The Null Device

The laughing stock of the cultural world: After Howard's morality police banned Baise-Moi, various agencies, from Melbourne's Lumiere cinema and the film's distributor to the premier of New South Wales, have announced their intention to challenge the ban. However, as the ban was the result of a final appeal, there is believed to be no legal means for overturning it, unless they decide to take it to the High Court or something like that, so it's exceedingly unlikely that the film will be legally seen in Australia for the next few decades; or until its anachronisms and quaintly two-dimensional format makes it a harmless curiosity piece.

There are 10 comments on "":

Posted by: Toby http://www.adbusters.org/ Mon May 13 13:53:19 2002

In this case, perhaps, the censors have done us a favour... Chicks with guns. Yawn.

Posted by: acb http://dev.null.org Mon May 13 15:07:45 2002

But they're *French* chicks with guns. Much less schmaltzy than the American variety...

The film itself I can take or leave. What gets me is the insult of being told I am not allowed to watch it because John Howard and Fred Nile want to save my soul. The fact that I have seen it once and would be unlikely to see it again is irrelevant; it's the principle that counts.

OTOH, if it makes Australia look like the Texas of the Southern Hemisphere, and our wise leaders as buffoons, it may be ultimately good. Now when will Senator Alston set up his mega-high-power radio transmitter to Christianise south-east Asia?

Posted by: alex http://us.imdb.com/Title0096799 Mon May 13 19:00:23 2002

Baise-Moi, given an R rating and screened privately. But what about "American Angels: Baptism of Blood", given an R rating and screened on free-to-air, the nine network, in Melbourne late last Sunday night? (What indeed about the dross available to all and sundry over the age of 18 at the local 'Shaft', 'Crazy Horse' etc?)

http://us.imdb.com/Title?0096799

I'd say AA:BB was the more pornographic and exploitative, and it was available to anyone with a TV and/or a VCR. From the twenty or so minutes I saw of it, it exploited or made fun of women in general, obese women, 'dwarfs', and threw in an awkward 'erotic' sequence where the cast sprayed whipped cream and beer over each other, while forcibly removing bras and other upper garments.

I am reminded of certain senators getting their knickers in a twist over 'Lolita' when 'Happiness', a hundred times more explicit and confrontational, slipped under the radar.

I'd also like to throw my lot in with those arguing that 'fuck me' is a more appropriate, a

Posted by: alex Mon May 13 19:01:12 2002

I'd also like to throw my lot in with those arguing that 'fuck me' is a more appropriate, accurate and less offensive translation than 'rape me'. I haven't seen the film but it seems to me there's a lot more (consensual) fucking than (non-consensual) raping.

Bugger Star Wars Episode II: where can I get a 'screenie' of 'Baise-Moi'?

Posted by: diane http:// Mon May 13 19:15:06 2002

The laughing stock of the cultural world:

Well, and I thought it was only Americans who forgot about Rudy Giuliani's call for "decency standards" for art at publicly funded museums. But he's a hero post-Sept 11...

The New Victimology - The Catholic League depicts critics as prejudiced and their ideas as hate crimes.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2001/02/16/catholics/

And the Catholic League's self-righteousness was *before* the pedophile priest scandal became so public.

Posted by: Jimbob http://the-fix.org Tue May 14 00:03:24 2002

That thing about the high-powered transmitter to broadcast jesus-centric programming into Asia is deadly serious, and I seem to remember the organisation behind it got the go-ahead (at least in terms of transmission rights, dunno about construction approval but that can't be too hard in the Kimberly). Might have to look for more information on that. Sounds a bit like "Radio Free Europe" to me... "Radio Convert Asia".

Posted by: acb http://dev.null.org Tue May 14 05:03:41 2002

Re: screenies. You can always import a Region 2 DVD. Mind you, doing so would be an extremely serious crime. (Importation of material refused classification is legally the same as trafficking in child pornography or snuff films.) If you did so, and Customs found you, you would get a criminal record, and very likely some jail time.

Posted by: concerned http://mozilla Tue May 14 17:01:24 2002

There seems a serious trend towards conservatism going on here gives me cause for concern. Listen to the comments of talkback radio and you can easily detect it. As far as this film is concerned I havent seen it, as evidently many of those who complained about it. But I would not prevent anyone else from watching it if they want to. I believe it is far better to allow consenting adults to choose what they want to watch, or listen to. To do otherwise is censorship, and the first step on a slippery slope into a society easily manipulated, where dissent isnt tolerated. There is a concerning overlap with the new proposed legislation re: terrorism. Where are the voices of reason and dissent?

Posted by: bozo http:// Tue May 14 17:07:31 2002

If a movie such as Bais-moi is considered as demenaing to human beings, why isnt a film like "Dumb & Dumber" (which played on TV recently)? Admittedly one is deemed "entertainment", which is another point. What about films that are supposed to deal with serious issues, so should be considered as Art. Final point, even if the sex is real, as I understand it is, it's not an actual rape, it is a depiction of a rape - by actors. So it is consensual sex, and therefore no different to what porn actors do, is it? I understand it cant be rated X because of the violent content, but the violence isnt real, so it isnt a snuff film either.

Posted by: okiba http://okiba75.net Thu May 16 13:41:04 2002

The underlying theme that disturbs me about this situation is that we, as adults, have been denied the ability to decide whether we want to watch this film or not.

The growing trend in conservatism will only lead to an over-sanitised environment where all forms of diversion, whether moral or otherwise will be punishable.