Your Turn: Attack of the Prudes in Hollywood
Posted Friday, May 9, 2008 at 5:12 PM Central
by John Couture
Well, it seems that my little rant earlier this week has struck a nerve with some people. Some people agree with me. Some politely took the over side of the issue. And one guy really should seek professional help. It's only an opinion, we are all entitled to them.
Obviously, when we get this sort of feedback from you, our readers, we like to share it with the world. Mainly, because we're too lazy to create brand spanking new content, but also because we love the communication and want to foster more of it.
Before we get to your responses though, I wanted to take a few moments and add a couple of things to my initial story. First, I find the lack of precise standards troubling. If the ratings are quantifiable, then there should be a written standard that everyone is held to. Three swear words is a PG-13. One exposed breast is a PG-13, but two exposed breasts is an R.
Instead, we're left to guess why certain films and filmmakers can garner less restrictive ratings for harder content than others. For instance, Titanic is rated PG-13 for disaster related peril and violence, nudity, sensuality and brief language. This is a movie in which over 1,000 people die a brutal death in a real life tragedy, Kate Winslet does what she does best by exposing her breasts and there is a pretty steamy love scene in the back of a car.
Meanwhile, a movie like Kevin Smith's Chasing Amy is straddled with an R rating for strong graphic sex-related dialogue, language, sexuality and drug content. No one dies in the movie and there's not a single exposed breast. Trust me, I've looked. Speaking of Smith and his run-ins with the MPAA, you might remember my colleague Tim's review of This Film is Not Yet Rated.
I definitely recommend that you check it out if you are moved by this subject matter.
On another note that seemed to come up, some of you wanted to take me to task for pushing an agenda aimed at polluting the minds of "our children." Obviously, that's not the case. I don't have children (yet), but I think studios shouldn't make for parenting deficiencies by dilluting their movies. Don't make a family-friendly version of Kill Bill because parents aren't making an effort to prevent their children from seeing what everyone knows will be a film that is unsuitable for children.
Enough from me. For now. Feel free to continue to share your thoughts on this issue.
I agree with you about the whole R vs PG-13. I think it's a bummer when a movie is created with a sole purpose of earning a PG-13. I think that inhibits the creative flow, especially with a series like Terminator. I have a hard time seeing the next Terminator movie being awesome if they feel constricted to a PG-13.Terminator=R in my book. Granted, I'm not one of those R addicts who dispise a movie if it's rated PG-13. However, I think certain movies shouldn't be constricted.
-Mark Sequim, WA
Did you think that I'd start off with anything that didn't support me? I couldn't agree more. I do think family films have their place, just don't turn my R rated goodness into Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.
This is exactly what is wrong in the film industry today. Turning the last Die Hard film into a PG-13 movie deeply saddened me. I'm 16 years old and even though I can't see R rated movies yet, it still makes me mad that they changed it. Anyone who will go to watch the new Terminator has most likely seen the originals, which were all rated R. So younger ones have already seen them so why do they think this one should be PG-13? Because nowadays, it's all about the money. Setting a popular movie to PG-13 will allow them to make more movies at the box office. Although I understand, I don't think that this is what the film industry to stoop down to.-Kyle Jupiter, FL
I suddenly have more renewed faith in the youth of this country.
Want to really keep kids out of rated R movies and allow movies to not have to pander to everyone and keep their artistic integrity? Make NC-17 the new R. G, PG, PG-13, and NC-17; those are the only ratings needed. No kid can sneak into a movie if it's illegal. I mean, how many adult theatres have problems with young teens sneaking in?-Robert
Sadly, since no one will touch an NC-17 movie, the megaplexes, video stores, etc. This would only lead to more censorship as all movies would aim for PG-13
The trouble with mixing PG-13 and action flicks is that studios can't do as much as they would like. You would only get an 'R' rating if the film was overly violent or sexual. In the case of 'Live Free or Die Hard', however, they proved that you CAN tone down the violence in previous 'R'-rated films and still have the movie kick butt. The thing that does irk me, though, is that now that the studios are finding that PG-13 action flicks are getting more business, it's the new hype. They want more business and get more people through the door instead of pleasing the movie-goer. I have to praise 'Alien vs. Predator 2' because it didn't follow in the footsteps of its predecessor and kept the violence and gore high. As a movie goer, every now and then I want to see a lot of violence. I want to see a bad guy actually get what he deserves, instead of being arrested at the end of the film because the studio doesn't want the bad guy to have a violent death.-Glenn Grass Valley, CA
Personally, that's what I liked about Die Hard. Alan Rickman falling 80 stories to his death. Complete with nice body on concrete crunch. Take that Snape!
I completely agree! I am so sick of movies being "tamed" so that a bunch of stupid teenyboppers can go to them! Why should I suffer through movies that could have been great because they are more family oriented? I am 26 with no family, and I think I should have the option for graphic violence, strong language, drug use, strong sexual content, and all the other tidbits that make R movies worth it!-Morgan Tyler, TX
I just read your comment on the hollywood trend. It is not just movies that seem to be "dumbed down" it is also the cartoons. It is very annoying when you see something like the transformers cartoon with a different kind of animation that seems like there is no sharp edges. There is too many "politically correctness" and pandering to not insulting people. I remember when a movie was a movie no matter what. That is my two cents worth.-Matthew San Diego, CA
I couldn't agree with you more. I would recommend South Park of course and another Comedy Central up-and-comer Lil' Bush. Talk about no PC.
GOD PEOPLE NEED TO GET A GRIP. THERE JUST WORDS, I CUSS ALL THE TIME BUT I WORK IN A GLASS FACTORY. THEY ARE JUST WORDS-Dan St. Louis, MO
What's the line about people working in glass factories?
Always some bullsh** excuse to make more money. How about making a quality movie, some of these scripts feel they are written after they come up with a concept. What happens? Lets make another super hero movie. Great, I'll write the script wile taking a crap tonight-Juan Laredo, TX
I can see it now. The TP Avenger. We should pitch this. I'm serious.
I couldn't agree more with your article. Great article. Something as simple as John McClane's tagline not being there was a huge mess up. Certain movies should be a rated like they were before to hold true to the movies spirit.-Darin Ogden, UT
Simple and to the point.
As a film student, I must say, this whole PG-13 rendevous is ridiculous! The thing most people don't get, is that language, violence, sex, and all that jazz, is a necessity to making the story REAL!! I made a movie in high school about being a teenager. My teacher told me, you should really make this as clean as possible, my mother said, what is more real? A teenager saying 'I can't believe you did that to me you silly person you' or 'F*** you man! Why the hell did you do that?' See what I mean? I wholeheartedly agree with you on this one, if I want to experience Die Hard (and don't get me wrong the new one was good) I want to relish in that kick line of 'Yippee Kiyay M***** F*****!' Hollywood needs to get over itself, sorry, you'll never be the innocent little school girl, especially when you know you're the bad ass in the corner lighting things on fire!!!-Bailee Salida, CO
Thank you for censoring your response on your own. You saved me like 30 seconds. Also, I hope when you're making movies some day, you stick to your artistic and creative guns. If you do, I'll come and see your movies.
I believe that article deserves a resounding "amen!" as well as expansion to include almost all areas of artistic expression in this 'brave' new politically correct society-Casey Fort Wayne, IN
Oh see, now you've brought religion into it. I can see the inbox flooding as I type this.
I can understand a movie company wanting to make more money and the way to do it is by making a pg13 film where more people will attend rather than a r rated that only kids can attend with a parent. but i know when i was young i would sneak into an r rated film by purchasing a pg movie ticket which would receive credit at the box office so either way i believe they should just make the film and if its r then great if its not then who cares at long as its good im willing to see it!-Cloud Chicago, IL
I say we release all movies as PG. And bring back parenting.
I think they proved with the last die hard that they can make a smokin' movie without all the bad language. I hope they make MORE movies like this one! The cussing is SO unnecessary in my opinion. Just like Bill Cosby has proven that you can be extremly funny without all the vulgar subject matter and foul language.-Kirk
Is it unnecessary? So, a New York cop that just had a plane blow up 10 feet from his head wouldn't spew out a few expletives? I know I would.
Wow, I am still reeling over the fact that you thought Knocked Up was a good movie (uuuggghhh). It was so vile and vulgar I had to turn it off. I don't know anyone who talks like that and I am 36. I actually think its refreshing that movie companies are trying to clean up movies (apparently you've noticed more than I have though). I think its gotten worse. And the fact the the *f* word can still be used in a PG-13 and the lack of nudity, but still full fledged sex scenes are in them is totally ridiculous, or a flash of breasts...its not what I feel a PG-13 movie should be, at least not what my 13 year old should watch. I can totally enjoy a movie with absoulutly no profanity and don't even really notice when its not there, but when it is you know it. And I don't mind the sex scenes tone it down or keep it in R rated movies, I have never minded a little inuendo either it keeps the movie interesting. Maybe you should up your expectaions of what a GOOD movie is!-Tammie Idaho Falls, ID
Well, there were over 140 million reasons at the box office as to why Knocked Up was good. I will work on my expectations of good movies though as long as Hollywood does the same.
By the mere mentioning of the movies from when you were a kid, you prove that a movie doesn't have to carry an R rating to be a good movie. All three moments you list aren't even from PG-13 movies, but PG movies. We don't have to have the filthy language to make a good movie.-Kevin Collinsville, IL
Actually, I pointed them out for a reason. Yes, these violent acts were all considered PG at the time. Today, they would PG-13 at best or even R. Of course, I'm sure with the right amount of money, they could be rated PG.