Good Practices Code

The Good Practices Code (French reformed: Code des bonnes pratiques), abbreviated GPC (CBP), is a set of guidelines used by the National Cooperative Confederation and General Council of Workers' Unions and Associations to self-regulate the content of works produced in the Gylian cultural industries. It is also popularly known as the Saorlaith Code, after its creator, Saorlaith Ní Curnín.

Described by some commentators as a mechanism of self-censorship, the code bears significant differences from other Tyranian codes of censorship. It was adopted as part of a broader effort to stabilise and consolidate the cultural industries after the Liberation War. It is voluntary, not required by law, and has no central organisation to administer it. Perhaps most importantly, it does not explicitly define acceptable and unacceptable content, but instead provides general guidelines, phrased as suggestions.

The code has had an enduring influence on Gylian tastes, though historians debate whether it shaped Gylian popular culture or merely codified existing tendencies. It is mainly observed in the film and television industries, but also applied in comics and video games. It led to the creation of Gylias' unofficial content rating systems.

Background

Lady Saorlaith Ní Curnín, the main advocate and writer of the Good Practices Code

Gylian popular culture was transformed by the Liberation War. The Free Territories provided an atmosphere of freedom in which works of art were produced: there was no central mechanism of censorship, and the main constraints were the rationing and shortages caused by wartime mobilisation. As the social revolution of the Free Territories progressed, this led to the development of differing public standards and tastes.

The National Cooperative Confederation's establishment in 1958 encompassed the cultural industries as well. There was an urge to reconcile greater coordination with preserving the radical legacy of the Free Territories. Official censorship was considered anathema, associated with the hated former Xevdenite regime. However, the NCC and GCWUA recognised that some degree of self-regulation was desirable, to prevent incidents of protests or conflict breaking out due to communities' actions to enforce their standards, as had happened during the war.

Additionally, with Gylias now open to foreign imports after the war, self-regulation could also provide a mechanism for cultural protectionism.

The leading voice to emerge on the topic was Lady Saorlaith Ní Curnín, an Ossorian noble turned Gylian cultural theorist. She instigated the formation of a committee of all Gylian film studios to research what material provoked hostile relations, and hold public hearings regarding film standards. The hearings showed that members of the public were largely suspicious of censorship, but frustrated at the lack of sufficient information with which to make decisions.

Saorlaith began drafting the code, seeking to reconcile the stimulation of high artistic standards with moderate action on "material injurious to Gylian sensibilities". Several of its provisions were passed as NCC and GCWUA resolutions in 1959–1961, and the final version of the Good Practices Code was approved in 1962. While the initial version was specific to filmmaking, the Code was quickly adopted by the television and publishing industries as well, causing its text to be revised to be more generically applicable.

Content

As reflected in its title, the Good Practices Code contains recommendations for authors and distributors, instead of explicit prohibitions of content. Its best-known guiding principle is the first: "Nobody should finish enjoying a work of art feeling more miserable than they did before."

The code is divided into three parts. The first two are addressed to authors, and the last is addressed to distributors. It has 22 provisions in total, plus 3 guiding principles.

The first part, "Authors are encouraged to:", contains advice aimed at raising the artistic quality of a work. Notable provisions include 4 and 5, which mainly address the portrayal of sexuality and romance; 2 and 9, which reflect the legacy of the Free Territories; and 1, 10, and 11, which remind authors of their responsibility towards the audience and encourage experimentation.

The second part, "Authors are advised to:", contains advice for carefully treating certain subjects. The provisions mention violence and sexuality, and urge authors to consider "with utmost seriousness" the implications of their artistic choices, and what message they send. The dominant theme is one of responsibility, towards both the audience and the work in question.

The third part, "Distributors are encouraged to:", is the shortest, with only two provisions. It encourages distributors of cultural works to develop methods and classification systems to ensure works reach appropriate audiences, and audiences can make informed decisions.

Application

The code is voluntary, and there is no institution to enforce it. Authors and studios use an unofficial "Seal of Good Practice" (Sceau des bonnes pratiques) to indicate compliance with the code.

Some distributors refuse to carry material without the seal.

The main industries where the code is in use are film, television, comics, and video games.

Content rating

As provided in the third part, the code led to the development of unofficial content rating systems. These are used mainly by distributors, and sometimes by authors and studios themselves, to inform intended audiences.

Gylian content rating systems are unique in that they make no mention of age limits, but instead use descriptor icons. The icons include: sex, expletives, substance abuse, violence, sustained tension or fear, and prejudice.

While the content ratings are similarly voluntary, they are far more widespread than the code itself. Media not released with a content rating by its creators or distributors tends to be regarded with suspicion, due to the lack of information beforehand regarding its contents.

Legacy

The Good Practices Code has made an enduring impact on Gylian popular culture. Uniquely for a self-regulatory code, its clear language and lofty ideals have earned it wide respect among Gylias' cultural industries. Historians debate whether the code shaped pop culture itself or merely codified existing tendencies, but there is a consensus that it "set Gylian tastes in stone", as Radix put it.

Megelanese director Luigi Comencini described the code as "a remarkable document, completely lacking the stink of judgementalism or censorship, instead seemingly guided by some greater wisdom. Reading it makes one think — encourages one to be clever with their storytelling and presentation."

The code's guidelines are part of a larger trend in the Gylian cultural industries towards subtler means of self-regulation, which includes the internal mechanisms of the Arts Council and Gylian National Film Institute. Maija Džeriņa described it as a culture of "asking 'Are you sure this is necessary?' or 'Can this be made more interesting?'", which gave the Ministry of Culture and associated administrative agencies a highly prestigious reputation.

The code found widespread use in pornography as well, where it helped shape the upbeat and playful default tone of Gylian pornography and erotica. It contributed to the emergence of the intimacy coordinator as an important institution in all productions, whether pornographic or non-pornographic.

Cultural commentator Hanako Fukui places the code within a larger context that includes aristerokratia, Ðaina Levysti's "clothes ideology", and the philosophy of Margot Fontaine. She argues that the common thread among these was promoting the notion that "great liberation means great responsibility". She comments that Saorlaith "took immense pleasure" in seeing the sweeping popularity of this notion among the Gylian public, as it fulfiled her dream of "delivering a society where the more freedom people receive, the more sober, smartly-dressed, and discreet they become."

The code is a significant mechanism of Gylian cultural protectionism. It has especially been used against imported media that transgresses Gylian tastes, such as Megelanese violent horror films.

External links

• Complete text of the Good Practices Code (most recent revision)