Censorship

So, I am watching the movie "Miracle" (about the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team). I am watching it on TV, and of course, they have gone back in and covered up most of the foul language with other words that are more acceptable. For example, the coach said "Beat those Commies backwards." Really, does that make any sense? Now, if you substitute the last word with another "B word" it would make perfect sense. But "backwards"? This is common practice in TV, to go back and re-record lines that include foul language.

It got me thinking. I understand why most movies have foul language: they are for an adult audience, and adults can handle that language. I personally don't have a problem watching a movie with a few foul words in it. I do have a problem, however, with them using this kind of language in a "family film" such as this, but that is not the point of this post.

I don't see why movie companies don't make two versions of the same film: one clean, one explicit. They do the same with music (clean versions used to be called "radio edits" because you couldn't say foul words on the radio, but even now you can often buy two versions of the same song on iTunes, the "clean" version and the "explicit" version). And I don't mean make the movie, then go back and cover up the few bad words. I mean, while on the set, whenever a bad word is said, film the scene twice, once with the bad word, once using something else. Then, once you are done editing the movie, all you have to do is go back in and splice in the clean scene for the foul one. This means you wouldn't have to call the actors back into the studio six months after the shoot just to dub over the offensive lines. IMO, it would save studios money.

Think about it. If you are going to the movies, and have the option of seeing an "explicit" version of a film or a "clean" version, which would you choose? What if you are bringing your family in to watch it? What if a "family" movie has two versions, one PG one PG-13, that way if you bring your family in, you can see the PG version, or if you are going alone, you can choose the PG-13. It would be trivial to make DVDs where you can choose the clean cut or explicit cut.

Yes, this idea grows on my anger for the rating system, which allows foul and sexual language in a "PG" film (for example, the PG-13 film "Gunner Palace has 42 uses of the word [fuck]). But to me, it makes sense to have two versions of the film. There used to be a website where you could buy "family friendly" versions of films, but because the films were edited without the studio's consent, the site was shut down. Why do the studios not do this for themselves?

I would say that it is because Hollywood is full of liberals who want to inundate our society with their leftist ideas in any way possible, but I wouldn't go that far...

The other half of me says: it is their full right to do what they want. If they want to make movies that are full of foul and sexual language, that is on of their constitutional rights.

What are your ideas on this?

Matthew

Bonus: Here are a few links you might like:
Parent Previews: a site with detailed information on movies. For example, they rate movies each on violence, sexual content, language, and drugs/alcohol.
CearPlay: A DVD player that censors movies in real time! Just download their database onto a thumb drive (they give you one), put it into their DVD player, and the DVD player knows when and where to cut out the bad stuff.