Re-Rethinking marijuana in the movies
From the LA Times:
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A minor ruckus has erupted in Hollywood over the R rating assigned “This film is rated R for brief alcohol use portrayed in a positive light.“ “This film is rated R for pervasive cigarette smoking by sympathetic characters.“ “This film is rated R for aberrant overeating and intense caloric consumption.“ Wait, you say you haven’t seen these warnings? Not a one? That’s because the MPAA, the powerful group that rates movies, has never much cared for consistency. So, while few parents would want their children to engage in any of the activities listed above — let alone the violence frequently splattered across screens — only in the most extreme cases do these behaviors move the MPAA to issue an R rating. . . To be fair, it is complicated. The MPAA empowers parents to make informed choices about their kids’ viewing habits. But in this case, the characters are doing nothing more than what countless American adults do responsibly every day. . . [AO: The writer, Robert Ablon, argues that it is inconsistent to issue an R rating for a movie that shows “pot smoking with no bad consequence” while not issuing R ratings for movies that portray alcohol use in a positive light, pervasive cigarette smoking by sympathetic characters, or aberrant overeating and intense caloric consumption. However, there is a difference here. The use or marijuana is illegal is most of America. Consuming alcohol, smoking cigarettes or overeating is not. This distinction is a sufficient reason for the MPAA to treat marijuana use differently without being inconsistent with the examples Ablon offers. Also, the fact that medical marijuana is legal in fourteen states is unpersuasive as a reason to treat depiction of marijuana use in a movie the same as eating or consuming alcohol. After all, the A in MPAA stands for America, not the states in America that have legalized marijuana. Most states in America have not legalized marijuana. Moreover, the activity depicted in the movie is illegal. The actors are not using marijuana for medical purposes. Ablon concedes that the ratings enable parents to make informed choices about their kids' viewing habits. He is right. Many parents do not watch all the movies their children see. By issuing an R rating, the MPAA sends a signal to parents that they may want to pay special attention to a particular movie. There is no reason why parents shouldn’t be alerted to illegal drug use (whether by adults or children) in a movie if the movie shows that use with no bad consequences or otherwise glorifies it.] |
to the Meryl Streep romantic comedy, “It’s Complicated,” . . . According to The Times, those familiar with the Motion Picture Assn. of America’s hearing on the movie say a scene featuring “pot smoking with no bad consequences” was key to the decision. But imagine the ratings wars that the MPAA’s latest warnings will ignite: Read the full opinion HERE.
