Course Description

Instructor: Steven Harbour

This course will look at the history and current issues concerning the censorship of movies, TV, and video games. We will begin with a brief history of the censorship of the stage and then of motion pictures, including the Hays code, which prohibited showing of nudity or graphic violence, among other restrictions. We will then review the attack on the Hays code by such Hollywood figures as Otto Preminger and Howard Hughes and the lawsuits challenging both the Hays Code and government censorship of movies. We will also look at the rise of network TV, cable TV, and then the internet, and the debate about the censorship of home entertainment. Then, we will discuss current movements to implement or increase censorship, both in the United States and other countries, including censorship of sex on the internet, streaming services, and violent video games.