Mediaboss Marketing

Niamh Algar in CensorImage: Magnet Releasing

Censor is a 2021 Giallo film written and directed by Prano-Bailey Bond, and co-written with Anthony Fletcher. The story follows Enid Baines (Niamh Algar), a woman who works at the British film censor board. She is part of a team that decides which movies make it into theaters and which films will never see the light of day. While at work shes well-liked and seen as a hard worker, but outside her job, shes haunted by her younger sisters disappearance.

Her parents want to move on, but Enid refuses to let go. Then, one day while looking at a gory slasher snuff film, Enid thinks she sees her sister in the movie. This sets her on a course of self-destruction as she aims to unravel the truth behind her sisters disappearance. Censorwhich io9 got to review out of Sundance earlier this yearcenters around the inner workings of Enids mind instead of focusing on the terrors of the real world. Bailey-Bond and Fletcher want to evoke unease and tension. However, it often gets overshadowed by its hesitancy to tell the audience the truth. Not sure why as early on its easy to predict where the story is going. Further exploring how obsession as a trauma response can lead to disastrous results would have been a better use of the movies time instead of trying to be scary.

Despite the issues, the Giallo influence is palpable and used to great effect. Censor expertly uses color and style to blend atmospheric tension and suspense. The Cinematography by Annika Summerson and Bailey-Pranos direction is Argentoesque and make it very obvious. The pinks, blues, and purples are not the usual colors used to create tension, but it works here. Theres a strong sense of claustrophobia. No matter where Enid is in the film, the super-tight shots leave no room for her to move, so the audience is forced into a state of discomfort watching this womans death spiral. The kill scenes are gory as hell and also tightly filmed, so you see everything up close and personalin all its bloody glory.

Is Censor the future of Giallo cinema? Well, its hard to say as Giallo is one of those timeless sub-genres that doesnt often see drastic changejust bigger budgets. A better question is whether modern directors and storytellers will utilize the style enough to enhance quality content? And that is what Censor does well. Read Germain Lussiers in-depth Sundance 2021 review of Censor here. The film is currently in theaters and will be available on VOD June 18.

For more, make sure youre following us on our Instagram @io9dotcom.

G/O Media may get a commission

View post:
Is Censor the Future of Giallo Horror? - Gizmodo

Twitter's CEO Jack Dorsey on late Friday (local time) was heckled at the Bitcoin 2021 conference held in Miami.

"Twitter's CEO Jack Dorsey heckled over censorship during an #Bitcoin event," tweeted Disclose.tv.

At the event, one of the attendees interrupted the discussion at one point, seemingly accusing Dorsey of undue censorship of free speech through Twitter.

According to US-based entertainment news company Meaww, the attendee who interrupted Dorsey was an anti-Muslim activist, Laura Loomer.

She attacked Dorsey at the bitcoin reference for being a "giant hypocrite about censorship and freedom of speech".

Laura registered her protest against the new censorship rules and accused Dorsey of "interfering" with people's rights.

"Censorship is human rights violation, " she said. Following her gimmick, Laura was quickly escorted out, reported Meaww.

Twitter banned Laura back in 2018 after she posted a tweet about Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar. In her tweet, Laura mentioned that Omar, one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, was "anti-Jewish" and that her religion pushed homophobia and abuse of women.

Laura had registered her protest against getting banned from the platform by handcuffing herself to the glass doors leading into Twitter's Manhattan headquarters. "It's almost as if Twitter hates Jews and conservatives. When is Jack Dorsey going to stop censoring conservatives? When am I going to get my Twitter back? I'll be here as long as it takes, " she said, reported Meaww.

Twitter raged with reactions over Laura Loomer's heckling of Twitter CEO over censorship issues. While some agreed with Laura's stance, some condemned her act.

One user wrote, "Jack Dorsey, why don't you do the right thing and allow all voices to be heard? Seriously, what are you so afraid of? That people will think for themselves?"

One of the comments slamming Laura Looner read, "Hearing Laura Loomer just lost it on Jack Dorsey at a Bitcoin event in Miami -for censorship Sorry, dopey Laura, wrong platform It's Facebook you're mad at today. But hey, keep it up! Rational America really appreciates the help getting Trump permanently banned from Twitter!"

Another tweet read, "Laura Loomer is a racist islamaphobic loser who feels important because every once and a while she trends on twitter for doing some dumb... like she did today with Jack Dorsey"

At the conference, Dorsey was joined during the discussion by Alex Gladstein the chief strategy officer of Human Rights Foundation and another advocate for the sovereign potential of Bitcoin.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters

* Enter a valid email

* Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!!

See more here:
Twitter's CEO Jack heckled at Bitcoin 2021 conference over censorship issue - Mint

June 2, 2021Social media platforms that have automated moderation policies have been wittingly or unwittingly censoring legitimate speech, according to activists, with those corporate tools coming into focus following last months violence in the Middle East.

Platforms like Facebook and its subsidiary Instagram, as well as others, have moderation systems that automatically flag and remove posts that may encourage hate speech or violence.

But those systems has been taking down, blocking and censoring content from Palestinians, made evident as violence erupted between Israelis and Palestinians last month and continues today, according to a panel hosted by the Middle East Institute Wednesday.

Words have been incorrectly misinterpreted as terrorist speech, flagged and removed, the panelists say. Middle East policy analyst Marwa Fatafta used the example of the erroneous association of Islams third-holiest mosque, Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, to a terrorist organization. This error led to blocked hashtags, removed users, and deleted posts, and Facebooks response was that it was just a technical glitch.

Their machines are blind to the vital context, Fatafta said. This is not unique to the Palestinians. This is bad news to all aspects of social justice.

Palestinians have said that their perspective has not been reflected adequately in traditional media, and they have taken to social media as a way to get their message across.

The discussion comes as conversations heat up about possible reforms to Section 230, the legal provision governing platform liability for what users posts.

In a time of such violence, Fatafta explains this is a profound problem from a human rights perspective that needs to be addressed immediately by these large companies. She said the danger of the power being given to these big tech companies is that hey can choose the narrative they want the world to hear, and censor what they deem unacceptable.

Ignacio Delgado Culebras, a journalist covering the Middle East and North Africa, said there needs to be more transparency with these social media platforms. He explained we are still left in the dark about how companies make these decisions and who they consult with, and thousands of requests over the years to adjust the community standards have been denied.

These are ultimately human policy decisions, and they can be addressed or reversed, said Eliza Campbell, an associate director at the Middle East Institute. These are systems that we chose, and we can choose to reconsider them, and hopefully, that will be something we can see going forward.

Go here to see the original:
Automated Social Media Moderation In Focus Following Allegations Of Censorship - BroadbandBreakfast.com

Twenty years ago, Toronto police ordered a series of degrading paintings to be pulled from the window of a Queen Street East shop, after neighbourhood residents complained.

The paintings (and their creator Ann-Marie Cheung) are pictured here in this 1991 photo by the Toronto Stars Jim Wilkes. The paintings depicted bare-breasted, blue-tinged women bound by chains and thorny rope, with their long ethereal hair escaping restraint.

Razzle Cameron, the manager of the shop Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, agreed to remove the paintings to stay out of trouble. However, Cameron did not agree with the complaint, noting at the time that a strip club down the block was not being painted with the same brush.

Cheung remembers feeling rather surprised and found it quite humorous that some people could be so offended by a work of art. But the censorship of her work did not amuse: I was angered that my freedom of expression was stripped from me.

These paintings by Cheung had been displayed without incident at an Ottawa art gallery three years earlier. However, it seemed that Toronto audiences were more sensitive.

As an artist, Cheung says, it is my job to evoke an emotional response. In that case I was successful; but, it wasnt my initial intention.

Today, Cheung lives just outside of Toronto, with a home studio in which she can continue to paint the goddess and explore the divine feminine.

Reflecting on those controversial pieces, Cheung describes them as painted in a surreal symbolist style. She explains, The one in chains was personifying how women are chained to certain roles. The one blindfolded and bound was ironically about censorship, symbolizing how our eyes and hands are restricted. To this day she maintains there was nothing sexual or pornographic about the pieces.

There is certainly nothing unusual or new about depictions of nude women in fine art, neither today nor when Cheung painted these pieces. At art school we study and draw and paint from live nude models, says Cheung, who graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto. I feel that it is the artists right to express and interpret anything they desire.

Cheung sees her mission as an artist as one of release. I help adventurous spirits create a joyful, magical space in their lives with my unique, vibrant, whimsical artwork, she says. And, Cheung believes we all have an inner artist eager to come out and play. She produces workshops and programs to guide others in their own sacred painting practice, even those with no artistic experience.

As unconventional today as she was 20 years ago, Cheung is also a certified yoga instructor, is learning to scuba dive, and hopes to hold in-person art retreats once the pandemic is over. She looks forward to encouraging artistic expression through exploring ancient symbols, meditations and exercises that will ignite creative spark and help others, as well as herself, connect with the art that is your life.

Loading...Loading...Loading...Loading...Loading...

Read the rest here:
A Toronto artist's painting symbolized censorship of women. In 1991, Toronto police ordered it removed - TheSpec.com

Sales tax collection amendment headed to voters

The proposed constitutional amendment to consolidate local sales tax collections under state control cleared its last hurdles Thursday when the House and Senate unanimously and almost simultaneously approved the compromise version worked out in a conference committee.

The conference report on House Speaker Clay Schexnayders HB199 was approved 101-0 in the House and 37-0 in the Senate.

Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, whose district includes part of southern Lafayette Parish, served as House floor manager. He explained that the bill creates an eight-member commission to oversee consolidated sales tax collections. It will require a two-thirds vote by the commission, followed by a two-thirds vote in each house of the Legislature, to alter the sales tax laws without the need for a constitutional amendment.

We dont touch any of the revenue levied by local authorities, he said in answer to a question from the back mic.

After the unanimous vote, Beaullieu thanked the members and said, Youve made a big deal for the state of Louisiana today.

It will appear on the midterm election ballot on Nov. 8, 2022.

The House delayed a final vote Thursday on another of Schexnayders projects, HCR40, which would direct the Department of Economic Development and the State Board of Commerce to suspend tax incentives, subsidies and other public financial support for solar projects not regulated by the Public Service Commission. The House was scheduled to vote on the Senates amended version. It will likely be brought back up when the House reconvenes on Monday.

A slightly amended version of SB247 by Senate President Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, which sets up the ground rules for legalized sports wagering, cleared the House Thursday, but only after several members hurled some questions at its House sponsor, Rep. John Stefanski, R-Crowley.

The bill had been amended to include wagering on horse racing at all licensed locations. In the original, it would have been available only at riverboat casinos, not land-based ones, Stefanski said.

Rep. Larry Frieman, R-Abita Springs, asked Stefanski why the bill has a cap of 20 licenses when sports wagering was approved by local option in 55 parishes last November. Stefanski explained that he and Cortez put a lot of thought and effort into the bill and acknowledged that it will create dead zones for legal sports wagering in the state.

If you dont have a cap, youll have a casino on every corner, and thats not the intent of this, Stefanski said. We thought it would be in the best interest of the state. This is a good starting point.

Rep. Robby Carter, D-Amite, extracted an assurance from Stefanski that the bill will not hurt my horse racers.

If anything it will help the horse racers, Stefanski told him.

SB247 passed 78-15. Six of Lafayette Parishs seven representatives voted for it; Rep. Stuart Bishop was absent.

The bill gives priority for the 20 licenses to the existing 16 riverboat casinos and four land-based casinos under state jurisdiction.

It now goes back to the Senate to concur in the House amendments or reject them. The original version passed the Senate 31-6 on May 19.

In a rare move that may be a bellwether of the Houses opinion of the bill, the House on Thursday voted down a motion to direct the Commerce Committee to report a bill that would allow Louisianians to sue social media companies for censoring their religious or political opinions.

The motion to discharge the bill from committee was rejected 25-38, with 42 members abstaining. Among the Lafayette delegation, Republican Reps. Beau Beaullieu and Julie Emerson voted to force the bill out of committee, Republican Jonathan Goudeau and Democrat Vincent Pierre voted against it and Republicans Stuart Bishop and Jean-Paul Coussan and Democrat Marcus Bryant abstained.

Speaker Clay Schexnayder voted nay, something he seldom does.

SB196 by Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, has been controversial from the start. It initially fell one vote short of the 20 votes needed to clear the Senate early in the session, but it eventually passed 37-0 on May 20. It has since bounced around the House like a pinball. On May 20, Schexnayder referred it first to the Civil Law and Procedure Committee, where it languished for a week without a hearing before being discharged on Wednesday and recommitted to the Commerce Committee. No hearing has been scheduled, and with less than a week until the end of the session its chances of passage appear remote.

The bill would have authorized up to $75,000 in actual civil damages to plaintiffs who can prove a social media company has censored their content.

HCR51 by Rep. Mark Wright, R-Covington, which calls for a national constitutional convention to establish unspecified term limits for the U.S. House and Senate, was tabled in the Senate Thursday on a 21-13 vote.

It also faced stiff vocal opposition in the House, where it passed 66-23 on May 24.

Sen. Edward Price, D-Gonzales, warned that this is a very, very scary path to open up the Constitution. We need to be very careful doing this.

Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, recalled that after this resolution came up last session, several members were intimidated. I dont know who was behind it, Morris said, but I move to table.

Two of Lafayette Parishs senators, Republican Bob Hensgens and Democrat Gerald Boudreaux, voted to table. Senate President Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, abstained.

Go here to see the original:
Legislative Roundup: Sales tax collections amendment headed to voters; sports betting clears House; social media censorship bill falters - The Current