The sole purpose of a movie rating is to provide parents with information as to the content of films, and whether or not certain films are appropriate for their children. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has a Board of Parents that consider factors such as violence, sex, language, drug use, and other adult activities before determining a rating that they believe a majority of parents will see fit.
A lot of criticism has been directed towards the MPAA in reaction to some ratings seen as biased, such as the disputed PG-13 rating for “The King’s Speech.”
Sophomore Mumtaz Yusufali said, “I think they’re fair to a certain point because for instance, little kids shouldn’t be allowed to watch something with cussing, violence, or adult references at their age.” In truth, when determining ratings, the Board of parents asks themselves the question: “What would I want to know about this film before I allow my child to see it?”
Decisions regarding the rating of a movie are guided by established criteria for each rating category, which include a few rules that trigger an automatic rating. For instance, any depiction of drug use results in at least a PG-13 rating.
However, the rating system is not a law; it is a voluntary system sponsored by the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) and the MPAA. The members of NATO enforce the system by: refusing children admission to R-rated movies without the accompaniment of an adult, asking for identification in the form of student ID cards or drivers licenses, so on and so forth. Senior Peter Li doesn’t believe in the voluntary system and instead said: “It is not heavily enforced… in most cases, anyone can walk into any theater no matter their age.”
Junior Melissa Tavarez said “I don’t think anyone ever follows them besides grown ups with their kids.” It is not considered unlawful for parents to bring their very young children to R-rated films. The R rating only constitutes as a suggestion that it is generally not appropriate for parents to bring their young children with them.
Unlike the R and NC-17 ratings, the PG-13 is not a restrictive rating and admission is permitted for children younger than 13. MPAA says the attendance of children younger than the age of 13 in R and NC-17 movies is a decision best made by their parents, taking into consideration the age, maturity and individual sensitivity of each child and the type of content of each film.
It is important to note that restrictive ratings such as, R and NC-17, are not a judgment or punishment. The ratings simply convey to parents that a film has elements strong enough for parents to be wary; the MPAA is not a board of film critics, but rather parents looking out for the best of their children.