Comedy Central International Responds To Dan Levy Censorship Tweets, Says ‘Schitt’s Creek’ Episode With Same-Sex Kiss Aired With No Edits – Update

Dino-Ray Ramos
·3 min read
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UPDATE: After Schitt’s Creek co-creator and star Dan Levy called out Comedy Central India for editing a same-sex kiss out of a Twitter video featured in an episode, a Comedy Central International spokesperson responded by saying that the scene in question was aired in its entirety without edits.

The spokesperson said that there are codes in India which requires broadcasters to be “mindful” of content running during the day. In other words, they need to makes sure its kid-friendly and the promo was shown during child viewing hours on the network’s channels.

The network said that the kiss between the two men was “lingering, close-up and passionate” while the other kisses featured were “fleeting” and a simple peck. Apparently, a passionate kiss like the one Dustin Milligan‘s character Ted and Levy’s David can present an issue whether it is same-sex or not. If this kiss was between a man and a woman, it would not have been included in the promo.

The spokesperson added: “Comedy Central India supports and celebrates inclusivity and the LGBTQ+ community.”

PREVIOUS: Emmy award-winning series Schitt’s Creek quickly became a touchstone for inclusivity and champion of LGBTQ representation with its uplifting portrayal of the queer community. However, when co-creator and star of the series Dan Levy saw a clip posted on Comedy Central India’s Twitter account that took out a same sex kiss between his character David and Dustin Milligan‘s character, Ted, he didn’t not hesitate to call them out.

The clip features the Levy and Mulligan as well as Schitt’s Creek characters Stevie (Emily Hampshire), Alexis (Annie Murphy) and Patrick (Noah Reid) playing spin the bottle. A kiss between Stevie and Alexis stayed in the clip, but when Ted spinned the bottle and it landed on David, we see the two right before they smooch and then the kiss is immediately edited out.

“You showed the kiss between two women, you showed the kiss between a woman and a man, then removed the kiss between two men?” Levy tweeted. “This is a show about the power of inclusivity. The censorship of gay intimacy is making a harmful statement against that message. #loveislove”

This is not the first time there has been censorship of content in various countries. In fact, it’s common. In 2015, Censor Board of Film Certification blurred images of images of Indian goddesses Lakshmi and Kali in the film Angry Indian Goddesses. They also censored words like “f*ck” and “slut” and even the word “Indian figure”. According to the New York Times, Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council have fined Turkish broadcasters for showing excessive kissing and alcohol. It also fined a network for airing an episode of 9-1-1 that featured a gay couple kissing. And let’s not forget that China eliminated LGBTQ content including same-sex kissing and the use of the word “gay” in the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.

Watch the censored from Schitt’s Creek clip below (note that it’s Comedy Central India, not America).

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