Ratings. Do They Really Work?
Ratings. What are
they good for? As I have researched this topic recently, I have realized that
movie ratings don’t do all that much. Sure the idea behind movie ratings is
great, but when it comes down to it I feel like they don’t really help.
Ratings in theory are to help
parents decide what is appropriate for their children to watch. This seems to be less and less true with each
passing year. For the most part, anyone “should” be able to watch a PG rated
film, but I’ll tell you what, there are some PG rated films that I would never
want my nieces and nephews to watch.
Studies
show that ratings are becoming less adequate.
I have found this to be true as I have watched some recent films. I won’t name titles, but with more PG 13
movies using the F-word and sensuality or heavy violence as the major parts of
their films it is hard for me to fork out $8.00 or more to sit there and watch
such filth.
It seems to me that the MPAA is very
wishy-washy about their stand on movie ratings. The problem is that each movie
is rated independently from other films and there is no blanket rule on what
makes a G, PG, PG 13, or R rated film.
Wouldn’t it just be easier to make it so when filmmakers write a film
that there are rules in place stating what their film should be rated? Yeah, I think so.
I’m not trying to bug anyone, in
fact, on the contrary I’m hoping to draw the awareness of you and everyone else
out there to help you understand that even though a film might be rated PG it
doesn’t necessarily mean it is suitable for your children or the kids that you
love. Just keep in mind that the MPAA rates every film by its own standards and
with that being the case, maybe we should too.
This will keep us more on top of what our kids are watching and it will
keep our kids safer too.
Maybe ratings aren’t all that fool
proof, but we are. So take control of what your kids watch and make your own
ratings. In the long run, this will help
your children more.
Works Cited
Flagship. “Rating
System.” Photo. www.flagshipcinemas.com 2013. 16
March 2013
<http://www.flagshipcinemas.com/ratings-info/>.
Though you brought up the idea that parents should be in charge of ratings for their children and taking into consideration what they're watching, I would like to ask you what helps the parents decide without actually watching the movie? If the ratings system is as big a mess and unreliable as you say it is, then parents' only options are to screen the movies for themselves. If this happens, then parents and adults could be subjected to potentially offensive material that they have no desire to see. Is there a way for parents and other adults to avoid having to watch a movie to decide that it's inappropriate? Could this possibly be fixed by defining each rating more clearly?
ReplyDeleteMattWagstaff, Thanks for the great comments. I really appreciate the detail you gave and helping understand how to address the rating system. You had some great ideas of how I can address that. I need to look into some ways that movies can be screened rather than having the parents do it and being subject to some of the inappropriate or offensive material that they don't want to see. I will look into more on how ratings can be defined more clearly and work on addressing these concerns. Thank you.
DeleteYour statement that there are no "blanket rules" to rate a movie is a valid argument but there are certain guidelines that the MPAA follows. What are the rules that are always kept? How are the rules that are always kept relevant to the wishy-washiness of the MPAA's rating system?
ReplyDeleteLaurajane, Thanks for your comments. They helped a lot to know how I can adjust my writing and touch up my argument. This is a good idea to write about what rules are always kept and how they are relevant. Thank you.
DeleteI like how you gave the example that there are movies out there that don't follow the rating that was given them through sneaking in inappropriate word, but maybe you should consider actually mentioning certain movies to give your post more credibility. I also agree with MattWagstaff. I'm not sure how a parent could decide if their child should or should not view a certain movie without viewing it themselves. I think the last paragraph in this post left me a little bit confused because I wasn't expecting that call to action. Also, for your issues paper, you may want to broaden your topic a little bit and include not only parents being able to have a rating system for their children, but also for their own sakes? Sure, parents don't want their kids seeing inappropriate things, but they probably don't either.
ReplyDeleteAngie Steenhoek, I really appreciate your comments. That makes a lot of sense to put in different names from movies that fit into this category. Also, I am glad you mentioned MattWagstaff's comments again. I think that he had some very credible comments and I will look into what you are both saying. I also like your comment about the last paragraph. I will work on touching that up and making it flow better. Thanks again.
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