Getting Crap Past the Radar cleanup

Thank you for your input! I'll admit that I wasn't quite sure about what topics were allowed or not allowed on PBS Kids and TV-Y rated shows, and having a second opinion was helpful. For the examples that could be valid, most of them likely need some rewrites to clarify what exactly got past the radar.

I figured that with a show like this, content like someone dying (especially if it's a main character) would count as Like You Would Really Do It. The "happy ending protocol" I guess I can see as a way to appease the censors, but it's not quite the same as portraying whatever act that would ordinarily be banned - I can see a valid assertion made that even simply implying the act is a little too much for the network, though.

(The reason why I was mentioning that I'm not sure if major things in the storyline can count as Radar was mainly because Laconic.Getting Crap Past The Radar is specifically worded as "A work intentionally sneaks in inappropriate content, hoping it evades the Media Watchdogs", which sort of makes me think of examples like the "Bloody GIR" Freeze Frame Bonuses in Invader Zim - but I suppose that it's possible for a more important plot point to count as well. I've heard that GCPTR is supposed to be going through TRS again sometime soon, so that point may specifically be addressed.)

Near-death-related examples could potentially qualify as Like You Would Really Do It, if one takes PBS Kids's ideology towards near-deaths (and by extension, death as a whole) into consideration. There has been talk of death in a few shows but a majority of it revolves around pets or animals dying, not main characters.

I completely neglected the laconic, but if "intentionally sneaking in stuff that censors would say no to and having it miraculously pass undetected" is supposed to be the actual definition of the trope, then I think either an update to the laconic or to the description might be in order via TRS. I'd say a fair bit of the examples count as sneaking in stuff; either it's dumbed down so it's seen as more of a jokey kind of thing that doesn't trip S&P (like the apocalypse intentions in "Odd Squad Needs You") or, for more serious and realistic fare, it's eventually given a good outcome (like Ms. O's alcohol withdrawal in "Xs and Os").

Is this a 90s show? I remember the creators of Reboot expressing frustration that they weren't allowed to have cliffhangers with the heroes being in mortal peril either, and that show was aimed at a much older audience. It may have been a general unspoken rule in the 90s with kids programming.

Edited by PhiSat on Oct 6th 2023 at 11:14:02 AM

Odd Squad premiered in 2014, not in the '90s.

That makes sense. I did think that maybe the more obvious examples of Radar could overlap too much with Surprisingly Lenient Censor, but that's more for when the show's creators are surprised that something got through.

I suppose I could see those cases still counting as "sneaking something in" too, now that I think about it.

Age ratings aren't reserved for any particular demographic or age group. They are assigned between an episode's production and its release, based on what is in that episode.

No, that's correct.

ilovewildkratts1's post is a good illustration of why GCPTR examples now require citations. When tropers aren't just trying to make their favourite works look more subversive than they really are, they try to infer what the standards are based on the content of works that are given various age ratings and work backwards from there. This seems to be the case with the Odd Squad examples. They don't read like they're based on the actual criteria of the age rating, but rather on what tropers imagine those criteria to be.

So by all means move exmaples to other tropes to save them, but if you want to put them on GCPTR, we'll need some sort of reliable source detailing what was and wasn't allowed.

For the record, this is what TV-Y officially means:

Surprisingly Lenient Censor wouldn't count for any example because the creators knew what they were putting in and I haven't seen anything that indicates otherwise.

I recall reading an interview a long time ago where a writer referred to the jokes and other bits he and other writers put in with the same "sneaking stuff in" terminology, as well.

When I say "largely preserved for preschool shows", I'm referring to a majority of preschool shows bearing that rating. The amount of preschool shows I've seen with a TV-Y7 rating, let alone ones from PBS Kids specifically, are very slim. Admittedly I could have worded that better so that's my bad entirely.

You have to look at the bigger picture, though. GCPTR is about TV show ratings, yes, but you have to take into consideration the network's modus operandi as well when it comes to what is and isn't allowed. PBS Kids is the network I'm most familiar with and thus I believe I have a fairly firm handle on what TV-Y means based on them, their shows, and what they get away with (both back in the 90s and nowadays). The tonal shift between their shows, as stated, is something to consider as well.

Unfortunately I can't detail any reliable source for keeping examples on GCPTR — PBS keeps a majority of things very tightly under wraps and the aforementioned interview is about as close as I can get — so it seems like the only thing to do is to move examples to other tropes. FWIW a lot of the examples are on the DTRYOA page which I had also created, so I'll pick through that later and shift tropes accordingly.

Edited by ilovewildkratts1 on Oct 7th 2023 at 8:43:54 AM

What’s DTRYOA?

Thanks.

Edited by Lymantria on Oct 13th 2023 at 1:58:32 PM

Does This Remind You of Anything?

I think I'll probably be bringing up a few other Radar pages here in the near-future, but I just came across the radar page for The Haunting Hour.

I've never seen the show before, but according to the page, it's rated TV-PG and aired on Discovery Family / The Hub. It also apparently aired in 2010. The page is mainly listing things like innuendos, death, mild language, and alcohol - which I'm pretty sure are all appropriate for a TV-PG rating - but I'd appreciate getting a second opinion from someone who's familiar with the show as well, regarding whether or not anything here counts as Getting Crap Past the Radar. I'm also unfamiliar with what Discovery Family's S&P are, so some input on that would be helpful as well.

As I stated above, I'm willing to hear anyone out if there is anything on the page that really counts as GCPTR, but I'm thinking this page can probably be sent to the Cut List with examples being moved to tropes like Demographically Inappropriate Humor as one sees fit.

I haven't seen the show, but I agree with your analysis; nothing there appears to warrant anything higher than PG.

Also, the work page says that each episode opens with a disclaimer, which tells me that nothing was intentionally snuck past S&P.

That makes sense. I agree that the fact that the show opens with a Content Warning basically also confirms that nothing here really "got past the radar" - it seems more like the censors saw the content of the episode/show and deemed it okay, as long as a disclaimer was put in place. I think of it as the same as if a PG-rated movie had "mild language" as one of its rating descriptors; the ratings board saw that the film had some profanity and rated it accordingly.

I also took a look at some tropes listed on the main page. A lot of the violence-related stuff is already listed as Family-Unfriendly Death and related tropes, but I'd also like to bring attention to these two Radar entries on the main page before I start moving examples and sending Radar.The Haunting Hour to the Cut List:

• Getting Crap Past the Radar:
  • In "Really You", Lily's older brother remarks that he wants his own life-sized rubber doll, but that he wants his doll to look like actress Meghan Fox.
  • In "Alien Candy", an older bully looks at the protagonist in the school locker room and remarks, "you really grew a pair!" - meant to refer to the protagonist being ballsy and brave in this case.

The first one seems like it might be Demographically Inappropriate Humor, assuming it's supposed to be a joke about blow-up dolls or something like that - the second one is an example I previously noticed on the page, but this time with more context as to how "grew a pair" was used, and I'd say it counts as DIH in that context as well.

I agree, they look like DIH. (I suspect the target audience is probably teenagers, but hey, DIH is subjective for a reason).

I agree that teens/preteens are probably the main demographic as well, though I have also seen some claims that it was aimed at a family audience. From what I've been finding out about the show so far, it's a lot like Goosebumps (due to being by the same author), but Darker and Edgier and therefore aimed at a slightly older demographic. So I could go either way.

You're right that Demographically Inappropriate Humor is subjective, though; what one person may consider an inappropriate joke for a kids' show can easily be considered perfectly fine according to someone else. Likewise, what's appropriate for kids to watch is also pretty subjective.

If it ends up that these examples aren't valid for DIH, that's perfectly okay too - this section can easily be removed - but I figure that some of them are probably worth putting somewhere. And, hey, DIH could use some more attention as it is.

Anyway, here's my suggested addition to the YMMV page, feel free to let me know if you have any feedback before I add it:

• Demographically Inappropriate Humor:
  • In "Really You", Lily's older brother remarks that he wants his own life-sized rubber doll, but that he wants his doll to look like actress Meghan Fox.
  • In "Alien Candy", an older bully looks at the protagonist in the school locker room and remarks, "you really grew a pair!" - meant to refer to the protagonist being ballsy and brave in this case.
  • "The Walls":
    • Chuck mentions that when they found the old man's body, it was lying face down (and possibly naked) in a pile of sugar, which sounds like a polite way of saying that he was doing cocaine and OD'ed.
    • Jeffery's dad tells Jeffery that the Klemit (a sugar-addicted demon that lives in his bedroom wall) didn't kill the old man who lived in their house; it was the fact that the old man was 114 and had a 29-year-old girlfriend.
  • In "Creature Feature", John (who was turned into a tick-creature) is hit with an offscreen Groin Attack. While she and Nathan witness the injury, Lisa asks if John "still has any".
  • From "Nightmare Inn":
  Jill's Mom: "This is the first time your father and I-
  Jill: "TMI"
  Jill's Mom: "What? We had our first Sunday brunch here."

I decided to leave out the example that mentioned sneaking in a use of the word "bitch". According to the DIH main page, the word "bitch" is completely allowed to be used in PG-rated works, but I can put it back in if it's agreed that it counts.

Just sent Radar.The Haunting Hour to the Cut List, too. I'll get around to looking at some more Radar entries soon as well, since I just found a few pages that have a lot of misuse, presumably a holdover from sometime before Radar was brought to TRS. (Given the pages are pretty short, would it be okay if I combined a few of my analyses into one post?)

Looks good.

Shouldn't be any particular issues with bringing up multiple pages as long as the overall post isn't too long.

Alright, thanks! I've made the appropriate changes.

Here are my analyses for some more Getting Crap Past the Radar pages. I apologize that this post is rather long, but the pages with my comments are in folders, so hopefully it's manageable. (There's another page I'd like to look at, but since it's longer, I'll hold off on that one for now.)

All of them are PG-rated animated movies released between 2014-2016 - The Book of Life, Kubo and the Two Strings, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, and The LEGO Movie. They're all movies I've seen, though it's been a while, so (as usual) let me know if my information or judgments are incorrect. There were some entries that had spoiler tags, and I don't think there's anything wrong with spoiler tags on Radar, but I've removed them in my analysis for easier reading.

Radar.The Book Of Life

Radar.Kubo And The Two Strings

Radar.Mr Peabody And Sherman

• When he's trying to avoid a Time Paradox involving two Shermans from different timelines, Peabody says he has to prevent Sherman from touching himself. Everyone's reaction just sells it. Especially Ms. Grunion, who begins furiously writing on her clipboard.

My Comments: Likely Demographically Inappropriate Humor, given it's an implied Mistaken for Masturbating joke. Part of me wants to say this is an Accidental Innuendo (as it says, he's literally trying to prevent a Never the Selves Shall Meet case), but the reactions of the other characters in the scene tells me that the writers probably knew what they were joking about here.

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• Mr. Peabody receives a triplicate presidential pardon at the end of the film, including one from Bill Clinton, who claims he's "done worse".

My Comments: Parental Bonus. Could possibly count as Demographically Inappropriate Humor, too.

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• Agamemnon mentions Oedipus has an awkward relationship with his family.

My Comments: Also PB and possibly DIH, given what an "Oedipus Complex" is.

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• This gem:
  Mr. Peabody: Ah, ah, ah! Careful, Sherman. It's a booby trap.
  Sherman: (laughs)
  Mr. Peabody: What's so funny?
  Sherman: You said booby!

My Comments: Standard Heh Heh, You Said "X" joke, and the word "booby" is probably perfectly fine for a PG rating. Might count as DIH, but I'm not too sure about that.

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• When explaining to Penny what the consequences of marriage to King Tut will lead to when he dies, she's shown a picture of a woman getting her heart ripped out of her chest in a bloody mess. Penny is seven. They also give her detailed description of what they will do to her body when she's dead, involving that they will rip all of her organs out and then proceed to make her emptied body into a mummy. Worst part is that this is actually Truth in Television.

My Comments: The picture, for reference◊ - pretty violent, but I think it's within the bounds of PG. Probably more of a Surprisingly Creepy Moment than Radar, but I'm a little unsure.

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• Also, when Leonardo da Vinci and Mona Lisa are having a quarrel when he wants her to smile for his painting.
  Mona Lisa:... while I sit here on my abbondanza!
  Sherman:...I don't think that means "chair" in Italian.

My Comments: I don't speak Italian, but from what I've looked up, "abbondanza" means "abundance", and in this context, appears to mean "butt". Just sounds like Joke of the Butt.

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• Bill Clinton can be seen putting the move on Mona Lisa in the moment between Mr. Peabody explaining how to repair the time rip and Agamemnon saying he doesn't get it.

My Comments: I don't think this counts.

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• At the end of the film, there is a scene where George Washington is showing off his one-dollar bill to a lot of women who fawn over him but when Benjamin Franklin shows his one hundred dollar bill they fawn over Benjamin instead. If that isn't a metaphor, I don't know what is.

My Comments: The last sentence is natter, but I feel like the rest of it is possibly viable as Does This Remind You of Anything? and a Parental Bonus - especially if you know that the real Benjamin Franklin was The Casanova throughout his life.

Radar.The Lego Movie (This one does bring up that the fact that it's about LEGO toys allows it to get away with some things, so I guess I can see where some of the examples are coming from, but I'm unsure if any of these are valid examples since tropes like Bloodless Carnage would basically accomplish the same goal.)

In short, I feel like the pages can probably be cut and examples can be moved to more fitting tropes like Demographically Inappropriate Humor and Parental Bonus. If there are any examples that count as Radar, let me know, but all of this seems acceptable for the PG rating.

Something I feel like saying, because I've been noticing this - when it comes to misuse for GCPTR, I generally try to assume that it's being done by someone who simply doesn't understand what it actually means to "get crap past the radar", which is mainly because I know I did the same thing when I was new to the site as well (as I think I've mentioned before). In a lot of cases, misuse of GCPTR seems to simply be a holdover from when "adult jokes in a kid-friendly work" was what GCPTR was frequently used as before it was brought to TRS (even if that still wasn't its intended meaning then, I can usually understand why someone would think that).

That's not to say that there's never blatant misuse of GCPTR, though. Sometimes I can tell that people are taking things out of context in an effort to make a family-friendly work seem more edgy than it really is (similar to misuse of Nightmare Fuel), and occasionally I'll see stuff that sounds a lot like pearl-clutching (usually written with Word Cruft and natter like "And this was a kid's show!!!" - I often see entries of this sort on What Do You Mean, It's for Kids? and other similar tropes as well). I also feel like the tendency for movies to Avoid the Dreaded G Rating may have something to do with some Radar misuse.

I pretty much agree with your analyses. If nothing else, there's nothing in there that goes beyond a PG rating, and some of it is clearly Accidental Innuendo.

To your more general point, I also agree. Most of the bad examples are just caused by misunderstanding, and I would say that people also think censors are stricter than they really are.

Okay; I'll likely be sending the pages to the Cut List soon. Some of it seems viable for Demographically Inappropriate Humor, but I agree that it's all within the bounds of PG, and I do feel like several of the examples are Accidental Innuendo or just reading too much into things.

Yeah, I guess I can understand the confusion between DIH and Getting Crap Past the Radar - GCPTR is essentially defined as "something that's not appropriate for the work's age rating makes it through anyway", and innuendo tends to imply, well... subjects that aren't normally appropriate for the target audience. Of course, this definition leaves out the part where to count as GCPTR, it has to directly violate the censorship standards - a joke that implies swearing (in a work that doesn't allow profanity) through Curse Cut Short, Subverted Rhyme Every Occasion, etc would usually be more fitting for DIH. GCPTR is more for if they actually manage to get a swear word in there somehow.

I agree that there's likely some degree of thinking censors are stricter than they actually are, too - as I mentioned, it might have something to do with Avoid the Dreaded G Rating and how PG is typically seen as the "family movie" age rating, with some people forgetting that PG stands for "Parental Guidance" and does allow for some content that may not be suitable for all ages. Also, even the G rating is usually okay with some mild innuendo.

I'll be taking a look at another Radar page shortly.

The pages I previously brought up are currently in the process of being sent to the Cut List, and some examples are being moved to more appropriate places.

Gonna take a look at the Radar page for Robots next. The movie was released in 2005 (I want to say that the movie age rating guidelines were a little less strict then), and is rated PG for "some brief language and suggestive humor", so this alone tells me that the ratings board saw the adult jokes and deemed them okay as long as there was a Content Warning.

One of the opening lines of this page mentions that the film "contains humor so surprisingly raunchy, many wonder if it should have been rated PG-13", which feels a little exaggerated. It's true that this movie contains more Demographically Inappropriate Humor than most animated family films I can think of (and some of the jokes are pretty blatant), but this film is one of my childhood favorites, and the dirty jokes simply went right over my head when I was little.

Similar to what the Radar page for The LEGO Movie said, the opening sentences of this page also mention that the movie could get away with some of its content because the characters were robots as opposed to living things - again, while I suppose I can understand where this is coming from due to tropes like What Measure Is a Non-Human?, I'm still not sure that it's actually true.

• When Rodney meets Fender's crew for the first time, Piper becomes smitten with him instantly, prompting Fender to chastise her:
  Fender: What have I always told you? [Ventriloquizes his hand] "Don't talk to strange men." [To his hand] Thank you, Manuel.

My Comments: I'm not sure what this is supposed to mean. According to the page history, this used to have a link to A Date With Rosie Palms (before it was turned into This Index Touches Itself), implying that the person who added this assumed that it was supposed to be a masturbation joke, but... I'm not really seeing it.

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• In one scene, Rodney asks, "Who wants to get fixed?" to a group of robots. A robotic dog then covers up its crotch while whimpering.

My Comments: Animals Fear Neutering joke. Might count as Demographically Inappropriate Humor and/or Parental Bonus.

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• Fender tries to get some mail from the mailbox and the mailbox hits Fender for sleeping with his sister. "I recognize the handwriting."

My Comments: DIH or PB, probably.

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• The hobo robot towards the beginning has a sign that says "Got screwed" with a real screw representing the first five letters of the last word in that sign. The way they hid it from the radar isn't exactly G-rated either: the "screw" in his "got screwed" sign is a giant industrial screw lodged through his head. It turns out to be a fake screw novelty headband.

My Comments: "Got screwed" might count as DIH, but the screw through his head (which is quickly revealed to be a headband, as the example says) doesn't seem to count as anything - it's a variant of the "arrow through the head" headband, which I've seen in kids' movies before.

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• Bigweld himself seems to have a thing for oversized robotic rear ends, as he repeatedly comments in the presence of Aunt Fanny. Aunt Fanny even finds out he has a love-making pad in his limousine! No secret that they end up together at the end of the film!

My Comments: Seems like it's just PB if anything (finding someone attractive isn't inherently inappropriate, but I guess I can see this specific case counting as being somewhat suggestive). The part about the love-making pad in his limousine likely counts as DIH.

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• "Honey? What's that extra piece?" "Oh yeah, they always put in an extra... We did want a boy, right?". The extra piece, which is invisible to audience, is actually a penis. What follows after is Herb whacking the piece into place with a hammer off-screen, which causes endless crying from Rodney. This may be a reference to circumcision.

My Comments: The whole "extra piece" thing probably counts as DIH. Unsure if the reference to circumcision was what they were going for (it seems a bit more like it was just a Groin Attack joke), but it's likely a better fit for Does This Remind You of Anything? if it was.

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• Aunt Fanny's emissions are bad enough to straight-up killing someone, as happens to the unfortunate lamp-post robot on the sidewalk outside her house. There's even a chalk outline on the street the next morning.

My Comments: This level of Black Comedy is usually okay with a PG rating.

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• Even the Sweepers get into the act. The bumper sticker on one that Fender taunts reads "Like my driving? Call 1-855-Eat-Scrap." Yep, the Sweepers were just as subtle as the rest of the movie.

My Comments: Natter/word cruft. Also, this seems acceptable for the age rating, though it could be an example of PB.

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• The beginning of the movie, while Rodney is being built, has this: "Oh, I'm sorry, honey, you missed the delivery...but it's okay. Making the baby's the fun part." (Cue what the subtitles describe as "sultry saxophone music.")

My Comments: DIH. Could count as DTRYOA, too (the whole scene is basically an example of Not Really a Birth Scene).

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• Aunt Fanny's name, at least in the UK, where the word 'fanny' is a term for a woman's genitalia. (They did not get that particular piece of crap past the radar for its British release.)

My Comments: ...But in the US, where the film was made, "fanny" just means "buttocks" (which is quite a Meaningful Name in the case of Aunt Fanny). As the example points out, her name is changed in the UK release (to "Aunt Fan", apparently), so no crap got past any radar here.

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• When Bigweld is storming the Bigweld Industries, a robot, who just exited the bathroom, panics and accidentally goes into the other door on the left, cue a girl's scream. The sign on the door for the ladies' bathroom is an electric socket, and the one for the gentlemen is a plug. Looks awfully reminiscent of something else entirely...
  • Such sockets are referred to as 'male' and 'female' by electricians.

My Comments: Possibly DIH, DTRYOA, and/or Visual Innuendo. "Male" and "female" are indeed the terms used for these connectors, but given that it is for the reason you'd think, it might count as at least one of the aforementioned tropes.

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• Tim gets smacked by Fender and lands upside down on his hat. Since he's wearing a robe, it falls down to reveal his privates, cue an audience gasp and a woman fainting at the sight.

My Comments: Seems like it might just be Naked People Are Funny (worth a mention that his privates aren't actually shown onscreen), but it might also count as DIH.

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• While repairing Fender, Rodney asks about the last time Fender was "oiled".
  Fender: Well, can't really answer that with my kid sister right here...

My Comments: PB or DIH, maybe? Also sounds something like a Calling Me a Logarithm joke.

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• Madame Gasket telling Ratchet to "grow some bolts".

My Comments: Likely DIH, given it's meant to be the robot equivalent to "grow some balls".

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• If you look at Madame Gasket's forehead you can see that the gears on it look rather...phallic to say the least (if you have a dirty mind). It is safe to assume that it was unintentional.

My Comments: If it's "safe to assume it was unintentional", it doesn't count. Madame Gasket, for reference◊ - I guess I can kinda see it, but this is probably a better fit for Unfortunate Character Design if anything.

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• This gem from Fender:
  Fender: (to Rodney) Come on, you can bunk with me. We'll ignore the gossip.

My Comments: Probably PB at the most.

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• Right as Bigweld comes barreling up to the front desk, the receptionist can be heard recommending that her friend use a "Brazilian wax" like she does. Y'know, for getting that extra shine on her chassis. Though, since this is a world full of sentient robots, it could be a different version of the wax, but still.

My Comments: Could be viable for DIH, since I wouldn't expect a kids' movie to reference a "Brazilian wax", but the last two sentences feel a bit nattery/word-crufty.

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• After the gang meets Cappy, Aunt Fanny remarks that she used to have a figure like that. Cue everyone glancing over at her trunk.

My Comments: I don't think this counts as anything. Maybe PB at the most?

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• In Aunt Fannys Tour Of Booty, Aunt Fanny gets a tattoo of Bigweld that reads "Pimp My Ride" (doubles as a Shout-Out).

My Comments: This was one of the special features on the DVD if I remember correctly (or was at least a short film that wasn't actually part of the movie), and those aren't given age ratings. I also don't think this counts as anything.

Come to think of it, would a DIH subpage for Robots be a good idea? I know some old Radar subpages have gotten similar treatment, such as what's now DemographicallyInappropriateHumour.The Amazing World Of Gumball, and this film seems to have enough examples of DIH to warrant a subpage. Either way, I'm likely going to end up rewriting a few examples (as well as adding a different intro), so once I've got that written I'll post it here first.

I've found a few other Radar pages that I'll also be taking a look at shortly.

I haven't seen Robots but your analysis looks good. There isn't anything there that goes beyond PG (and even fanny wouldn't violate the BBFC's PG rating). By all means reassign what you can.

(Sorry about the delay in responding. Life has been happening).

After noticing this Radar pothole (bolded for visibility) on Characters.Blues Clues, I've been wondering if Mr. Salt saying "sacré bleu" in "Blue's Big Musical Movie" is a valid example, since the phrase supposedly translates to "dammit" in English.

• Gratuitous French: They both exclaim excerpts in French every so often. Notably, Mr. Salt says "sacre bleu" in "Blue's Big Musical Movie", which literally translates to "dammit" in English.

Edited by ChillyBeanBAM on Nov 16th 2023 at 5:20:20 AM

That could possibly be a valid example; Blue's Clues is rated TV-Y, and I don't think swear words (even ones as mild as "damn") are allowed under that rating. Not entirely sure what their policy on Foreign Cuss Words are, but I do want to say that is considered a valid way of Getting Crap Past the Radar.

Translating profanity is tricky, since there are shades of intensity; crap and shit both mean faeces, but one is much worse than the other.

Sacré bleu! literally means Holy blue!, and is a minced form of Sacré Dieu!, meaning Holy God!; as such, the correct translation is Oh my gosh!. It's also pretty rare nowadays in French, and is primarily used by English-speakers trying to sound French.

(Google Translate does translate it as dammit, but it also says that merde! means dammit!, and merde actually translated as shit).

In short: No, sacré bleu! is not a curse.

Yeah, sacré bleu is pretty tame all things considered. It's the equivalent of saying crap or crud rather than shit. Even sacré dieu would probably have been fine since it's just like saying "oh god".

and I see now. Thanks, I'll remove the pothole.