Television Censorship

<<This review contains a small spoiler regarding the current season of Breaking Bad.  It won't ruin the show for you, but it will minimize the impact of a moment if you know about it ahead of time.  Read at your own risk.  If you're caught up with the episode that aired on 8/12/12, you'll be fine.>>

While my reviews are largely reviews, they are occasionally a bit more rant-like.  Sometimes, I'll have an experience during my day that bothers me so much that it becomes my review focus.  I've talked about horns, parking lots, and the driving test before, but tonight, I want to talk about something else that I find annoying: television censorship.  I don't want to see breasts in my television*, but I also despise bleeping, blurring, and bad dubs to protect people from certain words.

Let me give you a prime example.  I was watching Breaking Bad tonight.  I'm not sure if you're familiar with the show or not, but it is very violent.  There is drug use, murder, explosions, and harsh language.  Last week, a kid was shot/murdered.  I don't consider this a spoiler; if you do, I apologize.  It serves to establish the severity of the showcased violence.  Was I bothered when it happened?  Yes.  Do I understand the circumstances and the motives behind including such a dark moment in the show?  Of course.  If I tune in to watch Breaking Bad, I'm giving my tacit approval of what I'm going to see.  I know what to expect.**

Now, with all that said, explain to me why they had to blur our the center letters of the word "fuck".  Now, I try to keep my reviews profanity free for two reasons.  The first is that using profanity seems to me to be a sign of weakness.  I don't think less of others those words, but I hold myself to a higher standard.  The other reason is my father; even though he doesn't read my reviews, I know he would disapprove.  

If I suddenly started using a great deal of profanity in my writing, I would understand if you were upset.  I haven't done so for the last seven months, and it would be an unfair change with no real purpose.  With Breaking Bad, a single profane word written out on paper had to be blurred.  It makes zero sense.  I realize the show runners probably had no choice in the matter, as they must bow to higher powers.  That doesn't make it any less ridiculous.

Let me put it another way for you.  Who are they protecting when they blur out part of a swear word on a television show?  I would imagine most people would say it's for the children.  When that show is Breaking Bad, there is no reason children should be watching.  You could argue they are keeping such filth covered up to keep the watching adults from getting offended.  There are a couple of problems with that theory.  If you're watching Breaking Bad and a dirty word printed on paper is the part of the show you decide to take offense at, there is something wrong with you.

I know there isn't much we can do about how television shows are censored.  I generally don't care that shows avoid certain words and such, but when something fits with the tone of a show and the show-runners can't use it, that's unrealistic and just plain silly.  Hopefully, we'll someday be able to handle our own households without having someone else tell us what we can and can not handle.

*Mark here, doing proofreading. Just wanted to say I do.

**Although they still manage to shock me.