Film ratings redux
By Marcy Magiera -- Video Business, 3/23/2007
MARCH 23 | When I was 9 or 10 years old, my parents called the local theater to ask a manager if PG-rated American Graffitti was an appropriate film for me to see. While the action struck me as thoroughly unnecessary then (of course I was mature enough!), in retrospect, I know that my parents were just parenting—the way many, many people still did in the ’70s and not as many do now.
The fact that more parents today than ever are lacking either the time or the motivation (or both) to fully vet their children’s entertainment choices is at the heart of some revisions to the MPAA ratings system rules, which, effective April 1, will add specific “ratings reasons,” such as sexual content, language and depictions of violence to the ratings—as many media outlets have been doing for years. Notably, the org stops short of codifying legal “adult activities” such as smoking and drinking alcohol as a factor in ratings.
While definitely a service to parents, the changes also serve political purposes for both the MPAA and NATO—and home entertainment retailers as well—for the more the industry can be seen doing for parents, the less likely the chance of government intervention.
(As a parent, I’m all in favor, but c’mon—the “terrified tots” advisory added to the R rating? It states: “Generally, it is not appropriate for parents to bring their young children with them to R-rated motion pictures.” This has gotta be for the politicians … and maybe Homer Simpson. Leave Maggie home? D’oh!)
At the same time, MPAA has made changes to the ratings appeal process as a way to crack down on frivolous appeals made with the intention of generating publicity and stepping up its efforts, with NATO, to revitalize the NC-17 rating.
MPAA has added language to the NC-17 criteria designed to reduce the stigma of the adults-only rating, which has never caught on. MPAA’s goal, and NATO’s, is to get primarily indie studios that now release strong adult fare unrated to apply for the NC-17 and increase clarity of communication and enforcement all around. During ShoWest earlier this month, NATO head John Fithian said that most theaters will play NC-17 films that are appropriate for their markets, and that NC-17 films, on average, make more money that unrated ones.
Fair enough, insomuch as the major studios have release only 19 NC-17 films in 17 years.
This argument extends less well, however, to unrated DVDs, which NATO does find offensive. While standing behind the ratings system, theater owners are also loathe to see any major studio film marketed as a better, or more complete version, than they had in theaters.
What they don’t take into account is that most of these “unrated and uncensored” titles are already known quantities.
Even my parents would know what to expect from the “Unrated!” version of American Pie.
