[ Retro Scan of the Week ] Censored by Electronic Games Magazine

May 12th, 2008 by Benj Edwards

Video Maniac Poster Girl - Censored by Electronic Games MagazineClick above to see the full ad.

Close your eyes! The above picture is too hot for young minds to take. Or so thought Electronic Games in 1983 when they elected to censor the poster-girl’s bikini-clad crotch with an inelegant black circle.

Censored by Electronic Games MagazineWhen I first saw this ad for “video game sports accessories,” I thought the censorship have been a joke. But since it was published a video game magazine in 1983 — hence, “for kids” — it makes more sense. She’s clutching that phallic-looking broken joystick awfully close to the operative parts of her reproductive anatomy, and I guess that made the magazine nervous. God forbid she conceive a child with an arcade machine.

But what exactly has been gained by covering her crotch? It makes one wonder what hideous, kinky, suggestive imagery might be lurking under there to warrant such a circle. And therein lies the problem with arbitrary censorship — it draws undue attention to what otherwise might have been a mundane affair.

[ From Electronic Games, December 1983 ]

Discussion topic of the week: Imagine you’re ten years old in 1983. What would you think of the image above?

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19 Responses to “[ Retro Scan of the Week ] Censored by Electronic Games Magazine”

  1. Jim Ulrich Says:

    Video Sports Glove >>> Power Glove 😉

  2. Layne Says:

    I think I would have been looking for $5 to order that poster……I wonder if the address still works. 😉

    But I agree with your point. Calling attention to something that you want to hide doesn’t really do a whole lot of good. This day and age, photoshopping something is a much better choice. You can adjust the “tastefulness” (subjective term who’s definition is left to the beholder) in a less obvious way.

    Layne

  3. Derrick Says:

    I COMPLETELY remember this ad, believe it or not. Must’ve had some impact on my innocent brain, showing all that skin.

  4. Dave Says:

    I’m pretty sure I have a copy of EG with this ad uncensored somewhere. I too remember it from when I was a lad. 🙂 I’ll see if I can’t dig it up…

  5. Geoff V. Says:

    “She’s a Man Baby!”

  6. Dave Says:

    Found it! I guess by May of ’84 they had gotten over the need to censor… Here it is

  7. Benj Edwards Says:

    Thanks for finding that, Dave. The censored truth is just as boring as I thought. Bizarre.

    By the way, nice comment, Geoff. 🙂

  8. Layne Says:

    Do you think there was no longer a need to censor? Or do you think that they had to alter the image so that there was more “coverage”? I could see it going either way.

  9. Benj Edwards Says:

    You’ve got a good point, Layne. Perhaps they added more bikini to it. Unless someone can find an earlier, uncensored version of the image, I guess we’ll never know.

  10. Kitsunexus Says:

    That bikini looks totally fake. We need to find the original poster.

  11. Jim Ulrich Says:

    Through the magic of the internet, I found out very little about the company that made these products. It was started by a man named Robert Chavez. I found this picture from Twin Galaxies:

    http://www.twingalaxies.com/index.aspx?c=17&id=756

  12. Benj Edwards Says:

    Good work, Jim.

    Now if he were only holding the original Video Maniac girl poster in that picture.

  13. demie Says:

    i think that ad gave me my first boner :O

  14. Synonymous Says:

    I’d dismiss it as a lame marketing ploy concocted by the ad execs. Trouble is, uncensored, it’s just a different type of lame marketing ploy.

  15. Keith Says:

    Wow- I don’t have to imagine what it was like. I was 12 yrs to be exact- and this definitely made an impression ; ) Haven’t thought about it since but recognized it immediately.

  16. David C. Says:

    Yikes! Ditto, Keith. I knew the picture as soon as I saw it. Crazy that an image like that has been wasting space inside my brain for such a long time…but then I can remember a number of things from that magazine.

  17. Coyote Seven Says:

    I was 13 when this ad came out. I don’t have to imagine.

    What’s more amusing is that later on this ad appeared without the black circle. Not so thrilling!

  18. ToddUncommon Says:

    Two words: dromedary tarsal.

  19. Staci Says:

    That image may have led to my lesbianism!! I remember it when it came out:)

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