Escaping the grasp of ratings

Re: Escaping the grasp of ratings


In the case of movies, the Motion Picture Association of America decides which ratings get applied to which movies. The decision process is famously secretive and arcane. In 2006, Kirby Dick made a documentary about the movie rating process, entitled This Film is Not Yet Rated; similar documentaries have been made in the past.

My understanding is that there is no legal requirement that a film be submitted for ratings, though any movie made by studios that are members of the MPAA (Buena Vista, Sony, Paramount, Fox, Universal, Warner Bros.) is, by agreement, subject to the process. In theory there are no consequences to leaving a movie unrated, but in practice it's a risky prospect because it severely limits the movie's opportunities for advertisement and exposure. Many newspapers refuse to print ads for unrated movies, and many theaters refuse to show them.

Yep - it's the producers not the G. Yet...

I think the news gets out because it is what it is - but that might be wishful thinking. Could just be that the populists that push ratings have got the news in their pockets or that they want kids to be civic and all that crap.

A rating system to my liking would recommend children be tied down, their eyelids taped open, and a dopamine-stimulating narcotic dripped into their veins, while low-octane pupil-dilating morphine solution is drizzlled onto their corneas when watching the news on any subject - I call it Hanno Forced Over-Stimulation for Pee-Wees Level 2 or H-FOSPW2.

Writing is presumed to be an art form as opposed to simply a medium, thus exempt. Also, the really stupid kids don't read that much. I'd rate the Bible and the Koran as Hanno's Potentially Brainwashing Wide-Era Historical Curiosity Level 6 or H-PBWEHC6.

Really good thread in a way.

I think the ratings are helpful. In norway we have a slightly different way of doing this. On the back of the cover of a film there is a recommended age limit. It's usually 7, 11, 15 or 18 years.
The way this works when it comes to action films or thrillers is as follows. This isn't official, it's just what I've found out, and it pretty much holds true.

If it's seven the movies are suitable for children, and there will be no killing, sex or blood.

If it's eleven there will be no sex, maybe kiling, but no blood and the killing isn't actually seen in the film.

If it's fifteen there is killing and blood, some sex, but very little or no nudity.

If it's eighteen there anything goes. Blood, gore, nudity profanity, you name it.

This can be helpful when you're in the video shop. If I'm in the mood for a film that is not so hard on the eyes I will go for one labeled eleven or fifteen. If I want some senseless, ruthless action that shakes me up a bit I will go for one labeled 18.
Of course, this doesn't reveal anything about the movie itself, and is not an indication of if it's any good or not.