I am not one to fall prey to conspiracy theories surrounding secret organizations. I remain skeptical, for example, of the thought that Freemasons are Satan-worshipping occultists seeking world domination, their disturbing insignia and cryptic nature notwithstanding. I believe, therefore, that the Motion Picture Association of America ratings board originated with lofty idealism and fresh-faced ambitions. For years before its creation, there had been no standard rating system for judging the appropriateness of movies for family viewing. Then in rode the white knights of cinema, their swords of caution unsheathed. The mystical letter G was bestowed upon harmless fare, while more pervasive content was given R. Over the years, the intermediate ratings PG and PG-13 were added and the panel of judges became more enigmatic than ever. Only one person, Joan Graves, has been acknowledged as a member of this sacred board, which can literally speak life or death over a movie (Boole, Sonja (2008, July/August). Discretion Adviser. Stanford Magazine. Retrieved April 23, 2009, from http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2008/julaug/show/graves.html).
As for the nine essentially anonymous members, the MPAA insists that they “serve for periods of varying length” and “have a shared parenthood experience.” The MPAA also boldly proclaims that there is not a “jot of evidence” that the board has ever been influenced in decision-making by third parties. (Motion Picture Association of America. (2009). Who rates the movies and how does it work? Retrieved April 23, 2009, from http://www.mpaa.org/Ratings_HowRated.asp) They neglect to inform the public that none of these board members currently have children under eighteen. Furthermore, how can anyone validly question the practices of a secret organization with unknown members? Sometimes though, the ratings themselves can be incriminatory. In my opinion, the system is not very standardized, nor is it a proper judge of parental values.
Perhaps the strongest example of this is the film Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Originally this film received an emphatic NC-17 rating due to extremely graphic sexual content, a standard reaction to the filmmaker Kevin Smith’s films. One of the main stars was even an actual porn star. In an equally standard move, Smith appealed the rating and won. My suspicions of the board’s fallibility were aroused when I discovered that Smith had not edited the film in any way before the appeal (Cox, Dan (2008, August). With Porn Star in Tow…And Wins. Retrieved April 23, 2009, from http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlLA/darwin_was_right/kevin_smith_challenges_mpaa_ratings_system_with_porn_star_in_towand_wins_91025.asp). Somehow, an NC-17 movie had been repackaged into one marketable to young teenagers. Apparently the members of the appeals board do not share the criteria as the original board. Lesson learned: Always appeal. Many crude sex comedies, Scary Movie 4 as a glaring example, have even sweet-talked the panel into PG-13 territory.
On the other end of the spectrum are films that have undeservedly been laden with critical ratings. The Village barely escaped R, because of a sound effect for the knife plunging into a main character’s chest. The board told M. Night Shyamalan, the director, he could keep the violent scene, just ditch the sound. Voila, PG-13. Slumdog Millionaire, on the other hand, was relegated to the realm of R, despite mostly implied violence and minimal sexual content.
I conclude that the rating system is arbitrary enough to disregard. Many parental guidance review sites exist to describe actual content, rather than categorize it. Ultimately, however, the best judges of the suitability of a movie are the parents themselves. Of course, the next question is why we need a standard rating system at all. The only way for it to stay relevant is for it to stop contradicting itself. For all those MPAA panel fan boys who will criticize me for such impractical expectations, do not lose hope in your favorite unknown leaders. They can always appeal.
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