What happened to freedom of speech on television?

I've watched a number of Youtube "reaction" videos where today's generation watch TV from the 1970s and are in shock but at the same time fascinated at the freedom of the times. We live in a time where it seems everyone is actively looking for something to be offended by.

I think people are just more considerate of others feelings seeing the effect that television can have on people and society.

humor is a really complicated thing isn't it?

a lot of humor from that time period was based on sterotypes and bigotry.

remember in the 80s when the joke about asian tourists is that they had cameras and took pictures of everything?

I listen to podcasts with dana carvey and david sapde - and they comment on how difficult it is to be funny these days. One comment could get you in major trouble and on all sorts of social media sites - getting you "cancelled".

I believe that it’s called censorship…

I'm glad we're not tolerating harmful language anymore.

TV was censored originally but people & society were different back then

1970's how. Were there as many school shootings back then as there is now?

There have been similar conversations in Britain.

There'd probably be a lot of nerves jangled if for example someone suggested reviving the BBC TV sit-com Till Death Do Us Part, because the central character, Alf Garnett (played by Warren Mitchell) was a rather obnoxious, self-opinionated and sometimes racist, but ultimately rather sad old buffoon trapped in his own narrow life.

The objections though would totally miss the point: the show was not being that, the character was; and the plays were satirising the attitudes and mannerisms of such people.

However... it is back on TV. The Telegraph newspaper has bought the rights to re-broadcast it on its subscription channel.
..

While on the radio I have heard plays or readings of novels written many decades ago, and in order to preserve the works' integrity needing an introductory warning of words and attitudes no longer seen as acceptable. So either sweep them under the carpet by switching off and feeling oh-so-virtuous... or listen, properly, prepared to be uncomfortable, to gain some understanding of the authors and their own society.

If Archie Bunker were real he would have used the N word. They don’t have the character say it. Censorship?

The public has a responsibility to provide public platforms, funding for independent voices and journalism. That's one government responsibility we all agree to smuggly ignore with a smile. We're at war. We know. Lolz!

Freedom of speech protects speech from government control. Private companies can control content however they see fit. All in the Family used those words to make a point about bigotry. Archie Bunker was an example of a bigot. He was scared of being left irrelevant in a changing more inclusive world. Mixed with ignorance. He allowed us to empathize with was causes of racism. The whole MAGA movement is this.

I sometimes think those were the 70's version of 'woke' culture. or perhaps it's infancy...

I won't laugh at a racist going at it thinking they're hilarious for talking down a group of people. Plus it's such cheap jokes that's been said a million times.

I think this censorship has inspired to jokes. About censorship and many other things that is hot topics in this era.

For example now it's not just men making fun of their wives, it's women making fun of husbands or exes too , it's single people sharing how awesome their single life is without a single shameful bone in their body. Especially single and lesbian women. Lgbtq and feminism is shaping the comedy today and it gives new fresh material.

Different times but still great comedy.

PC + WOKE = Regression

Shows can still be interesting without racial remarks

Heck. In the 80's and early 90's we had a couple of kids programs that had adult jokes snuck in that would definitely get them cancelled today.