Should We Have a Ratings System For Films? | It’s A Question Of Balance 12 March 2016

Broadcast on 12 March 2016 on KSCO AM 1080, KSCO 104.1 FM, KOMY AM 1340, and KSCO.com Live Stream.

It's A Question Of Balance radio show balances the intellectual with the creative, exploring whether we have more in common than divides us through thought-provoking conversations - out and about with people on the street on different topics, and in the studio with inspiring guests from the arts. Balance is not a compromise. Balance is truth distilled from many places creating cohesive understanding. 

Check out podcasts of the different topics and arts guests at www.itsaquestionofbalance.com

Out And About – Conversations with People on the Street about Questions That Matter: Should We Have a Ratings System For Films?

This week we consider ‘Should We Have a Ratings System For Films?’ The show comes live from the Cinequest Film Festival 2016 in Silicon Valley, California. Ruth Copland talks to film-maker Selvamani Selvaraj, whose wonderful mood piece Nila is a Spotlight Film at the festival; Cinequest volunteers; and festival film-goers.

According to the US Classification and Rating Administration “Movie ratings provide parents with advance information about the content of movies to help them determine what movies are appropriate for their children at any age.” Are movie ratings necessary? And if so, do they achieve what they set out to accomplish? Other countries have more categories of ratings; the UK for example has U (universal, suitable for children 4 or older), PG (should not unsettle a child 8 or older), 12, 12A (must be accompanied by an adult), 15 (no one under 15), 18 (no one under 18), R18 (basically pornography, can only be shown at special cinemas or sold in sex shops). There is a big developmental difference between 13 and 18. With no rating between PG13 and R in America, are younger teens possibly seeing content they shouldn’t? Or conversely are older teens being shielded from content that could be appropriate for them? Would it be useful to have more ratings categories in America or are broad categories good enough? In the US, young children can see PG-13 and R-rated films if accompanied by their parents, unlike in other countries where the age ratings are strictly enforced. Should we aim to protect children from irresponsible adults by having enforced age ratings or is this interfering too much? Sex is censored much more strictly than violence in US cinema. What does this say about our society? With extreme sexual and violent content readily available on the internet are film ratings obsolete or do they still have a place to guide and inform?

What do you think? For more info on the show and to hear past shows visit www.itsaquestionofbalance.com

In Out And About we consider topics with local relevance and global significance. The idea is to get us thinking about the questions that affect us all - to stimulate new thinking, or clarify what we already feel. To hear how other people’s opinions may differ from or be similar to our own.