When television was introduced into American homes in the 1950’s, all shows were filmed live and it was not possible to edit them before people watched them. However, censorship was still present even then. Perhaps the most famous example is the episode of The Ed Sullivan Show on which Elvis “The Pelvis” Presley performed. The show’s producers felt that Elvis’s hip gestures were sexually suggestive and therefore inappropriate for television, so they told the camera men to film him from the waist up only. Another example from the 50s is on the situation comedy I Love Lucy, in which the show’s married main characters had to sle

ep in twin beds, so as to not make any suggestions that they had a physical relationship. By today’s standards, these situations seem absurd.

While profanity has not been the only issue of debate in television, movies, and music, it certainly appears to have been the most controversial. Television is much more stringent in censoring profanity than even strong violence or sexual content. And it seems that in movies, language has the largest impact in determining ratings. The profanity debate has always been between conservative fundamentalists and First Amendment advocates. However, with the emergence of hate speech in song lyrics, many liberals have taken the pro-censorship side of the debate. This is a language issue that will not easily or quickly be resolved.

In the 1970s, movies and television shows became much more graphic, partially due to the sexual revolution and counterculture movement of the late 60s. R-rated movies began to depict graphic violence, coarse language, and nudity. Television shows like All in the Family used profanity and addressed many issues that were considered taboo in the more conservative fifties and sixties. What was considered to be profane seemed to change considerably and become more relaxed around this time.

No major controversies arose in the 90s concerning movies, but several steps were taken concerning objectionable content on television programs. One of

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