Oh s***! What are we going to do now?

I thought carefully about the title of this post. As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I generally take the view that if you feel the need to use a profanity filter over what you're saying, it's generally a sign that you probably shouldn't be saying it anyway. However, I did consider that I may yet be on one or two blog-rolls, and while I may be happy swearing on my own blog, I'm not so keen on fouling the air over on Welshy's far more civilised blog.

Anyway...

One of my absolute favourite films of all time is, of course, "Transformers: the Movie". (Obviously, this is the animated one of yesteryear, not the Michael Bay abomination starring Foxy Megan and The Beef.) Truth be told, it's not really the best film, but it's a childhood favourite and so inherently great.

Way back when TF was in the cinema, and later on video, the BBFC had mandated some cuts to the film. The UK never got the cut that was shown in the States. With the DVD releases of the film, this was changed, mostly for the better.

However, at one point in the film, one of the characters is heard to utter the line, "Oh shit, what are we going to do now?"

Now, I'm an adult, and frankly don't really care about swearing in films. It just doesn't bother me. But the thing is, my nephew, PJ, is not. And, what's more, he's something of a sponge - he basically takes in absolutely everything he's exposed to. (Fortunately, his memory doesn't extend as far back as his first Christmas, when a supervillain who shall be known only as G commented on the existence of a certain present-bearing housebreaker...)

Anyway, this of course creates a certain problem. PJ loves Transformers (of course), and would love the film. But all the DVD versions include this swear-word. (Which, it should be noted, adds not a single thing to the film.) And that means that I cannot get him a copy, or let him watch my copy, or anything of the sort - his parents may make that decision, but I'm not entitled to do so. It's really frustrating.

So, I have to ask: what were the publishers thinking? And, indeed, what were the BBFC thinking in letting it go ahead in this form? Did they even watch the revised cut?

It just seems so pointless, and annoying.

(Incidentally, if and when I eventually have children, I feel I shall have to take the BBFC certificates as only the loosest of guidelines. Honestly, I don't believe they watch a lot of what they pass - there are some things that get through that really shouldn't (South Park's erect penis), and some things that get cut that shouldn't (Die Hard 4.0). It really seems to make no sense. Indeed, it often seems that they just translate the US rating into its UK certificate equivalent. This would certainly explain why the '12' became a '12A', thus making it exactly the same as the US PG-13...)