Movie Ratings – Do They Matter Anymore?
Movie Ratings
I don’t want to tell parents how they should raise their kids.
You know there’s a “but” coming, right?
But, for goodness sake, I’m asking for parents to please take the time to scrutinize the content of the movie they’re about to allow their young child to see.
Important question: Does the movie contain nudity, gore, and/or violence?
Do you think your kid should see that kind of movie, with or without your supervision?
Keeping Kids In Mind
My husband and I rarely go to the movies anymore because many of them are not even close to what we would want to see.
We did make an exception recently and went to see a movie that was rated PG-13.
There was an unmistakable sex scene in the movie. Sitting behind us in the theater were three young girls. They looked to be between 7-10 years old.
There was no parent in sight during the entire film.
PG-13 means parents are urged to be “cautious,” and that some of the film’s content may be “inappropriate” for pre-teens.
The young girls in the back of us giggled throughout the scene.
Where were their parents?
I know that the movie’s PG-13 rating, per the MPAA, doesn’t require parental presence, but come on!
Disturbing References
Christians have been silent far too long.
Sadly, saying anything negative about what’s popular now could get you called a name.
“Prude!”
“Hater!”
If those name-callers only knew what Hollywood has in store. I could post an article I recently read about that, but it’s sickening.
Here’s the CliffsNotes version of it:
Hollywood will continue to push the envelope
Think that’s too harsh?
Bear with me.
Did you ever think you would see references to incest/pedophilia in a comedy?
How Low Can They Go?
SNL has done it, and that’s not all.
In “The Middle” recently, a character mentioned the possibility of a sexual relationship between a school janitor and a young student.
We don’t need to be laughing about that.
Monday night, we tuned into UPtv, the channel marketed with the “We Get Family” label.
“Whose Line Is It Anyway” was playing. We started watching an episode. Unfortunately, two of the comedians portrayed an incestuous scene between a father and a son. I don’t need to go into the surprisingly graphic details, but it was gross. We couldn’t turn it off fast enough. The audience, unfortunately, roared with laughter.
So that’s supposed to be funny now?
Yes, I can turn off the television and we do. But, IMHO, these themes are not okay to laugh at.
As a former reporter, I’ve been in a courtroom covering a trial where a child was molested. This young boy had to take the witness stand and reveal all the awful details. It was tragic and heartbreaking.
Parents and guardians of young children – is it your responsibility to supervise the content of the television shows, online websites, and the movies your young kids are watching.
Movie Ratings For Parents
It’s okay to tell your kids “no” if they want to see a movie that’s inappropriate for their age group.
They’ll get over it.
Here are three websites where you can view the ratings and contents of movies BEFORE you drop off your kids at the theater door.
In no particular order:
>Dove.org – This website is pretty thorough. Click on the movie your child wants to see, and you’ll get accurate descriptions of the movie’s content.
>Another website I’ve found is kids-in-mind.com. You can become a member of the kids-in-mind site, but it’s not required.
>A third site, movieguide.org, is billed as a “Family Guide to Movies and Entertainment.”
Be A Parent
Young children desperately need parental guidance and healthy boundaries.
*According to former attorney general John Ashcroft, nine out of ten teens have been exposed to pornographic images. Those who stumble across this wretched stuff on the Web or in other media are highly susceptible to what they see. Boys as young as thirteen are easily trapped in addictive and progressive behavior that will plague them for a lifetime. Girls are directly affected because their boyfriends expect them to imitate what is depicted in obscene products. – James Dobson, [Newsletter, February 2011].
Mr. Dobson is correct. I’ve talked to several friends/parents about what their kids run into at many high school parties (sex and drug sharing games). It’s all very, very sad.
Let me add a disturbing post from Franklin Graham about a sex education class in an Oklahoma public high school. The link will tell you what you need to know.
In conclusion, I wanted to share this link to the website for One Million Moms To Help Fight Indecency.
This organization does good work, and you don’t have to be a mom to participate in their campaigns against trash in the media.
We have the right to speak up and out for the protection of children.
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*Former Attorney General John Ashcroft’s quotation. [Newsletter]. Retrieved from http://www.drjamesdobson.org/news/commentaries/protecting-your-children /February 2011, para.32).
