Ashleigh Gray (Larkin)

English 2010-F14
The MPAAs Effect on the Movie Industry
The Motion Picture Associate of America was founded in 1922, (mpaa.com) the iconic
image of the MPAA logo at the end of the final credits is in practically every movie but what is
the MPAA? The MPAA was created in order to protect and
support the industry The original rating system known as the
Hays Code used strict guidelines to determine a movies
eligibility to be shown in theaters. The Hays Code banned or
censored movies that included any scenes with violence, nudity, sex, or profanity to ensure that
films shown were wholesome (Haygood 1)
In 1968 the MPAA reassessed the rating system to what we know now. This Corporation
plays a huge part in the movie industry and uses a seemingly vague system to determine ratings
for films. The movie ratings for films can be a useful tool in helping you evaluate the content,
but how accurate and consistent are these ratings being issued?
How are movie ratings determined?
Unlike the Hays Code, the MPAAs rating system is a voluntary system, but should a
movie decide not to be reviewed by the MPAA, the likelihood of that movie showing in any
theaters is extremely small. According to the MPAA ratings are based on many different factors
including the same things that would have caused a movie to be censored or banned before 1968:
Sexual acts, violence, drug use and profanity being the biggest indicators, but like so many other
systems, sensitivities change with time and audiences become less prone to becoming offended
by what they see on the screen. As this happens, more and more movies make it into theaters

with what seems to be either a biased rating or not make it in at all because the content prevents
it from receiving a rating allowing it to be shown in most theaters. The problem with the film
rating system is subjectable due
to the wide array of things that
may or may not be offensive.
Religion, gender, location and
more can affect your perception
of whats offensive so when the
MPAA states that a 'G' rating
contains Nothing that would
offend parents for viewing by
children (mpaa.org) that
doesnt lead me to believe they
have a solid set of guidelines for
the rating system at hand. For
example, the portrayal of a witch
might offend someone with a
strong religious background
even if the film itself does not
contain any adult content. It becomes an ever-changing adaptation to the lifestyle changes we
experience to the point where you wonder, will we ever reach a spot where we can agree on
whats appropriate and whats not?

Why the Rating System is useful

The rating system can be a useful tool for parents and families, the most obvious reason
this system works for parents is it gives them the ability to monitor and control the content their
children view. Images seen at a young age can shape a childs identity so understanding what age
appropriate is is necessary. When a movie has a G or PG rating youd think youre almost
guaranteed to have a fairly clean film with little to be offended by, once a movie has a rating of
PG-13, R or NC-17 the content should be reviewed before allowing your child to see it.
There would be nothing otherwise to warn you if it contained content too mature for small
children which is why before the current rating system, the MPAA would either ban or censor
the film to ensure the films stayed wholesome and true to the standard family values. A content
analysis written by Richard Potts and Angela Belden suggest that, Recent studies of movie
content have indicated that movies with ratings of G, PG, and PG-13, which are unrestricted for
child audiences, have included increasing amounts of adult content, including violence,
sexuality, substance use, and harsh language, across the past decade (Potts and Belden 267)
Not All Ratings are Created Equal
Unfortunately the rating system seems to vary from movie to movie as to whats allowed
to be shown without a parents permission. A test to confirm the validity and effectiveness of the
ratings was conducted by David Walsh and Douglas Gentile and the results agree that there
should be a more decisive formulaic way to decide on a films rating. In this test, only 50% of
parents involved in the case study believed that the content they viewed during the G rated
movie was appropriate for ages 3-7, and 63% of parents believed the content they viewed in the

PG rated film appropriate for 8-12 year-olds (Walsh and Gentile 1305) These numbers only
continue to perpetuate the notion that either a system to rate films, television and other media is
too complex to fit everything into these distinct labels or the MPAA should identify an exact
measurement of content when placing a rating that could potentially hurt the success of the film.
Instead we are left with whats been deemed, ratings creep which describes the issue that is
allowing more and more explicit content make it into films meant for a younger audience (Potts
and Belden 267). This creates a lack of trust and dependability parents have when determining
the appropriateness of what their children watch.
Why Ratings Promote Censorship
Even though the MPAA does not require filmmakers to submit their film to receive a
rating, in a way this organization still utilizes practices from the Hays Code, if you cant censor it
which today means, tell filmmakers what content needs to be cut from their film to receive a
rating that will allow it to be shown in major theaters, then you will ban it from showing or
according to the rating system now, give it a rating too high to be shown in theaters or prevent
movies without ratings to be shown. Since the MPAAs rating system has been shown to be
inconsistent it seems like the Hays Code in disguise with of course, less strict guidelines. Ratings
are a sheep in wolves clothing, designed to make you feel like you can control what your
children see in movies but in reality are a way to censor a filmmakers art and for the MPAA to
stay in control of the movie industry.
The Conclusion
A system used to rate movies and other forms of media is not necessarily a bad thing. Its
important to know what your kids are watching, especially in a world where any information you

could dream of is available at your fingertips. However, the MPAA seems to be more focused on
what content they want available to Americans more than they are concerned for what content
American children view. The ratings seem biased and dont follow any specific guidelines,
although you could argue that the measurement of adult themed acts such as sex, nudity and drug
use is guideline enough I believe as a whole that the rating system prevents Americans from
viewing films that are rated too high, or not at all, this is a form of censorship in disguise and
reform of the rating system should be a focus for the MPAA in the near future.

Works Cited:
Haygood, Ashley. The Climb of Controversial Film Content (2007): 1-88. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.
Walsh, D. A., and D. A. Gentile. "A Validity Test of Movie, Television, and Video-Game
Ratings." Pediatrics 107.6 (2001): 1302-308. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.
Potts, Richard, and Angela Belden. "Parental Guidance: A Content Analysis of MPAA Motion
Picture Rating Justifications 19932005." Current Psychology 28.4 (2009): 266-83. Web. 24
Oct. 2014.