Living in Canada for over a year, I wonder why Canada are able to get away with indecentcy, such as showing nudity, incuding breast, and cussing. While in the US, you can't show nudity, or swear on tv. Even at night. Also in Canada, they can get away with hard core porn on basic cable channel, while you only could find soft core more on premium channels such as HBO, SHowtime, or CINEMAX.
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Canada vs. US TV
- Thread starter e-dawg
- Start date
> Living in Canada for over a year, I wonder why Canada are
> able to get away with indecentcy, such as showing nudity,
> incuding breast, and cussing. While in the US, you can't
> show nudity, or swear on tv. Even at night. Also in Canada,
> they can get away with hard core porn on basic cable
> channel, while you only could find soft core more on premium
> channels such as HBO, SHowtime, or CINEMAX.
It's American culture. Remember who settled America, and had the dominating influence in its formation: the Puritans, who were ultra-religious and against anything even resembling sex.
Canadians have fewer hang-ups.
<P ID="signature">______________
The Pab Sungenis Project - http://www.lowbudgetradio.com</P>
> able to get away with indecentcy, such as showing nudity,
> incuding breast, and cussing. While in the US, you can't
> show nudity, or swear on tv. Even at night. Also in Canada,
> they can get away with hard core porn on basic cable
> channel, while you only could find soft core more on premium
> channels such as HBO, SHowtime, or CINEMAX.
It's American culture. Remember who settled America, and had the dominating influence in its formation: the Puritans, who were ultra-religious and against anything even resembling sex.
Canadians have fewer hang-ups.
<P ID="signature">______________
The Pab Sungenis Project - http://www.lowbudgetradio.com</P>
> I wonder why Canada are
> able to get away with indecentcy, such as showing nudity,
> incuding breast, and cussing. While in the US, you can't
> show nudity, or swear on tv. Even at night.
In the US, you could after 10PM, but most broadcasters chose to keep it tame at all hours, so they wouldn't offend anyone.
They occasionally push the envelope at night, but they never go over the edge.
When I first saw the CBC in the early-1990s, I was amazed by the fact that you can cuss in prime-time on OTA TV, and even show some racy films late at night (CBC's French sister, Radio-Canada, is notorious for that).
> Also in Canada,
> they can get away with hard core porn on basic cable
> channel, while you only could find soft core more on premium
> channels such as HBO, SHowtime, or CINEMAX.
>
While US cable channels can do anything they want (for now, at least), they chose to keep it clean like the broadcasters. And like them, they're also "envelope pushers".
The racier stuff is generally limited to the premiums, and the even harder stuff's PPV only -- and there are some states that prohibit that.
Which practically explains how chaste US TV is, compared to Canada.
> able to get away with indecentcy, such as showing nudity,
> incuding breast, and cussing. While in the US, you can't
> show nudity, or swear on tv. Even at night.
In the US, you could after 10PM, but most broadcasters chose to keep it tame at all hours, so they wouldn't offend anyone.
They occasionally push the envelope at night, but they never go over the edge.
When I first saw the CBC in the early-1990s, I was amazed by the fact that you can cuss in prime-time on OTA TV, and even show some racy films late at night (CBC's French sister, Radio-Canada, is notorious for that).
> Also in Canada,
> they can get away with hard core porn on basic cable
> channel, while you only could find soft core more on premium
> channels such as HBO, SHowtime, or CINEMAX.
>
While US cable channels can do anything they want (for now, at least), they chose to keep it clean like the broadcasters. And like them, they're also "envelope pushers".
The racier stuff is generally limited to the premiums, and the even harder stuff's PPV only -- and there are some states that prohibit that.
Which practically explains how chaste US TV is, compared to Canada.
> It's American culture. Remember who settled America, and
> had the dominating influence in its formation: the Puritans,
> who were ultra-religious and against anything even
> resembling sex.
>
> Canadians have fewer hang-ups.
>
Not buying it for 3 reasons:
1) At the time of the American Revolution, many who wished to remain loyal to the crown moved to what is now Canada. They were from the same Puritanical heritage as the Americans of that time.
2) With all of the immigration in the US, only a small percentage of the population can trace any heritage, genetic or cultural, back to the Puritans.
And most importantly:
3) The Puritans lived almost 500 years ago. To link our present-day culture with theirs makes no sense at all.
> had the dominating influence in its formation: the Puritans,
> who were ultra-religious and against anything even
> resembling sex.
>
> Canadians have fewer hang-ups.
>
Not buying it for 3 reasons:
1) At the time of the American Revolution, many who wished to remain loyal to the crown moved to what is now Canada. They were from the same Puritanical heritage as the Americans of that time.
2) With all of the immigration in the US, only a small percentage of the population can trace any heritage, genetic or cultural, back to the Puritans.
And most importantly:
3) The Puritans lived almost 500 years ago. To link our present-day culture with theirs makes no sense at all.
It also depends on the Ownership of a station too.
When was the last time CTV Canada showed nudity?
City TV owned stations (CHUM group ltd) air "Baby blue" movies Friday nights, which are classified as soft porn, but then there's Showcase tv, which, I thought, was trying to model after Showtime/HBO programming, but they tend to add in programming with sexual content that, I believe Showtime/HBO has chosen to refrain from airing.
Showcase prefers the term UNcut. After every ad break they post a warning to the viewer about the content. Some movies have Nudity, while others will have both Nudity and Sexuality on that station. <P ID="signature">______________
"If you never say NO, How much is your YES worth?"
</P>
When was the last time CTV Canada showed nudity?
City TV owned stations (CHUM group ltd) air "Baby blue" movies Friday nights, which are classified as soft porn, but then there's Showcase tv, which, I thought, was trying to model after Showtime/HBO programming, but they tend to add in programming with sexual content that, I believe Showtime/HBO has chosen to refrain from airing.
Showcase prefers the term UNcut. After every ad break they post a warning to the viewer about the content. Some movies have Nudity, while others will have both Nudity and Sexuality on that station. <P ID="signature">______________
"If you never say NO, How much is your YES worth?"
</P>
> > It's American culture. Remember who settled America, and
> > had the dominating influence in its formation: the
> Puritans,
> > who were ultra-religious and against anything even
> > resembling sex.
> >
> > Canadians have fewer hang-ups.
> >
>
> Not buying it for 3 reasons:
>
> 1) At the time of the American Revolution, many who wished
> to remain loyal to the crown moved to what is now Canada.
> They were from the same Puritanical heritage as the
> Americans of that time.
>
> 2) With all of the immigration in the US, only a small
> percentage of the population can trace any heritage, genetic
> or cultural, back to the Puritans.
>
> And most importantly:
>
> 3) The Puritans lived almost 500 years ago. To link our
> present-day culture with theirs makes no sense at all.
>
TAX THAT TEA!<P ID="signature">______________
"If you never say NO, How much is your YES worth?"
</P>
> > had the dominating influence in its formation: the
> Puritans,
> > who were ultra-religious and against anything even
> > resembling sex.
> >
> > Canadians have fewer hang-ups.
> >
>
> Not buying it for 3 reasons:
>
> 1) At the time of the American Revolution, many who wished
> to remain loyal to the crown moved to what is now Canada.
> They were from the same Puritanical heritage as the
> Americans of that time.
>
> 2) With all of the immigration in the US, only a small
> percentage of the population can trace any heritage, genetic
> or cultural, back to the Puritans.
>
> And most importantly:
>
> 3) The Puritans lived almost 500 years ago. To link our
> present-day culture with theirs makes no sense at all.
>
TAX THAT TEA!<P ID="signature">______________
"If you never say NO, How much is your YES worth?"
</P>
> Living in Canada for over a year, I wonder why Canada are
> able to get away with indecentcy, such as showing nudity,
> incuding breast, and cussing. While in the US, you can't
> show nudity, or swear on tv. Even at night. Also in Canada,
> they can get away with hard core porn on basic cable
> channel, while you only could find soft core more on premium
> channels such as HBO, SHowtime, or CINEMAX.
>
When CHUM had the other half of what is now Fuse and ran Much Music 24 hours on it they would let "Sh*t" go through without bleeping. "F**k" would be bleeped out.
In 2001, Rainbow took over the channel and combined MuchMusic Canada with low budget MMUSA and the s word would still air on the network during MuchMusic Canada programming, but would be bleeped out on the MMUSA programming.
A channel called Ovation which is or was an American digital arts/music channel let the f word go through several times when I was watching documentaries on there. The cable system here dropped it.
and we could never forget the South Park episode "It Hits The Fan"
I don't think you can even see hard core porn anywhere but pay per view here. I've only seen Playboy and Spice a few times in the late 90s when I friend of mine had a cheat box and it was all soft core.
I'd love to visit Canada just to see what they can get away with airing over there. MuchMusic is the only Canadian network I have ever gotten the chance to watch.
<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
> able to get away with indecentcy, such as showing nudity,
> incuding breast, and cussing. While in the US, you can't
> show nudity, or swear on tv. Even at night. Also in Canada,
> they can get away with hard core porn on basic cable
> channel, while you only could find soft core more on premium
> channels such as HBO, SHowtime, or CINEMAX.
>
When CHUM had the other half of what is now Fuse and ran Much Music 24 hours on it they would let "Sh*t" go through without bleeping. "F**k" would be bleeped out.
In 2001, Rainbow took over the channel and combined MuchMusic Canada with low budget MMUSA and the s word would still air on the network during MuchMusic Canada programming, but would be bleeped out on the MMUSA programming.
A channel called Ovation which is or was an American digital arts/music channel let the f word go through several times when I was watching documentaries on there. The cable system here dropped it.
and we could never forget the South Park episode "It Hits The Fan"
I don't think you can even see hard core porn anywhere but pay per view here. I've only seen Playboy and Spice a few times in the late 90s when I friend of mine had a cheat box and it was all soft core.
I'd love to visit Canada just to see what they can get away with airing over there. MuchMusic is the only Canadian network I have ever gotten the chance to watch.
<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
C
CentralFLEagle
Guest
The primary reason you don't see too much "pushing of the envelope" on American broadcast and cable TV is that given the current ultraconservative atmosphere among many in positions of power, and the increased influence of religious evangalicals, stations and networks are simply scared. They obviously fear the likelyhood of tightened content/language regulations for broadcast stations, and similar rules being enacted for cable. That could still happen within the next two years anyway.<P ID="signature">______________
Robert Charles Pickering
Lakeland, Florida</P>
Robert Charles Pickering
Lakeland, Florida</P>
> The primary reason you don't see too much "pushing of the
> envelope" on American broadcast and cable TV is that given
> the current ultraconservative atmosphere among many in
> positions of power, and the increased influence of religious
> evangalicals, stations and networks are simply scared. They
> obviously fear the likelyhood of tightened content/language
> regulations for broadcast stations, and similar rules being
> enacted for cable. That could still happen within the next
> two years anyway.
>
The poster was not far off when he said America was founded by Puritans. The Puritans died out but the institutions they left behind did not. They simply became ingrained in what was left.
American have much different attitudes towards guns, the death penatly and alcohol than most of the western world.
Violence is tolerated because we KNOW it isn't real. People get shot on TV, people get raped on TV but we KNOW they didn't really get raped or shot.
But when they open mouth kiss, we KNOW the tongues touched. And this is why Americans don't like sex on TV
The federalism in America is also a reason. We have a vastly disproportional agricultural and mining influence in Congress. Why? Because of our federal system
This is the system that give VT on Senator for every 300,000 people and give CA one Senator for every 16.5 MILLION people.
In America it's basically an all or nothing system. In a parlimentary system one party usually (not always but usually) has to share power to form a government. This leads to co-operation and seeing the other guy's viewpoint.
In America you have the Republicans and Democrats. Third parties rarely become and issue. Republicans believe, unless it sex or big business the government shouldn't help out. So the Democrats take the opposite out of lack of position. If one party takes a stand on something the other side chimes in. There is no TRUE opposition and the parties are actually A LOT closer than even they chose to believe
> envelope" on American broadcast and cable TV is that given
> the current ultraconservative atmosphere among many in
> positions of power, and the increased influence of religious
> evangalicals, stations and networks are simply scared. They
> obviously fear the likelyhood of tightened content/language
> regulations for broadcast stations, and similar rules being
> enacted for cable. That could still happen within the next
> two years anyway.
>
The poster was not far off when he said America was founded by Puritans. The Puritans died out but the institutions they left behind did not. They simply became ingrained in what was left.
American have much different attitudes towards guns, the death penatly and alcohol than most of the western world.
Violence is tolerated because we KNOW it isn't real. People get shot on TV, people get raped on TV but we KNOW they didn't really get raped or shot.
But when they open mouth kiss, we KNOW the tongues touched. And this is why Americans don't like sex on TV
The federalism in America is also a reason. We have a vastly disproportional agricultural and mining influence in Congress. Why? Because of our federal system
This is the system that give VT on Senator for every 300,000 people and give CA one Senator for every 16.5 MILLION people.
In America it's basically an all or nothing system. In a parlimentary system one party usually (not always but usually) has to share power to form a government. This leads to co-operation and seeing the other guy's viewpoint.
In America you have the Republicans and Democrats. Third parties rarely become and issue. Republicans believe, unless it sex or big business the government shouldn't help out. So the Democrats take the opposite out of lack of position. If one party takes a stand on something the other side chimes in. There is no TRUE opposition and the parties are actually A LOT closer than even they chose to believe
- Status