It’s actually quite odd considering American INDIVIDUALS for the most part no longer align with or adhere to such puritanical ideals. Books like gender queer that have been sensationalised (I seriously doubt 99.9% of school libraries stock that trash) would be NC-17 if released on film.
That and, MPAA has gotten stricter with time. In 1984 when PG-13 was formulated, the rating was meant to create a gap between PG and R. Parents were furious over PG rated films having tits, sex, gore, drugs etc.
Now PG-13 has more/less become what PG was back in the 70’s and 80’s, except PG rated films WERE allowed to show tits. There are a number of old PG (or GP) rated horror films from the 60’s and 70’s that were re-rated R due to nudity or sexual content. ‘The oblong box’ and ‘scream and scream again’ both come to mind.
Although MPAA has loosened up a little bit on violence. For a while in the 2000’s and 2010’s, PG-13 wasn’t allowed to really show gore… PG-13 was allowed to have gore, nudity, sex etc in 80s and 90s. Only recently has PG-13 been allowed to showcase graphic violence again.
What is odd… Is the prevalence of LGBTQIA± whatever content in films means for children (lightyear comes to mind). You’d think an organisation with such puritanical standards would wish to restrict or censor this given they are VERY harsh when it comes to on screen same sex sexual activity.
The MPAA has a history of slapping films that aren’t particuarly graphic with NC-17 labels over homosexual content. The movie BENT from 1997 comes to mind. It’s a disturbing movie, but is it deserved of a rating so restrictive that it actually can’t be released in cinemas? No…
It appears as if the implication is ok… encouraged even… Anything beyond implication on screen entails wandering off into restricted territory. That’s fair enough, the same can be said for sexual content in pg-13 films as of 2023. Implied sexual intercourse and / or VERY tame sex scenes = ok. Beyond the implication i.e use of the word “fuck” with sexual connotations, a sex scene with thrusting or nudity visible etc… Automatic R.
Like if lightyear had a gay make out scene it obviously would have gotten a PG-13 minimum (potentially R). The film has a brief, innocuous same sex kiss and implied homosexual relationship dynamics were present therefore a PG rating was given.
This actually did irritate me as it was unnecessary. It’s obviously out of place… I want to be entertained… I don’t want political talking points in a prequel to toy story. I actually think audiences are generally with me here. It’s obviously not enough for me to avoid watching the film, but it’s enough for me to groan and roll my eyes.
It just doesn’t come across as genuine, there’s been this HUGE push for “dIvErSiTy” and “iNcLuSiViTy” over the past few years, now even the Oscars are going to have diversity quotas starting from 2024… because the Oscars have been doing so well recently as is with this current status quo. “How can we further alienate audiences?”
The level of disconnect between audiences, critics and actors present within these films has never been higher. It’s almost as if Hollywood has decided to subsist in another dimension; an alternate reality where identity politics and preachy political agendas fuelled by questionable ideologies set the stage for enjoyable entertainment.
If a TV series has been released in 2023 by Netflix, amazon etc. Or if a new blockbuster, Oscar bait style film has been released there’s a decent chance I’ll actually struggle to watch it. Diversity and inclusivity is fine so long as it isn’t forced.
I watched that 90’s show because I LOVED that 70’s show… But it becomes that an agenda is omnipresent obvious when diversity quotas and story arks about coming out becoming pivotal plot points relative to the original show which had hardly any of this. I look at the original cast of that 70’s show and think “I also had some fun hanging out with my friends in HS!”
It was relatable, funny, and entertaining. That 90’s show… I think “This friend group existing? Fat chance… Especially considering this is rural Wisconsin in the mid 90’s!”
And it’s just not funny anymore. Original show had jokes about Fez being foreign (can’t do that anymore), questionable behaviour (Fez being a sexual predator etc). Now the main girl sexually assaults a man in one episode, and it is seen as acceptable because girl power! She wants her first kiss… She will get it! Even if it means running after a guy who is uncomfortable, running away and pinning him down so you can force that kiss because grrrl power!
At least in that 70’s show this behaviour was looked down upon to a degree.
I know I’ve gone off topic, but America is also setting the precedent for these stupid sociocultural trends. I’m suprised as to how much radically progressive content comes from a country that simultaneously harbours so many puritanical ideals (MPAA, sociocultural formalities i.e can’t cuss etc).
America isn’t that conservative anymore, however the MPAA is a highly secretive organisation. If you watch the documentary “this film is not yet rated” you’ll see the organisation is heavily influenced by judeochristian values
The type of individual who winds up working for the MPAA is FAR more likely to resemble the Evangelical subtype as opposed to the average family man/woman
The organisation is SO secretive, if a member’s identity is leaked to the public it usually results in resignation. America is the only country I know of that classifies films and television independently of government input
