Movie Ratings

The movie rating system, devised and administered by the MPAA, the Motion Picture Association of America, is no good. In fact, it stinks. It does virtually no good, at least for the purposes that it was instituted. (There are individuals who think that a movie is not worth watching unless there is enough violence, sex, nudity and profanity to garner at least a PG-13 or R rating.)

Part of the problem is that many people have bought into the idea of the R rated movie being of better quality than any others. Because movie producers know this, potential G-rated movies are made a little juicier so they will get a PG. PG movies try for a PG-13 and many PG-13 movies are transformed into R movies just so Hollywood can make a little more money.

But here is my biggest problem: An R rating tells me next to nothing. I know that there will be either profanity, nudity or extreme violence, but I do not know which, or to what level. In fact, sometimes the nudity and profanity in PG-13 films leave the viewer wondering why they were not rated R.

I propose that the movie rating system be changed. There should still be four ratings, R, PG-13, PG and G. However, like television ratings, there should be more information. An R movie that is sexually explicit should be rated R-S. Bad language would make a movie R-L. Violence would be denoted as R-V. This would be true of all four ratings categories.

This ratings system would give the viewer (and parents of viewers) more information about what they are seeing. Violence may not bother me as much as nudity. With this system I could avoid a movie that would give me problems.

I believe that movie producers should be allowed to make whatever movies they want. I also believe that people should be allowed to view whatever movies they would like. My system in no way inhibits or censors anyone. I am advocating more information. I think that everyone could win with this system.