BBFC: Being brilliant for cop

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/education-resources/student-guide/bbfc-history/1970s
There is a whole section on the British Board of film certification (BBFC) site for students,including their history, information on how they classify the films and student FAQ's. IM IN HEAVEN

What I've learnt that can be useful:
(1912-1949)

1.When the first president was appointed in 1916 he made a list of 43 grounds for deletion. So scenes containing these things would be cut so that the movie could be classified and released, included in the list were:
Cruelty to animals
Cruelty to young infants and excessive cruelty and torture to adults, especially women
Unnecessary exhibition of under-clothing
The exhibition of profuse bleeding
Realistic horrors of warfare
Gruesome murders and strangulation scenes
Executions
Scenes suggestive of immorality
Themes and references relative to 'race suicide'

2.During this time they were most concerned with horror and gangster films. At this point there were two classifications; U and A. A meaning that an adult must be present with their child, but there was yet to be anything restricting children absolutely. 
When Frankenstein was released in 193, the BBFC certified it A. The london county council (LLC) and the Manchester city council (MCC) decided to bar children from the film altogether even though the scene, in which Frankenstein's monster drowns a young girl, had been cut. In response to this the H certificate was made to protect children from the horror genre.

3.Disney's 'Snow white and the seven dwarfs' was the first feature length cartoon was certificated A in 1938, suggesting it is more suitable for adults. It was certified a U with cuts in 1964, finally it was re-released in the 1980's where it was certified a U uncut.

(1950's)

1. 1951 the X certificate was brought in to action in uk, including the previous H category. This excluded children under the age of 16.

2.1956 A clockwork orange was released, it was cut for U and there was rioting in the cinema's. This caused increasing concern into teenage criminality although there was no solid evidence of a wave of teen crime.

3. 1958 Jack Clayton's 'Room at the top' had to cut the words 'lust' and 'bitch' and were required to soften the words referring to the death of a female character.

(1960's)

1. There was a new spirit of liberalisation, the secretary of the BBFC at the time stated: 'The British Board of Film Censors cannot assume responsibility for the guardianship of public morality. It cannot refuse for exhibition to adults films that show behaviour that contravenes the accepted moral code, and it does not demand that ‘the wicked’ should also be punished. It cannot legitimately refuse to pass films which criticise ‘the Establishment’ and films which express minority opinions'.

2. Michael Powell's 'Peeping Tom' provoked a remark from the secretary of BBFC about the films 'morbid concentration on fear'. The film was rated X in 1960, and remained an 18 until 2007 when it was re-rated a 15.

3. As public tolerance increased films became more explicit but the BBFC still requested cuts to verbal and visual 'indecencies' 

(1970's)

1. The AA (14+) certificate was made and the A certificate was raised from the minimum age of 16 to 18.

2. A new ratings system in the United States included an uncensored X category, left to the sole control of the criminal law. John Trevelyan, the BBFC Secretary at the time, was concerned by this: 'We are afraid that this will have the effect of giving certain film-makers the opportunity of going much further than they have done in scenes of sex and sexual perversion, since with the protection of an X rating, they can shed personal responsibility'. The 1970s did indeed see the release of a number of provocative films, in particular those that linked sex and violence, for example Straw Dogs (1971), and A Clockwork Orange (1971), both of which contained controversial rape scenes.

3. James Ferman became the BBFC secretary in 1971. One of the first films he looked at was the texas chainsaw massacre which his predecessor had recently rejected. Ferman agreed it was too explicit  but he stated that it was less the sexual nature he was worried about but in fact the sexual violence that was portrayed.

4. Ferman's views reflected the general shift of public concern during the 70's. It became less about what would be considered explicit and instead concentrated on whether something could be considered to have a corrupting influence.

(1980's)

1.the decade saw the establishment of the 'stalk and slash' genre with the Friday 13th series of films, with Parts I and II rated X uncut on film in 1980 and 1981 respectively. Part III was also rated X uncut on film in 1982, but with two cuts to violence/horror to obtain an 18 rating on video in 1987.

2. 1981 saw the second in the Halloween series rated X uncut on film, but a scene where a woman was scalded to death in a jacuzzi was reduced for an 18 video release in 1990.  The cuts have since been restored.

3.Legally videos didn't have to be classified to be released like films. So adult films were easily accessible for children.

4. the tabloid press led a campaign against so-called 'video nasties'. This term was not always clearly defined, but there were 70 titles that had either been prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) under the Obscene Publications Act (OPA), or were awaiting prosecution. Some of these were horror films that had never been submitted to the BBFC.

5. The Video Recordings Act 1984 makes it an offence for a video work to be supplied if it has not been rated, or to supply a rated work to a person under the age specified in the certificate. The BBFC was designated as the authority with responsibility for age ratings in 1985.

6. 1982 'The evil Dead' was submitted for certification and required 49 seconds cut due to scenes of violence and horror. The film cuts were increased for the video version in 1990 as a precautionary measure against possible future prosecution, but in 2000 the full uncut version was rated 18 on video.

7. 1982 A changed to was changed to PG, AA to 15 and X to 18. and a new rating R18 for more explicit scenes to be shown to club-members.

8. in 1989 the BBFC introduced the 12 rating on film, to bridge the huge gap between PG and 15. This was extended to video in 1994. The first film to be given a 12 rating was Batman.

(1990's)

1. "Despite the statutory regulation of video since 1984, public concern about the influence of videos continued and there were periodic calls for stricter standards, most notably following the Jamie Bulger case. The trial judge linked this murder of a two year old by two ten year old boys to the viewing of violent videos, with the media singling out the horror video Child's Play 3 (1991).
Though subsequent enquiries refuted this connection, public opinion rallied behind calls for stricter regulation. "

2. In 1997 BBFC President Lord Harewood stepped down after 12 years in the job.  His replacement Andreas Whittam Smith announced his intention to steer the BBFC towards a greater 'openness and accountability'.  This included the publication of the BBFC's first set of classification Guidelines in 1998, following a series of public 'roadshows' in which public views were canvassed and the launching of a BBFC website.

3. There was a surge in video games, not normally something the BBFC had to deal with but particularly explicit ones were rated. in 1997 the BBFC for the first time refused a game; carmageddon, because they believed it encouraged anti social behaviour.

4.In 1999, the BBFC re-examined the issues, in particular the perceived harm that under-age viewing might cause. It was decided that in view of changing public attitudes and the increased media sophistication of young viewers, the exorcist was unlikely to prove harmful to the majority of the likely audience and it was accordingly rated 18 uncut.

(2000-2009)

1. The last house on the left was resubmitted for consideration in 2000 after it was refused in 1974. The BBFC said there needed to be cuts but the distributor declined. It was released uncut on dvd/video in 2001 at an 18 rating.

2. http://www.bbfc.co.uk/sites/default/files/attachments/2005%20Guidelines%20Research%20-%20Public%20opinion%20and%20the%20BBFC%20Guidelines%202005_0.pdf
Research results from 2005 on public opinion of BBFC (SUPER USEFUL!!!!)

3. 2009 new guidelines established: http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/guidelines

John B Watson

John B Watson is considered to be the 'father' of behaviourism
"Strict behaviourists believed that all behaviours were the result of conditioning. Any person, regardless of his or her background, could be trained to act in a particular manner given the right conditioning."

CLASSIC CONDITIONING is a technique used in behavioural training in which a naturally occurring stimulus is paired with a response. Next a previously neutral stimulus is paired with the naturally occurring stimulus . Eventually the previously neutral stimulus comes to evoke the response without the presence of the naturally occurring stimulus. The two elements are then known as the conditioned stimulus and the conditioned response.

OPERANT CONDITIONING (sometimes referred to as instrumental conditioning) is a method of learning that occurs through reinforcements and punishments for behaviour. Through operant conditioning an association is made between a behaviour and the consequence for that behaviour. When a desirable result follows an action, the behaviour becomes more likely to occur again in the future. Responses followed by adverse outcomes, on the other hand, become less likely to happen again in the future

The second conditioning technique fits in more with B.F.Skinner and his influences on behaviourism. He did 'radical Behaviourism', his theories being that the response rate is directly related to the reinforcement presented after the action. He invented the 'skinner box' in which the test subject (usually a rat) would be tasked with pulling a lever which would release a treat. This experiment showed that the positive reinforcement encouraged the action to be done again.

The classic conditioning was discovered by Ivan Pavlov. Theres an experiment I read up on last year (i will find it and post it later) but basically there was a group of monkeys and they put a structure in the centre with something desirable at the top. But if a monkey went to get the thing all the monkeys were punished. Eventually the monkeys started attacking any others who tried to get the desirable for fear of being punished. Which supports the operant conditioning theory. The experiment continued with slowly replacing the monkeys one by one, as each new one came in they would go for the desirable and the others would react violently and stop them. Eventually all the original monkeys were gone and the ones there still stopped any others climbing to the desirable although none of them was ever exposed to the punishment. It became a social norm among them, a known rule.

Quotes

Theory and Research in mass communication theory: contexts and consequences, David K Perry, Lawrence Erlbaum, United States, 2001, p242-243

"In the early hours of March 13, 1964, a man grabbed 28 year old Kitty Genovese as she walked towards her Queens, New York apartment. He repeatedly stabbed her, left, and returned to stab her again. Neighbours heard screams but failed to call the police until after she dies. In a unique way the case touched the conscience of U.S. residents and even helped inspire a popular topical song, 'outside of a small circle of friends'. Some of Genovese's neighbours later said they were afraid or did not want to get involved. An elderly woman who lived in the same building as the victim reported hearing night time screaming on many other occasions. Trying to understand this evident lack of empathy requires difficult speculation, but perhaps the woman had become numb to cries by other human beings."

I think the song is a similar effect to the Boomtown rats song in about Brenda Ann Spencer's shooting spree in 1979. Her reasoning for it was simply 'I don't like mondays. This livens up the day'. Its interesting to see how it was reacted to at the time. Because it would not be viewed as lightly if there was a song made about one of the many shootings in america. I think there was a different view to the violence back then. In this instance it's hard to say whether we were more sensitive then or now. Because I think the main reason it wouldn't be acceptable now is because of an obsession with being politically correct. were in a society now where when you communicate you can communicate with the whole world if you want to and so now we've entered a stag where we are desperately trying to protect everyones feelings. In fear of legal repremandation. We have a culture of suing now.

This quote also made me think of the article I referenced in last years cop project, I'll have to refine it. But it was an interview with Sue Coe and in one part she was discussing how she had once seen a man late at night in the road screaming and shouting. And how her first reaction was fear and to stay inside but in the end it turns out he was a blind man in need. It just questions our sense of community and whether we even have one without trusting each other.

Desensitisation theory

Strength: This theory draws it's information directly from the increasing volume of violence and representations of sex in the media, and regulations committees such as the British board of film classifications (BBFC) and how they let more shocking material through in comparison to earlier times. It raises the question of the amount of representations we should be witness to, and asks how far the effects can go

Weakness: The counter argument for this theory is that there is no way that this theory can be effectivelyproven, especially when considering how difficult it is to separate the effects of the media from the effects of the home living condition

Example: The most notable example of this is the Bulger murder case, where the children lived at home watching horror movies, but also had abusive parents and poor living conditions. Another example is the last house on the left, as it was rejected when completed due to portrayals of rape. But it was allowed only a few years ago, this displays a higher cultural acceptability for the film. And that due to the regulations reflecting society, implies that we have indeed become desensitised.

The bugler murder is an example because the boys mimicked some things from Chuckie 3 which they had recently watched. The way they copy from film to life suggests that they don't yet understand the consequences at that age but in accordance with the copy cat theory it would suggest that the boys were already likely to commit something of this kind and that the movie just added fuel to the fire. Bu the question remains is their state of mind down to the television they were allowed to watch at a young and developmental stage or is it due to the conditions they lived in and how their parents acted. Or it could be a mixture of both, I think that the conditions they already lived in is the cause for their state of mind, in which doing something like this is already a possibility. But I think the films were largely responsible in fuelling a skewed view of the world.

Albert Bandura - The bobo doll experiment

Children were exposed to aggressive or non-aggressive adult models when playing. They also experimented with same and opposite sex models to see if that had any effect.

The results of the experiment were:
1. Children exposed to the violent model tended to imitate the exact behaviour they had observed when the adult was no longer present.
2. While children of both genders in the non-aggressive group did exhibit less aggression than the control group. The boys who had observed an opposite sex model behave non-aggresively were more likely than those in the control group to engage in violence.
3. Boys who observed adult males behaving violently were more influenced than those who had observed a female model behaving aggressively. Interestingly, the experimenters found that in the same sex aggressive groups, boys were more likely to imitate physical acts o violence while girls were more likely to imitate verbal aggression.
4. Boys engaged in more than twice as many aggressive acts than the girls.

The results o fthe bobo doll experiment supported Bandura's social learning theory. Bandura and his colleagues believed that the experiment demonstrates how specific behaviours can be learned through observation and imitation. The authors also suggested that "social imitation may hasten or short cut the acquisition of new behaviours without the necessity of reinforcing successive approximation as suggested by Skinner.

I can see clearly now the rain is gone

Just had my tutorial with Fred and it's finally clear what I'm doing in my essay. Or at least more so than the last tutorial.
I started with just looking at media and fear. I want to show a link between the two, at this point the rough phrasing for my question is 'How does media affect our perception of fear?'. My problem last week is that I just had some ideas of what I wanted to write about just floating around with no central pillar to hold them together. I had a mild freakout but Fred set neon the right route by telling me I needed some kind of theory to back my work up. It turns out if you type theory after general buzz words in google the results are really useful.
I've spanned off to three theories about how media affects people;

Copy cat/ Modelling theory
The copy cat theory relates to something publicised in the media that creates a lot of attention. The well known example of this is copy cat murderers, suicides and other violent acts that come with no other motive other than attention, caused by seeing the same acts in the media, be it film, television or books.

Desensitisation Theory
Desensitisation is the belief that there is so much violence shown in the media, people have less of an emotional impact to violence and feel less sensitive towards it. For instance if you watch a lot of violent movies, you will not feel as upset about the violence than you would have if you hadn't watched a lot of violent movies. But does consuming violent media make you less sad about real life violence.

Cultivation Theory
Cultivation theory is about how peoples attitudes and beliefs are impacted by the media, rather than just behaviours. For instance someone who watches a lot of violent movies may have a darker and unrealistic outlook on the world, thinking that there is more violence in their community than there really is. Whereas someone who doesn't watch as many movies may have a more realistic view on the world.

We figured out a flow chart of how the murders I was looking at linked to horror film and vice versa. Each of these link in with one of the theories I have looked into. The first one is the copy cat theory, instead of it being the general example of this theory which is copy cat murder the flow chart focuses in on copy cat films. I think that the chain of copy cat films that follow a successful horror film over do all its tactics and thats how it leads on to the second flow chart where the tactics have been so over used that the audience becomes desensitised. 

an example for the first flow chart would be John Wayne Gacy; the killer clown. A man who dressed up as Pogo the clown and ended up trapping and killing over 30 young boys. His case was the inspiration for the clown in the movie 'It'. 'It' was a very successful and popular horror and after it there has been a string of clown horror; Mr. Jingles, Stitches, clown house, amusement. 

An example for the second flow chart would be the Chuckie franchise which is plays with the concept of children involved with murder. But it puts it into the form of a doll. But audiences become desensitised and less bothered by the effects. The movies try and outdo each preceding one in the franchise. The example for murder would be the James Bulger case where the two ten year old boys brutally murdered him after watching Chuckie 3 and mimicked some of the things they had seen on their victim. The boys watched many horror films not intended for children but they also lived in an abusive home so it is unclear which is the real reason. But their case also kind of links to the copy cat theory because they were mimicking what they had seen. But one point of the copy cat theory is that the people who copy already have the mental capability and are already mentally ill and the film, in this case, was just the extra push they needed.

The next flow chart went from more horrific murders to media reports but at this point I'm unclear what will go next. The final one will be support the cultivation theory. In this one I think it will then branch out from film into other medias such as games, music and comics. This is the part where I want to branch out and show that our society has now reached a new level of fear. We are drowning in the amount of fears we have and children are being brought up thinking that the world is a very dangerous place where they could be abducted and murdered or raped at any minute. We've created a culture of fear and I want to discuss the effect of that on how we act as a society.