Tell the MPAA to Give the Documentary "Bully" a PG-13 Rating

[sleepy]

There is a documentary, "Bully", about school and the title topic.
Because it includes language from the students involved, it is rough language, and so the MPAA insists on giving it an "R" rating which means that the students cannot freely view it nor can it be shown in schools.

There is a petition campaign at change.org to persuade the MPAA to give the documentary a PG-13.
Change.org appears to want too much user information, though I've found that I can skip many of the details.
You can find the petition here:

http://www.change.org/petitions/mpa...win-give-bully-a-pg-13-instead-of-an-r-rating

An alternative is to contact the MPAA and let them know that you support a PG-13 rating for "Bully".

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[Shockman]

I'm unaware of this. But why not a petition to edit it?

The subject matter is about behavior that should not happen. Yet here are people fighting for something that is not right.

I don't know about this, as I said, but just from what I read here I don't think signing a petition would send the right message. It reads like perhaps a group of students is bullying MPAA.

The P in PG means Parental.

 

[sleepy]

Okay. Then the next time the kids are getting pissed on in school by the local thugs, I'm gonna replace them with their Parents.

 

[Shockman]

That's why I always say you have to pick your battles.

The story needs to be told and prosecutions may be needed.

I hear all the time that Noah don't have to be right because it's his site. The same people are going to tell you that the MPAA is wrong. They are only right about one.

 

[Noah Fentz]

That's why I always say you have to pick your battles.

The story needs to be told and prosecutions may be needed.

I hear all the time that Noah don't have to be right because it's his site. The same people are going to tell you that the MPAA is wrong. They are only right about one.

Obsess much?

 

[Shockman]

It was beside the point Paul.

The story needs to be told to children, that much is true. If the problem with that happening is some kids cussing though, the wrong place is being looked to for a fix.

 

[Noah Fentz]

It was beside the point Paul.

The story needs to be told to children, that much is true. If the problem with that happening is some kids cussing though, the wrong place is being looked to for a fix.

Much like our situation. You're looking at me and VPF like I/we need to be fixed.

How many admins and how long has this exact situation been going on with you?

Think about that.

 

[Shockman]

Like our situation? I'm sure I don't know what you mean.

How long has this exact situation been going on? I've never encountered this exact situation until now.

In this thread's situation it appears on side is saying censor it, and the other side is saying no, run it like it is. The later is not going to happen regardless of a petition count. It would take a suspension of the rules by people the rules were not designed to protect. Nothing like our situation at all.

Edit:
The petition, on second though, could be driven mostly by people that this is designed to protect, at least the parents of them. And documentaries have been considerations to suspend that rule in the past. So I suppose it could go either way. Personally I would beat the drum for getting a PG rating through content. If the point can not be made without children hearing children using the 'F' word (whatever that is) it would be best, of course, for them to hear it. I think the point could be made though.

 

[LeeVanCleef]

Anyone here "of an age" remember when the Scared Straight documentary first aired on television in the '70s? It was completely uncensored, and it seems that broadcasters considered that the message was much more important than the naughty words used to deliver it.
There was a documentary made not long ago about the ratings system and the filmmaker managed to track down some of the members of the MPAA ratings board. A bigger bunch of tight-asses you are not likely to meet again.

 

[Shockman]

Anyone here "of an age" would probably disagree. People from then would say
PG13 is the new R and R is the new X. Censorship and ratings both have become much more lax in movies and on TV. What would it take for someone whos' job is to rate movies not be a tight ass? To not do their job?

 

[LeeVanCleef]

No, but I would expect them to do their job well... which the MPAA does not do. There's no set of rules that they judge by... it's all completely arbitrary, done by faceless bureaucrats who answer to no one. Seriously... does a documentary that features someone saying "fuck" deserve an R rating in this day and age when a documentary shown on television in the 1970s could get away with it? Watch the movie first and see if it doesn't change your opinion.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/this_film_is_not_yet_rated/

 

[Shockman]

It's not about the word fuck. A PG13 can have that. It's about the frequency of the word. There is an exact number of times it can be used. I don't know what it is. Same with other words, types of violence, and nudity. I doubt if there is a single aspect of it that is totally arbitrary.

 

[sleepy]

But knowing thugs and their mates personally from my age,
I'm guessing that fuck has little to do with it.
It's probably more to do with words like dyke, queer, sexual anatomical slang, and what else?
So trying to shield the children from the content would, if true, become as effective as shielding them from sex education.
It becomes a problem of being able to say anything about it at all, and the reasons why it is important.
In this case, the evidence is explicit and most kids hear it every day in spite of the impotence or the deliberateness of the authorities to do anything about it.

Being explicit and accessible tells potential victims to speak out.
An "R" rating, coupled with a lack of action by the authorities or the shame of the silent victim, tells them that they are powerless.
A PG-13 rating is Right.

 

[StevOz]

I wouldn't bother myself, the MPAA is just not the authority it likes to think it should be.

DO You know what PG means, any parent that takes any authority rating as it is stated should not be breeding...

 

[Shockman]

I'm sure you are right about the general language, but the factor that gave it an R rating is the number of times the word fuck was used, and as I understand it, it was barely over. If this ends up not being shown to minors it would be the fault of the rating. The fault of the rating of course is the content, not the formula used to rate it. A producer would know this. An editor would know this. A director would know this, and be in a position to avoid it. Bleeps don't count. Retakes with some direction would fix it as well. An editor could make it G, and certainly PG-13 without loss of impact.

Also there is nothing to stop multiple versions with different ratings.

It would be a shame, no doubt, if this was not shown to minors, due only to the fact that it was not made suitable to minors.

As you said. Bullying has been around forever. There could not be anything in here that is unknown, except perhaps some numbers (stats). If it includes exposing adults that are enablers, or are turning their backs, adults are the target. If it is educational, and instructional to children, it should be made PG not to mention PG-13.

I do hope it get sorted and shown, even if that involves a false rating, but I think we all know that would not be necessary. For the producers to even let THIS get to a point that it involves a petition to suspend rules (bullying) is actually laughable.

But knowing thugs and their mates personally from my age,
I'm guessing that fuck has little to do with it.
It's probably more to do with words like dyke, queer, sexual anatomical slang, and what else?
So trying to shield the children from the content would, if true, become as effective as shielding them from sex education.
It becomes a problem of being able to say anything about it at all, and the reasons why it is important.
In this case, the evidence is explicit and most kids hear it every day in spite of the impotence or the deliberateness of the authorities to do anything about it.

Being explicit and accessible tells potential victims to speak out.
An "R" rating, coupled with a lack of action by the authorities or the shame of the silent victim, tells them that they are powerless.
A PG-13 rating is Right.