Internet Porn Censorship

Caligula is a 1979 Italy/US historical drama by Tinto Brass
Starring Malcolm McDowell, Peter O'Toole and Helen Mirren

Originally cut in the UK and US for an 18 rated UK and R rated US theatrical release. There also exists Tinto Brass' Alternative Version which does not include the hardcore footage added by the producers. The full uncut version was passed 18 uncut for 2008 DVD. This full uncut version is MPAA Unrated in the US. The Hardcore Version was banned in Australia in 2010.

In 2018 Penthouse announced a plan running over a couple of years for a 4k restoration of the Tinto Brass version. However the bankruptcy of Penthouse may have put an end to the idea. In 2023 Dafthouse Films announced a new Producer's Cut (arrogantly labelled the Ultimate Cut) by Thomas Negovan. This will be reconstructed from previously unreleased footage and unpromisingly suggests that this will be a more 'civilised' take on the Caligula story.

See version details from desperate-living.com

Summary Notes

A dramatization of the ascent to Caesar and subsequent reign of Caligula, one of the most notorious leaders of ancient Rome. We see his ambition, his scheming, his perversion and decadence, his brutality and his lunacy.

Ultimate Cut

Ultimate Cut run: 177:59s pal: 170:52s

UK: The Ultimate Cut: Uncut and BBFC 18 rated for strong real sex, sex references, nudity, sexual violence: 2024 Vertigo Releasing cinema release (rated 19/07/2024) titled Caligula: The Ultimate Cut

Uncut Version

Uncut Version run: 156:00s pal: 149:46s		UK:  The Uncut Version was passed 18 uncut for strong violence, sexual violence and strong real sex with previous cuts waived for: 2012 Arrow Unlimited Edition R0 Blu-ray at UK Amazon 2010 Arrow R0 Blu-ray 2009 Arrow Uncut Edition R2 DVD 2008 Freemantlemedia/Arrow Imperial Edition [+alternative version +R Rated Version] R2 DVD at UK Amazon US : Uncut and MPAA Unrated for: 2008 Image Imperial Edition RA Blu-ray at US Amazon 2007 Image Imperial Edition R1 DVD at US Amazon From the BBFC: In 2008, the full uncut version of Caligula was resubmitted to the BBFC for DVD release. The passage of nearly 30 years had significantly diminished the film's impact and after careful consideration it was decided that it could now be classified '18' uncut. This decision accords with the BBFC Guidelines, which state that At '18', the BBFC's guideline concerns will not normally override the wish that adults should be free to chose their own entertainment, within the law. Although there are scenes in Caligula that some people will find shocking, offensive or disgusting, the film does not contain any material that is illegal in terms of current UK law and nor does it contain any material that is likely to give rise to harm for adults audiences, most of whom will be well aware of its controversial reputation. The DVD version was classified '18' uncut with the consumer advice Contains strong violence, sexual violence and strong real sex.
uncut	Australia	Australia: The uncut version was banned in July 2010 See article from refused-classification.com The Australian Censorship Board has a rich history of censorship of Caligula

Tinto Brass Alternative Version/Imperial Edition

Tinto Brass Alternative Version run: 152:57s pal: 146:50s

UK: The Alternative Version or Re-edited Version was passed 18 without BBFC cuts for: 2008 Freemantlemedia/Arrow Imperial Edition [+uncut version +R Rated Version] R2 DVD This version is perhaps is historically at the point where Bob Guccione edited together a version from the material directed by Tinto Brass but before he decided that it could be improved by adding hardcore footage. So orgy scenes etc are the original softcore as directed by Tinto Brass. See pictorial version details from movie-censorship.com

US R Rated Version

R Rated Version cut: 55:07s run: 102:37s pal: 98:31s

UK: The heavily pre-cut US R rated version was passed 18 without BBFC cuts for: 2008 Freemantlemedia/Arrow Imperial Edition [+uncut version +alternative version] R2 DVD 1998 Screen Multimedia VHS 1990 Electric VHS A couple of brief shots of genital detail and sight of nurses cradling babies and phallic shaped bottles were reinstated from the the previous cut release and were allowed to remain. Many of the cuts were not related to sex & violence but to shorten the running time and deal with continuity issues over sex and violent scenes that were cut. See details on IMDB

UK Theatrical Version

cut cut: 11m run: 149:34s pal: 143:35s

UK: Passed X after about 11 minutes of cuts for: 1982 Electric pre-cert VHS 1980 cinema release James Ferman commented in Photoplay: Even before it could be considered for a certificate some 8.5 minutes had to be cut to make it legal. There are scenes of perverted violence that I wouldn't have thought would ever have been seen in this country, in clubs or anywhere else. A lot of the sex was just straight sex, but more explicit than has ever been passed here. They took out another 3 or 4 minutes and replaced it with lesser material to make it acceptable for the X certificate. 11 minutes of cuts including: Views of Drusilla's vulva removed from several pints in the film Sights of babies sucking phallic-shaped bottles removed Much reduced scene of bootlace being tied around soldier's penis. Hardcore action inserted into orgy scenes taken out The sight of wine streaming out of soldier's bladder after being hacked with a sword removed. Torture shots deleted, a stake into a vagina and several bloodied genitals. Male blow job and masturbation deleted Priestess bathing loses hardcore cunnilingus and insertion Blood of recently ex virgin bride deleted as was greasing of the buttocks and suggestion of fisting for the similarly road tested bridegroom A Lesbian scene lost all hardcore and explicit images Death of Proculus lost a stabbing and the subsequent humiliation of being pissed on and castrated. The sight of Caligula torturing a mouse was deleted. A childbirth scene is missing an emerging head. Hardcore elements of prison scene deleted Hardcore elements of brothel scene deleted Explicit detail removed from scene of women with pearl adorned vulvas

 

The US Senate just passed a bill that will let the federal and state governments investigate and sue websites that they claim cause kids mental distress . It's a terrible idea to let politicians and bureaucrats decide what people should read and view online, but the Senate passed KOSA on a 91-3 vote.

Bill proponents have focused on some truly tragic stories of loss, and then tied these tragedies to the internet. But anxiety, eating disorders, drug abuse, gambling, tobacco and alcohol use by minors, and the host of other ills that KOSA purports to address all existed well before the internet.

The Senate vote means that the House could take up and vote on this bill at any time. The House could also choose to debate its own, similarly flawed, version of KOSA. Several members of the House have expressed concerns about the bill.

The members of Congress who vote for this bill should remember -- they do not, and will not, control who will be in charge of punishing bad internet speech. The Federal Trade Commission, majority-controlled by the President's party, will be able to decide what kind of content harms minors, then investigate or file lawsuits against websites that host that content.

Politicians in both parties have sought to control various types of internet content. One bill sponsor has said that widely used educational materials that teach about the history of racism in the U.S. causes depression in kids. Kids speaking out about mental health challenges or trying to help friends with addiction are likely to be treated the same as those promoting addictive or self-harming behaviors, and will be kicked offline. Minors engaging in activism or even discussing the news could be shut down, since the grounds for suing websites expand to conditions like anxiety.

KOSA will lead to people who make online content about sex education, and LGBTQ+ identity and health, being persecuted and shut down as well. Views on how, or if, these subjects should be broached vary widely across U.S. communities. All it will take is one member of the Federal Trade Commission seeking to score political points, or a state attorney general seeking to ensure re-election, to start going after the online speech his or her constituents don't like.

All of these speech burdens will affect adults, too. Adults simply won't find the content that was mass-deleted in the name of avoiding KOSA-inspired lawsuits; and we'll all be burdened by websites and apps that install ID checks, age gates, and invasive (and poorly functioning) software content filters.

The vast majority of speech that KOSA affects is constitutionally protected in the U.S., which is why there is a long list of reasons that KOSA is unconstitutional. Unfortunately, the lawmakers voting for this bill have hand-waved away those concerns. They've also blown off the voices of millions of young people who will have their free expression constricted by this bill, including the thousands who spoke to EFF directly about their concerns and fears around KOSA.

We can't rely solely on lawsuits and courts to protect us from the growing wave of anti-speech internet legislation, with KOSA at its forefront. We need to let the people making the laws know that the public is becoming aware of their censorship plans -- and won't stand for them.

X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, updated its adult content rules to clarify how adult content may be posted and viewed.

The new policy states that users may share consensually produced and distributed adult nudity or sexual behavior, provided it's properly labeled and not prominently displayed. The policy also establishes a specific Adult Content warning, instead of the generic Sensitive Media label.

The new rules from the X website read:

You may share consensually produced and distributed adult nudity or sexual behavior, provided it's properly labeled and not prominently displayed.

We believe that users should be able to create, distribute, and consume material related to sexual themes as long as it is consensually produced and distributed. Sexual expression, whether visual or written, can be a legitimate form of artistic expression. We believe in the autonomy of adults to engage with and create content that reflects their own beliefs, desires, and experiences, including those related to sexuality. We balance this freedom by restricting exposure to Adult Content for children or adult users who choose not to see it. We also prohibit content promoting exploitation, nonconsent, objectification, sexualization or harm to minors, and obscene behaviors. We also do not allow sharing Adult Content in highly visible places such as profile photos or banners.

How we define Adult Content

Adult Content is any consensually produced and distributed material depicting adult nudity or sexual behavior that is pornographic or intended to cause sexual arousal. This also applies to AI-generated, photographic or animated content such as cartoons, hentai, or anime. Examples include depictions of:

• full or partial nudity, including close-ups of genitals, buttocks, or breasts;

• explicit or implied sexual behavior or simulated acts such as sexual intercourse and other sexual acts.

How to mark your content

If you regularly post adult content on X, we ask that you please adjust your media settings. Doing so places all your images and videos behind a content warning that needs to be acknowledged before your media can be viewed. You can also add a one-time content warning on individual posts. If you continue to fail marking your posts, we will adjust your account settings for you.

Users under 18 or viewers who do not include a birth date on their profile cannot click to view marked content. Learn more about age restricted content here .

As part of its efforts to combat violence against women, the government of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced funding to test age/ID verification methods for pornography websites in a pilot program. This move came after Albanese and the national cabinet ruled in 2023 that mandatory age verification was not yet an option.

AUS $6.5 million has been allocated for a pilot of age assurance to test the technology's effectiveness. The pilot will identify available age assurance products and assess their efficacy, including in relation to privacy and security. The outcomes of this pilot will support the eSafety Commissioners' ongoing implementation of censorship rules under the Online Safety Act.

Australia's prime minister has also moved to ban deepfake and artificial intelligence pornography as part of a $925million bid to counter a  rise in violence against women. Sharing sexually explicit material using artificial intelligence will also be subject to serious criminal penalties.

Albanese noted community concerns about toxic male views online and young men's exposure to violent imagery on the internet.

 

Offsite Comment: The Australian Government Is Making Porn a Scapegoat for Rising Violence Against Women

5th May 2024. Thanks to Trog. See article from vice.com by Darcy Deviant

Here is an artlcie offering a very sensible counter argument to the usual porn is bad diatribes:

As a sex worker, the most concerning part of this conversation is the use of the sex industry as a political scapegoat for men's violence.

Let's be clear: the porn industry was never created to provide sex education to children. But let's also be honest: if your child is actively seeking out pornography, or so-called violent pornography, perhaps there's a gap in their learning about sex and sexuality that the education system or a guardian has failed to fill.

See article from vice.com