History Main / CensorshipTropes

* TheBodyPartsThatMustNotBeNamed

* TheBodyPartsThatMustNotBeNamed: Using euphemisms in place of the actual names of private parts.

* {{Bowdlerise}}: Has some elements in common with:
** EditedForSyndication: Sometimes used to remove content, but mostly used to cut scenes for more commercials or to cut out scenes that are either too long or are superfluous to the plot [[note]](if it's the rerun of a sketch comedy show, like ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'', ''SCTV'', ''Fridays'', or ''Series/{{MADtv}}'', then sketches are usually edited to fit a 30-minute or 60-minute time frame, for having too many technical errors, [[ClumsyCopyrightCensorship to get rid of copyrighted material]], or because the sketch was too controversial)[[/note]].
** TooSoon: Bowdlerization due to [[FunnyAneurysmMoment Funny Aneurysm]] or HarsherInHindsight moments of the "life imitates art" variety.
** ClumsyCopyrightCensorship: Removing or covering up product placement and/or copyrighted music or footage from reruns, reairings, and when put on different media (i.e. DVD and online streaming).
** MissingEpisode and BannedEpisode (though censorship isn't the only reason a TV show episode is pulled. Other reasons include: TroubledProduction issues, writers' or actors' strikes, budget cuts, CreatorBacklash, CreatorBreakdown, or the usual 'the show got canceled early and a lot of the planned episodes were never finished').
*** BannedInChina: Also has elements in common with MissingEpisode and BannedEpisode, as some international versions of American TV shows have been banned due to ValuesDissonance.

* ContentWarnings: Mostly played straight; mostly PlayedForLaughs, depending on context

** GettingCrapPastTheRadar: DefyingTheCensors on an underhanded level. Leads to CrossesTheLineTwice or RefugeInAudacity if done with explicit content or if done in excess.

* PoliticallyCorrectHistory

Compare TheseTropesShouldWatchTheirLanguage.

* DroppedAbridgedOnIt

* PreAprovedSermon

* PreaPprovedSermon

* Creator/NintendoTreehouse

* GosKino

** OrwellianRetcon

->''"'''WARNING:''' The following program is a realish documentary, and may contain language which 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 ''WesternAnimation/{{Duckman}}''

->''"'''Chapter 12'''\\
The German censors -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- [[TakeThat Idiots]] -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --"''\\
--Heinrich Heine, ''Ideas: The Book of Le Grand''

Interesting tropes about [[spoiler:[[CensoredForComedy blank]]]]ing out things not meant for corrupting sensitive eyes or ears. This index is not about the [[Administrivia.TheContentPolicyAndThe5PCircuit Content Policy]] of Wiki/TVTropes itself.

* {{Gag Censor}}: any visual censorship technique PlayedForLaughs

* RadarSystems

* ChangeTheUncomfortableSubject: when a joke gets out of hand

* DiscretionShot: Comes in [[SexyDiscretionShot sexy]], [[VomitDiscretionShot vomit]], and [[GoryDiscretionShot gory]]. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And]] [[KissingDiscretionShot kissing]].

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

'''Fourth Wall tecnhiques:'''

->'''WARNING:''' The following program is a realish documentary, and may contain language which 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 ''WesternAnimation/{{Duckman}}''

->'''WARNING:''' This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors).\\
-- Disclaimer from the webcomic ''Webcomic/{{Xkcd}}''

* MediaClassifications

* SoundEffectBleep: Can be used as a ComedyTrope if the sounds used to cover up the profanity are appropriate to what's being censored [[note]]if someone says "pussy," it gets censored by a cat meowing, if someone says "fuck," it gets censored by a woman moaning erotically, if someone says "shit," it gets censored by someone farting or flushing a toilet, a marijuana reference gets covered up with the water bubbling noise from a bong or someone exhaling smoke, or a gun reference is covered with the sound of a gun being fired or a rifle or shotgun getting cocked. A lot of rap and pop songs will do this as RefugeInAudacity in that they conform to ExecutiveMeddling, but at the same time, are mocking the censors by choosing sounds that are, in a perverted way, associated with what's being censored.[[/note]

** TooSoon: Bowdlerization due to [[FunnyAneurysmMoment Funny Aneurysm]] or HarsherInHindsight moments of the "life imitates art" variety)

* ButNotTooEvil: Villians are limited to evil acts that won't earn the wrath of MoralGuardians.

* CutAndPasteTranslation: Often the result of heavy censorship.

* DroppedAbridgedOnIt: Removing parts of an existing work to tailor it to a new audience, such as a random ShowerScene in an otherwise "family friendly" movie made in [[YourNormalIsOurTaboo another country]]).

* GetBackInTheCloset: Homosexual kissing gets a more adult rating than heterosexual kissing.
* HideYourLesbians: "The love that dare not speak its name"
* InformedObscenity: Replaces actual obscene words.
* LiveButDelayed: A few seconds allows a censor to bleep a word or blur an image.
* NarrativeProfanityFilter: mostly used in written media, but can also be used on television shows or movies if a narrator is used.
* NippleAndDimed: The censorship of female nipples, male nipples rarely face such scrutiny.
* NobodyCanDie: Not an {{Immortality}} Trope, but the censoring of everything related to death, including words.

* NoSwastikas: Despite being a good luck symbol in some cultures for centuries, it's far more infamous in the western world as iconic of the [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany Nazi Party]] in 1930s & 40s.
* PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad: When something is censored so as not to offend any particular group of people.
* PoliticallyCorrectHistory: Sweeping one's mistakes under a rug is OlderThanDirt.

* SevenDirtyWords: ████, ████, ████, ████, ██████████, ████████████ and ████.

* SoundEffectBleep: Can be used as a ComedyTrope if the sounds used to cover up the profanity are appropriate to what's being censored [read: if someone says "pussy," it gets censored by a cat meowing, if someone says "fuck," it gets censored by a woman moaning erotically, if someone says "shit," it gets censored by someone farting or flushing a toilet, a marijuana reference gets covered up with the water bubbling noise from a bong or someone exhaling smoke, or a gun reference is covered with the sound of a gun being fired or a rifle or shotgun getting cocked]. A lot of rap and pop songs will do this as RefugeInAudacity in that they conform to ExecutiveMeddling, but at the same time, are mocking them by choosing sounds that are, in a perverted way, associated with what's being censored.
* SubvertedRhymeEveryOccasion: Can be a ComedyTrope or used for non-censorship reasons, such as trying to avoid a lame and predictable rhyme scheme -- i.e., subverting the old "Roses are red, Violets are blue" poem.

* UnacceptableTargets: These will get a work censored or blacklisted.

* CurseCutShort: can used as a ComedyTrope

* AdjustableCensorship: ''You'' set the level of censorship, seen as a feature in games to allow for a wider audience.

** EditedForSyndication: Sometimes used to remove content, but mostly used to cut scenes for more commercials or to cut out scenes that are either too long or are superfluous to the plot (if it's the rerun of a sketch comedy show, like ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'', ''SCTV'', ''Fridays'', or ''Series/{{MADtv}}'', then sketches are usually edited for not being funny, to fit a 30-minute or 60-minute time frame[[note]]especially true for ''SNL''[[/note]], having too many technical errors, [[ClumsyCopyrightCensorship to get rid of copyrighted material]], or because the sketch was too controversial).

** ClumsyCopyrightCensorship: Removing or covering up product placement and/or copyrighted music or footage from reruns, reairings, and when put on different media (i.e. DVD and online streaming). This has become the most popular reason why an old TV show or movie is edited on DVD and streaming programs.
** MissingEpisode and BannedEpisode, though some missing episodes are usually missing due to non-censorship reasons: CreatorBacklash, damage done to master tapes, legal issues, production strikes, and early cancellation.
*** BannedInChina: Also has elements in common with MissingEpisode and BannedEpisode, as some international versions of American TV shows have been banned due to ValuesDissonance or a recent tragedy.

* AdjustableCensorship

* ButNotTooEvil

* DroppedAbridgedOnIt

* InformedObscenity:
* LiveButDelayed

* NippleAndDimed
* NobodyCanDie

* SevenDirtyWords

* UnacceptableTargets