Censorship

Quotations about Censorship

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Using Quotations in a Speech or Text about Censorship

As well as keeping your audience engaged, adding quotations to a speech or a text can significantly enhance its impact and effectiveness. Quotations are useful for explaining complex ideas concisely, much in the same way that analogies are used. Additionally, quotations from experts or celebrities can add credibility to your message.

Here are some funny and poignant quotations about censorship. If your speech is serious, do not automatically avoid funny quotations as they can often be the most impactful, forcing your audience into the thinking about the hidden analogous message in your selected quotation.

"Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious." (British actor Peter Ustinov)
"When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth." (Irish dramatist George Bernard Shaw)

If you are looking to make a fuller speech about censorship, then below this selection of quotations are three funny themes and three serious themes on the topic of censorship that might help trigger some ideas for your speech or text.

"The worst part of censorship is [redacted text]." anonymous

"A censor is a man who knows more than he thinks you ought to." Laurence J. Peter (Canadian writer, 1919-90)

*Assassination*Correction fluid*The delete button* is the extreme form of censorship. George Bernard Shaw (Irish dramatist, 1856-1950)

"I'm all in favour of free expression provided it's kept rigidly under control." Alan Bennett (English dramatist and actor, 1934-)

"Censorship reflects a society's lack of confidence in itself." Potter Stewart (American judge, 1915-1985)

"I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it." Mae West (American actress, 1892-1980)

"The first condition of *progress*law*journalism* is the removal of censorship." George Bernard Shaw (Irish dramatist, 1856-1950)

"Censorship is advertising paid by the government." Federico Fellini (Italian filmmaker, 1920-1993)

"The only valid censorship of ideas is the right of people not to listen." Tom Smothers (American comedian, 1937-)

"Censorship is the height of vanity." Martha Graham (American dancer, 1894-1991)

"There is a fine line between censorship and good taste and moral responsibility." Steven Spielberg (American film director and producer, 1947-)

"I'm not interested in censorship. I like *the First Amendment*expressing myself*being angry* very much." Henry Rollins (American singer, 1961-)

"Censorship is to art as *lynching*the law*prison* is to justice." Henry Louis Gates (American literary critic, 1950-)

"Censorship feeds the dirty mind more than the four-letter word itself." Dick Cavett (American talk-show host, 1936-)

"Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak because a baby can't chew it." Mark Twain (American writer, 1835-1910)

"I'm not going to censor myself to comfort your ignorance." John Stewart (American comedian, 1962-)

Wherever they burn books they will also, in the end, burn *human beings.*pamphlets.*trees.* Heinrich Heine (German poet, 1797-1856)

"One of the signs of Napoleon's greatness is the fact that he once had a publisher shot." Siegfried Unseld (publisher, 1924-2002)

"Vietnam was the first war fought without any censorship. Without censorship, things can get terribly confused in the public mind." Gen. William Westmoreland (commander of US forces during the Vietnam War, 1914-2005)

"I dislike censorship. Like an appendix it is useless when inert and dangerous when active." Maurice Edelman (British Labour politician, 1911-75)

"I hate to think of this sort of book getting into the wrong hands. As soon as I've finished this, I shall recommend they ban it." Ray Galton (English writer, 1930-)

"No less than twenty-two publishers and printers read the manuscript of Dubliners and when at last it was printed some very kind person bought out the entire edition and had it burnt in Dublin." James Joyce (Irish novelist, 1882-1941)

"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who *own one.*pay.*avoid newspapers.* A. J. Liebling 1904-63 American writer

"Censorship, like charity, should begin at home, but, unlike charity, it should end there." Clare Booth Luce (American diplomat, politician, and writer, 1903-87)

"I suppose that writers should, in a way, feel flattered by the censorship laws. They show a primitive fear and dread at the fearful magic of print." John Mortimer (English novelist, barrister, and dramatist, 1923-2009)

Thinking Template for a Speech or Text on Censorship

Below are 3 funny themes and 3 serious themes related to censorship. These have been included to help you identify areas to explore.

Funny Themes:

Censorship Gone Wrong: Hilarious Overreactions
- Share amusing stories of censorship gone too far, where attempts to censor content led to ridiculous and often comical results.
Creative Workarounds: When People Outsmart the Censors
- Highlight funny and ingenious ways people have found to bypass censorship, using clever language and inventive methods to get their message across.
Lost in Translation: Funny Censorship in Foreign Films and Books
- Explore humorous instances of censorship in the translation of foreign films and books, where cultural misunderstandings led to unintended comedy.

Serious Themes:

The Impact of Censorship on Freedom of Speech
- Discuss the implications of censorship on freedom of speech and expression, highlighting the balance between protecting society and restricting individual rights.
Censorship in Media: Controlling the Narrative
- Address the role of censorship in media, including news, literature, and the arts, and how it influences public perception and access to information.
Historical Perspectives on Censorship: Lessons from the Past
- Explore historical examples of censorship and their impact on society, drawing lessons on how past censorship efforts have shaped today's views on freedom and control.

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