Movie Ratings in Today's Society

The issue on movie ratings is quite controversial. People argue how movies should be rated. Many producers and directors don’t agree how their movies are rated at times. The public has their own say as well. The main concern on movie ratings is to serve as a guide for the viewing children and minors. So parents really have a great vested interested on the topic.

A Little History on Hollywood

There was a time when Hollywood was dominated by only a few big studios. And these studios own all the cinemas and theaters that showed the movies. Then these cinemas were sold to other individuals. Hollywood is now composed of a few major studios, some mini major ones and many small distributors. There are also very many independent producers, directors and writers who have their own production companies. In short, there are so many players involved in Hollywood today. Therefore, there is no one dominating sector who can influence the movie ratings.

Who Says Which Movies Are Good?

It’s actually the movie going public who judges the movies. These are the parents, the families and everybody else who watches movies. Sure, there is still a rating for movies based on their theme and content. But this does not actually tell the public whether a movie is good or not. It’s the public who says which movie they found entertaining and worth seeing. In the end, it’s the public who decides which movie becomes popular.

The Ratings and What They Stand For

In order for parents to more or less accurately classify the kind of movies their children should watch, they should be aware of the different movie ratings. Then based on the ratings, parents make the judgment whether one particular movie is indeed suitable for their children.

A G rating means that a movie is for the general audiences. This does not exactly mean that the movie is a children’s movie. It only signifies that the movie has nothing offensive in it in terms of language, theme and content. There is nothing in the movie that is unsuitable for the children. A G rating means that there is no nudity in the movie. There are also no sex and drug use shown in the movie. And there is minimal violence as well.

A PG rating means that parental guidance is suggested. This time there could some brief violence or nudity in the movie. The decision is left to the parents as to whether they would let their children see the movie. There typically is no drug use in the movie and Motion Picture Association is not entirely cautioning parents against the movie.

The next is the PG-13 rating. Movies with this classification generally contain sensuality, nudity, violence and other adult activities. This rating is given to movies that are not quite PG but do not deserve an R rating just yet. Parents are strongly cautioned against letting children below thirteen years old see such movies.

The R rating pertains to the rating given to movies where children below 17 years old are restricted without a parent or an adult guardian. Such movies are generally sexually oriented. These are movies that involve drug use and other adult activities. There could also be intense violence. Adults are seriously discouraged from bringing the children with them when watching such movies.

A new rating is NC-17 rating. This means that no one 17 or younger will be admitted inside the theaters. This rating strictly prohibits young children to watch such movies. This also means that the movie is too serious for the children at that young age to view. It does not necessarily mean that such movies are pornographic. It’s just that the adult content of the movie is so serious for the young people to watch.

Parents Make the Decisions

The decision really is up to the parents. While these ratings are there, it is the parents who will decide which particular movies they want their children to watch. Many parents disagree to the ratings given to specific movies so it is up to them to scrutinize each and every movie their children want to watch. It is the parents who will issue the final restrictions to their children.

The ratings are issued as a guide for admittance in theaters. This way parents are more or less assured that their children will not be admitted to see movies they are not supposed to watch without their parents.

At home, parents can regulate the viewing of their children. Children will only be able to watch the movies which will be good for them. Parents can make sure that they will be there for their children when they need guidance. They will be able to explain certain adult situations to them when needed.