CNN.Com--Are "G" Rated Films Going Too Far?

[CensoredAlso]

I dunno, maybe its the fact i baby sat and dont like listening to kids crying over something they see on TV I had to listen to a screaming crying kid one time over a cat dying on a tv show. and here I was trying to exsplain that it wasnt real. *sigh* that was not a fun day.

I've had the same experience actually. I worked at a summer camp a few years ago and one kid was crying at a sort of disturbing part of a kids movie, a part of the story that was really unjust and upsetting. It really affected her for awhile that day. And yes it is really horrible to see a kid so upset and you want to comfort them and tell them it's OK.

But at the same time, kids need to learn at a young age that there are real things to worry about, and movies shouldn't be one of them. They to learn that they don't have to be so scared of make believe things. I also told her it showed how mature and good hearted and sensitive she was to be so moved by a sad and unjust moment in a movie. That she shouldn't feel embarrassed about getting upset if it meant she had a good heart. She was still upset but I think she understood that.

And no offence but it's not always great to be taking a nap with a kid in the house. Never know what they'll get into! You can't leave them alone for a minute.

 

[Crazy31088]

Aren't kids allowed to experience the full spectrum of drama as well?

 

[Super Scooter]

Look at Pee-wee's Big Adventure; it was rated PG because some elements were a little too "scary" for little kids, and it has some mild swearing... but hey, what scares little kids these days? And most parents these days seem to think there's nothing wrong with swearing, and that kids should be allowed to after kindergarten, so if you ask me, there's an example of what we think would/should be PG, would be more like a G.

I don't remember hearing a swear word in any G-rated movies, other than Muppet movies. And, I don't think the rating on Pee-Wee's Big Adventure would be changed, and I haven't heard of anyone saying that it should be. But, what would I know? I couldn't even get past the first scene of that movie.

The PG movies that have been released lately have been more tame than PG movies of the late '80s and early '90s, and the PG-13 was already around at that time. For instance, Big, which was rated PG, used the "F" word, besides some other swearing and sexual content. You can't get away with that in a PG movie now. You can use it once in a PG-13, and even that depends on the context.

I do think that overall what is allowed in movies in general is worse now than ever, but the G and PG movies still seem pretty tame. Besides, the Shrek movies were all PG, so you can't use those as an example of inapropriate content. They were for a more mature audience, despite the fact that they were animated.

 

[CensoredAlso]

It wasn't until a teenager and I started thinking about what I'd watch and then it would effect me, like the first time I saw the M*A*S*H episode "Abyssinia, Henry!", everyone was excited because Henry was being discharged, he was going home to his loved ones, he didn't have to put up with the war anymore... then in the end, here comes Radar with the announcement that the plane Henry was onboard was shot down over the Sea of Japan, and no one survived. That hurt. I mean Henry was one of my favorites, and here he is he's been KILLED! What kind of a slap in the face is that?

Oh defintely that's up there as one of the saddest moments in TV history, I'm sure. Even when they just show it quickly during a MASH retrospective or something, it still gets to you. It plays on real human events and emotions. And it was in keeping with the attitude of the show, it didn't shy away from the realities of war.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

I will say this though, once I'm in this industry professionally, I plan to try to bring back a level of innocence, naivete, and wholesomeness to television; the sitcom I'm developing is modeled after sitcoms my parents grew up with, and introduced me to all my life.

Can the same be said about some of the colorful language you have used on the very forum?

But I agree that as far as entertainment goes that they have really come down heard on it and that you can not get away with the same things as you used too. That being said, in a lot of way;s you would not be able to get away with some of the things you can get away with today, also.

It's like how you can get away with a show like All In The Family today, but back then you could nerve get away with a show liked "Friends", Different times, different shows. But it also can be argued that the shows on not are dumb down and less thought provoking. But it's complicated and varies. Different people get different things out of a "South Park" Some could ever argue that they see how a show like that is smart, but in poor taste. But it varies.

 

[Drtooth]

Honestly I wouldn't show my kids have the stuff they're making today. American entertainment, with some exceptions, is really becoming an embarrassment.

Pixar is the one Animation studio that's still doing a decent job. Warner Bros doesn't want an animation department outside of DTV DC comics based movies. And there's nothing else, since Hanna Montana is KILLING kid's programming in the ratings. And the last of it is the same preschool garbage that thinks its Dora the Explora.

On;y good kid's cartoons on TV are Curious George, TMNT, and Spider-Man. Everything else has been out of production.

Aren't kids allowed to experience the full spectrum of drama as well?

In reality. You can't even say a character is dead in an American kid's show. Look at what they do to anime. Replacing guns with stupid objects.... and yet, you can go into any toy store and buy a toy gun for a kid. There's a severe lack of logic here.

The PG movies that have been released lately have been more tame than PG movies of the late '80s and early '90s, and the PG-13 was already around at that time. For instance, Big, which was rated PG, used the "F" word, besides some other swearing and sexual content. You can't get away with that in a PG movie now. You can use it once in a PG-13, and even that depends on the context.

I do think that overall what is allowed in movies in general is worse now than ever, but the G and PG movies still seem pretty tame. Besides, the Shrek movies were all PG, so you can't use those as an example of inapropriate content. They were for a more mature audience, despite the fact that they were animated.

Spaceballs said both the F word and the S word, and apparently was rated PG. PG 13 didn't come out until just after the film was made, apparently.

As for Shrek, the material in that is what I call PG. Mild swearing, violence, sexual innuendo, and toilet humor (though, that's always been a 3rd grader thing to me). A lot of PG films I've seen recently don't swear, or have any vulgar talk to warrent a PG. It's only labled PG to sucker people into not going to a G movie.

There was NOTHING questionable about Horton Hears a Who... maybe one line... but that's about it. And TMNT didn't have half the violence as it's 1990 counterpart.

 

[MJTaylor]

Sgt. Floyd, I know just what you mean. The early Disney films were indeed criticized for being scary. WIth the synonym for donkey, I guess you mean *******?

 

[MJTaylor]

Jack--- is a bad word? I had no idea!

 

[Super Scooter]

Well, it depends. In reality, it should be like calling someone a donkey. Canada it's okay, I would assume it's okay where you are in Australia, but in the US... eh, not so much.

It is sort of a rude way of calling someone a donkey, though, I suppose. I personally would probably rank it in with the words "idiot" and "stupid".

Spaceballs said both the F word and the S word, and apparently was rated PG. PG 13 didn't come out until just after the film was made, apparently.

Right, but Big was made after the PG-13 rating. That's likely how it would have been rated if it were released more recently. Pretty much the majority of PG movies from the early-to-mid '80s (pre-PG-13) would get a PG-13 rating nowadays, Spaceballs included.

"Spaceballs: The MPAA Rating System!"

 

[Redsonga]

Well, *** or ******* is actually the older term for donkey, not something someone made up to replace it . Calling someone one was not exactly calling them a donkey, just as stubborn as one