It's interesting but hardly conclusive of anything, although that won't stop people from declaring it as concrete proof that PG-13 movies are turning people into casually violent gun fanatics.
Agreed. I think it's really more a matter of the parenting skills of the adults in charge, and less a matter of what's in the movies. Parents who just plop their kids in front of the TV, especially in this day & age when anything that's being shown in theatres can be seen at home via movie channels, pay per view, video on demand, or even (the now very rare) DVD rentals. They should be aware of what their children are watching, and know whether or not they can handle the material. Sometimes that means watching the movie's with them, and then sitting and discussing what you've just watched afterwards (especially with younger children). By the time the children are old enough to watch PG-13 movies without adult supervision, they should know the difference between right and wrong, reality and imagination, movie violence and real violence. Assuming of course that the parents did their jobs correctly up to that point.
Of course, the entire rating system is a joke. There is no rhyme or reason to their decisions. No concrete set of rules or regulations they must abide by. The entire MPAA panel is supposed to be anonymous, and must sign nondisclosure contracts when given the job, which they cannot break even after they're no longer a part of the board. There is a set of guidelines for the types of people who are supposed to be chosen to be on the panel, which the MPAA often ignores completely. The head of the MPAA can arbitrarily over rule any decision made by the panel, even if the entire panel is in full agreement with the chosen rating. You can appeal their decisions, but during the hearing you're not allowed to present other movies with similar content that were given lesser ratings. The whole system is drastically flawed, and is designed to make it harder to make movies that will reach your target audience rather than easier.
And the thing that turns most PG-13 movies R, or even NC-17 or X? SEX! Not necessarily the showing of it, but just the mentioning of it can get your movie a harsher rating. Did you know that Kevin Smith's movie
Jersey Girl, one of his first few movies with no Jay & Silent Bob, no dropping F bombs every other sentence, no showing recreational drug use, was almost given an NC-17 rating? And the reason? Because Liv Tyler was TALKING about *********ION! They didn't think that 13 to 17 year olds should be listening to a conversation about *********ion. Apparently they're afraid that if they hear Liv Tyler talking about it, they might start doing it. I've got news for the MPAA. You're a little f**king late! Your 13 to 17 year old kids? They're most likely ALREADY doing that. Most likely, they're getting more action from The Palm Twins than any of you prudes have seen in years.
Seriously, everyone should watch the documentary
This Film Has Not Yet Been Rated. It's available on Netflix (or at least it was last summer, it might not be now). It's also available on You Tube (though it has been chopped up into 10 or 15 minute chapters), for those of you who do not have Netflix. Or Hell, you can just buy the DVD from Best Buy for about $10.
