Movies, Rating Systems and

Ratings systems refer to symbols that indicate the age appropriateness of media content. Ratings have been used as systems of self-regulation, intended to respond to viewers' concerns and forestall threats of government regulation. The U.S. movie industry has had content advisory codes since the 1920s; however, the ratings system we know today was developed in [Page 549]1968 by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO). This system's significance lies in its influence over other media ratings.

Movie studios are not legally required to submit their films for a rating, so the system's success depends on voluntary participation. Finding theaters for unrated films, however, is difficult when theater owners enforce the age restrictions of the MPAA ratings. A Federal Trade Commission investigation of movie marketing indicated increasing enforcement rates by a majority of U.S. movie theaters. A similar situation exists in the home video industry, where a majority of members of the Video Software Dealers Association (including video store chains such as Blockbuster) have policies that restrict children's access to videos based on MPAA ratings. Those codes are also printed on the video and its case. The presumption of both theater owners and video retailers is that unrated movies are to be treated as age inappropriate. Historically, moviegoing audiences have been reluctant to attend unrated movies, although no data are available to indicate that the same is true in the home video market.

The process of rating movies is supervised by the MPAA, which begins by assembling a panel of 8 to 13 people who will screen and rate films. Panel members must be experienced parents, “possessed of an intelligent maturity,” and capable of putting themselves in the role of most American parents. They are full-time employees of the Classification and Rating Administration, an independent agency set up to insulate them from industry pressure. Panel members serve terms of varying lengths, requiring the recruitment of new members on a regular basis. Panel members screen the movie using a variety of criteria, including the film's depiction of violence, language, nudity, sensuality, and drug abuse. Panel members are directed to consider the mix of such elements within the context of the film. After screening, panel members consider which rating most parents would consider appropriate and then discuss their initial judgments. In the end, a majority vote determines the film's rating. Each member completes a written form with his or her vote and the reasons for assigning that rating. The MPAA then notifies the studio and announces the film's rating.

In most cases, movie studios can accurately predict a film's rating. It is the studio's intent to maximize box office revenues, which means achieving a rating that will guarantee as wide an audience as possible. Hence, the lowest rating (appropriate for young children) and the highest ratings (where children under 17 are restricted) are viewed as compromising a film's profit potential. If a film receives a rating that compromises its marketing plans, there are two options. First, the studio may request to see the reasons the film received its rating and then re-edit the film to achieve a different rating. The second option is to appeal the rating to the Rating Appeals Board, a 14-member panel of MPAA and NATO representatives that serves as the final authority. After screening the film and hearing from both the studio and the chair of the rating board, the appeals board votes. A twothirds vote is required to overturn the original rating.

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