112
International Conference on Ilustration & Animation
Keywords
Brazilian, advisory, rating,
children, media, animation,
adventure, time.
CONFIA .
Esposende . Portugal . July 2018 . ISBN: 978-989-99861-6-9
Brazilian advisory rating and criticism of objective
classification: Adventure Time analysis based on
violence rating criteria
Pedro Sarmento1, Nilton Gamba Junior2 and Paula Tavares3
pedrofsarmento@gmail.com; gambajunior@gmail.com; ptavares@ipca.pt
[Animação / Animation]
Abstract
This paper discusses the role of the Brazilian advisory rating system and
the application of this method. To this end, childhood perspectives are
debated with a focus on the agents involved (Brazilian state, TV stations,
entertainment enterprises, etc.). The Brazilian advisory rating scenario
is presented, followed by an investigation of the classification method
and a visual analysis of the advisory rating guide (Guia da Classificação
Indicativa, in Portuguese). This guide provides criteria to analyze six
episodes of the cartoon, Adventure Time, which was chosen due to its
mainstream reach, narrative, and visual complexity. The research sug-
gests two critical points. The first point is difficulty and inconsistency in
the selection of inappropriate images for children. Results show it is not
possible to establish fixed and straightforward relations between image
(the cartoon) and verbal text (advisory rating criteria) since the verbal
and visual elements suggest multiple meanings. Moreover, the polysemy
aspect of language allows the naturalization of different interpretations.
The second point is the importance of looking at the subjectivity of
children. Children are not conceived as agents, but as passive subjects
and their thinking and opinion of improper content are not part of the
rating process. It is important to gain insight into what children think of
the media to raise critical thinking in the face of mass communication.
Consequently, children should not be considered as responsive objects,
but the active agents of their own education. Since images can indicate
multiple meanings (polysemy) also become part of the senses of shared
reality, they should be key to understanding how children interact with
media and what they think about it. In that sense, this paper reveals
problems in the Brazilian advisory rating system and endorses media
literacy actions as the best solution for the issue of children and media.
1. Introduction
In the context of children and the media, this paper analyses application
of the Brazilian advisory rating system and reveals difficulties in obtaining
an objective classification. As an alternative solution, it proposes the pur-
suit of actions that can empower children to criticize media from a literacy
1 PUC-Rio, Department of Arts & Design, ID+, IPCA, Design School
2 PUC-Rio, Department of Arts & Design
3 ID+, IPCA, Design School
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[Animação / Animation] BRAZILIAN ADVISORY RATING AND CRITICISM OF OBJECTIVE CLASSIFICATION: ADVENTURE TIME ANALYSIS BASED ON VIOLENCE RATING CRITERIA 113
Pedro Sarmento, Nilton Gamba Junior and Paula Tavares · pedrofsarmento@gmail.com; gambajunior@gmail.com; ptavares@ipca.pt

perspective. To this end, in item 2, the Brazilian advisory rating system is

discussed with a focus on the agents involved (Brazilian state, TV stations,
and entertainment enterprises) in order to understand childhood perspec-
tives. The studies of Ariès and Postman are cited to address this debate.
Item 3 contains an analysis of contemporary cartoon (Adventure Time)
based on the violence criteria proposed by the Brazilian advisory rating.
The results of this analysis differ from the advisory rating, suggesting
issues of objectiveness. These issues are discussed in item 4 based on the
studies of Bakhtin and Rancière. The conclusion suggests the main point
should be how children naturalize their behavior, understanding, and
opinions in their relationship with the media, rather than the improper
content highlighted by the rating process. In other words, rather than en-
hance prohibition, it is more important to resignify media meanings and
promote mechanisms that critically empower children.
This research is included in the DHIS (Laboratory of Story Design)
study group of the PUC-Rio (Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de
Janeiro) in partnership with the CAOS (Communication, Art, Object,
Synergies) research group at ID+ (Research Institute for Design, Media
and Culture) and IPCA (Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and the Ave). It
was funded with a scholarship from the Coordination for the Improve-
ment of the Higher Level Personnel of the Brazilian Ministry of Education
(Bolsista da CAPES/Bolsa de Doutorado Sanduíche no Exterior/Process
no. 88881.133241/2016-01).

2. Brazilian Advisory Rating, Childhood, and Media

The Brazilian advisory rating system provides age rating information to
families for TV programs to protect children from unsafe content. The
system also classifies products for cinema exhibitions, electronic games,
applications, and RPG. Two childhood concepts are put into perspective
to understand the Brazilian advisory rating system: standard and contem-
porary childhood.
Philippe Ariès’ [1] explains how childhood senses are based on society.
In seventeen century Europe, the emerging idea was that children are
special human beings with different needs. Consequently, many family
habits started to shift, such as separated spaces for children in the home,
separating sexuality from daily life, playing with toys as a unique infancy
experience, etc. Within this context, several levels of formal education
extend the gap between shaped man and developing child. The difference
between proper and improper content is reinforced and a children’s culture
is established with, among other things, protecting childhood with prohi-
bitions, such as not allowing children to access inappropriate contents. As
children get older, their parents authorize greater access to content, based
on the idea that children must go through several stages before they are
ready to watch adult content. This process leads to the creation of informa-
tion serialization, in which each age group has a specific content restriction.
In this investigation, this concept of infancy is termed standard childhood
due to its hegemonic pattern, although this is not the only understanding
of childhood. The Brazilian advisory rating system is based on this model
114 CONFIA . International Conference on Ilustration & Animation
Esposende . Portugal . July 2018 . ISBN: 978-989-99861-6-9

given its characteristic age level classification, dual perspective (proper and
improper), and view of children from the context of protection.
Neil Postman’s studies [2] discuss another historical period. In
the twentieth century, technologies such as radio, TV, and the Internet
enabled widespread access to information. TV stations, for instance,
broadcast the same TV shows on prime time and both children and adults
watch the same content. Furthermore, new technologies increase access
to information. On the Internet, children can browse a massive amount of
data with possibly improper or negative content. Thus, Postman suggests
our sense of shame has been undermined. Here, shame is our sense of
embarrassment in the presence of children, often leading adults to refrain
from talking about certain subjects in front of them or not allowing chil-
dren to see certain books, TV shows, and games. As technologies provide
greater access to information and fiction, more children are exposed to
originally improper content and our sense of shame becomes weaker. In
his thesis, Postman states the disappearance of childhood, which is also
the name of his book. This statement, however, shows an inconsistency
since it implies full integration between infantile and adult cultures,
whereas media products (with different target audiences) and the current
habits of children indicate the opposite.
In the twenty-first century, the studies of Sonia Livingstone [3] point
towards another direction, whereby children’s digital rights and the
changing trends are related to the internet age. According to Livingstone, it
is vital to investigate the needs and desires of children in order to enhance
their media literacy skills. In other words, they must be encouraged to
become critical subjects and individuals who know how to deal with media
influence in a healthy way. In that sense, standard childhood is undermined
and opens a new space for others perspectives: contemporary childhood is
understood according to the current practices of children, in which broad
access to originally improper content becomes a critical issue.
The Brazilian advisory rating deals with these two childhood con-
cepts and the advisory rating manual (Manual da Nova Classificação In-
dicativa, in Portuguese) [4] explains the goal of this mechanism, which is
to provide educative tools that empower society (parents, educators, etc.)
in relation to the mass communication industry. Moreover, the advisory
rating manual proposes mediation of two important principles and related
legislation. Firstly, the Brazilian statute for children and adolescents (Es-
tatuto da Criança e do Adolescente, in Portuguese) ensures the protection of
youths from unsafe conditions, including access to inappropriate content.
Secondly, freedom of speech, assured by the Brazilian Constitution of
1988, ensures the expression of opinions and freedom of the media to pre-
vent censorship. These principles arose from a dispute between advisory
rating (representing the Brazilian state) and TV stations. Advisory rating
advocates the protection of children and discourages their widespread
access to information. This view is integrated with the standard childhood
concept. In contrast, TV stations and associated entertainment enter-
prises view children as a growing audience and an expanding consumer
public, meaning they require broader media access and no legal restric-
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[Animação / Animation] BRAZILIAN ADVISORY RATING AND CRITICISM OF OBJECTIVE CLASSIFICATION: ADVENTURE TIME ANALYSIS BASED ON VIOLENCE RATING CRITERIA 115
Pedro Sarmento, Nilton Gamba Junior and Paula Tavares · pedrofsarmento@gmail.com; gambajunior@gmail.com; ptavares@ipca.pt

tions. The more time children watch TV, the greater the potential profit.
This view is integrated with the contemporary childhood concept.
In 2016, a legal dispute involving advisory rating was initiated. Based
on this dispute, the advisory system recommended suitable age ratings to
parents and society and established a daily schedule during which certain
TV show cannot be broadcast. For example, a TV show rated as “inap-
propriate for people under 18” can only be transmitted after 11 p.m. The
outcome of the legal dispute favored no hour restrictions based on the
argument that the advisory rating can only recommend and not censor
[5]. Indeed, there is no censorship in the media. The real issue is about
consumerism and the threat of reducing TV audiences. Communication
researchers Marina Carvalho and Gésio Passos state, “What TV stations
desire is ‘freedom’ to broadcast any TV programs at any time. TV stations
do not comply with their side in the ‘social contract’ of child protec-
tion.”[6]. Other studies suggest similar problems with advisory rating
systems at international level. Thomas Hammarberg [7], ambassador of
the Swedish government on humanitarian issues, indicates difficulties in
the application of advisory rating and states, “TV orientations in several
countries, including a restriction on broadcast hours, may not be fulfilled.
In addition, there seems to be no control over the vast amount of violent
broadcasts each hour.”[7]. These observations reveal a tension between
standard and contemporary childhood. The Brazilian advisory rating
system complies with this requirement and functions as a mediation
mechanism to build a better relationship between TV and children. In this
regard, this investigation looks into this mechanism and its application.

3. Analysis of the Cartoon Adventure Time

based on Violence Rating Criteria
The Brazilian advisory rating system provides a website, a manual, and
a guide for the general public. The site contains information on the
system and search engine users can use to look up the age rating of a
given program, such as a TV show. The manual explains how the sys-
tem works in details. The guide (Guia Prático da Classificação Indicati-
va, in Portuguese) [8] presents rating criteria divided into three areas:
violence, drugs, and sex. Each area contains several topics regarding
representation and social behaviors. For instance, violence includes
topics such as bodily harm, corpse exposure, mutilation, etc. Each top-
ic is related to one of six rating levels: free, 10+, 12+, 14+, 16+, and 18+,
respectively, free for all ages and inappropriate for viewers under 10,
12, 14, 16, and 18 years of age. The guide also presents aggravating and
attenuating factors. Based on this model, evaluators can judge and rate
content. Furthermore, not all audiovisual contents are rated equal-
ly since contents related to journalism, news, publicity, sports, and
others are not classified so as not to breach the freedom of speech act.
Some content is rated by its producer in an auto-classification process.
In these cases, advisory rating monitors broadcasting after it is on air,
as in the case of TV programs. Other content, such as films for cinema,
DVD and video, are previously classified.
116 CONFIA . International Conference on Ilustration & Animation
Esposende . Portugal . July 2018 . ISBN: 978-989-99861-6-9

The manual of the Brazilian advisory rating system provides three

classification stages: factual description, thematic description, and grada-
tion (or rating). The first stage refers to a descriptive and narrative report
of the content. The next stage, thematic description, refers to context
and thematic issues related to the content. Based on these two stages, the
third stage, gradation (or rating), consists of indicating one of the six rat-
ing levels. The manual does not specify how many evaluators participated
in the process or if the evaluators use a process to ensure rating reliability.
In addition, it does not specify if all the content or part of the content is
evaluated or if this evaluation is made by the Brazilian advisory rating
system or by the producers (self-classification process).
Brazilian advisory rating proposes a common objectivity, meaning that
everyone should have the same results. The manual states, “Anyone can ob-
tain a similar rating if the content is analyzed using the same criteria and in-
dicators.” [4]. Our hypothesis is that this objectivity does not occur; different
individuals can obtain extremely different ratings. To confirm this hypothesis,
we conducted an analysis based on Brazilian advisory rating criteria to review
episodes of a contemporary mainstream animated cartoon and correlated it
with the classification indicated by the Brazilian advisory rating (the Brazilian
advisory rating site [9] allows users to browse their content classifications).
We acted as evaluators and analyzed the content based on the same criteria.
As restriction factors, criteria were limited to violent topics and analysis was
restricted to a part of the entire animated cartoon (strictly, six episodes).
These restrictions enabled a more focused analysis. Regardless of the restric-
tions of topics and duration, the selected cartoon should have obtained the
same results in the Brazilian advisory rating analysis and in our analysis.
The animation Adventure Time was selected because of its extreme
complexity as a cartoon and because it is an international mainstream
show. Narrative and esthetics characteristics suggest Adventure Time is
closer to the contemporary childhood concept since a large number of
issues and genres are explored in this show. The Land of Ooo, the car-
toon’s backdrop, displays a multitude of themes. One of these themes
is the medieval adventure genre, in which heroes set out on quests, find
treasure, fight monsters, and engage in sword fights. Another theme
is the science fiction genre, represented by the character of a scientist
called Princess Bubblegum, who deals with futuristic technology such as
lasers guns, complex computers, and spaceships. Moreover, Adventure
Time takes place after The Great Mushroom War, an apocalyptic event
that left The Land of Ooo in ruins. The terror genre is also identified in
the form of Marceline, a vampire queen who can change her body into
monster forms, and daughter of a vampire king who rules The Nighto-
sphere, a hellish kind of place. The baby animation genre is represented
by The Candy Kingdom inhabited by the Candy People, who are char-
acters based on candies, fruit and sweets. The castle and buildings in
this kingdom are made of sugar and everybody is happy all the time. All
these features suggest Adventure Time targets different age groups. The
show holds narrative and esthetic elements related to diverging target
audiences and promotes the proximity of content for various age groups.
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[Animação / Animation] BRAZILIAN ADVISORY RATING AND CRITICISM OF OBJECTIVE CLASSIFICATION: ADVENTURE TIME ANALYSIS BASED ON VIOLENCE RATING CRITERIA 117
Pedro Sarmento, Nilton Gamba Junior and Paula Tavares · pedrofsarmento@gmail.com; gambajunior@gmail.com; ptavares@ipca.pt

Consequently, it undermines information serialization and proposes a

complex contemporary media scenario.
A search of the term “Adventure Time” on Brazilian advisory rating
site [9] results on six different ratings related to this cartoon’s first and
second seasons. In these items, the same content is classified multiple
times with different ratings. In five items, for example, Adventure Time is
rated as “inappropriate for viewers under 10 years of age” or “10+”, and
only one item is rated as “free”. Based on this information, the first three
episodes of seasons one and two were selected for the visual analysis. The
analysis only covers violence criteria since this is the area of interest of
the investigation. Therefore, in addition to the violence, the cartoon may Table 1. Relationship
expose viewers to drugs and sex. Below, a presentation of the analysis of the occurrence of
results. Table 1 shows the relationship between age rating and number of violence in each Ad-
times violence representations are selected. venture Time episode.

Episodes/ Season 1 Season 1 Season 1 Season 2 Season 2 Season 2

Total
Violence criteria Ep. 1 Ep. 2 Ep. 3 Ep. 1 Ep. 2 Ep. 3

(free)
10 1 4 21 11 4 51
Fantasy violence
(10+)
3 0 0 3 2 0 8
Weapons with violence
(10+)
0 0 1 13 2 3 19
Fear/Stress
(10+)
0 0 0 1 0 0 1
Anguish
(10+)
Bones and skeletons 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
with traces of violence
(12+)
6 1 4 20 10 7 48
Violent act
(12+)
2 0 0 3 0 0 5
Bodily harm
(12+)
Natural or accidental 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
violent death
(12+)
3 0 0 0 0 1 4
Corpse exposure
(16+)
1 0 2 2 0 1 6
Mutilation
(16+)
Gratuitous violence/vio- 6 1 4 18 9 4 42
lence normalization
(18+)
0 0 0 3 0 1 4
High impact violence

In our analysis, some violence topics (such as “high impact violence”,

“gratuitous violence”, “anguish”, and others) hinder a precise selection
due to the ambiguous definition and raise doubts in several representa-
tions of violence. These doubts could be clarified if we had access to the
factual and thematic descriptions of Adventure Time. However, the web-
site indicates a link to download the “abstract of content analysis”, but
the link is missing. Furthermore, there is no information on whether the
rating process was realized by the Brazilian advisory rating evaluators or
by the cartoon producers (self-classification process). These facts reveal
many gaps in the rating methodology, public transparency, and objectivity
118 CONFIA . International Conference on Ilustration & Animation
Esposende . Portugal . July 2018 . ISBN: 978-989-99861-6-9

that undermine the legitimacy of the Brazilian advisory rating system.

In spite of the doubts and ambiguous meanings, representations
of violence were detected 55 times in our analysis. The extended anal-
ysis containing freeze frames of each representation of violence in the
cartoon was uploaded to an online archive [10]. Our analysis indicates a
great number of “12+” and “16+” violence representation topics and the
presence of “18+” criteria. We were able to rate Adventure Time as “16+”
or “18+” content. Therefore, the results differ from the Brazilian advisory
rating indication in the website, where Adventure Time is rated as “free”
or “10+” content. These differences suggest the objective proposal of this
rating system has not been consolidated and criteria definitions are not
consensual. Furthermore, the interpretation of this content resulted in
diverging assessments and ratings. This topic is discussed below.

4. Difficulties obtaining an Objective Classification

The critical reflections of Mikhail Bakhtin and Jacques Rancière are
relevant here to better understand the difficulties establishing objective
analysis results. Bakhtin [11, 12] emphasizes the polysemy of language, in
which the same sign can refer to multiple meanings depending on subject
background, context characteristic, social condition, etc. In this regard,
utterances are not isolated; it is all connected. Every utterance is part of
the communication flow and all utterances are links of this flow and the
answers to other utterances. The conclusiveness of utterances indicates the
possibility to provide an answer and alternation of speaking subjects. In this
case, language is understood as an unfinished project, a continuum. The
subject relation with the object is never concluded but always proposed.
Bakhtin explains the internal dialectic of signs, in which conflicts emerge in
the same sign between the different values and social interests. Therefore,
language is not a pacific ambient, but a fighting arena. Moreover, utterances
are not neutral and stable since social practices define the arrangement of
language. In a scenario of a living language, Bakhtin considers genres of
speech have relatively stable utterance types rather than fixed ones. In other
words, genre does not have a permanent classification, but a temporary
arrangement that is constantly shifting due to social change.
For instance, infantile and adult genres (or safe and unsafe genres)
are constructed and established from the related social practice, in this
case, to standard and contemporary childhood. However, this is not a
fixed scenario. As mentioned, Postman indicates changes in children’s
habits on account of their broad access to content. Proper and improper
definitions are shifted and genre representation also changes in this pro-
cess. Inappropriate settings are in constant adjustment and may have an
internal contradictory nature. In that sense, the proposal of the Brazilian
advisory is not a final decision, but it can be understood as an element in
language flow. Violence criteria and the guide’s topics are utterances that
can be replied by animators, children, parents, and society. For example,
violence representations in earlier cartoons, such as Tom & Jerry, Bugs
Bunny, and Woody Woodpecker, have many differences in relation to con-
temporary cartoons, such as Adventure Time. Therefore, just as dictio-
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[Animação / Animation] BRAZILIAN ADVISORY RATING AND CRITICISM OF OBJECTIVE CLASSIFICATION: ADVENTURE TIME ANALYSIS BASED ON VIOLENCE RATING CRITERIA 119
Pedro Sarmento, Nilton Gamba Junior and Paula Tavares · pedrofsarmento@gmail.com; gambajunior@gmail.com; ptavares@ipca.pt

naries do not define how words are created, the advisory rating guide does
not define how inappropriate content for children is socially established.
This reflection enables a better understanding of the matter; that is,
the polysemy aspect of language allows different naturalization of inter-
pretations. The relationship between verbal and visual is not completely
stable or predictable. As seen above, different meanings can be attributed
to the same visual sign. Furthermore, naturalized violence representa-
tions may not be perceived in less critical contexts. In this perspective, the
establishment of completely fixed and straightforward relations between
image (cartoons) and verbal text (advisory rating criteria) is not possible.
Interpretations can dramatically change regarding different people and
contexts, which is the basis of the disagreement between our analysis out-
come and the results of the advisory rating system. In order to reinforce
this conclusion, two examples are presented below.

The first example is the mutilation topic. Figure 1 shows a more specific mu- Fig. 1. Representa-
tilation type (beheading) in several audiovisual contents, namely Adventure tions of decapitation
Time, The Horror of Party Beach, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and an SHOA in animated cartoon
reportage. As shown in the images, all representations are connected to muti- (Adventure Time),
lation but portray different understandings of context and genre. In Adven- terror movies (The
ture Time, it is probably assumed the images do not harm children. Despite Horror of Party Beach
the beheading, the animation genre is usually naturalized as appropriate and A Nightmare on
content for children and some people may not explicitly detect decapitation Elm Street), and SHOA
because animations are perceived as light content. In both horror movies, reportage.
beheading representations are considered inappropriate for children and
this genre is normally naturalized as improper for this audience. In the last
case, the news explicitly shows a real decapitation and it has crossed the line
between fiction and reality. It will probably be considered improper content
although the Brazilian advisory rating cannot classify it since, as already men-
tioned, journalistic programs are not rated due to the freedom of speech act.
In summary, the same topic of mutilation is represented in content consid-
ered both proper and improper for children. This criterion is not a distinctive
mark of differentiation. In each visual representation, it suggests not only
different meanings but an extreme variation of violence.
120 CONFIA . International Conference on Ilustration & Animation
Esposende . Portugal . July 2018 . ISBN: 978-989-99861-6-9

Fig. 2. Violence For the second example, Figure 2 presents the violence of Adventure
similarities in different Time next to violence representation of others genres. Viewing these
genres. Top: animation images side by side creates a visual link, where terror, martial arts and
(Adventure Time). anime (Japanese animation) are often naturalized as inappropriate
Bottom: horror film for children. However, this similarity proposes a continuity as if these
(Hannibal), anime themes can slip into the children’s genre. Access to violent images
(Call me Tonight and in cartoons suggests children have implicit contact with the visual
Elfen Lied) and martial elements of inappropriate genres and the borders between proper
arts film (Bruce Lee’s and improper genres are thin and reveal similarities. Language, as a
The Game of Death). continuum network, allows children to make comparisons and build a
path of correlation. In this perspective, mediation mechanisms should
focus on relations children create in the media scenario. Emphasis on
isolated content, as made by the Brazilian advisory rating, does not
seem sufficient to resolve the problem.
This reflection agrees more with the thinking of Rancière [13]
about intolerable images in arts. For him, showing or not showing
horror images is not the main point since an image never stands
alone. The image is viewed not as the duplicate of a thing, but as an
element of a certain sense of reality. In addition to representative
aspects, images are integrated into a system of visibility related to
common sense into shareable sensible data. Rating a unique au-
diovisual content as if it were secluded from other themes assumes
children do not link multiple content and genres in social practice.
In fact, children are known to be agents of creating meaning and
they correlate different content with their own reality. Therefore, the
main point should not be whether to show or not to show improper
content, but whether to ask important questions such as what kind of
children’s habits and moral issues do media images propose? How do
we create better realities for children?
In this sense, Sonia Livingstone’s perspective, “If children
remain invisible in research and policy debates, nothing much is
likely to change”, is endorsed [3]. The idea is to listen more care-
fully to children in order to create better mediation mechanisms.
In other words, children should be included in the process of their
own protection. Rather than depending on adults to prevent children
from accessing unsafe content, we should teach children to deal with
media in a healthy way. This is possible by enhancing the critical
perspective in children.
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[Animação / Animation] BRAZILIAN ADVISORY RATING AND CRITICISM OF OBJECTIVE CLASSIFICATION: ADVENTURE TIME ANALYSIS BASED ON VIOLENCE RATING CRITERIA 121
Pedro Sarmento, Nilton Gamba Junior and Paula Tavares · pedrofsarmento@gmail.com; gambajunior@gmail.com; ptavares@ipca.pt

5. Conclusion
The discussion presented in this paper indicates the rating process is
not the key answer to the issue of media and children. Focusing not
on improper representations, but on children’s behavior and thinking
seems an alternative solution. The Brazilian advisory rating system gives
priority to preventing children’s access to inappropriate content rather
than evaluating children’s opinion on this content. Indeed, what children
really think about violence representation is not part of the classification
process. Contradictorily, the final objective is to provide better education
to children while protecting and excluding children.
Evidently, this discrepancy disturbs the whole process. Children
will continue to create relations with media content and have their own
ideas and emotions regardless of the suggestions of the Brazilian advisory
rating. The disparity in the results of the Brazilian advisory rating and this
visual analysis indicates objectivity is being undermined and the impor-
tance of looking at children’s subjectivity is being ignored. It is important
to know what children think about media to raise critical thinking in the
face of mass communication. Otherwise, the process eventually becomes
self-centred and socially inexpressive.
This paper suggests the main point should be how children naturalize
behavior, understandings, and opinions in their relation to media rather
than focus on improper access to content. In this sense, it is important to
view children not as responsive objects, but as active agents of their own
education. Since images can indicate multiple meanings (polysemy) and
they are also elements of reality senses and part of the naturalization pro-
cesses, the main objective should be to understand how children interact
with media and listen to what they think about it. In other words, the key
is to not enhance prohibition. On the contrary, the key is to resignify the
media signs by promoting mechanisms that critically empower children
to deal with media influence.
Europe has achieved great results in media literacy projects and the
European Audiovisual Observatory report [14] revealed a main focus
on critical aspects. A wide range of media literacy approaches related to
different contexts in several countries puts emphasis on teaching critical
aspects, namely the significance of enabling children to question the
influence of media. Two important international projects worth mention-
ing are Safer Internet and EU Kids Online. In contrast, studies of Monica
Fantin [15] reveal heavy investments on technical issues in Brazil and the
teaching of ICT (information and communications technology) to en-
hance children’s operational skills, but a failure to enhance critical skills.
Furthermore, Fantin explains, “The fact that it does not ‘officially’ exist as
a mandatory class or transversal theme means that media education con-
tinues to be regarded only as a pedagogical resource and not as an object
of study that is articulated with other fields of knowledge. This is reflected
in delays, in comparison to other countries where media education is
more consolidated and in the distancing between the current curriculum
and the emerging questions of contemporary culture.” [15]. Thus, instead
of enhancing prohibition mechanisms (as preferred by the Brazilian advi-
122 CONFIA . International Conference on Ilustration & Animation
Esposende . Portugal . July 2018 . ISBN: 978-989-99861-6-9

sory rating system), it may be wiser to invest in Brazilian media literacy,

including public policy, educational methods, and research support. The
extreme variety of approaches in European media literacy, for example,
can be tested as possibilities of media education in Brazil. All these factors
could provide better solutions and an alternative for the Brazilian context.

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4. Ministério da Justiça/Secretaria Nacional de Justiça: Manual da Nova Classificação
Indicativa. SNJ, Brasília (2006)
5. Revista Eletrônica Consultor Jurídico, https://www.conjur.com.br/2016-ago-31/classifi-
cacao-indicativa-pedagogica-nao-censuradora-define-stf
6. Carvalho, M.M., Passos, G.T.S.: Classificação Indicativa: Os Obstáculos para Efetivar
uma Conquista da Constituição Federal. In: Desafios e Perspectivas da Classificação
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