Prompt Cast
The Controversies and Criticisms Surrounding the MPAA's Rating System
TLDR The MPAA's rating system, created in response to a Supreme Court decision, has faced criticism for lack of transparency, inconsistency, and bias. Additionally, the rise of piracy and the decline of traditional movie theaters threaten the power of the MPAA.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The MPAA created the PG-13 rating in response to Steven Spielberg's movies, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins, which received criticism for being too intense for a PG rating but not quite deserving of an R rating.
04:52
The MPAA created the PG-13 rating to cater to young teenage boys and attract a larger audience, but it has become a means of advertising the rating rather than cautioning parents.
09:45
The MPAA's rating system was created in response to a Supreme Court decision that allowed local municipalities to decide what movies could be shown to minors, in order to prevent censorship and ensure that movies were not banned in certain towns, thus preserving potential profits for the film industry.
14:09
The MPAA's rating system is not legally binding, but it is a de facto system that filmmakers must submit their movies to in order to have them shown in theaters, and the fees for submission range from $25,000 for a big budget movie to $750 for a short film.
18:37
The MPAA's rating system is conducted in secret by a group of anonymous people who may not even meet the requirements set by the MPAA, and filmmakers have the option to accept the rating, edit their film, or release it as unrated, but the power of the MPAA is threatened by the rise of video on demand and internet releases.
23:21
The MPAA's rating system lacks transparency and written standards, and the appeals process is also conducted in secret, leading to criticism that the raters are representing the major studios rather than being unbiased.
28:01
The MPAA is facing a losing battle against piracy, as it becomes more widespread and difficult to control.
32:19
The MPAA has been accused of not regulating or directly marketing to kids under the age of the movies being advertised, which undermines the morality they claim to defend.
37:10
The MPAA's rating system has been criticized for being inconsistent and biased, as it often rates movies with explicit violence less harshly than movies with non-explicit sexual content, and for not releasing the studies or conversations they claim to base their ratings on.
42:08
The MPAA defends themselves against bias claims, stating that objectionable scenes are rated based on graphic quality, but correlations between violence and ratings are evident.
Categories:
Society & Culture
