Changes

Initially, there was a plan to film two versions of the video: an uncensored director's cut, and an edited version for MTV. This idea would save money on editing because of the costs of editing the film that was used. Reznor objected to shooting a censored version, stating that he didn't care whether or not MTV would show the video. MTV would show the video, but not before edits were made. The network censors objected to religious imagery they felt was blasphemous (a crucified monkey and a crucifix on a nude woman's mask), too risqué (Reznor gagged by a wall covered with sado-masochistic paraphernalia and writing from a chain while blindfolded), or too overtly sexual in nature (the nude woman and a diagram of a vulva). Ultimately, the video was edited for MTV, with offending images either bluured blurred or blacked out, zoomed in to avoid objectionable content, or replaced by a screen reading SCENE MISSING. Despite the heavy editing on MTV, "Closer" would go on to become one of the network's most popular videos in 1994 and 1995. The uncensored director's cut can be seen on the Closure video.