The Rating Game

With my oldest just two weeks shy of 13 and entering

the 8th grade, it has become completely apparent that

my baby is no longer a baby. Jokes on primetime 

television that once sailed over his pumpkin head, now

send him into fits of adolescent laughter. He may be laughing, but to tell 

the truth, I am blushing. As if that were not bad enough, he is old enough 

for PG-13 films. More than once lately, have refused to watch a movie 

of this rating with him due to the embarrassment factor. All of this leaves

me wondering - who is coming up with these supposedly appropriate 

guidelines, and what are the criteria used to make such judgments?

According to the MPAA's (Motion Picture Association of America) website,
there are no specific requirements for the eight to twelve members of the
full-time ratings board, with the exceptions of being a parent themselves,
possessing intelligent maturity, and being able to place themselves in the
role of the typical American parent. And, the Recording Industry Association's
Parental Advisory label is both voluntary and at the discretion of the
recording company and artist. To tell the truth, all of this came as quite a
shock to me. I believed that somewhere out there were trained
professionals - psychologists, counselors, teachers, etc. - making these
decisions that guide the viewing and listening choices of our youth.

To make certain that I was not the lone soul under this mistaken impression,
I polled several of my friends with teens and preteens. Most everyone that I
spoke with, was equally as misinformed as I. We had all given into the whine
of our child to see a movie that we would have ordinarily thought
inappropriate because the rating on the film was PG-13. In my case, it was
Twentieth Century Fox's "Dude, Where's My Car", a totally inane movie about
partying too hard. After viewing parts of the movie myself, I can see
clearly that my ideas of appropriateness and those of the MPAA do not always
mesh.

The same goes for the music industry's even more lax Parental Advisory
label. Just yesterday I was listening to my son's favorite local station,
when a song came on that contained enough graphic expletives to warrant an
R rating from the MPAA. What good does it do to label the CD's if they are
just going to play it on the radio anyway?

To give credit where credit is due, neither of these rating institutions
claims to be more than what they are. It is just popular misconception that
gives their opinions so much weight. Both groups cite the individual parent
as the ultimate guide of appropriateness, and are quick to say that there is
no substitute for active parenting. They are most certainly right. And, I
know that at least for myself, I will be screening many more PG-13 movies,
and listening to more popular music than I would care to, for peace of mind.
Even if my son still sees the movies and still listens to the music, at
least I will have all of the facts. And, armed with those facts, I can open
up frank discussions with my son that will hopefully help him make solid
decisions based on his own moral code, and not that of popular culture.

Specific information regarding the standards used for ratings is available
at the following websites:
Motion Picture Association of America - www.mpaa.org
Recording Industry Association of America - www.riaa.com