Confessions of an Irish censor
Far from only censoring extreme graphic or suggestive content, this article in The Independent outlines some of the mundane things that were censored in Ireland in years past:
Confessions of an Irish censor: why Clark Gable, ‘Casablanca’ and Cliff got the chop - Europe, News - Independent.co.uk: “Such seemingly inoffensive titles as Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, Brief Encounter, The Quiet Man and On the Waterfront were also banned or heavily censored. In all, about 11,000 films were cut and about 2,500 completely banned.”
The article cites some of the earlier censors’ preoccupations, which included:
- dancing (special mention for the Rumba)
- kissing (an ‘unsanitary salute’!), and
- “the antics of Elvis Presley with his most suggestive abdominal dancing”
Fortunately, this kind of censorship is coming to an end in Ireland, but it clearly shows what ridiculous lengths people will go to control what other people think.
Hardly seems like the time to begin censorship in Canada.
