History Main / Pixellation

** Gets taken UpToEleven in the story arc that has everyone suffering from a FreakyFridayFlip. [[ButtMonkey Hasegawa and Yamazaki]] somehow end up getting fused into a pixellated, anthropomorphic, sunglasses-wearing pile of poop. Then they get pixellated vomit everywhere after witnessing a pixellated case of explosive diarrhea, which leads to Hijikata complaining about not being able to see anything due to all the pixels on top of pixels.

* Ample usage of this in ''Manga/{{Gintama}}'' is easily the only reason why it's still considered suitable for its age demographic, with the sheer amount of MaleFrontalNudity it blocks. It's also used in a more humorous fashion to censor poop and vomit, despite it not even being necessary.

** Yo dawg, I heard you like pixellation. So we put Madao in a pixellated shit body vomiting pixellated vomit on pixellated crap so everyone can become pixellated shit.

* ''Manga/{{Gintama}}'' uses this. A LOT. Usually to cover groins and vomit.

* When [[LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya Haruhi]] summons a [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam "G** ]][[LawyerFriendlyCameo ** m"]] in ''Day Of Sagittarius''.

-->--From a ''[[Magazine/{{Cracked}} Cracked Magazine]]'' parody of ''Series/{{COPS}}''

* One cut of ''Franchise/{{Highlander}}: Endgame'' has a distracting example of this during a rooftop fight scene. There's a very obviously blurred-out JVC sign in the background. The sign is not censored in the "earlier cut" of the film which comes as a DVD extra.

* ''SaintsRow 2'' uses ''huge'' pixellation to cover up anything that isn't covered by a particular choice of clothing, or when naked for the streaking minigame.

* ''SaintsRowTheThird'' continues the crotch-pixellation policy described above, however includes a partial workaround by allowing the in-game purchase of pasties which can be made flesh-colored (and with a dark centre to simulate nipples, yet!). This removes the pixellation on breasts of any size. Flesh-colored thongs can be purchased to simulate lower nudity, but not as convincingly. The streaking mini-game still features full pixellation. The pixellation of clothing worn with no underwear has been removed, except in the case of skirts and high-slit dresses that would normally reveal the naughty bits (donning the aforementioned thong is the workaround).

* During a very disturbing level of ''[[KaneAndLynch Kane and Lynch: Dog Days]]'', the two protagonists are brutally tortured with a box cutter completely naked, and when they escape, are forced to [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3kCo4DeiNY fight their way out nude]]. (Very, very NSFW) The game pixellates their front sides, but not their backs. Also, anyone shot in the head gets their noggin pixellated.
* In ''MyGirlfriendIsThePresident'', [[LethalChef Yukino's]] cooking gets covered with censor mosaic.
* In ''zOMG'', ''GaiaOnline's'' MMORPG, using the Sweetheart ring at full rage covers your avatar in pink pixels, with blush lines where the cheeks would be, and that of the avatar you just hit with it.
* The {{SNES}} implemented pixellation in hardware as a special effect (the "mosaic" effect), and several games used it for transitions, drunkenness effects, and such. Examples of this include ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', among many others.

* The DesuDesBrigade uses 'Cover Otter' when naughty bits show up, if they can't be cut around. Especially prevalent in the ''KekkoKamen'' and ''Bible Black'' reviews.

* Oddly, used apparently straight in several strips from ''VGCats'', for rude body parts. Doesn't affect crude immature scrawling done by the characters, but any show of breasts or penises (or anything that'd resemble them closely) gets pixelated.
* Occasionally, ''BobAndGeorge'' would censor profanity with pixellation, but a black bar was used just as often. Naturally, this was parodied in [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/index.php?date=041201 this strip]], in which an entire dialogue box is censored. Note that it usually [[ClusterFBomb didn't shy away from that]].
* Whenever a character is naked in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' (usually Elan), pixellation is used for covering the person's gentials. Even though s/he does not have any, on the basis of being a stick figure.
* Used in ''TheKAMics'' [[http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/The_KAMics/4849994/ here]]

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' has one example where Agent P is on a talk show with a pizellated face. The trope is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] when Agent P takes off in a hurry and leaves behind the pixellation, which the host then yells to him about.
* On ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode where Ned Flander's wife dies ("Alone Again, Natura-Diddly" from season 11), Homer videotapes Flanders showering as part of his dating video. Judging by how long the pixels extend, [[BiggerIsBetterInBed Flanders has nothing to be ashamed of]]..

* ''TheBoondocks'' had an episode where prosecutor Tom [=DuBois=] had a nightmare about dropping the soap in the prison shower. An inmate calling himself The Health Inspector demands he [[PrisonRape bend over and pick it up]]. [[GagPenis The pixellation went down to floor]][[note]]It should be noted that this only applies to the TV version. The DVD version does not have that luxury[[/note]].

* In some anime, the pixellated object may not ''actually'' be offensive, but the object is pixellated in order to get the viewers to use their own imaginations as to what the object in question might actually be. ''Anime/PleaseTeacher'' and ''TenchiMuyo'' GXP have used this on occasion.

* ''NininGaShinobuden'' pixelates one of the ninja after Onsokumaru steals his swim trunks.

* To learn a new spell, Kukuri in ''MahoujinGuruGuru'' must watch the Kita Kita dance because the hip movements trace out a [[GeometricMagic magic circle]] she can use. Unfortunately, the only person around who knows this dance is an old man who wears a grass skirt. Fortunately, when Kukuri forces herself to watch the dance is pixellated for us viewers. Unfortunately, this is the only time this happens and the Old Kita Kita Man becomes a recurring character.
* In episode 22 of ''KeroroGunsou'', they put a black stripe over the Keronians' eyes and distort their voices to conceal their identities. However, they're still easily identified by their bright, primary-colored bodies and the fact that they're hanging out with the same people and in the same places they do all the time. In the manga, scenes of extreme violence, or really gross stuff like nasty AmusingInjuries or Momoka being [[AllAnimeIsNaughtyTentacles groped by a space octopus]] giving her the KissOfLife would be pixellated out.

* ''KirbyOfTheStars'' episode 6 has Dedede and Escargon's faces pixelated on ''live TV'' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8Psv-Dg_V4&fmt=18 near the end of the episode.]]

* Manga/{{Gintama}} uses this. A LOT. Usually to cover groins and vomit.

* When [[SuzumiyaHaruhi Haruhi]] summons a [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam "G** ]][[LawyerFriendlyCameo ** m"]] in ''Day Of Sagittarius''.
** Nagato's ero-game is also pixelated in the parody series, {{Haruhi-chan}}.
* In the manga ''KoeDeOshigoto'', about the lives of Eroge voice actors, there is a [[CrowningMomentOfFunny hilarous]] conversation about this, and how much it annoys one of the game's artists.

* A recent strip of ''AxisPowersHetalia'' does this to [[TheStoic Hong Kong's]] art, resulting in this little line said by a furiously blushing China:

* In ''{{Kochikame}}'', Special Detective Kitano who only wears a speedo and necktie will always take off his speedo when fighting crime completely unarmed. His privates will always show pixellation. Occurred a few times to other male characters in the manga.
* In the manga ''DemonDiary'', Eclipse attempts to teach Raenef a spell called "Death Drill" by demonstrating on one of the dragon guards. The aftermath is censored in this way.

* In an episode of ''LuckyStar'', Konata and her father discuss ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' (with all the names censored, of course). At one point Konata rattles off the names of several series like ''[[Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam Victory]]'' and ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Wing]]'', accompanied by heavily-pixelated pieces of official art from each series named.
* In ''IchigoMashimaro'', one story involves the girls' attempt to kill a cockroach. When they're near to succeeding, Miu states that the appearance of the cockroach "could really use one of those mosaics". In the panel that shows the (finally) dead roach, we see that the mangaka has provided.
* Pixellation is used as a gag on ''ThePrinceOfTennis'', where Inui sans glasses has his face obscured by pixellation.

* Parodied by the card "Censorship" from ''MagicTheGathering'''s joke expansion set ''Unglued''. This card also parodies the CensorBox (which, in a lot of cases, is used in similar fashion to pixellation[[note]]obscuring obscene words, nudity, offensive gestures, and product names that haven't been given permission to be used[[/note]].

* In one ''MaiHime'' Shizuru/Natsuki 4koma, Natsuki wonders what exactly happened in the DudeShesLikeInAComa incident late in the series, the exact nature of which is under debate in the fandom, but decides she can't ask Shizuru herself because she told her not to worry about it. Yukino, who witnessed the incident, offers her a DVD, then reassures her that she put Mosaic on it, shocking Natsuki.

* DVD releases of ''{{Grease}}'' blur out all Coca-Cola logos in the diner scene. This probably wouldn't have even been noticeable were it not for the fact that there's one part of the scene where two characters are conversing in front of a wall-sized Coke ad...
** Likewise, in a TV edit of ''SupermanII,'' General Zod is thrown into a giant blurred red-and-white Times Square advertising sign. In a shower of equally blurred sparks.
* An early example of this appeared in 1936's ''CharlieChan At The Olympics'', which were, of course, held in [[NaziGermany Berlin]] that year; all the numerous swastikas that appear (including on the ''Hindenburg'') are carefully [[NoSwastikas blotted out]].
* One cut of ''{{Highlander}}: Endgame'' has a distracting example of this during a rooftop fight scene. There's a very obviously blurred-out JVC sign in the background. The sign is not censored in the "earlier cut" of the film which comes as a DVD extra.

* Clothing brands and store names receive this treatment in the Korean Series ''YouAreBeautiful''.

* A lot of the gore was pixellated on Takashi Miike's six-episode TV series ''MPDPsycho''.

* The quiz show ''NeverMindTheBuzzcocks'' has a round called ''What Have We Pixelated?'' where they play sections of music videos with a pixelated item which the panel must guess the identity of. A hard round which has included items such as a person, an upside-down table on a ceiling, and a hand in a box.

* British automobile MagazineShow ''TopGear'' often uses pixellation of a person's mouth in conjunction with audio bleeping when presenters or guests let loose with profanities on the show. Very common during the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment, as the celebrity drivers get a bit excited doing the lap around the ''TopGear'' test track.

* When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame aired its induction ceremony of 1998 on {{VH-1}}, Paul [=McCartney=] was joined onstage by his daughter Stella, and her shirt was pixelated. It was hiding an F-bomb on the shirt but, since Stella was a fashion designer, there may have been people wondering if it was hiding something else.

* On HowardStern's televised version of his daily radio show on the E! network, pixels were almost always present to cover up the graphic images, acts, and women that had appeared naked on his radio show days before.

* ''TheOffice'' uses this from time to time, which makes sense given its mockumentary style. But it's quite hilarious in the episode ''Benjamin Franklin'' when a few characters visit an adult bookstore and pretty much the ''entire'' backdrop behind them is pixellated.
* Used once on ''CakeBoss'', when they had an order for a stripper-themed bachelorette party cake.

* In ''CanadasWorstDriver'', stop signs cover the mouths of the contestants when they swear (along with the accompanying bleep). Punk rocker Jakob and his nominator Stacy from season five got anarchy symbols instead. Blur is also applied to license plates on the contestants' cars and on brand names (labels on fast food containers, for instance).
* Some ''{{Reno 911}}'' skits had the actors who normally played the police officers portray perps. The "perps'" faces would be pixellated much like on ''COPS'' when the criminal's or victim's identity must be kept under wraps.

* DirtyJobs applied Censor Blur to the naughty bits of horses in the episode where Mike collected semen from a stallion and inseminated a mare.
* ''AmericasFunniestHomeVideos'' does it with naughty bits when videos have naked children, probably justified.
* ''AnimalCops'' also often does the COPS style face blurring of crininals.

* In some edits for the video for LadyGaga's song ''Telephone'', the recipe used to prepare the poisoned food is blurred out ... despite that ''all of its ingredients were all fictional poisons from various sci-fi works.''

* Music/{{Beck}}'s "Loser" video had a shot near the beginning with him wearing a [[StarWars Storm Trooper]] helmet - for copyright reasons, the helmet had to blurred out when it was aired on MTV.

** The WWF also used pixellation as part of one of their storylines, when Ric Flair showed up with a title belt, claiming to be the "Real World Heavyweight Champion". The belt in question was actually the NWA World Championship, which Flair had held at the time he jumped to the WWF, and which the NWA had refused to return his security deposit on, so he decided to keep the belt instead. After Flair was forced by court order to return the belt, the story continued onwards, with Flair using a heavily-pixellated WWF Tag Team Championship belt in place of the NWA belt (a [[LampshadeHanging lampshade was hung]] on this by WWF president Jack Tunney, who claimed he had ordered the pixellation since the WWF did not recognize Flair's belt as an actual championship, and thus will no longer show it on TV).
* On the E! reality series TotalDivas, several WWE wrestlers have had their faces blurred out on some occasions.

--> ''''China'''': I said to stop making this kind of art, otherwise [[{{Pixellation}} I'll have to mosaic it out]], aru!

* ''DotHack'' did this one too in Twilight, with Ouka beating up some skeletons.

* ''SaintsRowTheThird'' continues the crotch-pixellation policy describe above, however includes a partial workaround by allowing the in-game purchase of pasties which can be made flesh-colored (and with a dark centre to simulate nipples, yet!). This removes the pixellation on breasts of any size. Flesh-colored thongs can be purchased to simulate lower nudity, but not as convincingly. The streaking mini-game still features full pixellation.

* In episode 22 of ''KeroroGunsou'', they put a black stripe over the Keronians' eyes and distort their voices to conceal their identities. However, they're still easily identified by their bright, primary-colored bodies and the fact that they're hanging out with the same people and in the same places they do all the time. In the manga, scenes of extreme violence, or really gross stuff like nasty AmusingInjuries or Momoka being [[NaughtyTentacles groped by a space octopus]] giving her the KissOfLife would be pixellated out.

* Used in ''TheKAMics'' [[http://www.drunkduck.com/The_KAMics/4849994/ here]]

* When CraigFerguson swears on his show, they cover his mouth with an Italian, Spanish or French flag (pardon my french) and dub over with his own impression of a stereotypical person from that country.

* On the [[Creator/E E]] reality series TotalDivas, several WWE wrestlers have had their faces blurred out on some occasions.

* On the [[E!]] reality series TotalDivas, several WWE wrestlers have had their faces blurred out on some occasions.

On the {{E!}} reality series TotalDivas, several WWE wrestlers have had their faces blurred out on some occasions.

* On ''TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'', Gumball's crotch is pixellated every time he's naked. On the episode "The Meddler", Gumball and Darwin are in the shower, and Darwin's feet are pixellated, [[AccessoryWearingCartoonAnimal since he only wears shoes]].

Used to blur out faces (of criminals, crime victims, and undercover police officers; people who didn't sign releases to allow a show to use their likeness), offensive body parts (mostly breasts on women, [[FlippingTheBird the middle finger when used as a rude gesture]], and anything below the waist on both sexes -- that includes front and back), obscene words and written messages (mostly on T-shirts, billboards, and signs), copyrighted product names and logos which have not paid for placement (MTV does this a lot to their rap videos and on most of their reality shows, like ''TheRealWorld''), extremely graphic injuries (particularly the bloody stumps left behind when someone loses an arm or a leg or wide open head wounds), depictions of marijuana (be they the actual leaf or a rolled joint that's been lit and smoked), and even the years on closed-circuit date stamps (done a lot on reality shows that focus on police chases and crime, such as ''America's Dumbest Criminals'' or ''World's Wildest Police Chases'').

->--From a ''[[Magazine/{{Cracked}} Cracked Magazine]]'' parody of ''Series/{{COPS}}''

* Parodied by the card "Censorship" from ''MagicTheGathering'''s joke expansion set ''Unglued''. This card also parodies the CensorBox (which, in a lot of cases, is used in similar fashion to pixellation [[hottip:note:obscuring obscene words, nudity, offensive gestures, and product names that haven't been given permission to be used]].

* ''PhineasAndFerb'' has one example where Agent P is on a talk show with a pizellated face. The trope is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] when Agent P takes off in a hurry and leaves behind the pixellation, which the host then yells to him about.
* On ''TheSimpsons'' episode where Ned Flander's wife dies ("Alone Again, Natura-Diddly" from season 11), Homer videotapes Flanders showering as part of his dating video. Judging by how long the pixels extend, [[BiggerIsBetterInBed Flanders has nothing to be ashamed of]]..

* Parodied in the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/DrawnTogether'', where Princess Clara couldn't tell that Foxxy was flipping her off because her middle finger was blurred...then realized it when she extended her middle finger and saw that it got blurred [[hottip:note:this also happens on the DVD version, even though the DVD is said to be uncut and uncensored. In this case, the pixellation is only used as part of a visual gag]].

* Played with on ''InvaderZim''. Dib goes on a paranormal talk show with some footage of an unmasked Zim and [=GIR=]. When [=GIR=] eventually shows up as a surprise witness, his face is pixellated...even though he makes no other attempt to hide his robotic identity. He moves a lot as he speaks, even occasionally leaving the cover of pixellation.

* ''TheBoondocks'' had an episode where prosecutor Tom [=DuBois=] had a nightmare about dropping the soap in the prison shower. An inmate calling himself The Health Inspector demands he [[PrisonRape bend over and pick it up]]. [[GagPenis The pixellation went down to floor]] [[hottip:note:It should be noted that this only applies to the TV version. The DVD version does not have that luxury]].

* There was a ''{{MAD TV}}'' sketch where a man (Will Sasso) goes to his doctor (Aries Spears) with a bad case of pixellation which appears whenever he takes off his pants. The doctor tells the man that pixellation is normal and commonly found on genitals, women's breasts, and middle fingers when shown on network television.

[[quoteright:320:[[JungleWaItsumoHaleNochiGuu http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kerai/1111100047779.jpg]]]]

** In another episode, Kaname is confronted by some thugs and pulls out a whistle, threatening to blow it three times and summon Bonta-kun. One of the thugs says "Just like [[AmbassadorMagma Ambassador *BLEEP*ma]]!", complete with a pixelated image of said character.

* In ''CanadasWorstDriver'', stop signs cover the mouths of the contestants when they swear (along with the accompanying [[ThisTropeIsBleep bleep]] ). Punk rocker Jakob and his nominator Stacy from season five got anarchy symbols instead. Blur is also applied to license plates on the contestants' cars and on brand names (labels on fast food containers, for instance).

* ''MahouSenseiNegima'' normally use BarbieDollAnatomy, except when Chisame walks in on [[RatedMForManly Jack Rakan]] [[FanDisservice while he's taking a shower.]]