Cullen TPIR on Buzzr?

[Allstar87]

That was an instance where they realized it was wrong back then. Prompting Allen to make an apology on a later episode, correct?

Correct! I don't recall the exact date of the later episode, but it was about a month or two later.

EDIT: The apology aired on September 10, 1979.

[JMFabiano]

I understand the tide is turning finally and the word is being considered a slur, but I believe that it should just be left in as a product of the time. I've felt that in seeing the Censored Eleven cartoons (and others with racial insensitivity) and the sitcoms of the 70's with uses of the N-word. It's a disservice to teaching why we shouldn't go back to what was normal. Air with a disclaimer if there's fear of major backlash.

Or, if that's not enough, maybe skip that one for the network, but upload it (uncensored) to the YouTube page (like they did with the Jim Hess episode of PYL).

Doesn't Buzzr skip the "Sicilian" episode of Password Plus for this reason?  Despite the muting/blacking out that NBC or GSN applied to the segment? 

If they had, I don't think they did most recently. I'm pretty sure that came up a few weeks ago and I was confused for like a minute before I remember it already being censored before Buzzr aired it. I thought my stream had frozen because the shot was on the whole desk with no word on the front and no audio.

That was an instance where they realized it was wrong back then. Prompting Allen to make an apology on a later episode, correct?

Yes, which is why I think NBC or G-T itself may have done the censoring, and that's how GSN and Buzzr received the episode.  Master tapes have been cut up before...think this is what MTV did with the Beavis and Butt-head masters after the "fire incident."  To a lesser extent, the edited version of "It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown" is pretty much the "official" one after its first broadcast. 

A game show episode YouTube channel did post the PW+ episode and claimed Buzzr skips it. 

[tvmitch]

I also heard speculation that this is why we haven't seen the premiere of MG/HS yet.  As two MG questions have punchlines that don't age well (one about a son who wants to grow up to be a girl, the other is the typical "tough" school question and leads to the punchline about kids playing with guns there).

It's not just the first episode though. In watching these MG/HS shows, I'm really surprised at how poorly these punchlines and topics have aged and how the show comes off as mean-spirited - to me, at least. There's at least one offensive question or comment in each show. I can't say I've watched a ton of late syndie MG over the years but I certainly don't recall MG relying so heavily on that type of humor.

[SuperMatch93]

I can't say I've watched a ton of late syndie MG over the years but I certainly don't recall MG relying so heavily on that type of humor.

To be fair, there are a few episodes of '73 that don't air anymore because some panelists (Brett I think, but there may have been others) would write "fag" as an answer. It's lazy writing, to be honest.

[JasonA1]

/Yet they keep the Liz Taylor questions, go fig.

This touches upon my thoughts on the entire thing: the whole of old game shows are tonally different from where we are today. Censoring or not censoring doesn't inherently bother me, but to target one thing over the other feels a bit arbitrary.

For instance, a large swath of Card Sharks questions played upon stereotypes. From my observation, the early Perry writing put forth a generally understood stereotype in the question (i.e. We asked 100 New York cab drivers: do you think that a woman could become a good cab driver?), but a lot of the talk-out and results showed the times were changing (answer to this one: 70 said yes).

That's a bit far apart from some of the words we're discussing here, but it does make me think. Match Game is always going to be full of things that wouldn't be said today, and all of the series they air have episodes with then-innocuous chatter that feel a mile away from the norms of 2019.

-Jason

[BrandonFG]

/Yet they keep the Liz Taylor questions, go fig.

This touches upon my thoughts on the entire thing: the whole of old game shows are tonally different from where we are today. Censoring or not censoring doesn't inherently bother me, but to target one thing over the other feels a bit arbitrary.

I'm seeing this apply more and more to pop culture in general. I've seen several articles that complain about (insert TV show/movie from 30+ years ago) being offensive or "problematic" one way or another. I'm not saying the dialogue is appropriate, and I know it's hard to watch a 1980s TV show through 1980s eyes, but a lot of it should be seen through a different lens, even if it comes across as cringeworthy today*.

It's great that we have these discussions in 2019, and I don't have an issue with censoring or not censoring either. But I do feel some things are a stretch.

*Nothing discussed on this thread

[Fedya]

Why the need/desperation to hear words that you already know are there but will hurt others if they do air?

Why the need/desperation to control what other people hear?

[JakeT]

Why the need/desperation to hear words that you already know are there but will hurt others if they do air?

Why the need/desperation to control what other people hear?

It has nothing to do with "controlling" what other people hear...it has EVERYTHING to do with recognizing that society has evolved over time...it has been recognized that certain actions, attitudes and language, which were somehow considered "acceptable" at the time, were, in fact, bigoted and harmful to not only individuals but to society as a whole...it has been determined that educated people understand that hate speech/slurs against various races, genders, sexual orientations and other marginalized groups simply aren't acceptable in a society that claims to embrace freedom, equality and decency towards our fellow man...

This is, by no means, a concept that is hard to understand...at least, it shouldn't be...the only ones that seem invested in these aberrations of our history are the ones who still enjoy using them to harm others today...

JakeT

[Fedya]

It has nothing to do with "controlling" what other people hear

Yes it does.  Consider a word like "retard", which gained currency in part because the words that had been used in the past, such as "moron" and "imbecile" were perceived to have become pejoratives.  It didn't take long for the bansturbators to decide that "retard" was a pejorative too.  And then the next word is going to be declared a pejorative, and the one after that.

Frankly, "little people" sounds to my ear far more insulting than does "midget".

This is, by no means, a concept that is hard to understand...at least, it shouldn't be...the only ones that seem invested in these aberrations of our history are the ones who still enjoy using them to harm others today...

The projection is strong here.  Note the assuming of other people's intentions (and that they're always perceived to be bad), and the arrogation of the moral high ground to oneself here.  So much of so-called "social justice" seems to be about deliberately being nasty to other people and then claiming one is really doing it to be "virtuous" and for the victim's own good.  35 years ago when the smoking bans were beginning to take off there were people saying that the next thing you know, they'd be telling you what you can and cannot eat.  They were pooh-poohed, but of course turned out to be right.  If you want some good examples, the UK Guardian's "Comment is Free" is full of them, with one of my favorites being the war on... cupcakes.

Or do a search on "woke knitting" if you want to go down a different rabbit hole.

[Dbacksfan12]

+1 to all of what Ted said.

The last time someone called me a midget, I kicked them in their knee.

[Eric Paddon]

I guess one of the funniest moments in the history of "The Odd Couple" is now taboo to the thought police?

[BrandonFG]

I think the simplest thing is to see these shows as a product of their time. The Honeymooners is considered a classic and is a funny show, but I'm also sure someone in 2019 may not appreciate Ralph Kramden threatening domestic violence, no matter how hard the audience laughs.

It is possible to enjoy a show from back in the day, realize how the show is not very PC by today's standards, but still enjoy the show as a time capsule of a different era, case in point the clip Eric posted. That's not a bad thing. If a network decides to keep an un-PC joke in the show, that's not a bad thing. If the network edits the joke out to appease viewers, that's also not a bad thing. As this thread has shown, they're damned if they do, damned if they don't.

/Can't wait to analyze a Wheel rerun in 2047

[tyshaun1]

Frankly, "little people" sounds to my ear far more insulting than does "midget".

It's pretty simple man. If the person you're directing it towards is offended by it, STOP USING IT. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

[Eric Paddon]

And maybe I just find it a little bit hypocritical how the same people who would get wound up over Tony Randall saying "midget" are likely the ones who think it's cool and hip to say "sxxx" like Tony once did on Pyramid!  (and who probably think all forms of crude sexual innuendo words are hilarious and if anyone thinks otherwise, oh how stuck up they must be)

[JakeT]

And maybe I just find it a little bit hypocritical how the same people who would get wound up over Tony Randall saying "m-----" are likely the ones who think it's cool and hip to say "sxxx" like Tony once did on Pyramid!  (and who probably think all forms of crude sexual innuendo words are hilarious and if anyone thinks otherwise, oh how stuck up they must be)

The word is "shit" and it never has been used as a pejorative bigoted slur targeted at any particular marginalized people...if you don't grasp the difference between the use of random untargeted gratuitous profanity and the use of bigoted hateful slurs, it's impossible to have an intelligent conversation...

Nothing in this thread has anything to do with anyone trying to be "cool and hip" and nothing about someone's speaking out against hurtful language targeted at marginalized people makes them even remotely "stuck up"...

The only thing that this thread has managed to do is to reveal the abundance of clueless unenlightened people still around these days...it's pretty damn sad...worse part is that those most clueless are proving to be the most proud of their ignorance...

JakeT