Do not try this at home.” and can be seen on just about everything these days.
I think Buffy started the warning after an episode about a teen shooting up his school was scheduled to air right after Columbine. Then it said something about “adult themes” and that it was intended for “our more mature audiences”. Has that mutated into this?
BTW, I could be completely wrong on this. That’s the first time I remember the warning on Buffy.
The “don’t try this at home” stuff is now on shows like Fear Factor and pretty much all WWF programing as well.
I wouldn’t be suprised if this was brought on by the recent “Harry Potter is an evil warlock bent on recruiting my child as one of his minions” cr*p that the fundies recently started. This warning ensures that if your child does see an episode of “Buffy” you can’t complain about it, because they warned you.
Yes, the message that it’s aimed at their more mature audience has stuck since the post-Columbine episode. They started doing it and never stopped, much like the Previously on Buffy things they do, which make absolutely no sense to someone who doesn’t already know what’s going on but that’s another issue, isn’t it?
Yeah, since the WB and Buffy are aimed at the teenybopper audience(heh heh, don’t you grownups all feel funny now?) makes sense they’d note its content.
And oh yeah, I too like Buffy. Like Angel even better. Specially when he’s alone…
Buffy doesn’t have any warnings on tv here in Australia, it was just the videos. The warnings we get are for nudity, violence, drugs and language (more than one ‘fuck’). Occasionally adult themes (generally suicide). So it was just strange seeing a “supernatural themes” warning. It is also on the Angel videos.
The school shooting episode didn’t really deal with much supernatural stuff (for Buffy), so it seems strange to have started with that one.
So this is only on the non-christian videos. I say angels are supernatural, so that any show with angels in it (or god for that matter) should also have the same warning. Either apply it or don’t, none of this selective censorship crap. My two cents.
Thanks for all that though,
FloChi
PS furryman, the Onion was the group which started the recent “Harry Potter is an evil warlock bent on recruiting my child as one of his minions” crap. Some people just didn’t the joke.