Boxoffice - February 2016

a PG-13 rating was appropriate for one use of the F-word. Regional
differences appear here as well, with flinty New Englanders, laid-back
residents of the Pacific region, and parents in urban areas more likely
to find its use appropriate in a PG-13 title.
In exercises where the parents would apply ratings for
content, parents, on average, begin assigning an R rating
when two to three uses of the F-word appeared,
much as the current rating system does. The
film’s genre and the context of the usage were
less important than the number of uses.
In contrast, parents judged violent content
less on its frequency than on its kind.
Sexual violence was judged most harshly,
reaching an NC-17 rating in parental
assignment regardless of frequency.
The rating system is most often criticized
for applying restrictive ratings to sexual content
(as opposed to violent content, for which
it is often criticized as too lenient), yet parents
would apply the R rating to almost all sexual
content, with the exception of brief nudity, for which
they would apply a PG-13. Interestingly, even though the
majority of movies released with an NC-17 have received it for sexual
content, most parents would not apply the NC-17 rating for “explicit
scenes of sexual intercourse.”
As noted above, parental concerns over content in PG-13 movies,
which do not restrict attendance by children, are highest for the
F-word at 53 percent, closely followed by graphic sex scenes at 51
percent. No other type of content is cited by more than half of parents
as appearing too frequently in PG-13 movies. The next six types
of content that parents feel appear too frequently in PG-13 movies
are suggestive sexual innuendo, full female nudity, partial nudity,
brief nudity, underage partying, and hard drug use. Graphic violence
is the ninth most cited type of content that appears too frequently,
with 44 percent of parents mentioning it.
Why is this survey important? Because the various camps who
battle over the rating system believe that ratings should mirror their
own moral view of the universe. Those who are comfortable with
the depiction of sexuality, or for whom language is merely language
and can do no harm, or those who find depictions of violence to
be as harmful as the real thing, or those for whom any depiction of
nudity or sexuality outside of wedlock or the privacy of the bedroom
is as sinful as the real thing, or for whom the F-word and other rude
or blasphemous language is an assault on the ears—all would like
to configure the rating system to fit their conception of right and
wrong.
The irony is that each of these views is utterly subjective, and that,
frankly, is the core difficulty in applying any rating system. People are
subjective. The strength of the rating system is that it acknowledges
that subjectivity but places it where it belongs. The sole purpose of
the rating system, since it advises parents on content and, in some
circumstances, restricts children’s attendance based on that content,
is to reflect the concerns of parents. This study shows that the rating
system, with raters selected from parents, is doing a good job reflecting
those concerns. Returning regularly to sample parents’ views and
concerns can only strengthen the system’s accuracy, and regular publication
of the results will strengthen parents’ confidence in the rating
system. That openness will force critics of the rating system to weigh
Parental
concerns over
content in PG-13
movies, which do not
restrict attendance by
children, are highest for
the F-word at 53 percent,
closely followed by
graphic sex scenes
at 51 percent.
their criticisms on the scale with what parents really care about.
In a recent Washington Post column by movie critic Ann Hornaday,
in which she lamented the grueling, graphic violence in
The Hateful Eight and The Revenant, she felt compelled to note the
CARA parent survey, if only to sigh that “parents evinced
far more concern about sexual content and nudity in
movies as opposed to violence.” As more evidence
of parents’ real concerns seep into public
consciousness, perhaps critics will begin to
consider why they have those concerns. My
guess is that parents are most concerned
with what their children will confront in
real life. Although violence is a big concern
in our society, the majority of us will
never confront it in real life. But parents
know their children will at some point deal
with sexuality; they will at some point hear
and use language their parents would rather
they not. Parents want some control over when
and where those things happen. As a parent, my
concerns may not align precisely with the majority of
parents in this survey. Indeed, they do not. Yours may not
align with mine. The movie industry—the movie theater industry—though,
has promised to determine those concerns, and honor
them. And we do that through the rating system. n
FEBRUARY 2016 BoxOffice ® 19