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Evening Reading

by Steve Gibson, Nov 02, 2006 6:00pm PST
Related Topics – Wack News

Uhoh.. bit of a rush this evening! My harem awaits!

- Web science - Dude, rocket racing - Naughty bubbles - YouTube mobile coming
Lastly, go Mavs?


Read all the News


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  • #1894
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    By: opengl128 x
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    Zach Bragin
    FMA 368, Paper #2
    Monday, November 27, 2006

    The Production Code

    Film, as with all popular forms of entertainment, has always been the subject of public scrutiny. There have always been people who maintain that they are looking out for the well being of the common man, when in reality, they nearly always have other interests in mind. It comes as no surprise that the Production Code was created. Initially, it was seen as a way for studios to avoid government intervention during a time of public outcry against Hollywood (Jacobs), but like all such things, it soon grew to be much larger than that and, according to some, violated filmmakers first amendment rights. (Maltby) The code went through many different forms before tapering off, but its impact is unquestionable. There is no doubt in my mind that the Production Code had a profound impact on motion pictures as a whole, and is directly responsible for the modern day film as we know it.
    Most everyone agrees that the Production Code has its roots in Hollywood during the early 1920’s. A large number of scandals including murder charges brought against ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle and a slew of drug related deaths (Jacobs) lead to public outcry for something to be done about the condition of Hollywood and the effect it was having on the country. In 1922 this came to a boiling point, and the Motion Pictures Producers and Distributors Association, or MPPDA was created. Initially, its purpose was to “improve public relations after a series of Hollywood scandals, to provide a lobbying link to the era’s sympathetic Republican administrations, and to handle foreign problems like quotas.” (Bordwell and Thompson, 216) William Hays headed the MPPDA, and pledged to create “moral standards” for Hollywood. For the next eight years, Hays attempted to do just that, with very little success. He, nor the MPPDA, had any real power over Hollywood, and in actuality was just making suggestions. In 1927, the Hays office released a list of "Don'ts" and "Be Carefuls", again, to little response. (Wikipedia) Upon consideration, why should the studios listen? It made perfect business sense. People went to the movie to get away from their everyday lives; they didn’t want to view a censored and edited version of that. The code spelled trouble for already struggling studios.
    In 1930, the Hollywood Production Code was written. It spelled out, in very specific language, what a film could and could not contain. At first, studios only marginally accepted the code, since there was no set of rules or guidelines in place to enable enforcement. This created a four-year period where the code was in place, but studios really didn’t pay any mind to it. However, in 1934, the Production Code Administration was created with an amendment to the code. It required that all films had to have a certificate of approval in order to be released. If they did not, the studio faced a $25,000 fine, and could not be shown in any participating member’s theater. (Bordwell and Thompson, 217) Studios could deal with fines, but to not have their pictures in first-run theaters would spell certain disaster. Thus, the code was widely accepted and received only minor objections, usually in the form of subtle actions or implying something on screen rather then showing it. Another reason for the widespread acceptance of the code was a “lesser of two evils” situation. There was constant threat of much larger national censorship, and the studios saw the code as a way to be at least partially involved in what would largely decide many of their films’ fates, rather then have some large government organization take matters completely out of their hands. Joseph Breen was appointed to head the new PCA, and he had a large amount of power to alter scripts and scenes. (Wikipedia)
    Throughout the next few decades, the studios continues their “silent protest” of the code, with various films slipping by due to their lack of major studio ties. Major studios also got around the code by no longer running theaters and giving them up to private management, which meant they were no longer under the control of the code. By the 1950’s, a new threat to Hollywood emerged, television. It created an entirely new medium in which people could experience within their home. However, this was one area where Hollywood actually had the upper hand. TV was subject to even more rules and regulations than film, which led filmmakers to continue their subversive use of prohibited topics and implying situations that would never make it on TV. In 1951, the code was updated with even more specific language, spelling out which words could not be used. This only made the opposition stronger. (Wikipedia)
    Nov 27, 2006 7:58pm PST
  • #1854
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    By: liqker This person is cool! x
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    Just when I think I've seen all the internet has to offer me, I read something like this and wish I could go back in time and slap the keyboard out of my 13 year old hands and tell him to go outside and play.

    http://myvag.net/zine/2004fall/culturedwomen/

    I would like to share with you some interesting information, as it was derived from your good work. I have loved to eat yoghurt all my life. I specially like it plain, without fruit or sugar. I just love the slightly acid taste it has.

    I also love to perform cunnilingus on my girlfriend, and have loved it since I first tried it with my first fiancée many years ago. I specially love that acid taste, which I find fascinating. But it wasn't until I read your website that I connected both experiences. In your flora section I learned that it is lactobacillus that produces the acidic taste on both!
    Nov 03, 2006 1:10am PST
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