Enrichment: Ethics In Popular Culture
Name
Teacher
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Session 1: Moral Dilemmas In Popular Films
We will watch each clip and then discuss the questions underneath.
1. The Joker Social Experiment: Joker's Social Experiment - YouTube
Discussion Questions:
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What is the main ethical dilemma in this clip?
How morally significant do you think the ‘innocent’ and ‘criminal’ distinction is in this
scenario?
Was a vote an appropriate way to decide the outcome?
Two men make significant decisions in this dilemma (one from each boat) – what
does their decision reveal to us about human nature and its impact on ethical
decision making?
What do you think is the appropriate course of action?
2. Red & Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption: Shawshank Redemption Ending YouTube
Andy Dufresne is falsely imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. Red becomes friends with
Andy whilst in prison. Andy makes the best of his time in prison and helps a lot of other
inmates out. Andy concocts an incredible escape from prison. Years later Red is released
and goes to the place they both spoke about whilst in prison. Red eventually catches back
up with Andy.
Discussion Questions:
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Does Red have a responsibility to turn Andy in given that he escaped from prison?
What role do ‘relationships’ play in moral decision making?
Are there some ‘crimes’ that society should overlook based upon context (Red’s
parole violation)?
3. Eye in The Sky
British Army Colonel Katherine Powell (played by Helen Mirren) is in command of a mission
to capture a group of terrorists in Kenya. After ordering a drone missile strike to take out
the terrorists, Colonel Powell’s mission is escalated when a young girl enters the kill zone.
The implications of war are at the forefront of Eye in the Sky, which raises important
questions on the morality of modern warfare and in particular the use of drones. The central
dilemma of Eye in the Sky revolves around whether a missile strike should still go ahead
after a young girl enters the kill zone. If the strike goes ahead then it will take out three big
players from a terrorist group, but it will also almost certainly kill the young girl.
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Discussion Questions:
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How does the presence of the girl alter/affect the dilemma?
Would there be an ethical dilemma here if the girl was not present?
Has drone warfare changed our attitude towards war? Is this for the better or
worse?
What do you think is the appropriate course of action?
Eye in the Sky Movie CLIP - Legal Argument / Propaganda War (2016) - Iain Glen Movie HD YouTube
Never tell a soldier that he does not know the cost of war - YouTube
4. Brother Where Art Thou
Three men are chained together as prisoners doing hard labour. One of the men knows that
his wife is going to remarry soon, and he needs to return home before she does (his
relationship with his ex-wife is not great and there is not a great chance of a pleasant
reunion). The man is actually serving a sentence for practising law without a license, but he
tells the two men either side of him that he committed a crime that led to him stashing a
hoard of treasure. He convinces the two men to help him escape (and escape with him) and
in return he promises to share his treasure with them.
Discussion Questions:
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What is the dilemma here?
Should a human be blamed for sacrificing others to serve his own interests?
Do the ends ever justify the means? (think more broadly here)
Inferno – Zobrist’s Virus Inferno Extended Scene - Zobrist’s Presentation - YouTube
Discussion Questions:
1. Is there any way to justify Zobrist’s argument/plan? If so, what does that say about
certain ethical schools of thought?
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Session 2: Censorship
When censorship becomes necessary | David Shanks | TEDx Christchurch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhXiDPKnYNE
The New Zealand Bill of Rights Act says that "Everyone has the right to freedom of
expression, including the right to seek, receive, and impart information and opinions of any
kind in any form." And yet, some content is so heinous, and risks causing so much damage,
that it must be limited for the safety of society. In this harrowing, thought-provoking and
challenging talk, New Zealand Chief Censor David Shanks talks about the challenges of
finding where to draw that line and the paradox that sits at the heart of freedom of speech,
using the specific example of the live stream video of the Christchurch mosque attack in
March 2019. David Shanks is New Zealand’s Chief Censor and leads the Office of Film and
Literature Classification, which is an Independent Crown Entity.
As we watch the video, we are going to discuss the following questions that are raised
within the video. Feel free to make notes in the box below.
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David Shanks is the Chief Censor of New Zealand. He is a human being. What
questions/thoughts are immediately raised by this fact?
Shanks then discusses three rules that he has for censorship
1. Shanks says that a State cannot be in charge of censorship if one is to genuinely
value democracy. Do you agree with him?
2. ‘If you don’t have to censor then don’t.’
3. The role of censoring is to prevent or limit harm.
Do you agree with these three rules? Can you think of any challenges of applying them to
individual issues?
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Shanks then says that his ‘gut’ is not the test for censorship. Why do you think he
said this, and do you agree with him?
Shanks goes onto say that records of past events, even those that are ‘viscous’ can
have social, moral and political value so we shouldn’t automatically censor then. Can
you think of an example, and do you agree with him?
Shanks says ‘nothing is ever really taken off the internet’ – how do you think this
affects our approach to censorship?
Shanks talks quite a bit about the relationship between social media platforms, censorship
and the state.
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How would you describe the relationship between the state and social media
platforms? What do you think it should be?
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Do social media platforms have an obligation to root out and remove harmful
content? Shanks uses the phrase ‘monetise the spread of hatred.’
Who should be the ones to keep social media platforms accountable for their
behaviour?
Shanks talks about the paradox of freedom of speech – if you value freedom of speech then
you must set limits. Do you agree with him?
Shanks finishes the talk by discussing the challenge we face as a global community. Do you
think censorship is a global issue? What challenges does this present?
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Session 3: Examples of Music Censorship
Below are a number of examples from different eras and musical genres of artists being
censored.
David Bowie’s Space Oddity (1969)
"Space Oddity" tells the story of an astronaut named Major Tom, who is informed by
Ground Control that a malfunction has occurred in his spacecraft, but Major Tom does not
get the message because he either misses it or is in such awe of outer space he does not
hear it. He remains in space "sitting in a tin can, far above the world", preparing for his
lonely death.
David Bowie's existential version of the moon landings was intended to cash in on the
Apollo XI mission to the stars in July 1969. However, the BBC didn't like the idea of playing a
record that depicts an astronaut drifting off into space while there was a very real chance of
a tragic fate befalling Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins in their lunar module.
The song was quietly dropped from any airplay on the network, and it was only after the
Apollo XI astronauts were safely back on Earth that Bowie's single began to gain publicity,
peaking at Number 5 in November 1969.
Question
1. What was the justification by the BBC to ban this song? Was it justifiable?
Lady Gaga: Denied Permit for Indonesia Concert (2012)
Lady Gaga was forced to cancel a sold-out show in Indonesia after Islamic conservatives
protested, saying that her sexualised clothes and dance moves would corrupt the country's
youth. The concert, originally scheduled for June 3, 2012, was opposed by both lawmakers
and religious leaders, with some threatening to use physical force to prevent Mother
Monster from exiting the plane. It was set to be the biggest show on the Asian leg of her
"Born This Way Ball" tour, with fans snapping up tickets to the 52,000-seat show as soon as
they went on sale.
1. Does a state have the right to ban artists from performing in their country if their
act/content or views oppose those of the country itself?
2. How does a state manage this if those offended are from a minority group within the
country?
3. What are the potential long-term problems of artists being denied entry to certain
countries to perform?
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M.I.A: “Born Free” Banned From YouTube (2010)
Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam, better known as M.I.A., is no stranger to censorship. In
2007, her hit single “Paper Planes” was censored by MTV and “Late Night With Dave
Letterman” due to its use of gunshots in the rhythm track. (In fact, the song itself is a
response to the U.S. government denying her a visa in 2006). So, she couldn’t have been too
surprised when the video for her 2010 single “Born Free” – which showed red-headed youth
being round up and brutally murdered – was initially rejected by YouTube due to its violent
content. Maya was not to worry; fuelled by the controversy, the video spread across the
Internet like wildfire.
1. What is the relationship between the censoring and success of the song in this
example? What impact does this have on our approach to censorship?
The Beatles BBC Forces Fab Four Off the Air (1967)
They're often cited as the greatest band of all time, but not even the Beatles were
impervious to the power of the BBC. Back in 1967, the Far Four were banned from British
radio not once, but twice! Both "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" and "A Day in the Life"
from their genre-defining 'Sgt. Pepper's' album were forbidden airplay, as they were
thought to encourage drug use.
1. Should the state censor things on the ground that a song may encourage certain
types of action? Should this be a blanket rule or is it case by case?
Sinead Rips Pope, Gets Lifetime 'SNL' Ban (1992)
In '92, Irish vocalist Sinead O'Connor appeared on 'Saturday Night Live' and performed an
acapella version of Bob Marley's protest song "War." During rehearsals, the singer ended
the song by ripping up a photo of a child. But when the live cameras rolled, Sinead shocked
viewers by tearing a picture of Pope John Paul II while exclaiming "Fight the real enemy!"
'SNL' creator Lorne Michaels vowed they would be the last words Sinead would ever utter
on the show. O'Connor, who later became an ordained priest, said her actions were meant
to make a statement against abuses in the Catholic Church.
1. Was this an appropriate forum for O’Connor to air these views?
2. Was this an effective forum for O’Connor to air these views?
Billie Holiday "Strange Fruit" Blocked From U.S. Radio (1939)
In the late '30s, American jazz legend Billie Holiday took a poem by Abe Meeropol, which
was inspired by the author's horror over lynching of two African American men and set the
words to music. Holiday was forced to release "Strange Fruit" on a specialty label, as her
main record company refused to allow her to record it. The social and political context of
the song ignited a firestorm of controversy, and U.S. radio refused to touch it. Still, the song
became the singer's biggest hit and was even added to the National Recording Registry by
the Library of Congress in 2002.
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1. What should the relationship be between artists and political issues? Should they
use their platform to promote and discuss such issues?
Björk Tibet Improv Earns China Ban (2008)
The last time Björk performed in China might be the last time she ever performs in China. In
2008, the Icelandic chanteuse closed her concert with the song "Declare Independence." At
the track's conclusion, the singer repeatedly yelled "Tibet! Tibet!" in protest to China's 58year occupation of the territory. The act effectively put Björk on China's long list of people
no longer allowed in the country.
1. Should artists actively get involved/speak out against the politics of the countries
that they perform in?
Broad questions to discuss
1. Are there any on the censorships above that you agree with?
2. What themes can we draw out from the examples above?
3. Should the state and/or media be allowed to influence and obstruct art in the name
of ‘public interest’
4. A lot of the songs above went on to be incredibly successful as a result of the
controversy. What does this say about the effectiveness of censorship and more
importantly, what does it say about human beings?
5. There have been a number of examples of artists singing or rapping about
committing crime and then civilians committed those crimes. There is an implication
that the music ‘inspired’ or ‘motivated’ them to commit such crimes. Do you think
the music industry/musician should be prosecuted if this occurs?
6. Can you think of anymore examples that are not included here?
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Sessions 4 & 5: Debate
For the next two sessions you will plan and then take part in a debate. There will be two
different debates, you will only take part in one of them. You will be given a debate question
and which side you will be arguing for.
Debate 1: This house believes that we should separate the
art from the artist.
Debate 2: This house believes that the state should never censor music
You will have one lesson to prepare for this debate and I suggest you plan the following
things:
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A series of arguments that support your position (at least three). These should be
backed up with appropriate evidence.
Think about the arguments that your opposition may put forward and think about
who you can counter these.
You are encouraged where possible to bring in the thoughts and ideas of scholars
(although this is not a necessity).
Next lesson you will then take part in the debate. There will not be any time in the second
lesson to work on your arguments.
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Session 6: Ethics Carousel
In this final session you will take part in an Ethics Carousel. You will move around the room
and spend time thinking about the statements on the A3 sheets. You will then add notes,
arguments, objections and examples to the sheet. We will the discuss these topics as a
group. I have given you a copy of what is on each sheet for your own reference.
1. The Paradox of Choice. The more choice we have the more difficult it is to make a
decision. The overwhelming range and variety that we have in society (that we
believe to be inherently good) is what is making most people miserable.
‘When we have limited choice, and it goes wrong; it’s the world’s fault. When you have lots
of choice and it goes wrong; it’s your fault’ Barry Schwartz
2. The value of an apology. Social media has dramatically altered the landscape when
it comes to apologies and being forgiven. When people post something on social
media that may be inappropriate or cause offense, despite the fact that they
apologise for doing so, this can come back to haunt them years later and they can be
denied opportunities because of this.
3. Surveillance Capitalism. Companies profiting off the data they store about you when
you visit their site is one of the biggest moral problems that humans face. However,
it’s the problem that most people don’t seem to care about, they don’t really
understand it and they don’t know how to solve it.
4. Fake News. Inaccurate and false information is shared openly and frequently
throughout social media and beyond. Sometimes this is done because the individual
does not know any better but sometimes the spread of misinformation is done
intentionally. We as a society are not equipped both morally and technologically to
deal with this problem.
5. Open Forum: What do you think are the biggest moral problems facing humans
today?
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