BBFC News

   
British & Irish Censors reject video game Manhunt 2

From the BBFC

The BBFC has rejected the video game Manhunt 2 . This means that it cannot be legally supplied anywhere in the UK. The game was submitted in both a PS2 and a Nintendo Wii version. The decision was taken by the Director and the Presidential Team of Sir Quentin Thomas, Lord Taylor of Warwick and Janet Lewis-Jones.

David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said: Rejecting a work is a very serious action and one which we do not take lightly. Where possible we try to consider cuts or, in the case of games, modifications which remove the material which contravenes the Board’s published Guidelines. In the case of Manhunt 2 this has not been possible. Manhunt 2 is distinguishable from recent high-end video games by its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone in an overall game context which constantly encourages visceral killing with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing. There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are committed, and encouraged, in the game.

Although the difference should not be exaggerated the fact of the game’s unrelenting focus on stalking and brutal slaying and the sheer lack of alternative pleasures on offer to the gamer, together with the different overall narrative context, contribute towards differentiating this submission from the original Manhunt game. That work was classified ‘18’ in 2003, before the BBFC’s recent games research had been undertaken, but was already at the very top end of what the Board judged to be acceptable at that category.

Against this background, the Board’s carefully considered view is that to issue a certificate to Manhunt 2 , on either platform, would involve a range of unjustifiable harm risks, to both adults and minors, within the terms of the Video Recordings Act, and accordingly that its availability, even if statutorily confined to adults, would be unacceptable to the public.

No Political Influence

From GamesIndustry.biz

The BBFC has stated that there was no political influence in the decision to ban Rockstar's Manhunt 2

The original Manhunt caused a media frenzy following release when it was unfairly linked by the press to the murder of teenager Stefan Pakeerah.

However, the BBFC's Sue Clark has told GamesIndustry.biz that past incidents have not influenced the decision to deny the sequel to UK consumers.

That had nothing to do with this decision, absolutely not, said Clark: We are independent of government and independent of the industry and we reached this decision based on our guidelines and our concerns and not on any other basis at all.

Recent research by the BBFC showed that negative press surrounding controversial games actually encourages sales. A UK ban of Manhunt 2 would not be able to stop dedicated consumers importing copies on release.

Banned in Ireland

From Irish Examiner.com

Ireland has joined the UK in banning the violent video game Manhunt 2 .

The Irish Film Censors Office (IFCO) said it contained gross acts of violence, making it the first video game to be banned in the State: A prohibition order has been made by IFCO in relation to the video game Manhunt 2 . The Order was made under Sec 7 (1) (b) of the Video Recordings Act 1989 which refers to acts of gross violence or cruelty (including mutilation and torture).

IFCO recognises that in certain films, DVDs and video games, strong graphic violence may be a justifiable element within the overall context of the work. However, in the case of Manhunt 2 , IFCO believes that there is no such context, and the level of gross, unrelenting and gratuitous violence is unacceptable.

Rockstar Games today said that it “emphatically disagrees” with the decision to ban Manhunt 2 from stores in the UK.

The subject matter of 'Manhunt 2' is in line with other mainstream entertainment choices for adult consumers, the company said, stressing that the game is aimed at over-18s and not children: Manhunt 2 is an entertainment experience for fans of psychological thrillers and horror. The subject matter of this game is in line with other mainstream entertainment choices for adult consumers.

The statement added: We respect those who have different opinions about the horror genre and video games as a whole, but we hope they will also consider the opinions of the adult gamers for whom this product is intended.

We believe all products should be rated to allow the public to make informed choices about the media and art they wish to consume.

The company will consider over the next few days whether or not to launch an appeal, a spokesman said.

Rated 'Adults Only' in USA

From Games Dog

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has given Manhunt 2 an AO rating, the highest rating which will severely restrict its sale in the U.S.

The problems arise from the fact that the major U.S retailers do not stock games with an AO rating.

Although this is only an initial rating, giving the publishers Take Two a chance to modify the game, it is difficult to see what can be done to mollify the censors.

A Take-Two representative commented: Manhunt 2 was created for mature audiences and we strongly believe it should receive an M (Mature) rating, aligning it with similar content created in other forms of media. We are exploring our options with regard to the rating of Manhunt 2 .

Update: Console Censorship

21st June

Both Sony and Nintendo state that they do not allow adult rated games on their systems and so will not allow the release of Manhunt 2

   
Shaun comments on the game ban

From a letter by Shaun to his MP

That unelected and totally undemocratic quango, "The British Board Of Film Classification" (C= CENSORS really) has refused a "classification certificate" to the RockStar video game Manhunt 2 which means it cannot be legally sold in the country.

This game was only targeted at adults, not children, and was seeking an "18" rated certificate.

Perhaps they didn't want people to play it, in case they become a future Prime Minister, start illegal wars, and cause the death of 18 year old soldiers and foreign civilians.

Oh the absolute hypocrisy of it all!

It stinks to high heaven.

In any case, who elected the sanctimonious BBFC people for goodness sake ? I know I didn't.

If people let children (younger than 18 years) old play such games, should there not be a duty of care imposed on them not to do that, rather than impose CENSORSHIP AND PROHIBITION ON FREEBORN ADULTS?

I notice that some prisoners are being released. No doubt this is to make way for the new criminals which will be created when New Nanny's "Dangerous Pictures Act" becomes law, which (quite unnecessarily I think) makes some types of pornographic material illegal to posses.

I am ever more conscious that we do not live in any kind of free society and our current politicians are completely responsible for this. More and more people are becoming aware of it too. You should consider this carefully.

Censorship is a tool used by REPRESSIVE GOVERNMENTS around the world, not the custodians of a so called FREE (?) society whose duty it should be, to respect, protect and enhance those freedoms whenever possible.

Human rights anyone?

What a complete joke.

Why do politicians generally love censorship ? Is it because the media offers them wonderful scapegoat they can blame, for society's ills that they can't otherwise do anything about ? Censorship gives them the opportunity to announce: We are doing something about this filth etc. But it doesn't work you know. Countries who really value their citizens right to free choice in the media, generally have far less crime than we do here.

Comment: Confusion Hunt

Another Melon Farmer, JAK, has also posted comments on a MySpace blog

From Confusion Hunt

A Playstation 2/Nintendo Wii game called Manhunt 2 has been banned in the UK by the BBFC. It has also been banned in Ireland by their board of classification.

The game is about a patient of some dodgy medical facility who manages to escape some unethical treatment with the help of another patient. You, playing as the patient, are then hunted by the medical facilities employees who seek to kill you. Your response, goaded on by your saviour, is to turn the tables and kill you tormentors in various unpleasant ways.

The game has two endings - the bad ending if you are very proficient at killing people in horrid ways, or the good ending which is caused by a more vanilla way of burning the enemy off.

The creators of the game had designed the game for a strictly adult audience, the sort of people who enjoy movies like Saw and Hostel .

   
Italian minister also hunts for Euro-wide ban of Manhunt 2

From past experience, Germany, Australia and New Zealand are all likely to ban it too.

From Variety

Rockstar Games is delaying its latest controversial game, Manhunt 2 , after it was banned by three European countries and slapped with an adults only "AO" rating in the U.S. that would essentially prevent it from being released.

Italy became the latest European government to ban the title, in which players control an inmate escaping a mental asylum who gruesomely murders guards and other prisoners along the way.

Though it didn't provide further details, Rockstar and parent company Take 2 most likely will try to edit the game in order to garner an M rating in the US and to pass the muster of foreign governments.

As it currently stands, Manhunt 2 could be barred across all of Europe. Italo Communications Minister Paolo Gentiloni said that he has filed a complaint with the Interactive Software Federation of Europe, which will address a potential Europe-wide ban. Gentiloni's office said in a statement that the Brussels-based org has agreed to address whether Manhunt 2 should be allowed on the European market at a meeting on to be attended by Vivianne Reding, the EU commissioner for information, society and media.

Critics have taken particular exception to Manhunt 2 's controls on the Wii, arguing that the console's motion-sensing "Wii-mote" allows players to act out grisly murders even more directly than on a standard videogame controller.

   
And UK Government to re-examine violent games

There were also rumours that an unnamed source from Rockstar Games said that Rockstar intended to appeal the BBFC decision

Manhunt 2 not distributed in Switzerland

From Sawf News

The Swiss Interactive Entertainment Association (SIEA), which groups leading manufacturers of consoles and software, decided not to distribute Manhunt 2 , which is to be launched in Europe in mid-July.

The SIEA said the game: exceeds what is tolerable as regards the representation of violence.

SIEA chief Roger Frei said that in deciding not to distribute Manhunt 2 the industry had shown a sense of responsibility and was no longer prepared to accept just anything, despite respect for artistic freedoms.

The SIEA includes console makers Sony Computer Entertainment, Microsoft and Nintendo, as well as Swiss offshoots of software companies Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Atari and Koch Media.

Questions in the House

Based on an article from GamesIndustry.biz see full article

The nutter MP Keith Vaz raised the issue of Manhunt 2 being banned by the BBFC in Parliamentary questions this week, as well as the withdrawal of PC title Law and Order: Double or Nothing, which contained an image of murdered toddler James Bulger: Will the Leader of the House please tell us when he expects a statement to be made... or when we may have a debate on the social responsibilities of those who make a huge amount of money out of these videogames?

Jack Straw admitted the BBFC falls under his responsibility, and that violence in games is a subject that is likely to be further examined by the UK Government.

We do not see sufficient social responsibility and understanding by the creators and purveyors of such games, commented Straw.

Comment: Sanitised

From JAK

On forums around the web the current fear is that the game will be sanitised. Some people are hoping that the full game will be ported to the PC so that it can be released in the USA as an AO (Adult Only) rated game. At the moment Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony will not allow AO titles to be released on their gaming consoles.

In my own opinion: now I really want to play the game as it was originally intended. I have no desire for a sanitised version so I'm hoping that pirate copies are made available in the UK if the game cannot ever be released here as it was meant to be

   
Roger Bennett voices concerns about BBFC

Maybe also interesting that such coordinating banning of this game coincidently immediately followed a meeting of EU justice ministers in Luxembourg. The meeting was to discuss possible regulation of what they refer to as “killer games.”

From MCV

Roger Bennett, the former director general of UK games regulator ELSPA has told MCV that he hopes the firm understands the long-term implications of supporting the BBFC’s decision to ban Manhunt 2 – and that he believes both the government and BBFC have become heavily influenced by anti-game prejudice.

I hope that ELSPA’s response to the BBFC’s decision not to grant a rating to Manhunt 2 was not made without recognising the long term possible effects of such an action, as pointed out by Stuart Dinsey last week, Bennett told MCV.

It is most interesting to note that the guidelines used in reaching this decision by the BBFC includes the assumed criteria that because games are interactive, they are different to other forms of screen entertainment and should be rated accordingly.

There is no evidence for it to make such a flawed assumption. Games are becoming increasingly and wholly unjustifiably separated from other forms of screen entertainment. It seems to me that the Government and thus the BBFC have become heavily influenced by previous events which in no way have any link to our industry.

   
Video game detractors should grow up

From The Telegraph see full article by Nick Cowen

When a piece of art or entertainment is the recipient of a ban, one can't help but begin to build up a grisly mental picture of what it holds in store for its audience. Usually, this perception is far worse than the reality.

I fell foul of this before being allowed to play a copy of Manhunt 2 , published by Rockstar Games, which was recently judged too gruesome for release by the British Board of Film Certification (BBFC). As I entered a Rockstar HQ's darkened play-area, kitted out with a couple of wide-screen TVs and Nintendo and Sony consoles, I was nervous about the kind of gaming experience I was in for. I expected to be shocked and appalled. Possibly terrified and nauseated.

So is Manhunt 2 as bad as is implied by the BBFC's refusal to grant it a classification? It is a macabre and graphically violent game – even though the graphics aren't photo-realistic. It also differs from its predecessor with a stronger narrative, more fluid controls and players are able to use parts of their environment to dispatch opponents (such as drowning them in a barrel of water). Playing Manhunt 2 is admittedly an exciting and visceral experience.

But overall, one would be hard-pressed to point to a single visual, plot-driven or thematic aspect of the game as proof that it's deserving of an outright ban. Yes, "stalking and brutal slaying" are key game-play features and the action is vicious and violent throughout – but these are criticisms that could easily be aimed at the first Manhunt game, which the BBFC saw fit to release into circulation (albeit with an 18 rating).

There might someday be a game deserving of a full-blown ban, but Manhunt 2 is not that game. In light of the fact that the BBFC cleared its predecessor for public consumption, it's hard to understand their decision to refuse a classification for Manhunt 2 when the game's core elements, (which the BBFC say offer a "sheer lack of alternative pleasures"), remain unchanged from the original.

Why it is necessary to ban games intended for players 18+?

From Game Politics

Rockstar have written to GameIndusty.biz responding to a pro-censorship article,

We are still exploring our options for Manhunt 2 , but how does banning our game support the industry or further the development of the medium? …

a ban is a triumph for the industry’s harshest critics, not an act of diplomacy. A ban is only likely to encourage those who believe video games, already the most regulated medium in entertainment history, should be further restricted.

What about games make them deserve special treatment from the authorities? …Yes, we have responsibilities as an industry… Creative industries have always faced harsh political and legal criticism…

We believe in a well-run ratings system. With the best rating system in history and the future of the industry and medium at stake, we don’t understand why it is necessary to effectively ban all games intended for players 18 and older.

   
Manhunt 2 to be released uncensored after cuts?

From The Scotsman see full article

Take Two, the company behind Edinburgh games designers Rockstar North, has vowed to release the controversial game Manhunt 2 uncensored.

Take-Two said it would stand by the title, though it suggested some cuts would be made.

Speaking to shareholders, chairman Strauss Zelman said: We have hundreds of extraordinarily talented people who have worked on this title for three years. Supporting their creative vision and bringing it to consumers as unvarnished as possible is crucial to us. We don't see ourselves in the 'adults only' business.

   
Rock Star appeal the BBFC ban

From iTWire

Rockstar Games has confirmed the filing of an official appeal against the BBFC ban of their game Manhunt 2

Two months ago the BBFC rejected the game giving Rockstar six weeks to consider an appeal or reapplication based on cuts made to the game. Sounds like Rockstar want to get Manhunt 2 onto UK store shelves as it is though.

If Rockstar is, or possibly even if not, successful there may be a similar appeal in the US in an attempt to overrule the AO rating given in that market.

   
Rockstar boss appeals for unity against BBFC

From MCV UK

Founder and current boss of Rockstar Leeds, Gordon Hall, has warned other video games firms that they should rally behind the developer against the BBFC’s decision to ban Manhunt 2 – or face similar prohibition in the future.

Hall told the magazine Develop that the outlawing of the title was an attack on our industry and has the potential to affect other freedom of expression across the industry: I think the games industry should rally behind us, because there will come a time when we’ll all have an idea that’s a little edgy, and we need to have the freedoms to express it.

We are an adult entertainment industry – we may have started out with child-like technology making games solely for a younger audience, but it’s just not like that anymore. It might take legislature a little while to catch up, but if the industry sticks together hopefully we can change people’s attitudes quicker.

   
Manhunt 2 now rated M and set for US release

From Take 2 Games

Rockstar Games today announced it will release Manhunt 2 in North America on October 31 2007.

This announcement follows the submission of a modified version of Manhunt 2 to the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), who has now rated the title "M" for Mature for ages 17 and older.

In June, Take-Two was compelled to suspend the release of the horror title when the ESRB issued an AO (Adults Only) rating.

Manhunt 2 is important to us, and we're glad it can finally be appreciated as a gaming experience, said Sam Houser, founder and executive producer of Rockstar Games: We love the horror genre. Manhunt 2 is a powerful piece of interactive story telling that is a unique video game experience. We think horror fans will love it.

Along with the Mature rating, the ESRB also assigned the following content descriptors to Manhunt 2 : Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content and Use of Drugs.

   
The mystery of the rapid re-rating

From Game Politics

The Manhunt 2 fallout continues as California State Senator Leland Yee (D) issues a call for the ESRB to explain its about-face on Manhunt 2 and backs an earlier demand for a federal investigation into the matter.

Yee, of course, is the architect of California’s 2005 video game law, which was recently declared unconstitutional by a federal judge.

Yee said: Parents can’t trust a rating system that doesn’t even disclose how they come to a particular rating. The ESRB and Rockstar should end this game of secrecy by immediately unveiling what content has been changed to grant the new rating and what correspondence occurred between the ESRB and Rockstar to come to this conclusion. Unfortunately, history shows that we must be quite skeptical of these two entities.

Clearly the ESRB has a conflict of interest in rating these games. I join the [Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood] in urging the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the process by which Manhunt 2 ’s rating was downgraded from AO to M.

From Game Politics see full article

Plenty of theories in the blogosphere such as:

Theory 1: The whole things a scam!  Manhunt 2’ s content hasn’t changed at all. Take-Two and the ESRB are in cahoots to placate the industry’s critics.  

Theory 2: Rockstar did something simple but drastic like fading to black during the killings.
 
Theory 3: There was only one kill or sexual situation that earned the game an AO in the first place.  Maybe all Rockstar had to do was remove the testicle trauma or put some underwear on a bordello girl.
 
Theory 4:   Rockstar intentionally put in some truly over the top and obnoxious sex and/or violence that they never intended to have in the game.  It was included solely to have something to cut out when the ESRB balked.

   
Is the commercial ban on adult games doing more harm than good?

All the US achieves by commercially banning adult ratings is that violent content gets forced into M rated games or R rated films.

From Game Politics

The game industry finds itself under a microscope. The issue of sales to children is a big one for critics like Leland Yee and the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. And for the Federal Trade Commission, which studies the industry’s marketing practices in relation to kids.

For their part, the console makers don’t want to be accused of licensing porn on a machine that’s sold at Toys’R'Us. The major game publishers are largely public corporations that don’t want to be seen as being in the porn creation business, either.

And it’s not just the Big Three console makers. Even if Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft were willing to license the AO version of Manhunt 2 to run on their systems, major retailers would not stock an adults only game.

The dilemma is steeped in culture, politics, finance and technology but it’s time to start the dialogue.

Surprisingly, State Senator Leland Yee, a frequent critic of the video game industry, agrees with many of these points. Adam Keigwin, one of Yee’s top aides said:

Senator Yee would agree with [Georgia Tech Professor] Ian Bogost that the consoles should allow play of AO rated games.  The parental controls are necessary however. Dr. Yee has always said that the industry has a right to make extremely violent games and to sell them to adults.

His issue has consistently been about protecting children and eliminating their access to the most violent games without their parents’ knowledge.

Another problem with this whole ratings mess is that the ESRB just refuses to use the AO rating for violence despite the descriptor calling for such a rating when there are “graphic depictions of violence.”  If Manhunt doesn’t qualify, what would? 

   
No state censorship of games in the Netherlands

Other articles suggest more that the game could be released in the Netherlands rather than suggesting that there will be a release.

From MCV UK

Rockstar’s Manhunt 2 may soon enjoy a bone fide release in Europe – albeit only in Holland.

The Dutch Ministry has declined to intervene in the title’s path to retail in the territory – as it would conflict with current Netherlands law.

In a letter to Parliament, Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin said: The current law is based on the principle that every adult is considered capable of deciding for himself which games he wants to play, unless it contains illegal material.

Deciding on whether children should be allowed to play a game is currently the joint responsibility of parents, the audiovisual industry and the government, he continued. He said that his ministry was now examining whether new laws or policies were needed to better protect the youth.

Hirsch Ballin also pleaded for a unified EU standard for video game ratings.

   
Hackers release uncut PS2 version

From PS3

A group of hackers called Team Slonik have posted the uncut version of Manhunt 2 on the internet, and it's now snaking its way through the interwebs via Bittorrent.

It's the PS2 version of the game, furthermore, according to the release notes, this is a beta version of Manhunt 2 .

Needless to say, this couldn't have happened at a more sensitive time for the games industry. The past week has seen Gordon Brown and other politicians making several statements about videogames and violence, and the shadow of the ban-hammer is looming over all of us. Having such a controversial title leaking into public domain is going to turn up the heat on everybody concerned, not least of all Rockstar.

Like every other right-minded person, we vehemently disagree with the BBFC's decision to deny Manhunt 2 a certification. But if Team Slonik think they're doing us a favour by leaking it onto the interweb, they're very much mistaken.

   
AO and M rated versions compared

From ign.com

ign.com have compared the banned AO version of Manhunt 2 with the recently reclassified M rated version. They detail the changes as follows:

The majority of main gameplay functions are intact, violence, gore and all. If Danny beats a hunter with a mace, the carnage will play out uncensored, and blood will splatter onto the main character's clothes.

But there have been some unfortunate content omissions, too. When we first wrote about Manhunt 2, we referenced a particularly nasty death sequence, in which Danny could use a pair of pliers to literally rip the testicles off a hunter. That murder has been completed removed from the updated build of the game. Not a big deal for us, as it only amounts to one kill out of dozens. Danny can still saw into the heads of enemies, or bludgeon them with a blunt object, or stab them, or use a syringe on them, or even use the environments to take them out.

The biggest and most disappointing change relates to the major death strikes. When Danny sneaks up on an enemy, gamers will be given the option to pick from three different murder animations. In the AO-rated build of Manhunt 2, we could clearly see these over-the-top and horrific animations. In the M-rated version, Rockstar has added both an extreme blur effect and in most cases darkened the graphics so that it is nearly impossible to make any sense of what is going on. Players will be able to see character movement, blood splatters, and sometimes they may catch a glimpse of an identifiable action (for example, Danny jamming nails into the legs of a chair-bound opponent), but mostly it's guesswork - a garbled, motiony mess that's far less satisfying.

   
BBFC ban toned down version of Manhunt 2

From the BBFC

The censors have banned just banned the toned down version of Manhunt 2 which is presumably the M rated version to be released in the US.

The BBFC have issued the following press release:

The BBFC has rejected a revised version of the video game Manhunt 2. This follows the rejection of the original version of the game in June. The distributor had set in motion an appeal to the Video Appeals Committee against that decision, and this was suspended while the revised version was considered for classification.

David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said:
We recognise that the distributor has made changes to the game, but we do not consider that these go far enough to address our concerns about the original version. The impact of the revisions on the bleakness and callousness of tone, or the essential nature of the gameplay, is clearly insufficient. There has been a reduction in the visual detail in some of the ‘execution kills’, but in others they retain their original visceral and casually sadistic nature.

We did make suggestions for further changes to the game, but the distributor has chosen not to make them, and as a result we have rejected the game on both platforms. The decision on whether or not an appeal goes ahead lies with the distributor.

   
BBFC treats films better than games

From MCV

MCV has learnt that Rockstar has lodged an official appeal with the Video Appeals Committee over Manhunt 2 ’s ban – the UK body that has the power to overturn the BBFC’s ban.

The publisher notified the VAC yesterday taking almost the full six weeks allowed. A date will now be set for the VAC’s hearing.

Rockstar issued the following press release:

We are continuing to appeal the British Board of Film Classification's (BBFC) decision to deny the edited version of Manhunt 2 an 18+ certificate and thereby ban its release in the United Kingdom.

The changes necessary in order to publish the game in Britain are unacceptable to us and represent a setback for video games.

The BBFC allows adults the freedom to decide for themselves when it comes to horror in movies and we think adults should be similarly allowed to decide for themselves when it comes to horror in video games, such as Manhunt 2 .

   
Alternative European Sources

The French language release of Manhunt 2 is on 30th November 2007. It is available for pre-order from French Amazon

Meanwhile the Belgian release has seemingly been on sale since July rather suggesting that it is the original uncut version.

   
The BBFC has no right to make aesthetic judgements

From Index on Censorship by Padraig Reidy

The BBFC judgment complains of Rockstar's resubmitted version of the game that the impact of the revisions on the bleakness and callousness of tone, or the essential nature of the gameplay, is clearly insufficient.

The first clause here is damning: the tone of the game is held up as a reason for banning: is there any other medium where this would be seen as an adequate reason for censorship?

Should, say, every student's favourite ‘deep’ film, Requiem for a Dream , be cut, because it's a bit dark? Should Hardy's Jude the Obscure be removed from library shelves, lest ladies find themselves cast into a sadness by all that bleakness? It would be hard to find anyone who'd say they should.

The BBFC has clearly gone beyond its remit in even mentioning the tone of the game. It has made an aesthetic criticism, when its only function, if it must function, should be to highlight ethical concerns.

Launch of the new Parents BBFC website

Press release from the BBFC

Parents will find making decisions about which films and video games are suitable for their children much easier from today, as the BBFC launches a new website specifically for parents and guardians. Parents BBFC – www.pbbfc.co.uk – provides detailed information about the content of ‘U’, ‘PG’ and ‘12A’ films and all video games classified by the BBFC, and why they got the classification they did.

David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said:
By providing parents with more information about the content of films and video games they will be in a better position to make informed choices about what their children watch and play. This is particularly relevant in the area of video games, where not all parents are as technology literate as their children. We have included all games, including ‘18’ rated games, on the site because we know that parents come under a lot of pressure to buy the latest big selling title. So now when they are told by their offspring that ‘it’s only a game’, particularly if it’s rated ‘18’, they can look at the new website and see what the game contains and why it got the rating it did.

The well known and understood Consumer Advice – the short sentence about a film’s contents seen on posters, advertising and packaging – has proved both popular and helpful, but by its very nature cannot provide the sort of detailed information which parents would find useful. For each film the site will provide information about why the film got the classification it did, a synopsis of the plot, significant plot lines and how they might affect young children. This is particularly important when deciding whether to take a child younger than 12 to a ‘12A’ film, or whether the elements which moved a film from ‘U’ to ‘PG’ might be too much for a very young child. This website will take the guess work out of the family outing to the cinema and open up the world of video games for those who don’t know their PSP from their Wii.

Update: Extended Consumer Advice

An example of the new extended consumer advice:

Kane & Lynch: Dead Men is a third person perspective shoot-'em-up, where the gamer plays Kane, a wronged husband out for revenge and partnered with the unpredictable Lynch. The game contains strong bloody violence.

The violence is incessant and rather realistic. The object of the game is to shoot as many enemies as possible, levels often unable to be unlocked until all the cops are down. The player-character is able to shoot innocents and it is possible to carry on shooting once a body is felled. Various guns are available, from pistols to sniper rifles and these result in varying degrees of accuracy and injury. Though there is no real detail in the injury, there are significant blood spurts and realistic splashes of blood and gore on walls, floors etc.

As well as strong violence, the game contains strong language and drug references.

BBFC arrange seminar to explain game censorship process

Based on an article from GamesIndustry.biz

Following the recent attention given to the BBFC censorship process over the Manhunt 2 ban, the organisation has announced a seminar explaining how they go about banning games.

The BBFC is aware of the increased production costs of next generation video game development and the tight deadlines which all developers and publishers face. The classification process needs to be as efficient as possible, the BBFC said.

Our seminar, Classifying Games at the BBFC, will explain how the process works. It will cover the legal framework for games regulation, how classification decisions are reached and the practicalities of the job. The seminar aims to promote a better understanding of the BBFC and equip the games industry with everything needed to take best advantage of the service.

Classifying Games at the BBFC will be held on October 30 at 3 Soho Square in London.

BBFC details controversial scene

From Aeropause
Mass Effect is released on 23rd Nov 2007 according to UK Amazon

The BBFC seem to have come to the rescue of US gamers wanting to know about a much discussed lesbian hot coffee scene in a game called Mass Effect.

The BBFC kindly published a detailed explanation of their 12 rating:

Mass Effect is a role playing game and shooter set in the future in space. The player controls either a male or female American soldier through a long and involved story line, making choices along the way. The game has been classified at '12' for moderate violence and one sex scene.

The violence is undetailed and takes place in a futuristic setting. The single sex scene is brief and undetailed, although there is breast nudity in one version of the scene. The sex scene is triggered by the player making a series of choices about becoming more than friends with a colleague. If playing as a male character the scene can take place between him and a human woman or a humanoid female alien. If playing as a female character the scene can take place between her and a male human or a female humanoid alien.

The game also contains use of the word 'bastard' and at least one aggressive use of the word 'bitch'. Both of which are acceptable under BBFC Guidelines at '12'.

Surely the 12 rating will put paid to any controversial hype surrounding this game.

BBFC caution contributes to games ratings being ignored

From CVG

David Braben created the notable game, Elite , and now heads a game company, Frontier Developments.

He was asked in an interview: What's your view on violence in games and do you think too many contain X-rated material to cynically appeal to a teenage audience?

I think at the root of this problem is that there's still an expectation among parents that ESRB/PEGI/BBFC ratings can be ignored - possibly based on their experience of games when they were younger. Also, there have been a few games that have strange ratings like Gears of War (18). That does not make sense to me. Why is it not a 15? Okay, there are some slightly gruesome bodies hanging up in the first section of the game, but this is no more than you'd expect in a 15 film like Alien Vs Predator or The Terminator films.

This means that when a more genuine 18 comes along, parents assume it is no worse than Gears of War , and is perhaps why Manhunt 2 was banned, as they felt they could not give it the same rating as Gears.

We do need a strong, consistent rating system, where 18 really means 18, and is enforced, and then it may be more acceptable to make such games, or to bring in an additional rating which are only sold in very restricted places.

Update: Tournament Caution

From WCG 2007

A news page for the World Cyber Games reveals that 16-17 year old players were originally to be allowed to enter a Gears of War tournament. This was apparently OKed by the BBFC presumably as the games weren't being supplied to the teenagers.

But a later news item suggested that Microsoft UK had intervened and insisted that the tournament be restricted to 18 year olds or over.

BBFC respond to Cameron's Fight Back plans

From MCV

The BBFC has refuted David Cameron’s call for a review of its guidelines – and has been backed by the Government.

The Conservative Party leader this week revealed the Tories’ new ‘mini-manifesto’ on ‘Britain’s crisis’, entitled: It’s Time to Fight Back.

The dossier calls for an examination of the BBFC’s ‘regulatory framework’, in order to ensure that violence and misogyny are not directly promoted to young people.

But BBFC spokesperson Sue Clark told MCV: BBFC classification is based on what the public deems acceptable. We feel confident that we have public consent on how we deal with issues such as gun and knife crime.

And the Labour Government has also come out in defence of the BBFC. A DCMS spokesman told MCV: We have a strict enforcement code for people who supply ‘18’ or ‘15’ rated games to children. Adults can make their own decisions which games to play, as they can which films to watch.

Naked skateboarding Bart Simpson passed PG

From The Times

Good news for children of all ages: The Simpsons Movie has been awarded a PG certificate, despite a full-frontal image of a naked, skateboarding Bart.

The most disturbing image involves Bart eagerly accepting Homer’s dare to skateboard at high speed to Krusty Burger, stark naked. After a series of fortuitous cover-ups, there is a fleeting glimpse of the ten-year-old’s modest, but distinctly yellow, manhood.

Fortunately for the producers, Fox, the BBFC has taken a liberal approach. A spokeswoman said: Natural nudity with no sexual content is acceptable in PG films. She added: It will sail over most children’s heads. The Simpsons is really for grown-ups isn’t it? The film was passed PG for mild language, innuendo and comic violence.

BBFC comment on their 12A for Transformers

From SciFi.com

Transformers was originally lined up for a US R rating but Steven Spielberg appealed the decision and got a PG-13 instead.

Perhaps it is related to the US experience but the BBFC have made a statement about their decision to award the film an uncut 12A,

Note Comment from Shia LaBeouf deleted, see update below

From the BBFC

Transformers is a science fiction action film, based on the 1980’s animated television series and toy franchise. It has been classified 12A for moderate action violence. BBFC Guidelines at 12A state that violence must not dwell on detail and that there should be no emphasis on injuries or blood. This includes many battle scenes between warring robots, which whilst being intense, place an emphasis on spectacle rather than detail. For example, a fight scene in which two robots rip each other apart features no human casualties and is played out in a fantasy context. The violence featured is similar to that found in other recent 12A action films, such as Spiderman III.

Transformers also features infrequent mild sex references and language. The sex references – in keeping with BBFC 12A Guidelines – do not go beyond what is suitable for adolescents and deal with a boy’s parents enquiring if their son has been masturbating. The language is also infrequent and is mild to moderate (‘shit’, ‘pissed’ and ‘bitch’). The film also includes one mild drug reference that is comic in tone and neither instructional or glamorous.

Update: Oops Misquote

Thanks to James

Transformers was never a R rating. Shia LaBeouf later admitted that he got mixed up between 2 movies he is in, Transformers , and Disturbia which was reduced on appeal from R to PG13 (and has always been a 15 in the UK)

   
Press get wind of BBFC download certificates

From The Telegraph see full article
See also details of the BBFC scheme

Cinema-style ratings are to be introduced on the internet in an attempt to protect children from hardcore pornography and graphic violence.

The BBFC wants the most explicit online material to carry a new version of the R18 certificate which normally only applies to material bought in sex shops or screened in specially licensed cinemas.

The new online R18 ratings, subject of a pilot scheme now being run by the board, could be introduced as early as next month if, as expected, the Government backs the scheme. It will be the first time that a British watchdog has tried to regulate access to internet material.

The system, which is backed by the sex industry, would see porn available for download or streaming clearly labelled as being unsuitable for children. Access to such material would be via a "landing page" which would contain clear warnings, be free of sexual images and require users to verify their age.

Details of the scheme are contained in correspondence between the film board and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, obtained by The Sunday Telegraph under the Freedom of Information Act.

In March, David Cooke, the board's director, wrote to Phil Clapp, who leads the department's creative industries division, saying that the board believed the scheme will allow UK customers to avoid inadvertently being exposed to material which may be illegal and/or harmful.

But John Beyer, the director of Mediawatch UK, said the system was "utterly useless" as people would still be able to access the material: A lot of children have their own money and bank accounts and so it's not a problem for teenagers to download 18-rated films.

   
BBFC statement about download certificates

From a recent BBFC release introducing the 2006 annual report
See also details of the BBFC scheme

The BBFC is working closely with the film industry to develop a means of classifying films which will be available to download via the internet. An industry/BBFC working party has come up with plans which will enable consumers to have access to the same BBFC category information and Consumer Advice as they currently enjoy with cinema films and DVDs, at point of online hire or sale.

David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said in the BBFC 2006 Annual Report:

The BBFC is not seeking an open-ended regulatory role on the internet; the focus here is on material which would previously have been delivered in physical film or DVD format. We are keen to show that the BBFC is prepared to be open-minded and imaginative in responding to the challenges and opportunities of new media.

The response of the industry to this initiative has been extremely positive. We are currently working on a pilot scheme with several key industry players, covering the family entertainment end of the market through to the adult industry. We are also talking to the games industry about the possibility of classifying some online games. Recent research carried out for us showed that 84 per cent of people would like to see the BBFC classifications applied to films downloaded via the internet and this rose to 91 per cent of parents. This is not surprising when one considers that many downloads are likely to be offered on a ‘download to burn’ basis by which the consumer ends up with a DVD just like the one being sold on the high street. As well as the known and trusted classification category symbols, downloaded films will come with an online version of the BBFC’s ‘black card’, which is so much a part of the cinema going experience.

This co-regulatory approach is very much in line with the latest version of the Audio-Visual Media Services Directive, covering online media services. The BBFC is also a member of the Cross-Industry Audiovisual Content Information Group, an Ofcom backed initiative aimed at establishing common principles for the labelling of online content.

   
DVD extra for Weeds Season 2 banned

From the BBFC

The BBFC have ban ned a 5 minute DVD extra on Season 2 of the 2005 US comedy Weeds

The BBFC explained themselves as follows:

Cream of the Crop is a 5 minute DVD extra for the US TV show Weeds. It consists of a segment, filmed in the style of a cookery programme, in which a member of the cast introduces the viewer to his top 5 varieties of marijuana. He extols the virtues of each variety in terms of its flavour and effects and encourages viewers to obtain and partake in marijuana.

Although the Board accepts that the work is played with a certain degree of knowing humour, it is clear that the lack of any other content or context means that the likely effect of the work, taken as a whole, is to promote and encourage the use of illegal drugs. The Board’s Guidelines state that No work taken as a whole may promote or encourage the use of illegal drugs

   
Chief censor calls a censor a censor

From Alan
See also the Independent article:

I got today's Independent because of the attack in Blair's speech and was particularly interested by a passing remark in an article about the matter by Andreas Whittam Smith. Whittam Smith was, of course, the founding editor of the "Indy" and later went on to be be President of the BBFC. I was struck by his honesty, in that he referred to himself as "chief censor". So much for the Orwellian renaming of the board as the British Board of Film Classification!

I'd have no objection to a board of "classification". But "Classification" without which a film cannot legally be sold, given or loaned is blatant censorship... now acknowledged as such by the former chief censor.

   
Alarmed by a public display of sexual repression

Thanks to Stu

A couple of interesting snippets from the BBFC are revealed by the BBFC cuts page for UK Student House 12 .

The first is that cuts are now hidden away from the initial page view as a spoiler alert. A further click is required to get further details.

3s of cuts were required for the R18 rated hardcore version. The BBFC said: Cut required to sight of woman fondling bare breasts in clear sight of public, to obtain an 'R18' in line with commonlaw on indecent exposure.

The comments reveal that: The distributor of the work, Darker Enterprises, appealed to the independent Video Appeals Committee against the BBFC's decision to require a cut to be made to this work as a condition of classification. However, Darker Enterprises withdrew from the appeal before representations were put before the Committee.

I am only guessing, but maybe Darker Enterprises were contending that public nudity should be governed by the most recent law:

2003 Sexual Offences Act - Section 66 : Exposure

(1) A person commits an offence if-
(a) he intentionally exposes his genitals, and
(b) he intends that someone will see them and be caused alarm or distress.

Clearly fondling breasts, presumably without causing distress, is hardy like to qualify as an offence.

I am guessing that our repression loving authorities have now reverted to some long lost 'commonlaw' that probably bans anything to do with sex and nudity. I wonder where one gets to read about such antiquated law on the internet.

   
Lynching and execution documentary censored

Thanks to Stu

Real Outlaws is a documentary by Peter Crystal from Revolver Entertainment. It seems to have made and impact with the censors as it has been cut with the following BBFC comment:

An earlier version of this work was submitted to the BBFC and compulsory cuts were required to remove gratuitous and detailed images of a public execution and a violent lynching. These cuts were required...on the grounds that such images may cause harm by encouraging the development of callous attitudes among members of the likely audience.

This earlier version of the work was subsequently withdrawn from the classification process by its distributor. The present version, which has been re-edited throughout, was pre-cut prior to submission to remove those elements to which the BBFC had requested cuts.

It surely raises some interesting censorship questions because lynch mobs are surely enjoying a resurgence within some religious communities. It does not seem to take  much to whip people up into a frenzy...but surely it would take a little more than a mere video. It takes a lifetime to get people to believe that other people speak for god and that these self appointed mouthpieces should be followed however inhumane the cause.

   
Spiderman 3 rating criticised

Based on an article from Functinpix

The BBFC have come under criticism from the British Society Of Cinematographers for the 12A certification it awarded to the latest Spiderman 3 movie.

Fans and that the film does not warrant a 12A certification. The movie was awarded a PG-13 in the US.

The BBFC refused to comment but an insider said that the board deliberated only briefly on the movie and that the board of film censors may have been influenced by the studios. But really they should have been more lenient with it’s classification say fans. They argue that at no point in the film is there any material unsuitable for under 12’s.

Marvel Studios, the makers of the Spiderman trilogy, say that the BBFC have got the certification of the third Spiderman movie spot on.

The debate continues and the issue will be raised at the British Film Council meeting next week.

   
Penny Averill moves on

From the Hollywood Reporter

Penny Averill, most recently deputy director of the BBFC, has joined industry body Women in Film and TV as its new chief executive, the organization said Friday.

Averill succeeds Jane Cussons at the promotional and lobby body and will take up the reins this month, reporting to Women in Film chair Sophie Balhetchet.

Before joining the BBFC, Averill's career included stints as head of compliance for UKTV, the joint venture between BBC and Flextech and spells in film acquisition and TV programming.

   
and the censors are 'idiotic'

From the BBC see full article

Other councils are now understood to have followed Bristol's lead to overrule film censors and allow under-18s to see the new Shane Meadows film This Is England .

The BBFC had given the film an 18 certificate because it contained a scene of racist violence.

Although local authorities have the power to set their own classifications, this is only done on rare occasions.

A Bristol councillor who sat on the committee which imposed a 15 certificate called the BBFC's 18 verdict was "idiotic". Councillor Ron Stone said: It was a unanimous decision of the committee that there was nothing we saw in the film which was any worse than you would see probably on Channel 4 or one of the main TV channels at peak-time viewing.

We felt it was idiotic that what is basically a very good film and very well made, on a difficult but social issue, should be prevented from being seen by the audience it was targeted at. I think the censors actually are wrong in giving it an 18 certificate.

The film stars newcomer Thomas Turgoose as a lonely schoolboy whose soldier father was killed in the Falklands War. He is taken under the wing of an older gang which is true to the original skinhead movement, influenced by the ska and reggae movements. But the gang falls under the influence of a National Front supporter recently released from prison, and the film climaxes in a race attack.

Other councils across the UK are now understood to be following Bristol's lead include the local authority in Grimsby, Turgoose's home town.

The BBFC said it was a "borderline" 15/18 rated film but had been given the higher classification because of the race attack scene and its accompanying language.

What we are concerned about is young people seeing this in a context where they are not in a position to discuss the issues, and where it may come across as more attractive than offensive, said a spokeswoman. It is not a common occurrence for local authorities to set their own classifications, but they are certainly within their rights to do so.

Update: Video

The film has now also been passed 18 for vide (uncut)

   
BBFC publishes research re playing video games

From the BBFC

Video games tend to polarise opinions in a way that other entertainment media do not. People who do not play them cannot understand their attraction and that lack of understanding can lead to some games being demonised. While there is research designed to show the short term physical reactions of video games players, there is very little information about why people play video games and what impact they think playing games has on them. The BBFC today published the results of a research project involving video games players ranging from children as young as seven through to players in their early 40s; parents of young games players; games industry representatives; and games reviewers.

The research set out to gain insights into a number of issues including:

• the attractions of playing video games
• what impact games players think playing has on them and their behaviour
• whether the interactivity element of games alters the experience
• what players think about the violence in some games
• how they choose which games to play
• what parents think about video games.

The key findings of the research were:

• that children begin playing games at an increasingly early age, but that the overall age of games players is getting older
• there is a sharp divide between male and female games players in their taste in games and how long they spend playing
• female games players tend to prefer ‘strategic life simulation’ games like The Sims and puzzle games and spend less time playing than their male counterparts
• male players favour first ‘person shooter’ and sports games and are much more likely to become deeply absorbed in the play
• younger games players are influenced to play particular games by peer pressure and word of mouth, but negative press coverage for a game will significantly increase its take up
• people play games to escape from every day life and to escape to a world of adventure without risk which is under the control of the gamer, unlike the real world
• games provide a sense of achievement and are active, unlike television and films which are passive. However, games are better at developing action than building character and as such gamers tend to care less about the storyline than making progress in the game
• gamers appear to forget they are playing games less readily than film goers forget they are watching a film because they have to participate in the game for it to proceed. They appear to non-games players to be engrossed in what they are doing, but, they are concentrating on making progress, and are unlikely to be emotionally involved
• gamers claim that playing games is mentally stimulating and that playing develops hand eye coordination
• violence in games, in the sense of eliminating obstacles, is built into the structure of some games and is necessary to progress through the game. It contributes to the tension because gamers are not just shooting, they are vulnerable to being shot and most gamers are concentrating on their own survival rather than the damage they are inflicting on the characters in the game. While there is an appeal in being able to be violent without being vulnerable to the consequences which similar actions in real life would create, gamers are aware that they are playing a game and that it is not real life
• gamers are aware that violence in games is an issue and younger players find some of the violence upsetting, particularly in games rated for adults. There is also concern that in some games wickedness prevails over innocence. However, most gamers are not seriously concerned about violence in games because they think that the violence on television and in films is more upsetting and more real
• gamers are virtually unanimous in rejecting the suggestion that video games encourage people to be violent in real life or that they have become desensitised. They see no evidence in themselves or their friends who play games that they have become more violent in real life. As one participant said: I no more feel that I have actually scored a goal than I do that I have actually killed someone. I know it’s not real. The emphasis is on achievement.
• non-games playing parents are concerned about the amount of time their children, particularly boys, spend playing games and would prefer that they were outside in the fresh air. However, they are more concerned about the ‘stranger-danger’ of internet chat rooms. While the violence in games surprises them and concerns some of them, they are confident that their children are well balanced enough to not be influenced by playing violent games
• while parents agree that there should be regulation of games some are happy to give their children adult games because they are “only games”.

David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said:

The BBFC classified just under three hundred video games last year. Most games in the UK are classified under a pan-European voluntary system, but those with adult content are required to come to us. We take this part of our responsibilities under the Video Recordings Act very seriously. Our examiners actually play the games for up to five hours, assessing all levels of the games and considering all the key issues. Players and the parents of young players can be sure that all aspects of the game have been taken into account before reaching a classification. We require key issues to be flagged and aids such as cheat codes to be supplied to us. We take context into account, and examine works in a way which is as thorough and penetrating as anywhere in the world.

The element of interactivity in games carries some weight when we are considering a video game. We were particularly interested to see that this research suggests that, far from having a potentially negative impact on the reaction of the player, the very fact that they have to interact with the game seems to keep them more firmly rooted in reality. People who do not play games raise concerns about their engrossing nature, assuming that players are also emotionally engrossed. This research suggests the opposite; a range of factors seems to make them less emotionally involving than film or television. The adversaries which players have to eliminate have no personality and so are not real and their destruction is therefore not real, regardless of how violent that destruction might be. This firm grasp on reality seems to extend to younger players, but this is no reason to allow them access to adult rated games, as they themselves often admit that they find the violence in games like Manhunt very upsetting. Parents should not treat video games in the same way they would board games. We will continue to examine very carefully those games which come to us, to flag any concerns we have and, if necessary, to use our statutory powers.

There is no question that video games are an important form of entertainment for an ever increasing number of people. As the technology improves the games will become more and more realistic and it is important that games are properly rated to protect younger players from the games with adult content, which the BBFC does. This research provides some valuable insights into why people play video games and what effect they think playing has on themselves and friends. It has also highlighted parental attitudes to video games. We hope that it will provide some food for thought for the industry, and everyone who has an interest in the impact of games and we will be taking the research outcomes into account as we review our games classification policies over the coming months.

   
BBFC review policies on video games

From the MCV

The BBFC is set to alter its system of deciding on age ratings after new extensive research into video games showed that interactivity could actually limit the effect of violence on gamers.

The BBFC currently uses the same set of parameters for rating both movies and games, but this week’s report has led the body to a new understanding of key differences between the two mediums.

We’re looking to review our games classification policy in the next few months – and that’s one of the reasons for this research, BBFC spokesperson Sue Clark told MCV.

We have traditionally taken the view that because a game is interactive, by definition we need to be more careful. But when you watch a film you actually have less control than when you play games. It’s easier for you to lose that sense of reality.

One of the key conclusions of this report is that interactivity actually helps players distance reality from adult experiences in games.

   
And allow the use of the word 'teen'

Interesting to note that the BBFC have recently passed a couple of hardcore R18s with the word 'teen' in the title. Up until now they have cut such references with the occasional weird comment about being concerned with under age sex.

Eg in the film retitled Beauty Express 5 , the BBFC said: A cut is required to remove 'Teeny' from the title and title frame to accord with BBFC policy and the 'harm' provision of the Video recordings Act. Under BBFC policy no title will be passed which suggest that the content is concerned with under-age sex.

Given that the majority of teen years (16,17,18,19) are above the age of consent and all the actors in a film can presumably be proven over 18, then there hardly seems to be an obvious reason for disallowing the term.

There is nothing illegal in (unpaid) sex with 16 and 17 year olds outside of relationships with a duty of care. Surely the film makers are not allowed to use 16 and 17 year old actors because paid sex is considered illegal at this age.  But given that the films actually feature 18+ actors and the DVD cover features actual footage from the film then it would seem quite a leap of faith to suggest that such a film is somehow encouraging viewers to want sex with 15 year olds.

The first two films spotted with 'teen' in the title are Stranded Teens passed in October 2006 and Teens in Tight Jeans passed in February 2007

   
BBFC publish expect consultation results

From the BBFC

The BBFC have published the results of an expert consultation on the subject of teen references in R18 works

In the conclusion it states that

Significant harm issues:

1. Violence, degradation, abusive language and activity including coercion and isolation of the “target”
2. Child accurate scripts and actions
3. Abuser accurate scripts and actions
4. Accurate childhood props, play and clothes, promoting a connection between children and sexual activity
5. Exploitation of power differentials (notably a much older man with a younger woman)
6. Age references for first sex below 13
7. Age references for secondary sexual development e.g. of breasts below 13

Of no significant concern:

1. Titles with the word teen which do not suggest sexual forwardness on the part of the teens
2. Play which even with props or child like clothes is consenting and adult in nature.
3. Age references close to the age of consent or with no other persons referenced

And hence films with teen in the title are now sensibly allowed

Jeez guys, give the gays a break. There's plenty of others to blame

Believers in nonsense unsurprisingly spout nonsense about the BBFC

I agree though with: "standards of human behaviour are being fatally eroded by constant subjection to suggestions and images promoting the exploitation of other human beings"... ie religion

From the Daily Mail

The Church of England yesterday warned that the spread of hard-core sex and violence in films is "fatally eroding" standards of behaviour.

It questioned the increasingly liberal decisions by film censors and accused them of allowing wider and younger audiences to see pornography and violence.

The Church called for new thinking about the effects of negative and degrading images on public safety.

The attempt to put pressure on film censors and broadcasters at the Church's parliament, the General Synod, follows efforts by senior bishops to defend marriage and to do more to uphold Christian beliefs. The Synod heard that "standards of human behaviour are being fatally eroded by constant subjection to suggestions and images promoting the exploitation of other human beings".

Church leaders named a series of films, including Destricted , 9 Songs , Baise-Moi , and Intimacy , which they said had been allowed a wide adult audience by being granted 18 certificates, but which in the past would have been restricted under R18 certificates to being shown in private clubs and to being sold on DVD in sex shops.

They blamed the BBFC for allowing such material to reach general audiences.

The Rev Richard Moy said: There have been numerous cases where defence barristers have asked judges to consider in mitigation that the defendant's actions were influenced by watching pornography. And yet the BBFC is making pornography easier to access by giving hardcore material 18 certificates. And material which previously would have been classified 18 is now being classified 15. And material previously classified as 15 is now classified as 12. How can we ask children and young people to behave in a socially responsible way if, through the media, we celebrate and revel in exploitation and abuse?

The Synod voted unanimously to condemn the exploitation of the humiliation of human beings for public entertainment.

A previous president at the BBFC, Andreas Whittam-Smith, who passed two of the criticised films - Baise-Moi and Intimacy, is now a senior Church official in charge of the its financial wing. He told the Synod that the films, however they were marred by their sexually explicit content, they had something to say. He said regulators felt bound to reflect what they believe is the public mood and added: It is only the Church's teaching . . . which can have an influence and change things.

   
BBFC award 18 to film targeted at youngsters

From The Guardian

This year's finest British film cannot be seen by its target audience, or many of its young stars, after being given a 18 certificate by the British censors. Shane Meadows' This is England, which is released in April, is the story of a young boy seduced into a world of skinhead racial violence during the early Eighties. The film is based on the director's own experiences.

News of the certification came as the film was about to play to a packed cinema of schoolchildren at a Glasgow film festival last week. Organisers were forced to cancel the screening.

Producer Mark Herbert said: The entire point of the film is a positive one, to show the dangers of bullying, peer pressure and racism to young people. Now with this 18 certificate, we can't do it.'

The BBFC have objected to a scene in which the gang attacks an Asian newsagent, calling him a 'Paki cunt', and to a scene involving menacing violence against a mixed-race boy. We have strong indications that violence when accompanied by vicious racist language is something the public find very hard to accept, says BBFC spokeswoman Sue Clark. We also felt that while the film deals with racism in very subtle and complex ways, it might give out the wrong message to an impressionable audience.

Meadows refused to make any cuts to his film in order to achieve the 15 certificate: This is the film I wanted to make and it's had a great reception at festivals, where it has won awards from young audiences. It seems to speak to them in particular. There's no need for cuts.

Meadows and Herbert have demanded a meeting with the censors and are still hopeful they can persuade them to lower the barrier.

   
Pretty Baby passed uncut

Good to see that Pretty Baby has been passed uncut again for today's DVD release.

Given the current hyper-sensitivity with anything connecting children and sexuality, it is good that the the naked 12 year old Brooke Shields hasn't become another worrying trigger for a 4am police visit.

   
BBFC move into the censorship of Internet video

From Strictly Broadband posting on the Beer and Bollocks webmasters forum

I had a meeting with the BBFC last week to discuss their plans, and get their views on where the law is going. Note that the BBFC don't set the law, but they need to interpret it. Below are the points that came out of the meeting, most of them known already to some degree. A follow-up meeting will be held next week to look in more detail at how they intend to enforce the use of their online certificates specifically for streaming content.

• The BBFC will shortly (well before the end of this year) be introducing a VoD certificate. This will be issued free of charge to companies that submit content for distribution on DVD/video. It will cover downloads for sure, and possibly streaming. The certificate will allow companies to display BBFC certificate logos on their web sites.
   
• For companies that do not certificate for the time being, the BBFC will soon be publishing a set of guidelines for adult web companies laying out in more details what they do/don't consider legal content. I see this as a good step forward, as it will allow adult webmasters a clearer view of what may be likely to get them prosecuted under the OPA.
   
• Certification will for now be voluntary for online use.
   
• Online certificates will have three parts:
  1. A visible logo to display online
  2. A video "card" to put at the start of a certificated video
  3. A paper certificate to file away
   
• The BBFC will be making content submission possible online - currently you need to submit on physical media.
   
• By 2010, the UK will have to sign up to the EU's Television Without Frontiers framework - this means that laws will be introduced to regulate online content - my interpretation of this is that within a couple of years, all adult content online will fall within regulation.
   
• The BBFC expect that their certification of online content will be a key part in enforcing the new legislation.
   
• People within the BBFC scheme will be fairly well protected from prosecution - those outside the scheme have no protection.
   
• In the longer term, the BBFC are investigating content labelling schemes, especially for adult material - this will be technically similar to existing ICRA content labelling.
   
• The timescales are fluid, but will be forced by the implementation of the EU legislation.
   
• I raised the specific issue of watersports; many webmasters are unaware that this is illegal in the UK. the BBFC have no role in deciding what is classed as obscene, they are simply guided by the police. I was informed that the police have made prosecutions of web sites for this content - the problem being that webmasters tend to plead guilty to avoid a prison sentence, and so the guideline hasn't been challenged in court.

   
BBFC now censor 25% of adult rated videos

Spotted by Calidoniaguy on The Melon Farmers Forum

A worrying trend of increasing censorship by the BBFC?

Official censorship figures from the BBFC, for video works

	% cut	% Cut
2002	10.5	15.4
2003	11.4	18.4
2004	15.2	20.6
2005	17.6	23.2
2006	25.4	24.1

Remember, these figures are artificially low due to the fact that the BBFC do not require distributors to declare whether they have censored works prior to submission. Also, it does not show how much has been cut – e.g. the multi-award winning “Pirates” had 1 hour 34 minutes censored from it!!!