History Main / GagCensor

* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': Logs over crotches at the end of "Wizard." Originally, it was going to be beavers, but the censors wouldn't allow it.

* ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'': in the ''DevilFish'' episode the MST3K planet logo was used to cover up an accidental nut shot.

* Stephen Georg, the voice of Ness in FobbiesAreBorange and fairly popular vlogger, also does Let's Plays alongside his vlog. In his Let's Play of ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent'', upon entering a certain room in the morgue, he encounters a corpse which apparently has visible male...parts. Either YouTube's policies, his own morals or both prevent him from leaving the parts exposed, so throughout any screentime said corpse receives, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ghbd9NiDNc8#t=110s the Gag Censor he uses is an image of his own face in a goofy expression.]] Sadly, in later episodes where nude corpses appear, he instead merely blurs out the offending area.

* ''ZeroPunctuation'' goes for the standard black boxes, but usually decorates them with sayings like "IMAGE VERY CENSORED," "THANKS DEVIANTART!", or "NOPE, NOTHING TO SEE HERE."

** Quoth [[BrowsHeldHigh Oancitizen]], who also uses and abuses this:

[[caption-width-right:300:[-Even a guy who [[KindheartedCatLover likes cats]] would ''[[AllMenArePerverts not]]'' be happy to see a cat ''[[PantyShot this]]'' time.-] ]]

At times, even the lack of subtlety provided by the ugly {{Censor Box}}es is just not enough. Why not put something amusing in the place of some aesthetically repulsive black bars and boxes? Why not, say, a picture of a squirrel?

This method ranks the lowest in [[CensorshipTropes the sliding scale of censorship subtleties]]—it doesn't attempt to shoehorn elements in to somehow obscure the sight like the CensorSteam, CensorShadow, or CensorSuds; nor does it try to cover these parts with meta visual elements like {{Censor Bar}}s or {{Pixellation}}s. It, instead, puts an image ''over'' it.

----

!Examples:

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

* ''RosarioToVampire'' uses censor bats and bears if there is more than one censor to be covered. [[BreakingTheFourthWall He even chats with the audience!]]
* ''BGataHKei'' uses a Demon symbol for this on the TV release over the [=EroGami=] (sex god) that normally covers things.
* ''Manga/ToLoveRu'' uses these as well as censor flashlight-like beams.
* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' uses large "Forbidden" stamps whenever Nodoka is reading [[CovertPervert her own mind]].
* ''OniiChanNoKotoNankaZenzenSukiJanainDakaraNe'' uses these everywhere, constantly.
* ''{{Softenni}}'' uses these as well in about 50% of the scenes.
* ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' uses the face of one of the manga's assistants for this.
** Here we go: [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_sayonara_zetsubou_sensei_1156.png A *completely pointless* gag censor]]. You couldn't see anything even if it wasn't there.
* ''Manga/HayateTheCombatButler'' uses a guy holding a sign literally saying "can not show."
* ''KissXSis'' uses pictures of chickens to censor illicit materials. In other words, we get [[VisualPun cock-blocked]].
* The ShonenJump pirate flag gets used as a censor (much to its embarrassment) in ''HellTeacherNube''.
* ''LightNovel/AsobiNiIkuYo'' uses several different censorship methods, including this one - generally, it's the Assisdroids jumping into the scene to cover things with their [[TalkingWithSigns signs]].
* ''EvenAMonkeyCanDrawManga'': Phallic vegetables are used in place of male genitals. Trope [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] as the rather... ''fleshy'' looking vegetables actually do little to lessen the raunchiness of the pictures.

[[AC:{{Live Action TV}}]]
* Mancow Muller's eponymous TV show: they had illustrations of Mancow's face over any and all naughty bits.

** Alternatively, they use animal sounds, such as "mixing woof with meow".
* ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'': in the ''DevilFish'' episode the MST3K planet logo was used to cover up an accidental nut shot.
* On VH-1, whenever someone says [[SelfDemonstratingArticle *meow*]], they have a cat meowing. They also cover up a woman's *meow* with a cat...

[[AC:Music]]
* German punk band Die Ärzte's music video for [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXAxCo2TKXE "Junge"]] has the musicians defend themselves against a horde of zombies in all its gory glory. Anticipating Germany's harsh laws against showing violence on TV, they produced another version with the bloodiest details covered by cartoon character's heads or have the entire screen blocked by phrases like "This scene is unacceptable. We'd like to apologize for that."

[[AC:NonfictionSeries]]
* ''XPlay'': For a brief period they would cover up extremely gory game scenes with pictures of kittens.

[[AC:SketchComedy]]
* ''MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'': In one of Terry Gilliam's animations, a fig leaf covering a statue's genitals was snatched away, and underneath was a man's head.

[[AC:VideoGames]]
* Among the many UrbanLegendsOfZelda revolving around ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', one particular legend involves a risqué scene involving [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Cloud]]'s head as a censorship method.

[[AC:{{Web Original}}s]]

** In WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic's review of ''TheRoom'' he puts the head of a jackass over Tommy Wiseau's [[VisualPun ass]].

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* The famous Laughing Man from the ''GhostInTheShell'' series.

* The famous Warai Otoko from the ''GhostInTheShell'' series.

* In WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic's review of ''TheRoom'' he puts the head of a jackass over Tommy Wiseau's [[VisualPun ass]].
* WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick's review of ''{{Showgirls}}'' used two photos of [[VisualPun Blue Footed Boobies]] (and a bird honk) to cover any exposed breasts.
* [[BrowsHeldHigh Oancitizen]] abuses this trope. And it is hilarious.

* ''HayateTheCombatButler'' uses a guy holding a sign literally saying "can not show."

* On VH-1, whenever someone says [[SelfDemonstratingArticle *meow*]], they have a cat meowing. They also cover up a woman's *meow* with a cat... IfYouKnowWhatIMean.

[[caption-width-right:300:[-Even a guy who [[KindheartedCatLover likes cats]] would ''[[AllMenArePerverts not]]'' be happy to see a cat ''this'' time.-] ]]

This method ranks the lowest in [[CensorshipTropes the sliding scale of censorship subtleties]]—it doesn't attempt to shoehorn elements in to somehow obscure the sight like the CensorSteam, CensorShadow, or CensorSuds; nor does it try to cover these parts with meta visual elements like {{Censor Bar}}s or {{Pixellation}}s. It instead puts there an image.

* ''RosarioToVampire'' uses censor bats and bears if there is more than one censor to be covered. He even chats with the audience.

* On VH-1, whenever someone says [[SelfDemonstratingArticle *meow*]], they have a cat meowing. They also cover up a woman's *meow* with a cat.

* In WebOriginal/TheNostalgiaCritic's review of ''TheRoom'' he puts the head of a jackass over Tommy Wiseau's [[VisualPun ass]].
* WebOriginal/TheNostalgiaChick's review of ''{{Showgirls}}'' used two photos of [[VisualPun Blue Footed Boobies]] (and a bird honk) to cover any exposed breasts.

* Among the many UrbanLegendsOfZelda revolving around ''FinalFantasyIX'', one particular legend involves a risqué scene involving [[FinalFantasyVII Cloud]]'s head as a censorship method.

* ''DrMcNinja'' covers up "naughty" things (usually profanity) with black boxes saying things like "Filth!" or "Goodness!" instead. As seen in the page image for CensorBox, these are also used to cover up [[FlippingTheBird a middle finger]]...and nothing else.

* ''AsobiNiIkuYo'' uses several different censorship methods, including this one - generally, it's the Assisdroids jumping into the scene to cover things with their [[TalkingWithSigns signs]].

* ''AirGear'' has Koo, Ikki's pet crow cover the naughty bits when necesarry.

* Stephen Georg, the voice of Ness in FobbiesAreBorange and fairly popular vlogger, also does Let's Plays alongside his vlog. In his Let's Play of ''AmnesiaTheDarkDescent'', upon entering a certain room in the morgue, he encounters a corpse which apparently has visible male...parts. Either YouTube's policies, his own morals or both prevent him from leaving the parts exposed, so throughout any screentime said corpse receives, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ghbd9NiDNc8#t=110s the Gag Censor he uses is an image of his own face in a goofy expression.]] Sadly, in later episodes where nude corpses appear, he instead merely blurs out the offending area.

* In TheNostalgiaCritic's review of ''TheRoom'' he puts the head of a jackass over Tommy Wiseau's [[VisualPun ass]].
* TheNostalgiaChick's review of ''{{Showgirls}}'' used two photos of [[VisualPun Blue Footed Boobies]] (and a bird honk) to cover any exposed breasts.

* [[MiraiNikki "HAPPY?"]]

* ''MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'': In one of Terry Gilliam's animations, after a fig leaf covering a statue's genitals was snatched away, underneath was a man's head.

* TheNostalgiaChick's review of ''ShowGirls'' used two photos of Blue Footed Boobies (and a bird honk) to cover any exposed breasts.

* Stephen Georg, the voice of Ness in FobbiesAreBorange and fairly popular vlogger, also does Let's Plays alongside his vlog. In his Let's Play of AmnesiaTheDarkDescent, upon entering a certain room in the morgue, he encounters a corpse which apparently has visible male...parts. Either YouTube's policies, his own morals or both prevent him from leaving the parts exposed, so throughout any screentime said corpse receives, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ghbd9NiDNc8#t=110s the Gag Censor he uses is an image of his own face in a goofy expression.]] Sadly, in later episodes where nude corpses appear, he instead merely blurs out the offending area.
* Video game blog Kotaku used a vector pink fish for this purpose until recently. Now they just tag the article with "NSFW" and call it a day.

* In {{SoulEater}}, Maka's team loses a game of basketball, and the penalty was she had to spend a day with her dad, who she hates.

* ''ToLoveRu'' uses these as well as censor flashlight-like beams.
* The ''{{Negima}}'' manga uses these whenever Nodoka is reading [[CovertPervert her own mind]].

* {{Cracked}} ''loves'' this trope.

At times, even the lack of subtlety provided by the ugly [[CensorBox Censor Boxes]] is just not enough. Why not put something amusing in the place of some aesthetically repulsive black bars and boxes? Why not, say, a picture of a squirrel?

It should go without saying that this is almost always PlayedForLaughs, and particularly common in {{anime}}. Expect these things to [[TooHotForTV disappear when the DVD version comes out]].

* MysteryScienceTheater3000: in the DevilFish episode the MST3K planet logo was used to cover up an accidental nut shot.

* ''AsobiNiIkuYo'' uses several different censorship methods, including this one - generally, it's the Assisdroids jumping into the scene to cover things with their [[SignLanguage signs]].