Where is that line between social responsibility and censorship? Or… does such a line even exist? Is any form of social restraint just an expression of censorship, and if so, what do we deem the line between acceptable censorship and non-acceptable censorship? These types of questions are raised all the time, and they’re being raised again now over a decision in the United Kingdom to take down certain posters for the film “Shoot Em Up” that highlight guns in them.
Our friends over at FilmJunk give us this:
The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that two of the posters for the action-comedy Shoot ‘Em Up glamorized guns and should no longer be displayed in public places. Over 55 complaints were received about the posters, a strong reaction which may have resulted from a recent shooting in Liverpool resulting in the death of young schoolboy Rhys Jones.
I’m not really going to offer an opinion here. I’m more interested in what you guys have to say. In a situation like this, is this censorship or just common sense given the situation that community finds itself in? Where is the line between the two?
