          if label is not None:
              label = smart_text(label)
          self.required, self.label, self.initial = required, label, initial
          self.show_hidden_initial = show_hidden_initial
          if help_text is None:
              self.help_text = ''
          else:
              self.help_text = smart_text(help_text)
          widget = widget or self.widget
          if isinstance(widget, type):
              widget = widget()
  
          # Trigger the localization machinery if needed.
 
</s> remove         if label is not None:
            label = smart_text(label)
 </s> add  </s> remove                  help_text=None, to_field_name=None, *args, **kwargs):
 </s> add                  help_text='', to_field_name=None, *args, **kwargs): </s> remove                  help_text=None, error_messages=None, show_hidden_initial=False,
 </s> add                  help_text='', error_messages=None, show_hidden_initial=False, </s> remove                  initial=None, help_text=None, *args, **kwargs):
 </s> add                  initial=None, help_text='', *args, **kwargs): </s> remove                  initial=None, help_text=None, *args, **kwargs):
 </s> add                  initial=None, help_text='', *args, **kwargs):
        self.help_text = help_text
          if label is not None:
              label = smart_text(label)
          self.required, self.label, self.initial = required, label, initial
          self.show_hidden_initial = show_hidden_initial
        self.help_text = help_text
        self.help_text = help_text
        self.help_text = help_text
        self.help_text = help_text
          widget = widget or self.widget
          if isinstance(widget, type):
              widget = widget()
  
          # Trigger the localization machinery if needed.
keep keep keep keep replace replace replace replace keep keep keep keep keep
 Removed forced typecasting of help_text/label Field arguments

In any case, setting those variables to non-ascii utf-8 bytestrings
is now considered a programming error. 
django/forms/fields.py