Serling on Censorship

[@scdevon]

Rod was ahead of his time. WAY ahead of his time.

[@InTecknicolour]

+scdevon mike too.

[@Willbo_Swaggins97]

I think its more accurate to say were behind his time.

[@KittSpiken]

No history simply rhymes.

[@nacarreira777]

I concur....brilliant guy.

[@alechs]

no, the time just doesn't change. censorship was always an issue and so was racism; and because both hinder eachother on their way out of society, they seem to be here to stay.

[@film10138]

he was a true artist and a good man...he fought for people's rights and used science fiction in a fashion that had never been used before to talk about the harshness of the human race..and if he were alive today he would be appalled at the garbage they write now

[@sebastianjames7423]

Jeez its not that hard to find a good show these days just look a little harder, the twilight zone will always stand on its own though, regardless of the time period

[@strebicux6174]

He died at 50. If he were alive today he'd be 96

[@strebicux6174]

@Liquid Eternity what do you think my point is

[@strebicux6174]

@Liquid Eternity I meant he died so young he'd probably still be alive, or at least maybe be a live

[@strebicux6174]

@Liquid Eternity lol ok

[@abrahamlincoln5185]

"wild lunatic fringe of letter writers" are what we call Twitter users today

[@PaleandPastey]

My thoughts exactly.

[@joeomalley2835]

Great post. That so spot on and accurate. I was thinking of the modern day SJWs or "cancelists", who want to cancel anything because of being offended.

[@frankz5103]

@@joeomalley2835 would this still apply to people canceling the NFL and NBA for players kneeling?

[@richardzahle1657]

@@frankz5103 no thats called voting with your wallet. when you inject political correctness into peoples entertainment, dont be surprised if they "choose" not to watch. That is not "cancelling"

[@frankz5103]

@@richardzahle1657 then is it not the companies voting with their wallets and letting people go for what they say and do so they can stay profitable? Both sides have “Pearl Cluchers” (nas x critics being the most hilarious rn) and try to cancel. Both are the mob.

[@kentrel2]

This dude has an amazing voice and charisma.

[@jeffsnow7749]

Yeah, he comes off as being very intelligent!

[@Skypad00]

This dude plays himself in the movie "In Real Life".

[@DidgsChristSuperDrum]

Rod's voice is like some smooth audible chocolate...

[@dustinclark3580]

Hard to impersonate

[@markharrison2544]

It's because he smoked 4 packs a day.

[@kdrapertrucker]

How he does that without moving his jaw much I'll never figure out.

[@czardeaner7713]

Here he is, trying out and drying out, in the smooth sultry sunlight; that is his voice.

[@jackduffy5329]

Once we were warriors, once we were not

[@jeffsnow7749]

There aren't many people who are as articulate, exact, and masterful of the English language as this guy!

[@alejandrogonzalez1541]

True.

[@sportsmedia25]

@@alejandrogonzalez1541 too bad he smoked so much, cut his life expectancy short by at least 20 years

[@keekwai2]

Lol

[@arbiter8246]

0:38 I knew it! Negro isn’t an offensive word!

[@godscience7821]

Rod was such a genius man, twilight zone his some very deep messages in those episodes. Sad he didn't see his own genius, I do rod, rest in peace

[@TheBansheeBomb]

What a ridiculously smart, charming man. Rest in peace.

[@TheMotherfer]

When you consider that this is from 53 years ago. And we're still dealing with the same shit. Rod was write it's a confluence of groups, mainly "the lunatic fringe of letter writers"; as well as sponsors conceding to these people As Rod said.

[@mikal]

This is ABSOLUTELY the same exact thing that's happening now. "Nearly identical postmarks" on all of the complaints. Serling wrote a screenplay about these people. Twilight Zone episode "4 O'Clock". A busybody who sits at home all day writing letters and making phone calls to destroy the lives of others.

[@Carl-LaFong1618]

I wish they would all wake up and be 2 feet tall.

[@DanofEarth]

censorship isnt the same as being held accountable for shitty things. You are wildly misunderstanding the man. Sad

[@notsureyet2200]

Congratulations KZbin, you've played yourself!

[@Iwilldestroyyoo]

Ha, this comment aged to sweet perfection!

[@serious_nigga]

this comment applies to todays KZbin.

[@Iwilldestroyyoo]

@Kaden Peterson exactly.

[@BigSnipp]

Holy crap. Rod Serling is brilliant. Listen to him talk.

[@skyradtvcomics4981]

To me the most outstanding thing about Serling's Writing was all of his attempts to put forth a Moral Code while brilliantly sewing it into so much fanatasy and wonder. And it was Serling who once said. "We don't just learn from others. We also learn from ourselves." 1:06

[@BLK_MN]

Rod is one of the only writers bold enough to call out ignorance and hypersensitivity of the masses. If you can’t appreciate art or understand somewhat complex concepts, then you don’t deserve to participate in this wonderful experiment we call civilization. Not to chastise to intellectually challenged or socially inept, of course, but Rod (I think), truly believed humans may look or act different on the outside, but inside we all have the same collective spirit.

[@lannylanuel7714]

I like the way he talks. And I mean his vernacular.

[@starmariejackson3747]

Me too .

[@alexbaum2204]

He speaks with authority and confidence. I can’t help but think that comes from having a complete grasp of the language he’s speaking. For some reason, it’s become commonplace to mock this since his time. I’m sure he didn’t speak like this at the bar with friends, and neither do we. But maybe it’s like a muscle that one trains. If so, he trained a lot.

[@Freedom_Born]

I learned what Temerity means.

[@noobboon6915]

what is its definition?

[@ClockworkGearhead]

"--influx of mail, many of the cards, incidentally, as Sheldon tells it, were postmarked at identical moments, all in the same handwriting--" Twitter bots existed even back then, huh?

[@ClearYourMindTravel]

If I was living at in that time, old enough, and if he were single. I would try to date Rod Serling. Yes I'm a black woman and I would not have cared.

[@rjfink]

Based.

[@falconbleau]

Preach it, Rod! Fuck those who would deny reality, truth, and the beauty of life.

[@ptcooney]

I could listen to Rod talk for hours

[@-Garviel_Loken-]

I wish Serling was still around and still writing today. Imagine what he would have done if HBO was around during his time.

[@timothykring4772]

Hey Capone -- where were you in 2016 and 2020 ??? The Democrats wanted you to run for President as a Democrat, but had to settle for Hillary and then Joe. Mere amateur mobsters they are....

[@happymaskedguy1943]

@@timothykring4772You people are so fucking tiresome.

[@timothykring4772]

@@happymaskedguy1943 says the guy who probably supports the UN invasion at our southern border.

[@timothykring4772]

Says the guy who will say nothing of the Big Tech censorship of social media 'cause it might silence us tiresome rubes.

[@knightofkorbin888]

I love when he says, "They're there to push a product." Sounds exactly like a sentence he has said many times off camera.

[@WolfgangLunar]

2:40 Astonishingly, even in the past, individuals displayed a remarkable level of rigidity, sensitivity, and shock when confronted with the notion that a canine's delivery of puppies on television was deemed inappropriate and labeled as a sexually explicit spectacle. To clarify, in the particular episode, Lassie, being with puppies, sought solace in the barn, where she eventually gave birth. The episode concluded with the characters returning to find the newborns already nursing from their mother. It is worth noting that no explicit birthing scenes were depicted, yet this seemingly innocuous portrayal caused a significant uproar. Reflecting on the present, one may ponder whether our current circumstances are truly any better.

[@leftcoaster67]

Few people are tough as nails with their fists (Rod boxed in the Army), tough as nails with his wit. And yes was so passionately human, and loving, and a champion of human freedom.

[@cr1541]

Thanks Ant. Compelling stuff. Especially the part about "Pre-censorship". Either consciously or subconsciously, when a writer fears writing something because of it's potential controversy, then art or culture is dead. Glad O&A are one of the few out there still with the spirit to fight against this asinine bullshit.

[@lowtech41]

Serling talking on Censorship on one of the biggest users of censorship...yes KZbin I'm looking at you.

[@JeremyNoblitt]

Back when rebellion was talking in a calm cool voice. "When a powerful man whispers, everyone listens." Jake The Snake Roberts

[@mandst5466]

Smarter and way more eloquent than ANY modern day puppetician.

[@Fittsburgh]

I love how the Lassie story still happens to day. One guy writes a bunch of letters and it scared people in power

[@nicfewer8393]

Those SO easily "offended", but NOT by the TRULY offensive racist murder of a child.

[@turtlemouth]

We need another Rod Serling.

[@garym6315]

I wish we lived in an era where someone would respond with "most assuredly" to something I say.

[@yeshuaservant7]

I would not have been so quick to give the FCC a pass on their culpability with censorship--THEN or NOW.

[@user-oi3ry9dx9u]

I just feel smarter after hearing him talk

[@MorganFreemansFavoriteFreckle]

What a brilliant and wise man. It is a true mark of genius when a person says something which increases in relevance over time

[@c-styl3]

The intelligence is real in Mr.Serling. People would think he was speaking some other language in todays era

[@fenn_fren]

"Sponsor interference", you say? Sounds a hell of a lot like KZbin.

[@Tsnore]

Serling would be going nuts about today's politically correct hyper-sensitive America.

[@ClearYourMindTravel]

No they wouldn't. People today like rod serling.

[@ClearYourMindTravel]

Plus he would write about it.

[@MrSalvage1969]

You’re an idiot.

[@cliffdariff74]

he was talking about Political Correctness before it was termed as such.

[@chelsabailey1018]

Rod Serling, 1 of the 1st geniuses of TV!!

[@obsidion1295]

I see the world hasn't changed a bit. Same shit different day.

[@dinkmartini3236]

Remember that twilight zone episode where smoke was rising from serling's grave because he was spinning in it? Oh...wait! Oh, that's not a TZ episode. I'm sorry. That one is really happening. My bad.

[@hauntedhose]

Such an intelligent well spoken man.....notice the lack of disfluency 😀

[@dwightmcqueen5771]

I would love to see his family stand up and keep his work alive. I have so much respect for Rod

[@db5823]

Rod Sterling was a remarkable man. He was pushing forward, against the system. And it's an embarrassing shame that we, still today, struggle with the same small-minded garbage that he's talking about from back then. It even seems worse now than it was 20 years ago, like we've suddenly started regressing.

[@egospecto1815]

On hearing the words of Rod Sterling I immediately turn into the HMV dog. Rod is a marvelous man, a true masters voice.

[@bodhisattva71]

People are still so afraid of the fear that someone might have a negative opinion towars their body of work.As the late,great George Carlin would say"Fuck'EM".

[@Keyser666]

Jesus, it's like he's describing Twitter to a T.

[@hansgruber9685]

Twitter has empowered these same freaks beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.

[@ryandporter321]

Just watched this again. He was quite the guy. Crazy how it's the same problems.

[@Warriorcats64]

62 years now...still going on.

[@DooDahMan1979]

Rod Serling was truly before his time. I would love to see what he would be putting out today.

[@BonesofStarlight]

Good thing he was a man; especially during that time more people probably actually listened to him. If he were a woman, they'd have called him a bleeding heart hysterical over sensitive woman and ignored the warnings.

[@matias4572]

They should had censor that tongue flutter, it's almost 3D. He was so authentic with his expressions and oratory, outstanding.

[@ptuffgong]

Preach it, Serling. So ahead of his time. And that voice.... So true that we have to censor ourselves before we even speak. EVERYONE is fucking offended.

[@AML0702]

He seems like he was very intelligent. No one will ever tell the kind of stories he did again. Just read his daughter Anne's memoir, he seemed like a really nice guy and a family man as well.

[@jamaaldavis3222]

A special spirit with truth and spirituality knowledge and ahead of his time

[@armandorodriguez6447]

The man,the legend RIP Rod Serling

[@cozymonk]

I love how his narration voice is basically indistinguishable from his natural speaking voice.

[@DEENWALLY]

I keep waiting for Rod to say "in the Twilight Zone"

[@alexandersalazar4736]

That 11 people who Unliked are people that actually don't get the message or issue of Rods words.

[@NoMastersNoMistress]

Art is for comforting the disturbed and disturbing the comfortable.

[@Madilyns]

Wish he had lived to a older riper age.

[@sacmom3]

Those damned cigarettes! He had so much more brilliance to give to us.

[@jskd2953]

Mr Serling would sure get a kick out of the "wild lunatic fringe of letter writers" on the internet these days.

[@UnchainedEruption]

non-advertiser-friendly content getting demonetized. Some things never change. Lol

[@flemmingstelling8079]

One word " Integrity" !

[@Patrick_B687-3]

O, A, and Jim totally get the censorship thing (as they should) and I appluad them for standing up for other broadcasters. No matter who or what they talk about. This video shows that the fringe was out there long ago.

[@fellowcitizen]

Brilliant, and a greater danger to democracy than foreign "terrorism" #FreePress#FreeAssange

[@astrowiz3544]

Ive never understood why if parents hate the idea of their child watching something so much, why they cant just take control and guide them away from it, instead of immediately demanding its removal in a frenzy. That kind of instataneously proactive thinking is a pollutant if it's abused. People have power but not the power of absolute televised censorship. Some of it they need to take into their own hands and control their children.

[@taphorphicexonyct]

Case and point

[@DJpopel]

Serling was so motherfucking cool he never needed an air-conditioner..

[@heatherheight]

Thank you for posting this. Rod Serling was bad ass. Imagine being so poignant and articulate, and without the full use of his jaw!

[@nicfewer8393]

How good men are silenced from telling the truth.

[@DanDDirges]

Rod Serling was a brilliant writer. I must have seen all the Twilight Zone episodes a hundred times. He was very much left of center. I wonder how he would feel about all the censoring happening today. Would he break ranks with his party on this issue or toe the line.

[@Clawhammer1063]

Very eye opening. Thank you for posting this sir.

[@RNicolasRuvalcaba]

"Wild lunatic fringe of letter writers" The same people that complained about the Coppertone ad with the puppy pulling on the little girls bikini.

[@anonymous-yk9sz]

Wow, beautiful, talented, brilliant, genius, smart, open minded, and talented...oh wait did I already say that?

[@winsomehax]

KZbin has a few interviews with Serling at various points in his life. Always scorchingly honest.

[@ShiksaWithChutzpah1]

Great video, thank you for uploading. Really wish Rod could've laid off the cigarettes.

[@RiverOfBlacklights]

I love how Wallace just "skips" over the fact that Rod just mentioned some very shady details surrounding the protest to the _'Lassie'_ show. The facts that all the incoming correspondence was post-marked on the same day and all sported the same handwriting yet each piece was counted as it's own individual letter, are just completely ignored and dismissed and Wallace immediately jumps on the "corporate support" bandwagon. I don't blame Rod for detesting the TV industry after having to put up with idiotic, exaggerated nonsense from the networks and censors (who were obviously backed up by the shill media which they were affiliated with, directly or indirectly). Still see a lot of the same garbage, shill media even now. Not really surprising though. Kudos to Rod Serling for having the monumental guts and core to stand up and rebel against corporate/sponsor censorship and the corporate sycophants who gladly support(ed) those ideals...

[@ckchappell]

It's mind boggling to imagine this was 53 years ago.

[@qasimjebran2687]

Dude is talking about 20th century cancel culture

[@BLK_MN]

I’m not convinced Rod is a time traveler sent back to set us humans straight.

[@bdof1]

Jesus, what a face this guy's got

[@BobExcalibur]

+brian d It was the fifties; everyone looked like that. It was the law.

[@cliffdariff74]

brian d voice was better!

[@WakeAndBakeBeats]

and it was a good one! I want more smashed faces, back in my day the pressure of the cold war pushed all our faces into a singularity, and we liked it!

[@onlycommentsonmobile]

You fight in wars and smoke 3-4 packs a day, your face is gonna look about 30 years ahead of its time.

[@ohnewolfundaber6882]

Thank you for sharing!

[@aarrgghh87]

Like truth written in smooth butter.

[@marcellocapone4925]

Eloquent and suave as can be.

[@1foolishcaribou195]

Wallace: S***! If this guy even thinks I'm trying to spin on him it's my A***!

[@honeegrrl]

He died so young, he was only 50 ☹☹☹

[@mjjm6220]

With Rod's death, so went TV. His death at 50, reminds me of two deaths in my family, both at 50. All three a result of too many cigarettes.

[@hotrox2112]

And to think, almost 40 years after this interview, Mike Wallace took on Big Tobacco, only to get himself, collared by the system.

[@jasonbrady1464]

Even though this is a real life interview, I can’t stop myself from thinking he’s speaking to us before a twilight zone episode 😂

[@mariusloveless7880]

This made me tear up. Rod Serling has always been that "cool ass" white dude from the Twilight Zone to me. However, often is the case with old actors or celebrities that you find out they were completely and utterly against you as a person, some of my former heroes like HP Lovecraft went from hero to not when I found out that he was very racist. In this instance though, I reinforced mister Serling's place in my heart and mind as one of the "coolest" people to ever live. Thanks Mister Serling!

[@darkilluminat3976]

People aren't articulate like this anymore

[@mrs.alucard6669]

I read something the other day about the lynching of Emmett Till and how that deeply affected Serling (I think the article said he was 30 years old at the time of the crime), and he wanted to do something for one of the shows he did before TWILIGHT ZONE that dealt with it. No surprise there - the show producers said, "Sorry, you can't do that." Then Serling did the episode "I am the Night, Color Me Black". They didn't call Rod Serling the Angry Young Man of Hollywood for nothing - censorship REALLY bugged him. I've been wondering a lot lately what he would think of today's political climate.

[@limetwistanimations8628]

Really strikes a cord with all the "don't say gay" crap, and anti trans movements. I'm not here to say the guy'd agree, but his words are still true that art censorship is a problem, and we still see it today where backwards people lose their minds any time a stories tries to do anything uncomfortable.

[@scasey1960]

A beautiful command of the English language.

[@MichaelAussie05]

People NEVER were generally intelligent.

[@matthewjohnson6835]

If he were to come back to life now, getting him up to speed would be the easy work of five minutes.

[@kingslaphappy1533]

He was a giant in broadcasting.

[@tankmilkman]

This I rebel against... You will never hear this in such honesty again.

[@andrewroberts1258]

THIS DUDE WAS WAY AHEAD OF HIS TIME

[@AFXAcid37]

I was thinking the same thing... Apparently he feels it's important to name drop.

[@I_am_Dane_Youssef]

The little man was right. I feel for him so much that he had to deal with censorship throughout the course of his entire life. He created THE TWILIGHT ZONE because to make sure his scripts were unmolested, he had to become a producer. I hate censorship. I've sort of had to deal with it my whole life. Why won't studios just let the artist create what they're going to create? His stuff wasn't even vulgar. He wanted to deal with realism on his show--realism wrapped in fantasy.