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Glee edited by TEN -but it’s not all bad.

TEN again snipped an episode of Glee for a PG timeslot, but what remained was very progressive, all things considered.

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Last week’s episode of Glee “The First Time” was an interesting exercise in television for several reasons.

Firstly, it was the second time this season TEN has edited an episode to fit a PG timeslot.

Secondly, it raises bigger questions about why the remaining adult themes didn’t attract any furore.

“The First Time” centred on the performance of a West Side Story production in which the two lead performers Rachel (Lea Michelle) and Blaine (Darren Criss) were told they weren’t giving very believable performances because both were still virgins.

In the 7:30pm timeslot this was rated PG for its Sexual References. In the US the episode attracted criticism from the Parents Television Council which slammed it for later depicting two teen couples — one straight, one gay — having sex for the first time.

In truth the scenes were post coital, but it was clear by the end of the episode that Rachel / Finn and Kurt / Blaine had indeed done the deed.

TEN edited out a reference to masturbation in the opening scenes, (at least) the second time this season it has trimmed the show to fit a PG timeslot.

Here is a description of one of the opening scenes as it originally aired in the US:

Blaine is dancing around his bedroom while Kurt watches from his bed. Interrupting Blaine’s speech on the ’70’s music, Kurt asks Blaine if he thinks he’s boring. Blaine of course denies this, but Kurt elaborates – he meant sexually boring. Blaine admits to thinking that was what Kurt wanted, and he agrees, but would still like to know if he had ever had the urge to ‘rip off each other’s clothes and get dirty.’

Blaine seems amused, and says that that was why people invented masturbation. Kurt blushes, pretending that the room is simply overheated. Blaine sits down with him, and tells him that they are young, they have time, and that before they have sex, he wants Kurt to be comfortable, so he can be himself. He eyes Kurt up and down and states, ‘Besides, tearing off all your clothes is sort of a tall order.’ Kurt banters back with ‘Because of the layers?’ Blaine agrees, ‘Because of the layers’ and they kiss.

In the Australian broadcast the reference to masturbation and an over-heated room was deleted.

A TEN Spokesperson told TV Tonight: “Correct, we did cut that line out because in the PG classification (which Glee was) verbal references to sex must be restrained, mild in impact and justified by the story line or program context. In this episode (titled “The First Time”) a number of characters are questioning their virginity, including Kurt and Blaine, Rachel and Finn, and even Coach Beiste. This story line justifies the relatively frequent references to sex throughout this episode, but the references must still be restrained and undetailed.

“PG-style sex references must be euphemistic rather than explicit, and the use of the word ‘masturbation’ falls into the “too much information” category.”

After TEN edited out the word ‘skank’ from an earlier episode in September, it raises questions about whether the network should reconsider the timeslot for the show next year. TEN wants a profile show in a profile timeslot but the show isn’t always designed for a PG audience.

However there was considerable content that remained including flirting, kissing, dancing in a gay bar and teens awkwardly attempting to ‘get it on’. The post-coital scenes of the two couples was intimate, tender and unmistakable.

For a PG timeslot the scenes were carefully implied rather than depicted. What was acceptable for heterosexual characters was matched by homosexual characters.

So where was the audience outrage? In 2009 when Home and Away featured a same-sex kiss in a PG 7pm timeslot the furore was unrelenting.

Perhaps the explanation can be found in the fact that media chose to make an issue of Home and Away ahead of the episodes airing, including News Limited quoting Pro-Family group representatives commenting before they had even seen it.

Save for articles last week in the Daily Telegraph and Byron Shire News, both of which merely referenced the US outrage, Glee escaped unscathed in Australia. Home and Away, which showed far less, was not so lucky. It’s an odd standard.

We have even seen gay characters, including same-sex smooches, in G-rated shows including Neighbours and Dance Academy without incident. What’s acceptable for one sexuality in a given classification is acceptable for another.

So while the deletion of “masturbation” was unfortunate, the rest of the episode was quite progressive and suggests audiences are more tolerant of adult themes when they’re actually in context.

And not whipped into a frenzy by the wider media.

33 Responses

  1. Ten should have been more concerned about the appropriateness of teens pressured by their peers to have sex for the sake of a performance in a school play. Not a PG show theme and not something that impressionable young teens should be watching at 7.30pm.

    The highlight of the episode for me was hearing the mega 80s hit “The Look of Love” by ABC in the gay bar.

  2. Im furiously typing away a script for the next Glee season. Wank, tug, jerk, beat the monkey, spam the ham, fondle the clam and the whole show will be to the beat of “I touch myself” by the Divinals. As long as we don’t use the Masturbation word it should get a PG rating and in fact with this logic be aired on ABC2 just before Play School

  3. Does Ten mean to suggest that a single use of the word “masturbation” is what makes the difference between a PG and an M classification? How ridiculous. This isn’t the U.S. where so much as a couple of frames bridge the gap between ratings. Context is the most important factor in determining a classification. If anything, I thought that discussing one’s virginity was far more inappropriate as characters went on to describe their experiences (or lack thereof) in detail, whereas the single allusion to masturbation wasn’t touched upon any further.

    With that said, I still think that this episode could have been accommodated under PG guidelines uncut, however, Ten should have also included “adult themes” under the episode’s consumer advice.

    @ Jack: The word “shit” has been permitted under PG guidelines for as long as film/TV classification laws applied in this country. And if you think that that word is heavy, then you certainly would be surprised by the amount of nudity that you can get away with under PG guidelines. Really, it’s only the “F” and “C” words that would amount to a higher classification (as well as vulgar, sexually explicit language).

  4. There really seem inconsistent messages coming out from TV stations. Look and Home and away. There are murders, arson, underage drinking, rape, drag racing and gang mentality. All this at 7.00pm. I can understand why Ten did what they did, I just don’t really agree with it. Let’s face it, what Teenager isn’t playing with his special friend at that age….

  5. The word ‘masturbation’ isn’t explicit, how absurd! Evidently, they weren’t exactly describing masturbatory techniques. Would they have left it in if they’d said something like ‘jerking off’? Much more crass, but apparently more euphemistic so it’s probably alright.
    God, you can say most swear words and still have a show rated PG, Ten leaves words like ‘shit’ uncensored in some of their own reality shows.

  6. I was surprised that Ten left in all those references to condoms, teenage sex and virginity while of all things, censored an isolated passing reference to masturbation… -.-

    I’ve seen films and TV shows get away with *visual* (albeit restrained) references to masturbation whilst maintaining a PG classification. If anything, I think the cumulative impact of the sexual themes explored in the episode would probably gear it a little towards the M classification as opposed to the sexual references themselves.

  7. I agree with all the comments that talking about masturbation is appropriate for 13+, I would assume the majority of early teens these day already know about it. I think the problem is when parents let children watch such shows without pay attention to the ratings. I know as a kid growing up I watched PG shows which were fairly tame.
    I personally believe Glee should be rated M, I’m 24 and fairly open minded but young children (despite the ratings) watch PG tv shows/movies and teens/pre-teens watch M shows/movies.

    The only real problem I have with episode is the push for Rachel and Blaine to have sex so they can perform better in the play. It’s a damn high school play not a Broadway production.

  8. Umm did Nine not show 2.5 Men at 7pm for years. Isn’t that show just penis and boob jokes?

    Guess I won’t be watching Glee on Ten anymore. Think Glee’s lost it’s way lately though. Too much showtunes and not nearly as good as it used to be.

  12. I don’t blame ten at all for altering the episode at all.
    The episode was terrible all around and purely a message that really didn’t get out the right way at all. Good on ten for doing it.

  13. There was an episode of The Simpsons, in it’s sixteenth season where Homer is in a s church confessional, telling a Priest his “masturbated furiously, and doesn’t plan to give up masturbating” or something along those lines, and that line stayed in and retained a PG rating. What the Hell, Ten?

  17. Stupid edits. Home & Away has more adult content at 7pm and so did Two and Half Men in that slot.
    @Sasha, it’s still 2011 not 2012
    @Jack, a PG program is for viewers 13+, M is 15+

  20. Actually the idea of treating a same-sex kiss, post-coital cuddle etc the same way for censorship purposes is quite new for us. Historically a higher rating or at the very least an Adult Themes warning has been applied. Nice to see we’re growing up.

  21. What a huge “non issue” … it was so tame that it was a let down … and there is nothing wrong with that scene that they cut … every 15 year old knows what that is about anyway … grow up parents!

  22. I thought it was a great episode, and it’s important for teenagers to see both straight and gay couples in positive, committed relationships. It wasn’t sleazy, it was romantic, they made a considered decision to take ‘that next step’ and this was demonstrated.

  24. god, it is 2012, why the need to edit what they did is beyond me. Kids know what is what and anyway, there is nothing wrong with playing with yourself if you want to! LOL

  25. Shhh David! Don’t spread the word about Neighbours having gay characters – the Pro-Family group will probably lobby to have them removed without even watching the show. I’m not sure if Neighbours would have managed to get away with not one, but two gay characters had it been rating highly.

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