The Naughty Bits - Violence, Drugs and the 'F' Word

This episode of The Naughty Bits examines how violence, offensive language and drugs have been handled by Kiwi censors. Ranging across film, music, video games and more, writer/director José Barbosa looks at key cases of censorship in New Zealand, including the many comic books banned in the 1950s, and controversial movies Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986, which was classified in Aotearoa two different ways) and Maniac (2013). Also touched on are banned songs, and two infamous legal cases involving offensive language — by Germaine Greer in one case, and Suburban Reptiles vocalist Clare Elliott in the other. 

Censorship makes one key assumption: what you hear and see can potentially have an impact on the way you behave.

– Narrator Ian Hughes, at the start of this episode

Key Cast & Crew

Arthur Everard

Subject

Ian Hughes

Narrator

Mark Everton

Producer

Brian Holland

Development

José Barbosa

Writer, Director

Clayton Carpinter

Cinematographer