What is the purpose of censorship?

 The purpose of censorship is to filter out some things that are deemed to be explicit, it is used so mass audiences do not see explicit content and so younger generation are not seeing things they shouldn't be.

Hayes Code : Motion Picture Production Code was a set of rules that censorship guidelines followed. It was released by major studios from 1930 to 1968. It is also mostly known as the Hays Code, after Hollywood's chief censor of the time, Will H. Hays. The Motion Pictures Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), which later became the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), adopted the code in 1930, it was enforced in 1934, and abandoned in 1968. It was used to say what was acceptable and what wasn't. But was scrapped in 1968 for MPPA film rating system that we still follow now.

What wasn't acceptable in the Hayes code

1. Selling drugs
2. sex perversion
3. White slavery
4. Sex relationships between the white and black races
5. Scenes of childbirth
6. Children's sex organs
7. The use of the flag in a bad way
8. Arson
9. Firearms
10. Theft, robbery, safe-cracking, and dynamiting of trains, mines, buildings, etc.
11. Brutality and possible gruesomeness
12. Technique of committing murder
13. Methods of smuggling
14. Sympathy for criminals
15. Attitude toward public characters
16. Apparent cruelty to children and animals
17. Branding of people or animals
18. Prostitution
19. Rape or attempted rape
20. Man and woman in bed together
21. Surgical operations

Now days most off this I have seen in the media, this is because after Hayes code the media put it in the media so much that it became normal, Now it is nothing when we see it and is seen as normal in a movie. Nearly every action movie has Firearms. The media puts this in and now we know its there but don't really think it shouldn't be there as we are used to seeing guns in action film and without it, it would seem boring as we are not used to seeing them without.

Music videos are mostly girls running and dancing around half naked but the first few started doing it and then most off music videos do it now and it is seen as normal, even though it sends the wrong image out to the younger generation we still watch it. Rihanna is most little girls favourite singer but in her new music video she is half naked but the younger generation is used to seeing this. but I believe this is wrong and they shouldn't show video's like this till after 8pm.

How far do you agree with the comment that mass audiences are still passive recpients of media texts?

A passive audience is - an audience that does not actively engage with the media text.

I agree to this statement to some extent but I also disagree, I agree because we all do learn from the media and we take parts off our favourite celebrity's or idols. The media injects us and put thoughts in our head with us actually knowing, we sub consciously know. Also the times have changed in 1920 a movie would never had a naked lady running across the screen but as an audience we have seen it so much in movie that we acknowledge it but it doesn't effect us as much as it would effect an older person. If the abnormal is seen to be normal and showed enough then the abnormal will become the normal. Same as a music video, now kids young as 10 are used to seeing women dancing around half naked in music videos, I think this sends them the wrong image out to them and they should only put appropriate music video's on till 8pm.


Your views on a media text also depends on your gender. As you can see on this "lad mag". Most males would say this is alright and nothing wrong but a women could be offended by this and say the perception of women could just be big breasts slim waist and big bum. Therefore men would look at this and will sub consciously think all women should be like this.








I disagree to this statement on some note though because we choose who we are and media only gives us an idea. Most people will see there favourite celebrity's with a new hairstyle and want to immediately copy it but only a handful of them would know if it would actually look nice on them so they make there own decision and ignore the media trying to inject them saying this style is in. But most people wouldn't care if it does suit them or not and just imitate the celebrity in hope to try and fit in with the mass audience.

We also are being stereotypical when looking at media and drift of into our thoughts, we all didn't believe blondes were dumb or Asians were smart but when it was shown a lot by the media then we sub consciously agreed to it and let the media inject us.

Some things by the media we cant help but I believe we do allow our self's to be injected with thoughts as we want to be the same as other people and not get let out. But some people can ignore this and try to be what they want to be without following others.