History Main / CensorshipBySpelling

* ''ComicBook/MadMagazine'': In one Dave Berg comic, a stuck-up woman is introduced to her friend's young daughter, and remarks that she's 'not very P-R-E-T-Y'. The girl cuts in that, on the other hand, she's 'very I-N-T-E-L-L-I-G-E-N-T'.

!!Examples:

* From the ''Series/{{MASH}}'' episode "[[Recap/MashS3E2RainbowBridge Rainbow Bridge]]", after Hawkeye tells Frank Burns to surrender his handgun to the Chinese doctor they're doing a prisoner/patient exchange with:
-->'''Frank:''' You gonna side with me or the R-E-D?\\

** Also happens in the season 10 episode "[[Recap/MashS10E5WheelersAndDealers Wheelers and Dealers]]" - Colonel Potter is (reluctantly) taking a remedial driving class, Klinger is (even more reluctantly) helping him with the written test, and Potter warns Klinger his number will be up if there's another question with a number in it. So Klinger reads the next question, "Suppose you're in a car traveling T-E-N miles per hour..."

-->'''Helena Ravenclaw:''' I think someone has a C.R.U.S.H. on H.A.R.R.Y.

* Music/BritneySpears ''tried'' to recorded the DoubleEntendre-laden song "If U Seek Amy", which contains the line "All of the boys and all of the girls are beggin' to If U Seek Amy." People quickly figured out that it sounds like "F-U-C-K Me" when sounded out. It became a big deal (on FOX News), and most radio stations in both America and the UK do have the song edited to either remove the "eek" in "seek" (making it "If you see Amy," which, in the context of the song, makes no sense whatsoever) or get rid of the "If You" ''and'' the "eek" part in "seek" to make the song about seeing a girl named Amy).

* {{Lampshaded}} on ''Series/{{Castle}}'' when Esposito, nervously looking at Alexis who happens to be in the squad room, spells out B-I-T-C-H ''(in reference to another person).'' Alexis and her father give each other a disgusted look.

* In ''Double Vision: Code Name 711'', a children's spy/mystery thriller book, the main characters are searching for a "Dangerous Double," a coat worn by George Washington that has the power to make one invincible against bullet and other attacks. One of them asks the main character, "Did you find the ''c-o-a-t''?" and he points out "I'm sure if any bad guys are listening in, they know how to spell."

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'':

* The Creator/ArthurCClarke story "The Food of the Gods" uses a variation. The narrator gives a presentation Congressional committee outlining how natural meat was replaced centuries earlier by synthetic versions, to the point that the idea of eating actual animal flesh is considered disgustingly barbaric. As the story concludes, he begins setting forth his accusation against a competitor's new "Ambrosia Plus" flavor, softening the shock of what he's about to say by spelling the word [[ImAHumanitarian C-A-N-N-I-B-A-L]].

* ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'': Played with in "Nature Calls" when Fran and Earl argue over who will change Baby's diaper:
-->'''Fran:''' I don't want to argue in front of the B-A-B-Y.\\
'''Earl:''' Well I'm not changing another D-A-I... no wait... D-I-A...\\
(''Baby used some blocks to write "They think I can't spell."'')

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': In "Baby Steps", Lincoln teaches Clyde how to be a big brother by using the Three C's: Confidence, Caring, and Cookies (the last one is only as a last resort). After Lincoln uses confidence and caring on baby Lily, Clyde remarks that he doesn't need the cookies out loud, but Lily knows what a cookie is, so Lincoln remarks that it's sometimes better to spell. This backfires when Lincoln ends up helping twins Lola and Lana without resorting to cookies, and Clyde remarks that this time, Lincoln doesn't need to use the "C-O-O-K-I-E-S"... but unfortunately, Lola and Lana know how to spell.
-->'''Lola and Lana:''' "THE TROLL'S GOT COOKIES!" ''[start attack Lincoln]''

* Inverted in ''[[Literature/HenryHuggins Henry and Ribsy]]''. Henry Huggins has no idea what Ramona means when she hears everyone talking about "PTA" and insists that she wants some. Beezus figures out that Ramona thinks that they're spelling out something tasty, like "c-o-o-k-i-e-s" or "c-a-n-d-y". This leads to them having to buy a snack for Ramona and telling her that it's PTA.