Rating Hollywood

Since its formation in 1922, the Motion Picture Association of America, or MPAA, has gotten a lot of scrutiny from filmmakers and patrons alike. It has always been judged for acting as a monopoly for the largest and most successful studios in Hollywood.  This is partially why it was created, to help further the business ventures and interests of the original three studios who formed the organization. One of the policies the MPAA quickly adopted was the Motion Picture Production Code, or “Hays Code” nicknamed this for head of the MPAA at the time, Will H. Hays. This system helped determine what was acceptable or unacceptable to show in films. If a film was deemed as unacceptable, the material in question either had to be edited out, or it would not be properly distributed.

The Code was amended in 1968 and replaced with the modern day rating system. Not only did this new system deem what was proper material for films, but also, it determined the age range best suited to attend the film. This was helpful because it gave filmmakers the option to make a conscious decision to make adult, or R-rated films, and not have the looming fear of rejection by the MPAA because it did not suit everyone’s needs. Though this was also trying because the MPAA became very cautious and stern about what levels of sexual and violent content were acceptable for each rating.

The MPAA has always been notorious for allowing harsher levels of violence to be seen as opposed to highly sexual content or extremely harsh language. Many of the films that have managed to wiggle around the rating board have had to fight for years in order not to edit their content. There is an excellent documentary about this flaw in the rating system aptly named This Film is Not Yet Rated. Many have always felt that films should be judged more harshly based on the level of violence as opposed to sexual content, as this is a normal function of life, while violence seems to have a more negative affect on impressionable individuals.

The MPAA’s other large campaign has been its anti-piracy work that began in the early 1980’s. This is to help stop copyright infringement, and more recently file sharing. This helps protect the rights of the filmmakers and artists, and helps try to funnel money back into the industry. While piracy may be a cost-free and effective way to get movies in very little time, it robs theaters and the entire movie industry of valuable revenue needed to keep the entertainment industry functioning. While this campaign has been successful overall, it has caused uproar with the young, modern generation, as more file sharing sites are being taken off the internet and closed for good.

While the MPAA has been doing its share to help keep piracy down and inform the general public about what content may or may not be suitable for them and their children to watch, many argue it is not necessary. There are those out there who believe that the MPAA is just a monopoly of production companies trying to keep as much money as they can within themselves, and that parents should be informed and do research on their own to be able to judge what movies their family can see. While it has been highly controversial since it’s founding, it is unlikely that the MPAA or its rating system will be shut down any time soon.