Submission for rec-music-gaffa

[munnari!fgp.hcru.uq.oz.au!andy@uunet.UU.NET (The Wubba Wubba Mon)]

Path: fgp!andy
From: andy@fgp.hcru.uq.OZ (The Wubba Wubba Mon)
Newsgroups: rec.music.gaffa
Subject: Censorship  (was Re: The Last Temptation...)
Summary: Moral Majority are everywhere.
Keywords: PG, Scorsese, Censorship
Date: 28 Aug 89 02:19:26 GMT
References: <8908091227.AA18344@EDDIE.MIT.EDU> <3436.8908161704@fiji.cs.glasgow.ac.uk>
Reply-To: andy@fgp.UUCP (The Wubba Wubba Mon)
Organization: Humanities Computing Resources Unit,  University of Queensland,  Australia.
Lines: 64

In article <3436.8908161704@fiji.cs.glasgow.ac.uk> Love-Hounds@GAFFA.MIT.EDU writes:
>Deb Wentorf writes:
>>  In a totally un-Kate-related note, I would just like to let you all
>>know that I was fortunate enough yesterday to locate _The Last Temptation
>>of Christ_ video.
>
>>If anybody out there is a Gabriel fan who appreciated his _Passion_ album
>>you may well enjoy hunting down the movie to see where all the music got
>>tied in.
>
>I think most Gabriel nuts probably saw the film at the cinema, and then
>spent several months anxiously awaiting the soundtrack. Certainly I was in
>such a situation.

This may come as a wee surprise to the diverse L-H readership, but the
movie was banned here in Queensland.  Although it passed the Australian
censors with an "M" rating [suitable for Mature audiences. ie. > 15 y.o.],
our state censors decided it was illegal, immoral, carcinogenic and
fattening, and so banned it.  The film had cinema releases in other Oz
states, where it was the subject of (media coverage and) violent pickets 
by people who were trying to indirectly censor it -  by jeering,
obstructing and intimidating potential cinema patrons.

As you may have guessed, the picketers had actually *seen* the movie....
- they just knew *innately* that it was blasphemous etc etc.
None wanted to see it either.  They knocked back reporters offering free
tickets.  As expected, there were "moral crusaders" leading the picketers...

It isn't just banned from public screenings here. It is banned completely.
Possession of the video will get you in a heap of sh*t if caught.

I  *have*  seen  PG's _Passion_ in record shops though.  Perhaps the censors
haven't realised what movie it is the 'soundtrack' to...

I believe that the book [author has slipped mind. sorry!] which the film
was based upon  *isn't*  banned here.  Parhaps the censors believe that
Queenslanders can't read....

Just remember here, that we're talking about a western nation!  We have
thousands of MacDonalds and  Kentucky Fried Chicken  "restaurants",
and stuff.  We just can't see some movies...


While there was no law preventing Qlders from interstate to see the movie,
it really isn't a viable option, like going interstate would be in the US,
or going into the next county (or even country!) in the UK.
Australia is about 9/10 the area of the US, but only has 7 states (and 1
territory).  Queensland is the second largest state.
This means that it one can fit the UK, France, Germany and Italy;  or about
two and a half Texas' into Queensland....

It all goes to show, that
     (1) just as the US has ``the deep south'', we have ``the deep north''.
     (2) Texas aint so big.
 and (3) The moral majority is neither.

/\ndy

---------------
Andrew M. Jones, Systems Programmer, 	ACSnet: andy@fgp.hcru.uq.oz
c/o French Dept,  Univ. of Qld, 	Work Phone: (07) 377 2075
Brisbane, Qld. AUSTRALIA. 4067 		O/S Phone:  +61 7 377 2075

"No matter what hits the fan, it's never distributed evenly....."