Week 11

Dear dumb parents,

Although you may think you're doing just fine and dandy only watching PG-13 movies, you may be wrong. One of the most vital aspects to understand when discussing ratings and their debatable accuracy is "ratings creep." To be put simply, ratings creep is the change in content of lower rated movies, specifically them becoming more extreme over time, such as PG-13 movies now containing the more graphic violence or gratuitous profanity which would formerly only be in an R-rated film. According to the Movie Picture Association of America's (MPAA) frequently asked question guide, there are "no specific rules with which ratings are assigned." Although off handedly one may remark that PG-13 films can only contain 1 "f-word" and only a certain amount of sexual activity, a look at their actual guidelines reveals this to be simply a trend. They do indeed contain specifics such as R-rated films being the only to contain "sexually oriented nudity" or "the f-word in reference to sexuality in some form." However, the CARA ratings board within the MPAA is given complete liberty within broad terms such as these, and the majority vote of which rating to be assigned is taken, only to be reconsidered if under appeal by filmmakers. Essentially, the system is being exploited, resulting in the bar being pushed just a little bit further every time as movies contain more and more edgy content. As this brief summary of ratings creep has shown, using better judgment before letting yourself or your children watch even lower rated movies is needed. Perhaps try kids-in-mind.com 's more detailed, number based ratings system, to check the appropriateness of films before letting them into your home.

Sincerely,

Ben