Video Nasties and Regulation

By 11balgra

  • Obscene Publications Act

    Test- 'is this ... likely to deprave or corrupt.' Covered any publication at the time.

  • Betamax

    Betamax, a form of VCR, was introduced. Better quality but tapes were limited to 60 mins.

  • VHS

    VHS, another form of VCR, was introduced. Caused a format war. Tapes were cheaper but limited to 2 hours. Main source of video used in rental shops.

  • Thatcher Government

    Conservative Government- stood for morals and traditional values.

  • Moral Panic

    Sunday Times Article used term 'video nasties.' Films that contained 'Mutilations of bodies. Cannibalism. Gang Rape' and would 'rape children's minds.' Led to mass moral panic.

  • Police

    Police seize material under the Obscene Publicaions Act. No guidance- waste of police time and shopkeepers got annoyed.

  • Mary Whitehouse

    Mary Whitehouse and the NVLA (National Viewers and Listeners Association) started a public campaign about video nasties (a term coined by Whitehouse.) Mary wrote to Thatcher and Thatcher gave public support- '...undermine our traditional standards of decency and respect for family life.'

  • List of Video Nasties

    DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) released a hit list of 72 video nasties. Told police what to seize and burn. Told shopkeepers what they couldn't rent. Led to people actively searching for these movies instead of deterring them.

  • Video Recordings Act

    Allowed BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) to regulate all forms of media. Stopped the huge outbreak of video nasties and quelled the moral panic.