Curse You, MPAA!

[talktooloose]

I found the documentary This Film Is Not Yet Rated at the library and thought it would be a mildly diverting if incestuous look at the world of movie rating in the US.

I had no idea!

The MPAA, a secret board, has the fate of so much culture in their greasy little fingers! Things I learned:

• If a film gets an NC-17 rating instead of an R, it's unlikely to get onto any but a handful of screens and that can also bugger its international distribution because it was less successful in the States.
  
• The MPAA has a whole building full of lobbyists in Washington (compared to Apple, for instance, who has one in a rented office) and they work non-stop to get copyrights extended, piracy laws enhanced and to prevent the development of consumer electronic technology in any way that does not directly benefit them. For instance, your next TV may be unable to play any content that they don't deem legit.
  
• While violence, often misogynist violence, gets PG-13 ratings, sex is much more frequently censored. While this is common knowledge, the details are interesting. In several cases, a woman having a long, vivid orgasm (camera on her face) had to be cut to get the movie from NC-17 to R. In one case, her pained face on penetration was apparently fine, but her subsequent ecstatic face was not. And queer sex? See below.
  
• When your film gets a rating, you can submit a new version but they won't tell you what earned you the higher rating in the first place. You have to guess.
  
• When you appeal a decision you may not quote precedent: "But they did exactly that in such-and-such a film and it was PG-13!" "That comment is out of order."

The following video clip is from a section that demonstrated the homophobic bias of the reviewers. On the left are clips from queer-themed movies which were rated NC-17. On the right is the same sex act in an R-rated het movie.

Thar be NSFW smut and injustice!

If you want to share this clip, please copy it to your own server and do not hotlink to it. Thank you.

The movie is also hilarious as they hire a team of detectives to identify the secret board members. Lots of great interviews from Matt Stone, John Waters, Kimberly Peirce, Atom Agoyan, Kevin Smith and more who have been through the ratings mill.

Comments

[lux-apollo.livejournal.com]

Of course GLBT films have to be rated higher! After all, mature audiences who are allowed to see R rated films can't decide for themselves when they go to see a movie whether or not they can handle watching a gay movie. Oh noes! There might be hawt dwippy lesbos and banging twinkies, we'd better make it NC-17 so no one can go see it!

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

No, R movies can be seen by teens if accompanied by an adult. NC-17 is totally restricted. See, we can't afford to let those liberal parents CHOOSE to let their kids see GLBT or other transgressive acts.

[lux-apollo.livejournal.com]

I was being sarcastic.

[lux-apollo.livejournal.com]

And teen, mostly, are mature enough that they should be able to watch this stuff if they choose on their own. Of course.

[ashe-frost.livejournal.com]

You have to be 18 on youtube to see a lot of homosexual content.

I'm really not suprised.

Also: Really want to see this film.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

I go crazy when someone rates a fic R because of mere mention of slash or just kissing. I always educate them in the error of their ways.

[ashe-frost.livejournal.com]

I know. That's so ridiculous. I was really annoyed with youtube, though.

[lux-apollo.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

[corduroyarmy.livejournal.com]

I'm studying in Mass Communications with the dream goal of being involved in this sort of thing, so I too can control culture with my greasy fingers.

Seriously though it's pretty interesting.