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Movie Ratings Demystified: What’s really in all the movies we watch.



What’s really in all the stuff we watch? Do you know what all the movie ratings mean? If you do (or think you do), do you just take the rating for granted and always assume they are accurate. Have you ever watched a movie and thought afterwards that the rating didn’t really seem all that accurate? I have…

Before we get to the actually ratings, we need to know just how these ratings are decided and who does the deciding. The MPAA is the organization responsible for the ratings system on movies. Their website gives all of the information about themselves, the ratings and how the ratings work. www.mpaa.org To sum it up, though, every movie that chooses to be rated—and most do—goes to a group of 10-13 that comprise a full-time Ratings Board. This group of people decide what they think the average American parent would rate the movie, based on the established ratings system, and then, after group discussion, the Ratings Board votes on the rating. Here’s a little of what the MPAA website says about who these people of the Ratings Board are:

“There are no special qualifications for Board membership, except that the members must have a shared parenthood experience, must be possessed of an intelligent maturity, and most of all, have the capacity to put themselves in the role of most American parents so they can view a film and apply a rating that most parents would find suitable and helpful in aiding their decisions about their children and what movies they see.” (from MPAA website: http://www.mpaa.org/Ratings_HowRated.asp )

Ok, so what… I knew that… Well, maybe not, but how does that affect the ratings?

What I think Christians should consider, especially before we just take the rating at face value: This Ratings Board in no way claims to be Christian in their values used to judge a movie, and can I say that the world does not share the same values as Christians; They may try to put themselves in the role of ‘most American parents’ but who’s opinion do you trust over your own when it comes to your kids—how many times have you said to yourself, “I would never let my kids act like that”; If you haven’t yet realized, America is shifting away from traditional Christian values in many ways and especially when it comes to what we think are kids, teens, etc. should be able to view.

Before you take the ratings and assume you know what will be in the things you watch or let your children watch, we need to consider that the opinions that are used to categorize the content of a film are not going to be the same as ours. Also we need to check what each rating (G, PG, etc) actually means, that is what content will be allowed in a movie with that rating.

HOW CAN I KNOW??? If the Ratings Board may not be judging how I would judge, then even knowing what the ‘PG-13’ means will not help too much…

A couple things you can do:

The Ratings


Taken directly from the MPAA website. http://www.mpaa.org/FlmRat_Ratings.asp
I have highlighted sections that I think are important to note in the wording. Some of the highlighted sections represent parts that you may not have been aware of (maybe even will shock you), and other highlighted sections are parts where the opinion of the Ratings Board may differ a lot from yours.

G

General Audiences. All Ages Admitted.

A G-rated motion picture contains nothing in theme, language, nudity, sex, violence or other matters that, in the view of the Rating Board, would offend parents whose younger children view the motion picture. The G rating is not a “certificate of approval,” nor does it signify a “children’s” motion picture. Some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation but they are common everyday expressions. No stronger words are present in G-rated motion pictures. Depictions of violence are minimal. No nudity, sex scenes or drug use are present in the motion picture.

PG

Parental Guidance Suggested. Some Material May Not Be Suitable For Children.

A PG-rated motion picture should be investigated by parents before they let their younger children attend. The PG rating indicates, in the view of the Rating Board, that parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, and parents should make that decision.

The more mature themes in some PG-rated motion pictures may call for parental guidance. There may be some profanity and some depictions of 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 motion picture.

PG-13

Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some Material May Be Inappropriate For Children Under 13.

A PG-13 rating is a sterner warning by the Rating Board to parents to determine whether their children under age 13 should view the motion picture, as some material might not be suited for them. A PG-13 motion picture may go beyond the PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, adult activities or other elements, but does not reach the restricted R category. The theme of the motion picture by itself will not result in a rating greater than PG-13, although depictions of activities related to a mature theme may result in a restricted rating for the motion picture. Any drug use will initially require at least a PG-13 rating. More than brief nudity will require at least a PG-13 rating, but such nudity in a PG-13 rated motion picture generally will not be sexually oriented. There may be depictions of violence in a PG-13 movie, but generally not both realistic and extreme or persistent violence. A motion picture’s single use of one of the harsher sexually-derived words, though only as an expletive, initially requires at least a PG-13 rating. More than one such expletive requires an R rating, as must even one of those words used in a sexual context. The Rating Board nevertheless may rate such a motion picture PG-13 if, based on a special vote by a two-thirds majority, the Raters feel that most American parents would believe that a PG-13 rating is appropriate because of the context or manner in which the words are used or because the use of those words in the motion picture is inconspicuous.

R

Restricted. Children Under 17 Require Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian.

An R-rated motion picture, in the view of the Rating Board, contains some adult material. An R-rated motion picture may include adult themes, adult activity, hard language, intense or persistent violence, sexually-oriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements, so that parents are counseled to take this rating very seriously. Children under 17 are not allowed to attend R-rated motion pictures unaccompanied by a parent or adult guardian. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about R-rated motion pictures in determining their suitability for their children. Generally, it is not appropriate for parents to bring their young children with them to R-rated motion pictures.

NC-17

No One 17 and Under Admitted.

An NC-17 rated motion picture is one that, in the view of the Rating Board, most parents would consider patently too adult for their children 17 and under. No children will be admitted. NC-17 does not mean “obscene” or “pornographic” in the common or legal meaning of those words, and should not be construed as a negative judgment in any sense. The rating simply signals that the content is appropriate only for an adult audience. An NC-17 rating can be based on violence, sex, aberrational behavior, drug abuse or any other element that most parents would consider too strong and therefore off-limits for viewing by their children.

Bottom Line

It is not clear based on rating alone what a movie will specifically have in it. DON'T JUST ASSUME. You also need to take into account that the Ratings Board is not you and not a Christian perspective! Also movies now can appeal a rating based on 'context' of language and actions. One such movie "Gunner Palace" got a PG-13 rating, despite having 42 f-words, because the foul language was used in context of soldiers in battle. This movie was used as precedent for getting "The Hip-Hop Project", which had 17 f-words, a PG-13 rating. You can see where this will continue to go. "Gunner Palace" is now available to be shown as part of High School curriculum; now that is eye-opening! Needless to say we need to "walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise" (Ephesians 5:15). "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices." (2 Corinthians 2:11)

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