History Main / CensorDecoy

* In the film CitizenKane, OrsonWelles originally had his "There Is A Man" musical sequence take place inside a brothel, but it was cut due to the HaysCode. He was hoping that it would distract from the many references to William Randolf Hearst.

* The 1954 biopic ''Deep in My Heart'' includes a pas de deux between Cyd Charisse and James Mitchell, set to the song "One Alone", that is obviously a sex scene (it features extremely suggestive partnering moves and concludes with the man in a state of postcoital exhaustion). Charisse, Mitchell, and director Stanley Donen all later admitted to being shocked that the censors failed to realize what was happening; Charisse speculated that they were all too hung up on the high cut of her skirt to notice the actual steps.

* [[TreyParkerAndMattStone The same pair later]] included explicit puppet sex in ''TeamAmerica: World Police'' as a more traditional attempt at this. It worked perfectly - the original cut got the NC-17 for just this scene. With the alterations, they resubmitted it for an R. As a bonus, the "uncut" version gained more notoriety than it ever would have otherwise. Parker and Stone confirmed that this was a deliberate CensorDecoy on-camera in the documentary ''ThisFilmIsNotYetRated''. The final version was less than half of the originally filmed sex scene. Reportedly, the original was so filthy that some of the puppeteers refused to show up for work that day.

* ''The Weird Al Show'' would occasionally try this to get past the insane {{Executive Meddling}} the show was put under, only to find that the censors would usually not have any problems with them. This included a clip from Al's "Jurassic Park" music video where Barney the Dinosaur is gruesomely decapitated, and Harvey the hamster crawling out of Al's mouth.

* Supernatural writer Sera Gamble outright admitted they over-do the gore and violence in order to get their [[NightmareFuel desired scenes]] in instead.

* Courtesy of ''[=~Rocko's Modern Life~=]'': [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2MlMyrcUjY Yes, that's right]]. The NoTellMotel.

** Harley Quinn slowly emerging from a gigantic pastry, singing a Marilyn Monroe-esque Happy Anniversary song, and inviting the Joker to "try some of [her] pie". Uh, sure.

* It was never stated, but this ''has'' to be the reason the line "Can I WHAM! my Oingo Boingo into your Velvet Underground?" in an episode of ''FamilyGuy'' was originally "I would eat your poo" (which was actually used on the CartoonNetwork version and the uncensored DVD). Even for ''Family Guy'', there's no way the latter would be considered acceptable by the censors OR funny by the audience. [[FunnyAneurysmMoment Though with use of ''actual poop-eating'' in the 150th episode, one begins to wonder]]...
* A split-second of the MoralOrel episode "God's Chef", featuring a claymation shot of the underage protagonist's erect penis has been confirmed to be one of these (and the reason why CartoonNetwork had to hold off in airing the episode until near the end of season one, besides the fact that [[spoiler:the episode was about Orel using his sperm to impregnate the women in town after learning that masturbation is a sin that's considered tantamount to murder]]. Considering how the finished episode remains one of the filthiest things ever put on television, it must've been needed.

* {{Animaniacs}} creators admitted that not only they were doing it - they were also fighting to make censors keep scenes that clearly has no right to be there, just to distract them further from whant they really wanted to sneak out.

* William L. Shirer gave broadcasts from Nazi Germany between 1938 and 1940. He used this technique against the censor board and it worked exactly as intended.

* ''StarTrek''. In "A Private Little War" Captain Kirk comes across native girl Nona bathing naked in the river, and we see a brief glimpse of the side of her body as she wraps a robe about herself. The creators included a breast shot knowing the censors would cut it down to the tantalising glimpse they actually wanted.

* A split-second of the MoralOrel episode "God's Chef", featuring a claymation shot of the underage protagonist's erect penis has been confirmed to be one of these. Considering how the finished episode remains one of the filthiest things ever put on television, it must've been needed.

[[AdventureTimeWithFinnAndJake http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/FinnJakeDecoy_8586.jpg]]

* AdventureTimeWithFinnAndJake has quickly become notorious with what they've been capable of sneaking past the censors. Pictured above was what was revealed by the creators themselves what was censored at one point; when Finn was supposed to appear naked with a Beaver covering his...beaver. Their back up plan was using a giant piece of wood. Somehow giant wood is even more subtle.

[[caption-width:330:On the left was what they [[ExecutiveMeddling couldn't show on TV]]. On the right was their "[[GettingCrapPastTheRadar Backup Plan.]]"[[hottip:*:[[DontExplainTheJoke Its a 'beaver' and 'wood']]]]]]

* In the film CitizenKane, OrsonWelles supposedly added a scene involving a brothel, knowing that it would be cut. He was hoping that it would distract from the many references to William Randolf Hearst.

* A favored method of Mae West's for getting her bawdy comedy past the HaysCode.

* [[TreyParkerAndMattStone The same pair later]] included explicit puppet sex in ''TeamAmerica'' as a more traditional attempt at this. It worked perfectly - the original cut got the NC-17 for just this scene. With the alterations, they resubmitted it for an R. As a bonus, the "uncut" version gained more notoriety than it ever would have otherwise. Parker and Stone confirmed that this was a deliberate CensorDecoy on-camera in the documentary ''ThisFilmIsNotYetRated''. The final version was less than half of the originally filmed sex scene. Reportedly, the original was so filthy that some of the puppeteers refused to show up for work that day.

[[caption-width:330:On the left was what they [[ExecutiveMeddling couldn't show on TV]]. On the right was their "[[GettingCrapPastTheRadar Backup Plan.]]"]]

* In a unique variation, ''MyNameIsEarl'' frequently gets away with sight gags and jokes that you normally will not see in prime-time television. One is particular has Earl's friend Ralph making a very lewd pantomine towards Earl's mother ([[ItMakesSenseInContext It has to do with Earl sleeping with Ralph's mom while drunk]]). [[WordOfGod Greg Garcia]] said he believed that since the show otherwise has a very positive message about redemption and being a good person the censors often overlook some of the risque material.

* In the film CitizenKane, OrsonWells supposedly added a scene involving a brothel, knowing that it would be cut. He was hoping that it would distract from the many references to William Randolf Hearst.

* The same pair later included explicit puppet sex in ''TeamAmerica'' as a more traditional attempt at this. It worked perfectly - the original cut got the NC-17 for just this scene. With the alterations, they resubmitted it for an R. As a bonus, the "uncut" version gained more notoriety than it ever would have otherwise. Parker and Stone confirmed that this was a deliberate CensorDecoy on-camera in the documentary ''ThisFilmIsNotYetRated''. The final version was less than half of the originally filmed sex scene. Reportedly, the original was so filthy that some of the puppeteers refused to show up for work that day.

Of course, [[strike:sometimes]] frequently the censors somehow inexplicably miss a gag which is quite clearly about masturbation and, well, guys? [[SpringtimeForHitler It's going in the final product]]. Uh-oh.

* ''{{Garfield}}'' had this happen unintentionally as well. Jim Davis submitted a strip where Garfield takes catnip and wakes up the next morning in Atlantic City with a Barbie doll? and his editor ''approved'' it.

*** As this troper understood it the censorship involved Harley's posture rather than the dialogue, and making her nightie (which is probably one of the most risque outfits allowed on a kid's show) a color that could not be mistaken for being see-through.

* ''TimeSquad'' may have been canceled seven years ago (as of this writing), but this troper is still wondering if that scene in "Day of the Larrys" with the robot disco is a CensorDecoy -- or if the show in general used Censor Decoys. With all the HoYay and GettingCrapPastTheRadar moments that would make ''RockosModernLife'' and ''RenAndStimpy'' hang their heads in shame, it's hard to tell.

Some wily filmmakers realize this and make a simple deduction. If we assume that the censors are going to cut out X amount of scenes no matter what's in the product, then the censors can be distracted by CrossingTheLineTwice, heck, maybe three times. Because that DoubleEntendre about pencils looks pretty darn innocent compared to a ten-minute action-sequence involving [[{{Dogma}} a demon made of shit.]]

** ''TimeSquad'' may have been cancelled seven years ago, but this troper is still wondering if that scene in "Day of the Larrys" with the robot disco is a CensorDecoy -- or if the show in general used Censor Decoys. With all the HoYay and GettingCrapPastTheRadar moments that would make ''RockosModernLife'' and ''RenAndStimpy'' hang their heads in shame, it's hard to tell.

* It was never stated, but this ''has'' to be the reason the line "Can I WHAM! my Oingo Boingo into your Velvet Underground?" in an episode of ''FamilyGuy'' was originally "I would eat your poo." Even for ''Family Guy'', there's no way the latter would be considered acceptable by the censors OR funny by the audience. Though with use of ''actual poop-eating'' in the 150th episode, [[FunnyAneurysmMoment one begins to wonder]]...

* AdventureTimeWithFinnAndJake has quickly become notorious with what they've been capable of sneaking past the censors. Pictured above was what was revealed by the creators themselves what was censored at one point; when Finn was suppose to appear naked with a Beaver cover his...beaver. They're back up plan was using a giant piece of wood. Somehow giant wood is even more subtle.

----)

[[folder:Anime]]
* The original outfits worn by Azula and Ty Lee in ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'' were a lot more revealing. When the censors shot down the original designs, the new designs would seem a lot less, well, exciting by comparison.
** Fans are ''still'' wondering just what sort of CensorDecoy helped the creators sneak the ReadyForLovemaking scene past standards. Or whether it ''was'' one they missed.
[[/folder]]

* It's possible that the original outfits worn by Azula and Ty Lee in ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'' were a lot more revealing. When the censors shot down the original designs, the new designs would seem a lot less, well, exciting by comparison.
** Fans are ''still'' wondering just what sort of CensorDecoy helped the creators sneak the ReadyForLovemaking scene past standards. Or whether it ''was'' one they missed.

* William L. Shirer gave broadcasts from Nazi Germany between 1938 and 1940. He used this technique against the censor board, but it only worked in the intended way.

* It's possible that the original outfits worn by Azula and Ty Lee in ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'' were a lot more revealing, so much so that most anime aimed at ''teens'' probably wouldn't show them. That way, when the censors shot down the original designs, the new designs would seem a lot less, well, exciting by comparison.

[[caption-width:330:The left was what they [[ExecutiveMeddling couldn't show on TV]]. The Right was their "[[GettingCrapPastTheRadar Backup Plan.]]"]]

[[caption-width:330:The left was what they couldn't show on TV. The Right was their "[[GettingCrapPastTheRadar Backup Plan.]]"]]

** By the time that episode aired, FOX had already decided that Seth [=McFarlane=] was God Incarnate. If that episode doesn't convince you that he has ProtectionFromEditors, [[JumpedTheShark everything else on the show will]].