MPAA adds smoking as film-rating factor

[doc_bean]

There are rules against smoking on stage here already, possibly against smoking in (domestic) movies too.

I think it's pretty ridicoulous.

[KafirChobee]

I apologize for posting the link incorrectly, it ought to work now - for those interested.

Odin, you read me correctly. We are pretty much on the same wave length with this.

The documentary "This film is not yet rated" uses some comparrisons between scenes from independent films and the main line corporates to demonstrate how the MPAA abuses its method of rating films. At times it (the doc.) is outrageous, and even humorous - or so it would be if it weren't so scarey that a group of people without any real credentials or responsability to anyone (supposedly - though the main liners do finacne them) or any oversight other than their own, has the power to give an NC-17 (death to a film, limits attendance) on any whim of any of their members.

Cigarettes are bad, but if by viewing a person holding one convinces someone to smoke? Then we really need to stop all the snuff (pretend of course) films being produced - SAW (I, II, III), The Ring (I, II, III coming out soon), etc.

The really big issue for MPAA is SEX - with independents, they really don't have to big a problen with Universal and such. They went absolutely balistic over a scene in "Team America" that depicted two puppets doing a `69', so the guys changed it (and they made the scene 3X as outrageous).

I agree with the idea of a rating system. My concern is that when only one group has that power, and when they are selected to be like minded people - then it ceases to be a protective system and becomes one with a specific agenda - one of censorship.

[Lord Winter]

I can see smoking being a factor between G and PG or even PG and PG-13 if they glorify it. But for R? There is something wrong with the system when you can kill people and make the movie PG but if you add a chain smoker to the film it turns it to R. It's the Same case with the F word say it twice and it carrys an atoumatic R.