Thoughts on Censorship

I’ve been sort of muddling through some of my thoughts on this topic lately. And this is me sorting out some of those thoughts, online, for all to read and, ahem, censor. First, I think you should know that we are the proud owners of a “filthy filter” otherwise known as a tv guardian which has different levels of censorship that can be applied to tv and movies that are watched in our home. Basically it reads the closed captioning and filters out any of the chosen levels of filthy words, muting the sound and changing the closed captioning to read something more appropriate and “clean”. For instance, on our home screen, nobody has or talks about sex, but they do have a lot of “hugs”. I haven’t figured out all of the swapped words, but it’s nice not to have to hear any vulgarity in our home. Helps make it more of a heaven. There are certain books I have read and love but don’t want in my home so that I can feel safe knowing my children or friends could pick up any book on my shelf, and be neither offended nor damage their souls in the reading process. However, my tolerance and acceptance levels have changed drastically over the years, as has been recently shoved in my face, and I no longer feel capable of recommending a book or movie without being judged or having to give an explanation for the merits of said artistry.

Those in one of the book groups I attend may not believe me when I admit to having been an incredibly prude and discretionary reader in my early English major years. I was the student who wrote letters to the professor and withstood arguments begging to change the books we were “forced to read”. I didn’t want to read anything that made me “uncomfortable” nor could a swear word, and especially the f-bomb ever enter my brain. I have some vivid pictures of scenes that I made a huge fuss about and books I refused to read. I can hear some of these professors telling me to open my mind and allow myself to be made uncomfortable for the sake of literature and of broadening my horizons. I was adamant. I don’t know how or when or what piece of literature changed that. I am slightly embarrassed when I think that the class in which I made the most fuss was a young adult literature class, and at BYU as well. How bad could it have been? But I do believe that you have to do what you feel is best for you. And I also know that you change and what is best for you may change as well. We should be open to that.

Now when I read books, I can look past a lot. I read the Twilight series, which was horribly written, but was an enchanting story, and I can also look past immense homosexuality in The Hours for the sake of brilliant intertwining of art and literature. I’m realizing that the “gray” area can be incredibly broad for some and then entirely non-existent for others. One person’s right and wrong can be poles apart from another’s. And that’s okay. But I can also see the point my professors’ made much earlier in my deciphering of censorship, that if you don’t immerse yourself in something that makes you a bit uncomfortable, there is no way to truly discuss it. The Bible is a fabulous example of this. Change and growth, realization and acceptance can come, as can disgust and rejection. But you first have to take a thank you bite.

My thoughts. Feel free to censure.