Risque "Shameless" poster banned in Hungary

First off I want to put out there that I am (for the most part) completely against censorship. As human beings we are free thinking entities with personal backgrounds, ethics, beliefs, and ideas that are as diverse as the choices at ColdStone Creamery. As such what people consider "offensive" is highly subjective. Only individuals can determine what is offensive.

Concurrently, from a movie perspective, I've never understood why certain groups extol the evils of R-rated films. The idea that movies (or even video games if you like) will somehow corrupt children and drive them to do violent acts is ridiculous to the point of absurdity. In my opinion claiming that a movie drove you to commit a heinous act makes no sense. I've seen plenty of films that were extremely graphic in terms of violence and sex and it hasn't affected my personal morals one iota. If anything some of those films, like The Shawshank Redemption my favorite film, have made me think and question, as great films tend to do. I go out and become a corrupt warden.

Bottom line is that the people who say they committed murder because of a film, probably had something wrong with them before hand. The argument by censorship groups doesn't hold weight. Millions upon millions of people see these films and don't become corrupt psycho killers, just like the majority of victims of sexual abuse don't grow up to become rapists.

In addition there is such a thing as personal responsibility, especially when it comes to parenting. If you don't want your children watching a certain movie or playing a certain video game--DON'T ALLOW THEM TO. It's as simple as that. Censoring a film takes away our right to choose and I'm firmly against that. Obviously I'm no babe in the woods. I know that forbidding a child to do something usually makes them want to do it more. But so does censorship. Maybe even more so. Don't believe me? Ask someone who was forbidden to read Catcher in the Rye or watch Last Tango in Paris when they were young how much that piqued their interest.

Last year Fox Searchlight released a film called Shame starring Carey Mulligan and Michael Fassbender, two of the top people acting today. The film revolves around around two sex-addicted siblings that struggle with daily life.

Although the film received an NC-17 rating by the MPAA, typically the kiss of death in terms of box office, Fox Searchlight refused to change the film. It has been met with critical success with an 80% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and many critics calling it one of the best films of the year. Many in fact think that the biggest snub of the Oscar season was Fassbender not getting an Academy Award nomination for best actor.

The reason for the NC-17 rating was mostly because of the graphic nature of the film which involved full frontal nudity from Fassbender. Again I've never understood why it's ok to show breasts in a film yet if some dude flashes a dong more than once it necessitates an NC-17 rating. Moreover why is graphic sex not ok but movies like Hostel or Saw have buckets of blood and people getting tortured and retain an R rating? It's like saying violence is cool but sex isn't. I just don't get it.

As yet I have not been able to see the film, but based on the controversy surrounding it as well the superb actors, I fully intend to.

You may be wondering at this point, "Ok Corrye where are you going with this?" A fair question. A poster for Shame has been banned in Hungary due to the provocative nature of the poster. You can see said poster at this link http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/possibly-nsfw-shame-poster-banned-in-hungary

While typically I don't agree with censorship I do in this case. You'll understand if you go to the link, as the suggestiveness leaves little room for debate. I am by no means a prude but this is crossing the line a bit. The reason I believe Hungary is right is because I wouldn't want to take my children (if I had children) to see Beauty and the Beast and have this poster slapped in their face. In this instance you can't shut the television off. Furthermore, from a business standpoint it makes sense for theaters. I can't imagine the possible loss of customers who might refuse to go the movie theaters because of this poster.

While I don't approve of the poster being in theaters I definitely respect the producers embracing this film for what it is. The films revolves around the dark and devastating world of sex addicts. If you're looking for Disney characters this isn't the film for you. Just like the rest of the world, you have the choice to see this film. Or not.