Texas bill about to ban anime/Crunchyroll

[renegadeviking]

https://www.click2houston.com/news/p...cted-in-texas/

It's probably hentai, but these baby boomers politicans probably can't tell between JRPG videogames, anime series, Tekken, Persona videogames verses bad explict hentai releases.

All the Texas anime publishers going bankrupt.

[eledoremassis02]

Crunchy Roll might want to dust of TV Broadcast edits of some of the older Anime because I can see this affecting Dragon Ball

[Bubbles-11]

There's been a lot of these very vague bills floating around and from my knowledge not one of them has passed yet

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by renegadeviking

https://www.click2houston.com/news/p...cted-in-texas/

It's probably hentai, but these baby boomers politicans probably can't tell between JRPG videogames, anime series, Tekken, Persona videogames verses bad explict hentai releases.

All the Texas anime publishers going bankrupt.

Show me on the doll where Persona games touched you

[SteamfloggerBoss]

I was wondering when this would makes it's way here. Blew up on anime twitter for a bit there.

[Glorian]

This isn't going to ban anime; the bill bans "obscene" content. 'Obscene' has a very specific definition in US law; specifically, the Miller test. The Miller test has 3 requirements to define something as obscene: 1) appeals to a prurient interest, 2) depicts sexual conduct in a patently offensive way, and 3) lacks literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.

If it doesn't meet all 3 of those requirements, it's not obscene, and it's protected by the first amendment. Any anime out there has artistic or literary value, and some have political value as well. Even something like Urotsukidoji would meet those requirements. That bar is pretty low, the work just has to have something to it beyond explicit sexual imagery only intended to get someone off.

The only thing this would probably ban, in practice, is stuff like explicit sexual drawings of anime minors. That could still get some people in trouble, but it's a long way from what people are acting like it is.

[h264]

Originally Posted by Glorian

'Obscene' has a very specific definition in US law; specifically, the Miller test.

"I know it when I see it"

[Telemachus]

If you have to worry about something like this I don't want to know what you're into

[kk1]

Originally Posted by Telemachus

If you have to worry about something like this I don't want to know what you're into

That's the point, people shouldn't have to worry but vague laws are purposely made vague so they can overreach their intended purposes. Hell look at DOGE they just ignored the laws completely and did whatever they wanted because it was "removing government waste".
This shouldn't affect anime but can an individual affird a lawyer to successfully argue that in court against government lawyers with an agenda?

[stonesfan129]

Seems unconstitutional.

[stonesfan129]

Originally Posted by Telemachus

If you have to worry about something like this I don't want to know what you're into

The main issue I have is that if everyone is a consenting adult and doing it in privacy, it shouldn't be any of the government's business. And having to upload a drivers license/ID to prove it imo can only lead to someone leaking or using that information as blackmail. I'm Catholic and all, but at the end of the day, this just feels like politicians enforcing their personal beliefs upon everyone else and you can't do that.

[BigOnAnime]

Originally Posted by kk1

That's the point, people shouldn't have to worry but vague laws are purposely made vague so they can overreach their intended purposes. Hell look at DOGE they just ignored the laws completely and did whatever they wanted because it was "removing government waste".
This shouldn't affect anime but can an individual affird a lawyer to successfully argue that in court against government lawyers with an agenda?

See also: AUMF in 2001. Only one single person in Congress (Barbara Lee) noticed how much overreach it could have because of how it was written, and thus was the only Nay vote. Really vague stuff can lead to so much being allowed beyond the supposed original scope of the bill.

I remember when this Texas bill first went viral on Twitter and Bluesky back in March.
https://twitter.com/Dexerto/status/1901310659083538880

IIRC, one of the quote tweets or quote skeets mentioned how what they're really trying to do is censor LGBT stuff, which isn't surprising given how that's one of the things KOSA could do. Love the current priorities of politicians because of the culture war.

[mikesncc1701]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

Seems unconstitutional.

Irrelevant. These scumbag politicians don't care about that. It's all agenda based. Not law based.

[stonesfan129]

Originally Posted by mikesncc1701

Irrelevant. These scumbag politicians don't care about that. It's all agenda based. Not law based.

It will matter when this goes in front of a court.

[h264]

They can take my big titty anime girls from my cold, dead hands!

[Lum]

Originally Posted by BigOnAnime

See also: AUMF in 2001. Only one single person in Congress (Barbara Lee) noticed how much overreach it could have because of how it was written, and thus was the only Nay vote. Really vague stuff can lead to so much being allowed beyond the supposed original scope of the bill.

I remember when this Texas bill first went viral on Twitter and Bluesky back in March.
https://twitter.com/Dexerto/status/1901310659083538880

IIRC, one of the quote tweets or quote skeets mentioned how what they're really trying to do is censor LGBT stuff, which isn't surprising given how that's one of the things KOSA could do. Love the current priorities of politicians because of the culture war.

As they say, leopards and faces. The culture warriors insisted these folks were on their side. Sure, Jan.

[kk1]

Originally Posted by BigOnAnime

Love the current priorities of politicians because of the culture war.

Sadly that's what wins elections in this country.

[duggie walker]

Originally Posted by Glorian

This isn't going to ban anime; the bill bans "obscene" content. 'Obscene' has a very specific definition in US law; specifically, the Miller test. The Miller test has 3 requirements to define something as obscene: 1) appeals to a prurient interest, 2) depicts sexual conduct in a patently offensive way, and 3) lacks literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.

Problem is, that definition isn't specific at all.

1) "Prurient" means "having or encouraging an excessive interest in sexual matters, especially the sexual activity of others"

So who gets to decide what "excessive" means? Or what constitutes "sexual matters"? There are certain politicians who would use this definition to attack anything featuring LGBTQ characters or plotlines.

2) Who decides what "offensive" means? What is the definition of sexual conduct? Is it acts, language, what?

3) The most weaselly of all. You might think its clear but "value" is not the same as "content". It's highly subjective.

And before you say this is just pedantry, pedantry is exactly what lawyers and courts debate constantly. If there is any ambiguity, it can be argued, and the ultimate decision will come down to the Judge's particular outlook.

This type of material should be clearly labelled, perhaps age-restricted, but bans are never good (nor ultimately workable) and always lead to more bans. You think these people will stop at anime? They start with minority interests that nobody cares about, get a win there and then use that as precedent.

Personally, I don't give a crap about anime, never watch it. But I do care about censorship. I'm from the UK and within my lifetime we saw the notorious "video nasty" bans that saw all kinds of films forbidden to us. That was under Margaret Thatcher, who was right-wing as hell, but practically a socialist in comparison to some of the folks out there now. Don't make the mistake of thinking it can't happen in the U.S.

[Regulas314]

Originally Posted by duggie walker

Problem is, that definition isn't specific at all.

1) "Prurient" means "having or encouraging an excessive interest in sexual matters, especially the sexual activity of others"

So who gets to decide what "excessive" means? Or what constitutes "sexual matters"? There are certain politicians who would use this definition to attack anything featuring LGBTQ characters or plotlines.

2) Who decides what "offensive" means? What is the definition of sexual conduct? Is it acts, language, what?

3) The most weaselly of all. You might think its clear but "value" is not the same as "content". It's highly subjective.

And before you say this is just pedantry, pedantry is exactly what lawyers and courts debate constantly. If there is any ambiguity, it can be argued, and the ultimate decision will come down to the Judge's particular outlook.

This type of material should be clearly labelled, perhaps age-restricted, but bans are never good (nor ultimately workable) and always lead to more bans. You think these people will stop at anime? They start with minority interests that nobody cares about, get a win there and then use that as precedent.

Personally, I don't give a crap about anime, never watch it. But I do care about censorship. I'm from the UK and within my lifetime we saw the notorious "video nasty" bans that saw all kinds of films forbidden to us. That was under Margaret Thatcher, who was right-wing as hell, but practically a socialist in comparison to some of the folks out there now. Don't make the mistake of thinking it can't happen in the U.S.

The problem with human beings is, we will resist the ability to exert any effort we possibly can even if it would mean saving ourselves from unnecessary change. We stubbornly stick to the status quo but when the ability to act and save ourselves actually matters we don’t do it ever. Anime is still kinda a niche market as sad as that is to say, even with what’s been out in the open. The politicians themselves are even worse when it comes to the hypocrisy of these bans and restrictions. They’re usually incredibly sick people who shouldn’t see the sun or have access to the World Wide Web, let alone a basic flip phone or polaroid.

But because they have the money and understand how the baddies of old were able to coerce the masses into listening to them and doing their bidding no matter how horrid they may seem? We again, do nothing. I’m well aware of what’s possible in the USA, but because we’re so hung up on tariffs and SpaceX and mockery and the like it’s very possible for these to weasel under our noses, even the ones who have the power to say “wait a ****ing second, this is illegal! DENIED! *gavel slam*” are so hung up with nonsense they might actually get confused by this blatant violation of free speech.

In summation, everything is in such a confused state it could easily slip by and pass the courts unnoticed. If it breaches Texas containment and spreads that’s it. Game over, we lose everything and become Idiocracy but worse. The world of politics is one giant circus right now, and it only takes one careless idiot sparking a stogie too close to the tent or animals to destroy everything.

[RFK]