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Deditorial #2: The MPAA and the Ratings System |
Posted on Apr 26, 2007 at 12:51 pm by Dedman13
In April 1968, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutional power of states and cities to prevent the exposure of children to books and films that could not be denied to adults. On November 1, 1968, the MPAA announced the birth of the new voluntary film rating system of the motion picture industry, with three organizations, NATO, MPAA, and IFIDA, as its monitoring and guiding groups. The initial 4 rating were:
G for General Audiences, all ages admitted;
M for mature audiences - parental guidance suggested, but all ages admitted;
R for Restricted, children under 16 would not be admitted without an accompanying parent or adult guardian; (later raised to under 17 years of age, (and varies in some jurisdictions));
X for no one under 17 admitted
The rating system trademarked all the category symbols, except the X. Under the plan, anyone not submitting his or her film for rating could self apply the X or any other symbol or description, except those trademarked by the rating program.
On July 1, 1984, we made another adjustment. We split the PG category into two groupings, PG and PG-13. PG-13 meant a higher level of intensity than was to be found in a film rated PG. Over the past years, parents have approved of this amplifying revision in the rating system.
On September 27, 1990, the MPAA announced two more revisions.
First, they introduced brief explanations of why a particular film received its R rating. Since, in the opinion of the Ratings Board, R rated films contain adult material, they believed it would be useful to parents to know a little more about that film's content before they allowed their children to accompany them. Sometime later they began applying the explanations in the PG, PG-13 and NC-17 categories as well. These explanations are available to parents at the theater (by telephone or at the box office), in certain media reviews and listings, and also made available on the MPAA's World Wide Web Home Page on the Internet. This internet address is http://www.mpaa.org.
Second, they changed the name of the X category to NC-17:NO ONE 17 AND UNDER ADMITTED. The X rating over the years appeared to have taken on a surly meaning in the minds of many people, a meaning that was never intended when we created the system. Therefore, we chose to reaffirm the original intent of the design we installed on November 1, 1968, in which this "adults only" category explicitly describes a movie that most parents would want to have barred to viewing by their children. That was and is the MPAA's goal, nothing more, nothing less.
They have now trademarked "NC-17:NO ONE 17 AND UNDER ADMITTED" so that this rating symbol and the legend can be used only by those who submit their films for rating.
A definition of the Ratings:
G:"General Audiences-All Ages Admitted."
This is a film which contains nothing in theme, language, nudity and sex, violence, etc. which would, in the view of the Rating Board, be offensive to parents whose younger children view the film. The G rating is not a "certificate of approval," nor does it signify a children's film.
Some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation but they are common everyday expressions. No stronger words are present in G-rated films. The violence is at a minimum. Nudity and sex scenes are not present; nor is there any drug use content.
PG:"Parental Guidance Suggested. Some Material May Not Be Suitable For Children."
This is a film which clearly needs to be examined or inquired into by parents before they let their children attend. The label PG plainly states that parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, but the parent must make the decision.
Parents are warned against sending their children, unseen and without inquiry, to PG-rated movies.
The theme of a PG-rated film may itself call for parental guidance. There may be some profanity in these films. There may be some violence or brief nudity. But these elements are not deemed so intense as to require that parents be strongly cautioned beyond the suggestion of parental guidance. There is no drug use content in a PG-rated film.
The PG rating, suggesting parental guidance, is thus an alert for examination of a film by parents before deciding on its viewing by their children.
Obviously such a line is difficult to draw. In our pluralistic society it is not easy to make judgments without incurring some disagreement. So long as parents know they must exercise parental responsibility, the rating serves as a meaningful guide and as a warning.
PG-13:"Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some Material May Be Inappropriate For Children Under 13."
PG-13 is thus a sterner warning to parents to determine for themselves the attendance in particular of their younger children as they might consider some material not suited for them. Parents, by the rating, are alerted to be very careful about the attendance of their under-teenage children.
A PG-13 film is one which, in the view of the Rating Board, leaps beyond the boundaries of the PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, or other contents, but does not quite fit within the restricted R category. Any drug use content will initially require at least a PG-13 rating. In effect, the PG-13 cautions parents with more stringency than usual to give special attention to this film before they allow their 12-year olds and younger to attend.
If nudity is sexually oriented, the film will generally not be found in the PG-13 category. If violence is too rough or persistent, the film goes into the R (restricted) rating. A film's single use of one of the harsher sexually-derived words, though only as an expletive, shall initially require the Rating Board to issue that film at least a PG-13 rating. More than one such expletive must lead the Rating Board to issue a film an R rating, as must even one of these words used in a sexual context. These films can be rated less severely, however, if by a special vote, the Rating Board feels that a lesser rating would more responsibly reflect the opinion of American parents.
PG-13 places larger responsibilities on parents for their children's moviegoing. The voluntary rating system is not a surrogate parent, nor should it be. It cannot, and should not, insert itself in family decisions that only parents can, and should, make. Its purpose is to give prescreening advance informational warnings, so that parents can form their own judgments. PG-13 is designed to make these parental decisions easier for films between PG and R.
R:"Restricted, Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent Or Adult Guardian." In the opinion of the Rating Board, this film definitely contains some adult material. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about this film before they allow their children to accompany them.
An R-rated film may include hard language, or tough violence, or nudity within sensual scenes, or drug abuse or other elements, or a combination of some of the above, so that parents are counseled, in advance, to take this advisory rating very seriously. Parents must find out more about an R-rated movie before they allow their teenagers to view it.
NC-17:"No One 17 And Under Admitted."
This rating declares that the Rating Board believes that this is a film that most parents will consider patently too adult for their youngsters under 17. No children will be admitted. NC-17 does not necessarily mean "obscene or pornographic" in the oft-accepted or legal meaning of those words. The Board does not and cannot mark films with those words. These are legal terms and for courts to decide. The reasons for the application of an NC-17 rating can be violence or sex or aberrational behavior or drug abuse or any other elements which, when present, most parents would consider too strong and therefore off-limits for viewing by their children.
So now you have the MPAA's definition of the ratings and what gives certain movies their ratings because of their content. Those are the facts that I can't dispute. HOWEVER, here are a few other snippets that I will dispute:
What the MPAA says: "The Board views each film. Each member present estimates what most parents would consider to be that film's appropriate rating. After group discussion, the Board votes on the rating. Each member completes a rating form spelling out his or her reason for the rating. Each rating is decided by majority vote."
What the Dedman says: I have a problem with that. While all members are voted in and serve small terms, they are basing their opinions on their personal preference and what they think CHILDREN would think of the film. While a film producer and company can appeal a rating, the board has final say.
What the MPAA says: "No one is forced to submit a film to the Board for rating, but the vast majority of producers/distributors do in fact submit their films for ratings. Any producer/distributor who wants no part of any rating system is free to go to the market without any rating at all or with any description or symbol they choose as long as it is not confusingly similar to the G, PG, PG-13, R, and, NC-17. The rating symbols are federally-registered certification marks of the MPAA and may not be self-applied."
What the Dedman says: This is a load of bullshit and we all know it! When was the last time you saw a movie released in theatres that was not rated? I am talking about a major studio release. The movie companies are terrified to release a movie that does not have an MPAA rating. If they were not afraid, then why in the hell has "House of 1000 Corpses" been delayed for so long?
What the MPAA says: "The Rating Board does not rate movies on their quality or lack of quality. That is a role left to film critics and audiences."
What the Dedman says: Do I even need to say anything here? I think we all know what I am thinking here.
What the MPAA says: "The criteria that go into the mix which becomes a Rating Board judgment are theme, violence, language, nudity, sensuality, drug abuse, and other elements. Part of the rating flows from how each of these elements is treated on-screen by the filmmaker. In making their evaluation, the members of the Ratings Board do not look at snippets of film in isolation but consider the film in its entirety. The Rating Board can make its decisions only by what is seen on the screen, not by what is imagined or thought."
What the Dedman says: RIGHT! If that is the case, then tell me why "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" has an "R" rating? 98% of the violence is imagined or thought. I would love to find out what the rating would have been for "Night of the Living Dead"!
What the MPAA says: "Indeed many films rated X in the past and NC-17 now, have at least tentatively been given the "adults only" rating because of depictions of violence."
What the Dedman says: Not true. Alot of movies these days that receive NC-17 ratings have TONS of sexual situations. Show me a real horror film rated NC-17.
What the MPAA says: "The X rating over the years appeared to have taken on a surly meaning in the minds of many people, a meaning that was never intended when we created the system."
What the Dedman says: The problem with this is that the "X" rating was meant as pornographic in the beginning. Because it has been associated with porn for so long, any film rated "X" (NC-17 now) will be viewed as pornographic by the general populace instead of violent. The MPAA needs to rectify this problem. When RoboCop was first shown to the MPAA, it received an "X" rating for violence. I think that you can see the cut scenes on the DVD.
While I do feel that a ratings system is needed, I think that they really need to revamp the ratings. I have no problem with the ratings up to the "R", but I feel that they need to make the general public understand that a movie that is rated NC-17 or "X" is not pornographic. Nor should a company be afraid to release a film unrated. There is no crime in that. I think that if they did that, horror movies may get better and more entertaining. Part of the reason that horror films suck now is because the companies are afraid to put a great story to film because they are afraid of receiving anything other than a "R" rating. We all know that horror movies are not for kids to begin with, so releasing films with these ratings should not be a traumatizing thing. Will people complain about an NC-17 rating being released? Some may, but they also don't have to go. Quit ruining my movie experience because you can not handle a letter rating or no rating at all! Please feel free to post any comments below!
REST IN PEACE!
"Because I am the Dedman, and your not!" |
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