Music videos
The Office can classify music videos that are sold on video or DVD. It is the responsibility of the person or the organisation making the video available to the public to make sure it is properly labelled. For physical product like a DVD, in most cases this will be the distributor or the retailer. In the case of clips downloaded from the Internet, it depends on where the site is hosted. If the site is in New Zealand, then it must comply with the Act. If it is outside New Zealand, it is governed by its own local law. Someone downloading what is a restricted clip in New Zealand from a site in America is not committing a crime unless they then send it on to friends.
Television and radio broadcasts of music videos are governed by the Broadcasting Act 1983. Individual broadcasters are responsible for their own censorship, but there is a complaints authority set up under the Broadcasting Act. If you have a complaint about an item on television, the appropriate body to contact is the broadcaster in the first instance (for example, TVNZ or TV3), then the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA).
While the Office classifies publications according to the Act, looking at whether or not a publication is objectionable, the BSA works within a series of codes for different mediums . Each of these codes has standards, such as "Good taste and decency", and "Children's Interests", which are two of the television standards. The BSA is also able to make rulings for or against complaints, something which is not a function of the Office.
Two decisions on videos by the rapper 50 Cent illustrate these differences between the decisions of the Office and the BSA.
Decision of the Office on The New Breed (PDF, v7.0, 19.7kb)
A decision on Candy Shop from the BSA
The contact details for the BSA are as follows:
Broadcasting Standards Authority
2 nd Floor, NZ Lotteries Commission Bldg
54-56 Cambridge Terrace
PO Box 9213
WELLINGTON
Ph 04 382 9508
Fax 04 382 9543
Email bsa@voyager.co.nz
www.bsa.govt.nz
Some Music Videos Classified by the Office of Film and Literature Classification
Blink 182 – The Urethra Chronicles
R16, Contains offensive language
Blink 182 – The Urethra Chronicles II
R13, Contains offensive language and sexual references
Eminem – Stan
R16, Contains violence, sexual references, and offensive language
Eminem – All Access Europe
R16, Contains drug use and offensive language
Eminem – The Eminem Show
R16, Contains drug use and offensive language
50 Cent – The New Breed
R16, Contains violence, sexual references and offensive language
Kurupt - G-TV
R16, Contains drug use, sex scenes, and offensive language
Marilyn Manson – Demystifying The Devil An Unauthorised Biography On Marilyn Manson
R18, Contains offensive language, cruelty, and anti-social behaviour
Marilyn Manson – Doppelherz
M, Content may disturb
Marilyn Manson – Dead To The World
R18, Contains violence, offensive language and sex scenes
Marilyn Manson – God Is In The TV
R18, Contains offensive language and anti-social behaviour
Marilyn Manson – Guns, God, And Government World Tour
R16, Offensive language and content that may offend
Snoop Dogg - Bo$$ Player A Day In The Life Of Snoop Dogg
R16, Drug use, sex scenes, and offensive language
Snoop Dogg – Snoop Dogg’s Doggy Style Volume 1
R18, Contains explicit sex scenes
Snoop Dogg – Welcome To The House The Doggumentary
R16, Offensive language, drug use and sexual themes.
Tupac – Thug Angel The life Of An Outlaw
R13, Contains offensive language and sexual references