Introduction & Context

• Chuck introduces summer movie playlist feed drop covering MPAA workings
• Episode from June 2014 exploring "dark art" of movie rating decisions
• Hosts Josh Clark, Chuck Bryant discussing MPAA practices
• Referenced documentary "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" as influential critique

PG-13 Rating Creation (1984)

• Steven Spielberg created PG-13 rating in 1984
• Two films sparked controversy: Indiana Jones Temple of Doom, Gremlins
  • Both rated PG despite disturbing content (heart removal scene, snake feast, terrifying elements)
• Spielberg approached MPAA requesting intermediate rating between PG and R
• PG-13 became the "strike zone" for maximum profitability
  • Targets young teenage boys who bring girls to movies
  • PG-13 films earn more money than all other ratings combined
  • Violence in PG-13 movies tripled over decades
  • Now contains more violence than R-rated counterparts

Historical Development

• 1922: Motion Picture Association (MPA) formed
• Will Hayes established Hayes Code (moral/immoral binary system)
  • Government always portrayed positively
  • Sexuality repressed
  • Clear good vs evil divisions
  • Created to prevent local municipalities from banning films

Post-WWII Changes (1950s)

• Society loosened moral standards after WWII
• Frank Sinatra Oscar nomination for heroin addict role (The Man with Golden Arm)
• "Some Like It Hot" (1959) further eroded Hayes Code
• Hayes Code effectively dead by end of 1950s

Modern Rating System Birth (1968)

• Ginsburg v. Supreme Court case: store owner prosecuted for selling magazines to minors
• Supreme Court ruled local municipalities could decide minor exposure standards
• Jack Valenti (MPAA head for 40 years) created current rating system
• Original ratings: G, PG, R, X
• Intended to prevent censorship while protecting profits

Current Rating System (2014)

• G: General audience, anyone can see
• PG: No drug use, minimal violence, family-friendly
• PG-13: Stronger content but accessible to teens
• R: No one under 17 without parent (suggestion, not law)
• NC-17: Adults only, replaced X rating in 1990
  • First NC-17 film: "Henry & June"
  • Associated with foreign films, LGBTQ+ content
  • X rating became synonymous with pornography

MPAA Structure & Process

• Classification and Rating Administration (CARA) operates under MPAA
• 8-13 anonymous raters overseen by senior rater
• Raters supposedly parents with children ages 5-17
• Process conducted in complete secrecy
• Submission fees: $750 (shorts) to $25,000 (major releases)
• Voluntary system but de facto mandatory for theater distribution

Rating Process

• Submit film to anonymous panel
• Raters watch, take notes, vote on rating
• Senior rater communicates decision to distributor
• Options: accept rating, edit film per recommendations, reject and release unrated
• Appeal process exists but historically unsuccessful
• Pre-2014: couldn't reference other films during appeals

Major Criticisms & Controversies

Secrecy & Accountability

• Rater identities completely secret
• No written standards provided to filmmakers
• Kirby Dick's documentary exposed fraudulent practices
• Many raters didn't meet stated requirements (proper age children)

Bias Issues

• MPAA represents six major studios earning 95% of $10.9 billion annual ticket sales
• Accused of harsher ratings for independent/foreign films
• Conflict of interest: rates competitors while lobbying for major studios

Content Double Standards

• Violence more acceptable than sexuality/profanity
• Misogynistic bias: male sexual gratification acceptable, female pleasure heavily penalized
• Homophobic bias: LGBTQ+ content routinely receives harsher ratings
• Examples of rating inconsistencies:
  • "Once" (Dublin musicians singing) vs "Hostel 2" (torture porn) - both rated R
  • "Rushmore" rated R for brief Playboy centerfolds
  • "Longtime Companion" (gay couple, no explicit content) - NC-17
  • "Blue Is the Warmest Color" (lesbian story) - NC-17
  • "Philomena" (elderly woman searching for son) - R for F-bombs

Marketing Contradictions

• "Check the Box" descriptions potentially advertise inappropriate content to minors
• R-rated movies marketed on youth-oriented websites
• PG-13 movies tied to children's toys despite age-inappropriate content

Anti-Piracy Efforts

• MPAA serves as lobbying arm against online piracy
• Digital distribution threatens traditional rating system power
• Successfully lobbied for Digital Millennium Copyright Act (2000)
• Cracked down on camcorder recording in theaters
• Screener DVD tracking systems implemented
• Public performance licenses required for any non-home viewing
• Historical opposition to new technology (VCRs in 1980s)

Industry Impact & Future Challenges

• Theater chains refuse to show unrated films
• Video on demand/internet distribution bypassing traditional system
• MPAA losing power while needing it more than ever
• Filmmakers manipulate system by including intentionally objectionable content as decoys
• Calls for transparency rather than elimination of ratings
• Chris Dodd (new MPAA head) defending current system despite criticism