RESEARCH: MORAL PANICS

BBFC reviews policy on music and factual videos in a Guardian article.

Many titles currently on sale but exempt from certification contain violent, distressing and sexually explicit scenes- many originate from heavy metal bands.

The article states that 'They are of differing seriousness, but all those scenes can be seen in videos that are freely available to buy on the high street or Amazon by anyone of any age, none of which have gone through any classification.'

The great majority of exempt video works are fine," said the BBFC's head of policy, David Austin. "They are not going to harm anyone, but there are a significant number of titles that are potentially harmful to children."
 
The BBFC estimates that around 200 videos might be caught by a change in the law.
Austin showed the Guardian examples of videos that have claimed exemption but would have been classified. They range in seriousness. One of the more shocking is a documentary about the American heavy metal band Slipknot "which, actually my son bought when he was 10 and I confiscated", said Austin. "He's waiting till he's older to get it back."

Slipknot is renowned for its explicit publicity and extreme style of music. Mark Brown further stated the CD 'shows one fan who has carved the word Slipknot in to her forearm and another who has done the same in her belly, to which someone is seen pointing in admiration.'

A music video by the Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth, which was rated X in Germany but is unrated in the UK, shows topless women being crucified with blood running down their breasts.

Brown also suggests that 'videos that can say they are educational or instructional can also claim exemption.' Another example of this is the Robbie Williams video for the song Come Undone, which contained an exempt compilation, In and Out of Consciousness, and showed drug taking and Williams cavorting in bed with two naked women.

In my opinion, it is apparent that music videos can be 'extreme' in that they push boundaries in terms of what is perceived as normal. I agree with the view that some parents should be 'active' in protecting some scenes of violence etc. to make sure bands like slipknot are not exposed to people of young ages.