Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Biggest culture shocks:
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Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Interesting thing about saying 'f***' on TV - I heard recently that cable networks aren't governed by the FCC in the same way that the terrestrial networks are, so there are actually no restrictions on the words they can say (which is why on shows like Archer and The Walking Dead you'll hear things like 'shit', and Breaking Bad was allowed a handful of 'f***s' throughout their run). It's actually because of the advertisers that you don't hear the stronger words as often as you would on commercial free stations like HBO. Apparently they don't want their products to be associated with bad words, even though I'd say a good 90+% of the people who use, make and sell them in the real world use those words on a daily basis.
It's a weird place here, for sure. Lots of great things about it, but it's very weird. |
Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing
(Post 12128944)
Breaking Bad was allowed a handful of 'f***s' throughout their run).
These days, most movies include at least some degree of profanity because a G-rating will depress ticket sales. PG-13 is the minimum, R is often preferable. The "pro-family" groups do have an impact on FCC regulations that restrict broadcasting, but there is plenty of material on cable that could not be shown unedited on terrestrial TV. |
Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Originally Posted by RoadWarriorFromLP
(Post 12128956)
You forgot The Wire (video is NSFW):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lElf7D-An8 These days, most movies include at least some degree of profanity because a G-rating will depress ticket sales. PG-13 is the minimum, R is often preferable. The "pro-family" groups do have an impact on FCC regulations that restrict broadcasting, but there is plenty of material on cable that could not be shown unedited on terrestrial TV. That being said, some of the funniest instances of censorship was in the Big Lebowski, when John Goodman re-recorded the dialogue in the '**** a stranger in the ass' scene to things like 'find a stranger in the Alps' and 'feed a stoner scrambled eggs'. I'm glad that cable stations have that freedom and that they exercise it, though. I'm not very pro-censorship in general. Put a warning up before the show, if someone doesn't want to hear bad words, they don't have to watch it but this is the real world and real people say ****. |
Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Originally Posted by md95065
(Post 12128647)
In UK terms, swearing pre-watershed *can* lay you in deep doo doo with Ofcom (depends on who/anyone complains, and other factors), where they *can* choose to fine you per swear word used (though AFAIK it's not happened). The get-out-of-jail card on a live broadcast is for the presenter/host to immediately make an apology for a member of the public's (shouting over a mic/phone-in) choice of words -or- on a live celeb interview. Failing to blank out something pre-recorded is a different story though. In the UK if you are a broadcaster (Sky/Freeview/OTT.etc), you're expected (and checked up on), to record 100% of your output 24/7/365 with logging so that you can send it to Ofcom if a dispute arises.
Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing
(Post 12128944)
I heard recently that cable networks aren't governed by the FCC in the same way that the terrestrial networks are, so there are actually no restrictions on the words they can say
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Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing
(Post 12128960)
Put a warning up before the show, if someone doesn't want to hear bad words, they don't have to watch it but this is the real world and real people say ****.
While Lennon was wrong on the facts -- Christianity seems to be doing pretty well, perhaps even too well -- this shouldn't have upset anyone, yet it did. This country has long catered to the squeaky wheels of politics, just as long as those squeaky wheels have been white. |
Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Originally Posted by livinginnyc
(Post 12128964)
I'd assume this one is pretty universal.
In UK terms, swearing pre-watershed *can* lay you in deep doo doo with Ofcom (depends on who/anyone complains, and other factors), where they *can* choose to fine you per swear word used (though AFAIK it's not happened). The get-out-of-jail card on a live broadcast is for the presenter/host to immediately make an apology for a member of the public's (shouting over a mic/phone-in) choice of words -or- on a live celeb interview. Failing to blank out something pre-recorded is a different story though. In the UK if you are a broadcaster (Sky/Freeview/OTT.etc), you're expected (and checked up on), to record 100% of your output 24/7/365 with logging so that you can send it to Ofcom if a dispute arises. You'll know better than I do, but aren't a lot of 'live' shows are now actually broadcast with a couple of seconds of delay so that an errant 'f***' can be beeped or muted as the need arises?
Originally Posted by livinginnyc
(Post 12128964)
I've heard something like this too - which is why SiriusXM can also get away with more than a standard FM station (though most of the stations I listen to still block out swear words). I believe it's something to do with the way a channel is licensed. I'm out of the loop on how the US operates with this stuff though!
Spoiler:
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Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Originally Posted by RoadWarriorFromLP
(Post 12128965)
Remember that this is the country that freaked out when John Lennon claimed that he belonged to a musical ensemble that was more popular than a mythical figure of a major religion.
While Lennon was wrong on the facts -- Christianity seems to be doing pretty well, perhaps even too well -- this shouldn't have upset anyone, yet it did. This country has long catered to the squeaky wheels of politics, just as long as those squeaky wheels have been white. As I said, it's a lovely, but weird place, the US ... |
Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
I remember watching a broadcast version of Independence Day on TV.
Will Smith while evading the alien ship: "You did not shoot that green cr@p at me" The DVD version was: "You did not shoot that green sh!t at me" Made me laugh that one is acceptable but the other isn't. |
Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Americans generally stick to the "drive on the right" rule when walking too, whether it is an office corridor, a mall, a sidewalk or a hiking trail. I notice when back in Britain that British pedestrians are all over the place! :lol:
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Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing
(Post 12128966)
You'll know better than I do, but aren't a lot of 'live' shows are now actually broadcast with a couple of seconds of delay so that an errant 'f***' can be beeped or muted as the need arises?
And i'm sure that some of the regional/local channels here are the same (after all the staffing costs/equipment is expensive). In fact on GMA today, Jeremy Irons was swearing like a sailor. I'm sure the
Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing
(Post 12128966)
I know the time zones in the US make a 9pm watershed hard to implement but I'd like to see cable channels at least have more leeway.
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Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing
(Post 12128944)
It's actually because of the advertisers that you don't hear the stronger words as often as you would on commercial free stations like HBO. Apparently they don't want their products to be associated with bad words, even though I'd say a good 90+% of the people who use, make and sell them in the real world use those words on a daily basis.
It's a weird place here, for sure. Lots of great things about it, but it's very weird. |
Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Originally Posted by RoadWarriorFromLP
(Post 12128956)
These days, most movies include at least some degree of profanity because a G-rating will depress ticket sales. PG-13 is the minimum, R is often preferable.
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Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Originally Posted by livinginnyc
(Post 12128980)
Oh you'd be surprised. Most of the sketchy cable/sky channels back in the UK (like the naughty chat ones), wont run a time delay.
And i'm sure that some of the regional/local channels here are the same (after all the staffing costs/equipment is expensive). In fact on GMA today, Jeremy Irons was swearing like a sailor. I'm sure the After 9, it's game on :nod:
Originally Posted by livinginnyc
(Post 12128980)
Again, I have no idea - I suspect it will be handled locally by affiliates/stations in that locale as to which version gets aired :nod:
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Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Originally Posted by mrken30
(Post 12128986)
Who watches commercials these days? Maybe on Hulu free, I think you are forced to watch commercials and when I watch those damn shows where fast forward is disabled.:angry_smile: 5 minutes of commercials every 10 to 15 minutes it seems.
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