Movie Ratings

Seeing various movies over Thanksgiving weekend caused me to think back to the movie chapter and lecture of class, and led me to blog about the pros and cons of the movie rating system. I believe the current rating system, updated in 1990, is still an issue of controversy, as it has been since first established in 1968. Today the current rating system stands as: NC-17 (no children under 17 should be admitted),R(restricted for anyone under age 17 unless accompanied by an adult), PG-13(parental guidance suggested for children under 13), PG( parental guidance- may be unsuitable for children under 13), and G(suitable for general audiences and all ages). From a far this system appears to be a great working solution, but really I believe that there are both major pros and cons to the system.

I think a major pro of the rating system is that it shifted from censoring the content of movies, to simply notifying the public of how graphic or violent a movie is. The industry should not be limited to the type of content they are allowed to use in movies, but should warn people about what may be seen in the movie. The warning then puts the problem into the hands of the public; if a person is appalled by the violent content of the movie, it was ultimately their decision to watch the movie, knowing that their is indeed violence present. The system is also a great way for parents to know which movies are appropriate for their children to go see. We have learned in an earlier chapter that violent television shows and movies can lead children to imitate the behavior and act out violently. With a rating system, parents can take their children to family flicks and not worry about there being a negative influence.

However, although the idea of a rating system is good in theory, and a good rule of thumb in which movies children should stay away from; I don't believe that it is totally effective. First off, although the ratings are supposed to tell which movies are appropriate for a certain age, it is pretty subjective. One person in the United States may find the amount of violence and profanity in a PG-13 rated movie to be innapropriate for teenagers, and believe it should instead be rated R. In contrast, another person may believe the same movie isn't violent at all, and allow their 9 year old child to view it. Another con of the movie rating system is the enforcement of the ratings, especially when it comes to those movies that are rated R. Although all theaters are supposed to check ID's of younger movie-goers, to assure no one under the age of seventeen is admitted without an adult present; many aren't. I can speak from experience, as when me and my friends were under seventeen, we had no problem getting into many R rated movies. Even if ID's are being checked where tickets are being bought, teens find their way around it by buying tickets to a different movie, and sneak in to the R rated one. Is there a way to get past this problem? I personally believe that their are bigger issues to be concerned about, but more strict enforcement could definetely be put into place. For example, one movie theater near my hometown checks all ID's for rated R movies, no matter the age of the ticket purchaser. Also, they usually have an employee standing outside of the entrance to the R rated movie, and only those with a ticket to that specific movie are let in. this in turn prevents teens from sneaking in to these R rated flicks. On the downside, checking IDs causes long lines and potentially angry customers. So is it really worth it?

In addition, I was recently reading an article on backstage.com titled "MPAA to Offer Full Disclosure on Ratings" which eluded to a few changes that will be made to the rating system. Although nothing drastic such as a new letter will be added to the system, there are plans to increase the effort put into explaining the ratings system to filmakers as well as the public. The newest addition is a weekly email known as the "Red Carpet Ratings System," listing films, their ratings, and reasons for the given ratings. I believe this is a good step to help the public become more aware of what they are allowing their children to watch, and be more cautious about it in the future. I don't think it will cause any changes in the amount of underage kids and teens getting into R rated movies, but it definetely can't hurt to keep the public more informed on an issue that many people today disregard.