While I definitely do NOT co-sign on your idea against all PC-inspired retro-censorship, I do detest the broadcasting of shows whose broad comedy gets gutted by any kind of censorship especially to help market it to a supposedly wider audience. I feel that if the content is not appropriate for a certain broadcaster to handle, then they should simply pass on the entire show and air something else they like better.
In a similar way, I hate it when my local "Adult Contempory" music station tries to seem more modern and "hip" by spinning a few Hip-Hop songs that have been "cleaned" for the radio. If you can't air references to guns or the use of certain pejorative terms, that's fine but don't try to seem cool by playing tracks whose message is essentially meant to be provoking and offensive in the first place. Leave the edgy stuff to broadcasters with the guts to air it as written.
Famously, an episode of the britcom Rising Damp was retro-censored long ago due to a specific legal action concerning a guest character that spoofed a real-life politician. They sort of crudely blurred out the man's name on the posters and showed a generic (the candidate) in the end credits. In such a case, it would have been a shame to have lost the entire episode. It was actually deleted from the official archives and is only available now from a copy exported to Canada and retrieved years later. With the minor retro-censorship for legal reasons, it can be seen again.
I don't feel though, that just anything goes on the excuse that it's a classic. Watching housewives getting slapped across the face for comedic effect, even just threatening to do it, makes me cringe on some classic comedies. Also, some britcoms in particular were fairly racist and misogynist as an honest reflection of their era and prevailing thinking in specific caricatures. It was a realistic portrayal of comedy of a certain time. We shouldn't erase it, but, to just air it again without some kind of commentary about that is also wrong in my opinion.
Again, clearly just doctoring out words is an unacceptable general solution - I agree. That just lets the show seem like it was something that it was not and usually ruins the whole joke or concept. On a home video, it's up to each viewer to suit their own taste, but, in a broadcasting situation, there is some kind of responsibility to acknowledge material which may be considered highly offensive by current standards. Sadly, this means that some shows should only be available now for purchase as home videos but in their fully uncut state.
By the way, I think Spielberg totally punked out by changing the guns to walkie-talkies in the re-edited E.T. anniversary discs but it was his personal right to self-censor. TV stations shouldn't air butchered versions of old classics though. That is generally a wrong compromise that serves neither view. If James Cagney had a cigarette hanging from his lip, then leave it alone. No digital erasing allowed. Find a grown up time slot for it or just don't air the movie.
Eeek!!! I'm getting dressed.
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