With the recent media hysteria over school shootings and bombings, people have begun to point to violence in movies as the cause of our violent youth. Movies today are filled with violent depictions, sex, and drug references. So what can parents do to safeguard their kids? There are a few simple steps a parent should undertake to monitor what a child watches. The number one reason that kids see movies they shouldn’t is lack of respect and understanding of the current movie rating system.
The movie rating system, as most people are aware, contains six different ratings : G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17, and X.
G stands for general audiences. These movies contain nothing that would be considered offensive. G movies are absolutely absent of violence, sex, drugs, swearing, and crude comments. G movies are great fun for the whole family, and while teenagers may think that the newest Disney cartoon is a drag, kids (and most parents) are sure to get a blast from it.
PG stands for parental guidance. This phrase has become void of meaning over the years as G ratings have become harder and harder to obtain, and fewer G movies are released. This lack of G movies has allowed parents to think that PG movies are very decent shows, and thereby allow children of all ages to see any PG movies. PG movies can contain light swearing, suggestive comments, light or animated violence, and can also deal with the issue of drugs and alcohol. PG movies may contain material that is unsuitable for small children, but can be handled maturely by most elementary school children and up.
PG-13 simply means, parental guidance until the age of 13. This rating has also become misunderstood. PG-13 movies are by far the most commonplace, movie theaters are full of them, and it is the rating that most moviemakers attempt to achieve. A PG-13 rating identifies that the rating board has deemed some of the movie's contents as unsuitable for children under thirteen. However, since the movie theaters don’t check id’s to see if kids are thirteen, anyone can buy a ticket to a PG-13 movie. PG-13 movies can contain mild nudity, moderate profanity, moderate sexual situations, references to drugs and alcohol, and moderate to extreme violence. A good way for parents to decide which PG-13 movies to let their children see is to preview the movie, either by asking other parents, or previewing it themselves.
R movies, being “restricted”, have caused the most controversy in the past few years. Each movie theater sets it’s own policies on R rated movies. These policies can range from anyone who can pay their way to children under 17 must enter the theater with a parent. Some theaters have opted towards a blend, letting anyone 17 years or older purchase tickets and whoever receives those tickets can see the show. R rated movies are suggested for mature audiences only, and contain material that is deemed unsuitable for children to young teens. R movies can contain extreme nudity, extreme sexual situations, extreme profanity, underage drinkers and illegal drugs, and extreme violence. Caution should be taken and careful selections should be made on which of these restricted movies to take your children to.
NC-17 is a rating that is not seen often, because most movies that receive this rating from the rating board edit their films, removing some of the crude parts, and send it back to receive a final R rating. NC-17 very clearly says, “No one under the age of 17 allowed, period.” These movies are for adults only and often contain pornographic scenes.
X is a rating carried in only special theaters and X rated movies are considered pornographic in nature. X ratings simply should be kept away from the kids.
The movie rating system that is in place can help parents determine which movies to allow their kids to watch. If this information is not sufficient for parents, movie theaters often have synapses of movies they carry, containing information on the extent of nudity, profanity, violence, and sexual situations in each movie. By placing a call to the local movie theater one can easily obtain this information, and quite often an employee’s opinion on how suitable the movie is for children. Careful monitoring of the information we feed our children will help ensure that the entertainment media does not adversely affect them.
Voluntary Movie Rating System
A G-rated motion picture contains nothing in theme, language, nudity, sex, violence or other matters that, in the view of the Rating Board, would offend parents whose younger children view the motion picture. The G rating is not a “certificate of approval,” nor does it signify a “children’s” motion picture. Some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation but they are common everyday expressions. No stronger words are present in G-rated motion pictures. Depictions of violence are minimal. No nudity, sex scenes or drug use are present in the motion picture.
A PG-rated motion picture should be investigated by parents before they let their younger children attend. The PG rating indicates, in the view of the Rating Board, that parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, and parents should make that decision.
The more mature themes in some PG-rated motion pictures may call for parental guidance. There may be some profanity and some depictions of violence or brief nudity. But these elements are not deemed so intense as to require that parents be strongly cautioned beyond the suggestion of parental guidance. There is no drug use content in a PG-rated motion picture.
A PG-13 rating is a sterner warning by the Rating Board to parents to determine whether their children under age 13 should view the motion picture, as some material might not be suited for them. A PG-13 motion picture may go beyond the PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, adult activities or other elements, but does not reach the restricted R category. The theme of the motion picture by itself will not result in a rating greater than PG-13, although depictions of activities related to a mature theme may result in a restricted rating for the motion picture. Any drug use will initially require at least a PG-13 rating. More than brief nudity will require at least a PG-13 rating, but such nudity in a PG-13 rated motion picture generally will not be sexually oriented. There may be depictions of violence in a PG-13 movie, but generally not both realistic and extreme or persistent violence. A motion picture’s single use of one of the harsher sexually-derived words, though only as an expletive, initially requires at least a PG-13 rating. More than one such expletive requires an R rating, as must even one of those words used in a sexual context. The Rating Board nevertheless may rate such a motion picture PG-13 if, based on a special vote by a two-thirds majority, the Raters feel that most American parents would believe that a PG-13 rating is appropriate because of the context or manner in which the words are used or because the use of those words in the motion picture is inconspicuous.
An R-rated motion picture, in the view of the Rating Board, contains some adult material. An R-rated motion picture may include adult themes, adult activity, hard language, intense or persistent violence, sexually-oriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements, so that parents are counseled to take this rating very seriously. Children under 17 are not allowed to attend R-rated motion pictures unaccompanied by a parent or adult guardian. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about R-rated motion pictures in determining their suitability for their children. Generally, it is not appropriate for parents to bring their young children with them to R-rated motion pictures.
An NC-17 rated motion picture is one that, in the view of the Rating Board, most parents would consider patently too adult for their children 17 and under. No children will be admitted. NC-17 does not mean “obscene” or “pornographic” in the common or legal meaning of those words, and should not be construed as a negative judgment in any sense. The rating simply signals that the content is appropriate only for an adult audience. An NC-17 rating can be based on violence, sex, aberrational behavior, drug abuse or any other element that most parents would consider too strong and therefore off-limits for viewing by their children.
You could find more about this from here :
http://www.filmratings.com/questions.htm#g
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