Derek Peltier
This Film is not Yet Rated, is a documentary that discusses and opens the ideas of ratings, censorship, sex and violence which are exploited by Hollywood film makers. Couvares explains, “The more one looks at debates over discrete representations of sexuality, or ethnicity, or other controversial subjects in Hollywood, for example, the more it becomes clear that the attention of both advocates and opponents of censorship is focused on wider cultural and political tensions” (510). I feel the tensions that are brought on by censorships are questions about what is culturally acceptable. Do we as a society accept sex in films or do we try to hide them by censoring them? Also, the tension about who gets to decide. Where does one draw the line between what is too sexual or violent. I think these might be a few tensions the MPAA face. Movies can play a significant role in these tensions. The rating of a movie can dictate who will view it and how they will view it. Some movies can receive a higher rating, such as an R rating, if it will be viewed by the mass media. If it is an independent film it may have a lower rating because fewer people will see the film.