Bricks in Motion
We are a friendly filmmaking community devoted to the art of stop-motion animation using LEGO® and similar construction toys. Here, you can share your work, join our community of other brickfilmers, and participate in periodic animation contests!
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wow let's give realbrick a round of applause
thank you realbrick what you said was perfect
Yep, he put it nicely.
Last edited by PushOverProductions (September 18, 2013 (09:08pm))
I was pretty forthright in my first comment, and I apologise for not being particularly clear. Using petty was probably the wrong word to utilise when describing this whole discussion. To clarify, I just find such serious attitudes towards something as small (from my perspective) as 'swearing' a bit odd. Thus, the actual discussion here is interesting for me, but the actual topic of profanity in people's animations (due to my personal viewpoint) appears to me to be a bit petty in nature. The subject of profanity in brickfilms happens to be petty (or insignificant) to me because frankly, I don't find it to be a pressing issue worth a large amount of discussion.
Other people will disagree, I'm 100% fine with that, after all, it's their own personal interpretation on the issue, just as the paragraph above is mine.
Finally, the labelling of profanity in brickfilms as inappropriate and unnecessary can be very relevant and correct for some certain examples, such as the film posted on the previous page (although I did have a chuckle at its absurdity). What I really have an issue with is when people produce a universal blanket statement which designates all usage of profanity or violence in brickfilms as inappropriate or unnecessary. I find that quite silly.
Edit: For RealBrick *claps*
Last edited by Carousel (September 18, 2013 (09:46pm))
Again, Carousel, no one said that all profanity by all brickfilmers is unnecessary or inappropriate. No one here is talking censorship here. But I have called it unnecessary in many cases, becaus eI saw many Brickfilms that use profanity that wouldn't be any worse without it.
My brickfilms won't use profanity. But that doesn't mean that I don't break social norms... I do break them, and ones that many people who have no problem with profanity would be offended by.
Now here are a few anecdotes about non-profanity that has been censored from television. On the 2nd season premiere of "Last Man Standing", ABC's standards and practices department would not let the show air unless they removed the part where the father, a rugged individualist, referred to Mr Obama as a communist. I know what you're thinking: ABC has a standards & Practices department? I'm not arguing for or against the validity of the statement about Obama here, but it was within character for the father of the show. But since when was it taboo to make critical statements about politicians? And without that statement, the episode was a total bomb except for one line about banning Slurpees.
When VeggieTales creator Phil Visher signed the contract with NBC to air the series, he had no idea they were going to censor all references to God, which essentially sucked the soul and premise of the show. It makes you wonder why they wanted the show in the first place. Apparently NBC has a rule banning any reference to God in a Biblical sense. Included in the ban is Bob the Tomato's very dangerous and offensive catch phrase, "God made you special, and he loves you very much."
Oh, by the by, recently ABC, had no trouble airing a commercial for "Betrayal" on their morning talk show. The ad featured a nude couple making love suggestively, and it portrayed the woman's entire exposed breast. Remember,t his was on int he morning, when millions of children are preparing for school. Maybe the standards & practices dept was on leave that week.
Well, anyway, the point is that there are a lot of ways to offend people in brickfilming. You have to be your own judge. I pride myself in making my films family friendly while still writing on an adult level and addressing adult topics. I owe a lot of gratitude to Brick 7 here on BiM for all her input on such matters. But I deviate from the social norm in many ways. I mock Hollywood's shallow values and eschew teh folly of political correctness too much for this to be acceptible for TV. They may have no problem with obscenity, but don't like to see their viewpoints ridiculed or challenged.
Returning to the essence of Fumni's original post: in my opinion swear words are rarely necessary. Many films I watched that use the language weren't enhanced in any way by it, especially today, since it's lost its shock value. There are situations where such use may be appropriate. But each director should make their own decisions, and keep in mind that people get offended by so much more in our hypersensitive times., and again, you be the judge.
We've all become so desensitised by swearing that often I think its funnier to replace it with 19th Century curses. "Twit", "Doofus", and "Dunderhead" remain my favourite insults (though, the word "Bugger" will always have a place in my heart)
We've all become so desensitised by swearing that often I think its funnier to replace it with 19th Century curses. "Twit", "Doofus", and "Dunderhead" remain my favourite insults (though, the word "Bugger" will always have a place in my heart)
Older brittish shows like Blackadder and Faulty towers do a splendid job of using many, extremely long insults and ridiculous words. I think its much funnier when shows do this then when the just call people "S-heads"
Last edited by PushOverProductions (September 19, 2013 (12:12pm))
Oh, I forgot this. Hilarious and rather scary - without a single cuss. I'm not saying that swearing can't be funny, its just that swearing doesn't always equal hilarity and the only people who can pull it off are actually really clever.
Fawlty Towers does use the insult 'B***ard!' to great effect at one point, but I think thats the most explicit classic British Comedy ever got - though it may just be because the BBC were really uptight back in the 70's/80's, although I think British Comedy isn't really as funny now everyone is allowed to make dead baby jokes on National TV (post 9 O'Clock, obviously). Its kind of like when in the 70's they stopped censorship in theatre, so suddenly there was a wave of really terrible plays that were being shocking and overly avant-garde just because they could.
Last edited by Max Butcher (September 19, 2013 (12:06pm))
We've all become so desensitised by swearing that often I think its funnier to replace it with 19th Century curses. "Twit", "Doofus", and "Dunderhead" remain my favourite insults (though, the word "Bugger" will always have a place in my heart)
Bugger is also a favorite of my Aunt. "You are a bugger", her catch phrase.
Galactic Films wrote:(E.G. STAR WARS sometimes
There's swearing in Star Wars? I've seen all the movies (sadly, this includes the prequels) and never heard one swear word.
Anyways, my thoughts have already been shared. True, some people might enjoy watching a naughty brickfilm with swears. But really honestly, I believe that brickfilms can do without. I mean, look at all the great brickfilms that have been made without swear words.
And, on the subject of that "video", that's just sad. It's stuff like that that I just can't help but facepalm at. And the video description just adds on the heap.
Ya, 2 had the D word, 4 the H and D and 5 H.
This topic has been discussed ad nauseum. I'm personally against swearing and dislike using bad language in general, though I can understand if it is used for a purpose... the problem is, every single example of bad language in brickfilming is not used for a purpose, which makes it pointless and annoying. Frankly, I don't care much for people who use bad language just because they think it is "cool" or because they're trying to shock the audience (shocking someone just for the sake of it doesn't prove anything). I personally don't see the humour in bad language, either--the only time I've ever found a rude word funny is in this, and even then it has more to do with the way Fry says it, rather than the word itself being inherently funny.
Generally think it's much funnier to make up insults, or use odd though not inherently rude words, or possibly use archaic/obsolete words. There are much more creative ways to express yourself than having to resort to swearing.
Nah, "thickface" is where we're at.......
He might be right, Galactic, cuss I thought there was one too.
He might be right, Galactic, cuss I thought there was one too.
Are you sure about that? I swear there was at least one in there.
comedy gold
It's legitimately upsetting to me that this is still such a huge controversy.
^ Agreed.
I'm against language in brickfilms. They should all be silent movies. (I'm so funny)
I don't think making movies it's about pleasing the audience, I think it's more about pleasing yourself (although pleasing the audience would be better), with or without language. I do agree though that in many brickfilms the use of swearing is quite annoying. Still, I'm not at all bothered when it's used well.
Also, I don't understand the meaning of the word "serious", used by many of you here. A comedy can be absolutely serious, and a drama can be totally ridiculous.
Petty, I agree.
I'm against language in brickfilms. They should all be silent movies. (I'm so funny)
I don't think making movies it's about pleasing the audience, I think it's more about pleasing yourself (although pleasing the audience would be better), with or without language. I do agree though that in many brickfilms the use of swearing is quite annoying. Still, I'm not at all bothered when it's used well.
Also, I don't understand the meaning of the word "serious", used by many of you here. A comedy can be absolutely serious, and a drama can be totally ridiculous.
Petty, I agree.
Exactly on both points! 1) Please yourself. You can have a totally clean brickfilm and offend someone. 2) I have written about how serious comedy actually is, and how the standards are not supposed to be lower because it's comedy.
Sorry about the bump, but I wanted to share my opinion on this:
Ok, let's say that I make a brickfilm about Martin Luther King, and I used the 'n' word many times in the film, is that wrong? I mean, this man had a huge impact on the world, and to say that to him is mean and rude, but it is also realistic. He was called that word many times, and was abused by the whites many times. Language can be used effectively to prove a point. Of course, Lego is still meant to be a kids toy, so simple, add a warning at the beginning of the film so that if someone is uncomfortable hearing the words, they can stay clear out of the video's way.
No offense, but I would hold off on a project like that until you increase your skill level. It doesn't matter how serious you are, if your production doesn't look really professional, people are going to be offended, thinking this is just some racist kid. It's important to be very professional and respectful when handling subjects such as that, and I'm not sure you're capable of it yet. Also, I don't think LEGO is a good medium for that sort of film anyway.
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