In 1919, Hollywood was already under the microscope. In the eyes of ultra-conservative censorship groups, the film industry has become a haven for sex and violence, presenting bawdy and obscene material to an unforeseen and impressionable audience. By 1921, the government was already proposing dozens of laws to censor film content and curb obscenity. Most of the proposed laws were harsh and egregious, and several states began forming specialized media oversight boards, each with their own rules. The film industry could not meet all of them, as each state had a different standard of decency. In response to widespread moral panic, the film industry generally embraced a method of self-censorship, hiring a conservative Presbyterian minister named Will H. Hayes to oversee the studio's content and make sure no one was bad.
First, Hayes met with Paramount's E.H. Allen, MGM's Irving G. Thalberg, and Fox's Sol Wurtzel, and the group came up with a list of 11 “no-go” subjects: things expressly prohibited in a film production. They also had a list of 26 films titled “Be Careful,” asking filmmakers to treat such themes with caution and tact. The “bans” included insults, nudity, drugs, “inferences of sexual deviance,” “white slavery,” “miscegenation” (!), mockery of the clergy, or “intentional insult to any nation, race or creed.” The list of “be careful” was diverse and included everything from marriage ceremonies to the use of firearms. That was in 1927.
It is worth reminding readers that the above symbols were considered wise and foolish even at the time, and were clearly made to appease small groups of rowdy fools. However, in 1934, the Hays Code became a production standard, requiring all major productions to obtain certification to the code before their release. This was the first classification system to be properly implemented in the United States.
Read on to learn how the Hays Code became the MPA ratings (G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17) we know and love today..
Conversion from Hays code to MPAA rating system
Filmmakers constantly protested the Hays Code, and famed director Otto Preminger intentionally violated it several times during the 1950s. But the Hays Code technically remained in effect until 1966. That was the year Jack Valenti took over Motion Picture Association of America. That was also the year of “Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Released with a new special classification: SMA, or Suggested for Mature Audiences.
Valenti didn't like the Hays Code, considering it outdated and rigid, and reeked of censorship (which was true). Instead, Valenti invented and implemented the MPAA's entirely voluntary letter-based rating code, which first went into effect in 1968.. The objective of these ratings was to inform consumers about the undesirable aspects that a film might contain and to allow the public to make their own decisions. During its first two years of use, the MPAA ratings were:
- G – For the general public
- M – For mature audiences
- R – for restricted audiences; Minors under 16 years of age without a guardian were not allowed.
- X – For adults over 16 years of age
From 1972 to 1984, the classification system was slightly reformulated as follows:
- G – For the general public
- PG – Parental supervision recommended
- A – This time, those under 17 need a guardian
- X – For adults over 17 years of age
(Note: For the first two years, PG was known as GP.)
In 1984, thanks to the release of PG-rated films like “Gremlins” and “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” the MPAA rating system once again came under scrutiny. It seemed like filmmakers were leaning toward making movies that weren't violent or obscene enough for an adult audience, but were certainly too cruel for an elementary school-aged child. It was Steven Spielberg who suggested Valenti implement a PG-13 rating, which would fall between PG and R.
This is how the modern system works and what each rating means
The phrase “X-rated” was adopted by the adult film industry in the late 1970s. Although porn films had not been submitted to the MPAA ratings board for certification, porn film makers wanted the public knew that his films contained sexual material. In fact, adult filmmakers soon began marketing their films as exceeding the MPAA's X rating, claiming their films had a double X rating and then a triple X rating. To this day, “Triple-X” is used to describe pornography.
In 1990, the MPAA decided to correct this by converting the X rating to an NC-17 rating. Functionally it was the same, but it removed the stigma associated with pornography. The language has changed a bit in the MPAA's various rating descriptors, but since 1996, the US five-letter ratings look like this:
- G – General public: All ages accepted.
- PG – Suggested Parental Guidance: Some materials may not be suitable for children.
- PG-13 – Parents are strongly cautioned: Some materials may be inappropriate for children under 13 years of age.
- R – Restricted: Persons under 17 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.
- NC-17 – Adults Only: Persons 17 years of age or younger are not permitted entry.
The MPAA became AMP in 2019. Their website offers more details on previous ratings.
Of course, there are all sorts of huge problems with the current ratings system, where some ratings have come to be considered more or less commercially viable (no filmmaker wants the curse of NC-17, everyone wants the sweet spot). ). From the popular PG-13, resulting in a nice four-quarter art). As shown in the 2006 Kirby Dick documentary “This Movie Hasn't Been Rated Yet,” some ratings act as cattle marking, dooming films to commercial failure. The standard for how each film gets a rating is also strange and secretive, with a vague ratings board that doesn't need to be explained, and sexual and perverse content often prevails over profanity and violence.
Perhaps another major renovation can be made in the near future.
