History Main / CensorshipTropes

** MissingEpisode and BannedEpisode: When a TV show, book, or movie is so offensive (or coincides with a tragedy) that it has to be shelved (until it can be released at a later date, though sometimes, if it was really bad in terms of offensiveness or if the tragedy was really Earth-shattering, then the work might not see a legal release and may forever be doomed to illegal tape-trading, torrent trading, or YouTube uploading)

Interesting tropes about [[spoiler:[[ThisTropeIsBLEEP blank]]]]ing out things not meant for corrupting sensitive eyes or ears. This index is not about the ContentPolicy of Wiki/TVTropes itself.

* BannedEpisode
* BannedInChina

** MissingEpisode: When the episode is so rife with offensive content or suffering from a bad case of "TooSoon" that it has to be pulled until such a time until everyone forgets about it (of course, if an episode is banned due to being too offensive, then it probably won't see the light of day unless it gets released, legally or otherwise). The BannedInChina trope above also has elements in common with MissingEpisode, as some international versions of American TV shows have been banned due to ValuesDissonance or a recent tragedy.

** EditedForSyndication: Sometimes used to remove content (such as the syndicated reruns of ''FamilyGuy'', ''AmericanDad'', and a lot of cable shows syndicated for free-to-air TV, such as ''Sex in the City'', ''The Sopranos'', ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'', and ''South Park'', among others), but mostly used to make time for commercials or trim material that's considered too long, too boring, or not funny (such as the case with ''SaturdayNightLive'''s 60-minute reruns on cable, syndicated episodes of ''TheSimpsons''[[note]]which show creator Matt Groening loathes, as stated on his letters to the viewers on the season DVD sets[[/note]] or the syndicated run of any TV show made before 2000)

[[/index]]

''Interesting tropes about [[spoiler:[[ThisTropeIsBLEEP blank]]]]ing out things not meant for corrupting sensitive eyes or ears.''

This index is NOT about the widespread censorship of TVTropes itself that has been recenty instituted; for that, please see FiveP.

This page is NOT about the widespread censorship of TVTropes itself that has been recenty instituted; for that, please see FiveP.

People responsible:

** EditedForSyndication: Sometimes used to remove content (such as the syndicated reruns of ''FamilyGuy'' and ''AmericanDad''), but mostly used to make time for commercials or trim material that's considered too long, too boring, or not funny (such as the case with ''SaturdayNightLive'''s 60-minute reruns on cable, syndicated episodes of ''TheSimpsons''[[note]]which show creator Matt Groening loathes, as stated on his letters to the viewers on the season DVD sets[[/note]] or the syndicated run of any TV show made before 2000)

* CensorshipBySpelling (can also be used as a ComedyTrope if what's being spelled isn't obscene [or is an InformedObscenity] or if the person can't spell or comprehend what's being spelled)

* DefyingTheCensors: Sometimes you just have to stand up to those who would silence you.

** EditedForSyndication: Sometimes used to remove content, but mostly used to make time for commercials or trim material that's considered too long, too boring, or not funny (such as the case with ''SaturdayNightLive'''s 60-minute reruns on cable)

* SoundEffectBleep

* ThisTropeIsBleep (can be used as a ComedyTrope if done in excess or if what's being bleeped isn't offensive at all)

** EditedForSyndication: Sometimes used to remove content, but mostly used to make time for commercials or trim material that's considered too long, too boring, or not funny (such as the case with ''SaturdayNightLive''')

* DiscretionShot: Comes in [[SexyDiscretionShot sexy]] and [[GoryDiscretionShot gory]]

** EditedForSyndication (usually when something from the past is now met with ValuesDissonance and has to be edited -- or if a TV show or movie is on before the hour in which more explicit content can be shown [according to America's FCC, that time is usually around 10:00 pm Eastern Standard Time])

* CensorshipBySpelling (can also be used as a ComedyTrope)

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: DefyingTheCensors on an underhanded level (leads to RefugeInAudacity if the writers use explicitly racy material and '''''it still gets past''''' or if the writers get crap past the radar so much -- whether or not a CensorDecoy is used -- that the CensorshipBureau either calls for the piece's cancellation or just gives up).
** CensorDecoy: A vital tool used by daring writers who want to get crap past the radar. Say there's a writer or director with two scenes: one that's too violent or sexual to be shown on TV or in the movies, and another that's a bit more toned down, but has heavy innuendo or inferences to violence. The censors will have to choose between which scene can be suitable for air (usually the first choice will be picked as the sacrifical lamb while the second scene will be put on TV or film, but sometimes there will be a goof-up and the radar will be shattered either way. If both get rejected, then no one wins).
** DubText: Another form of GettingCrapPastTheRadar (particularly in American-dubbed anime series), whether done due to incompetence, [[AccidentalInnuendo ignorance of suggestive dialogue]], or [[RefugeInAudacity to blatantly thumb their noses at censorship by being underhandedly obscene]].

* VideoNasties

* CensorDecoy: A vital tool used by daring writers who want to get crap past the radar. Say there's a writer or director with two scenes: one that's too violent or sexual to be shown on TV or in the movies, and another that's a bit more toned down, but has heavy innuendo or inferences to violence. The censors will have to choose between which scene can be suitable for air (usually the first choice will be picked as the sacrifical lamb while the second scene will be put on TV or film, but sometimes there will be a goof-up and the radar will be shattered either way).

** DubText: Another form of GettingCrapPastTheRadar (particularly in American-dubbed anime series), whether done due to incompetence or RefugeInAudacity.

* SleepingSingle (also a ComedyTrope used in conjunction with ExiledToTheCouch or if a work parodies the allegedly "squeaky clean" 1950s sitcoms in which married couples were shown sleeping in separate beds)

** MissingEpisode: When the episode is so rife with offensive content or suffering from a bad case of "TooSoon" that it has to be pulled until such a time until everyone forgets about it. The BannedInChina trope above also has elements in common with MissingEpisode, as some international versions of American TV shows have been banned due to ValuesDissonance or a recent tragedy.

* ClumsyCopyrightCensorship (often used when TV shows or movies are rerun or put on DVD and legal or licensing issues prevent a lot of songs or ProductPlacement scenes to be edited or altered)

** TooSoon (Bowdlerization due to [[FunnyAneurysmMoment Funny Aneurysm]] or HarsherInHindsight moments)

* ModestyTowel (also a BathingTrope)

* CensorBox (can immediately become a [[GagCensor gag censor]] if this trope is PlayedForLaughs)

* ModestyTowel

** MissingEpisode: When the episode is so rife with offensive content or suffering from a bad case of "TooSoon" that it has to be pulled until such a time as everyone forgets about it (usually it will be five, ten years down the line; other times, it'll never be seen again [not even in an age where video websites, torrent sites, and tape/DVD trading make it common to see lost episodes again]). The BannedInChina trope above also has elements in common with MissingEpisode, as some international versions of American TV shows have been banned due to ValuesDissonance or a recent tragedy.

* ClumsyCopyrightCensorship (often used when TV shows or movies are rerun or put on DVD years later)

* CulturePolice (used in fictional works -- both comedic and dramatic -- to show or satirize what can happen when [[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad being P.C. gets out of hand]])

* FamilyFriendlyFirearms (used in a majority of American-edited anime)

* NoSmoking (seen in American-edited anime series and a lot of recent edits to old TV shows and cartoons that allowed cigarettes to be smoked or seen -- without the Aesop that smoking is bad for your health)

* [[FourKidsEntertainment 4Kids! Entertainment]]

* NeverSayDie

* NoSmoking (seen in American-edited anime series and a lot of recent edits to old TV shows and cartoons that allowed cigarettes to be smoked or seen -- and it ''wasn't'' a VerySpecialEpisode on the dangers of smoking)

* MissingEpisode: When the episode is so rife with offensive content or suffering from a bad case of "TooSoon" that it has to be pulled until such a time as everyone forgets about it (usually it will be five, ten years down the line; other times, it'll never be seen again [not even in an age where video websites, torrent sites, and tape/DVD trading make it common to see lost episodes again]). The BannedInChina trope above also has elements in common with MissingEpisode, as some international versions of American TV shows have been banned due to ValuesDissonance or a recent tragedy.

* AtomicFBomb

* BluenoseBowdlerizer

* {{Bowdlerise}} (has some elements in common with EditedForSyndication [if a scene that once aired in a TV show or movie is too obscene to air -- whether or not it's due to ValuesDissonance] or TooSoon if something has to be cut prior to a first-run airing due to tragedy or controversy)

** DubText: In cases of accident or RefugeInAudacity, this is another form of GettingCrapPastTheRadar (particularly in American-dubbed anime series).

* NobodyPoops
* NoSmoking

* NotInFrontOfTheKid

* ScunthorpeProblem (mostly seen on Internet forums)

* TooSoon: Sometimes used to censor something in retrospect, as seen in the wave of media that featured The World Trade Center towers or terrorism following the 9/11 attacks.

* {{Bowdlerise}} (has some elements in common with EditedForSyndication)

->'''WARNING:''' The following program is a realish documentary, and may contain language which is is vulgar, offensive, or grammatically awkward. Such language has been censored whenever possible, but for the sake of higher ratings, we may have let a few gratuitous and especially titillating instances slide.\\

-- The opening of the "[[SomethingCompletelyDifferent American Dicks]]" episode of ''{{Duckman}}''

-- Disclaimer from the webcomic ''Webcomic/{{XKCD}}''