Feb_1_-_The_Ratings_System_&_American_Psycho.docx

1 | Page Political Science 312 1-Feb-11 Controlling Film Content Control of Film Content 1. 1915 - 1930 Outright censorship by the government at all levels in the beginning ? Federal, state and local Federal guidelines might have been uniform, but every state and local community had its own set of standards. Hollywood had a terrible reputation for being a mecca of filth and depravity 2. Self-Regulation William Hayes, a former Postmaster General, came to Hollywood to try to clean up its image and to try to reinforce the moral fabric of the country. Old Production Code Filmmakers would submit their films to an agency that would either grant production code certification or withhold it. There was no ratings system There were three parties involved in the production code The Major Film Studios The Production Code Administration The Legion of Decency They were an economic boycott threat group backed by Catholic Churches Films had to uphold Juneau-Christian values No depictions of divorce, sexuality, etc. Some fields would be released without certification, but it just wouldn?t be shown. 1952 ? Supreme Court Rules that films are protected under First Amendment free speech provisions Obscenity is not protected Three things are obscene everywhere in the United States Anything involving children Incest in any form Bestiality Constant fighting between the parties involved in making films led to change In 1968, the MPAA was created thanks to the efforts of Jack Velente The idea was to assist parents in making decisions of what to allow their children to watch Ratings: General Audiences Parental Guidance Suggested Parental Guidance for Audiences under the age of 13 Restricted to audiences over the age of 17 X/NC-17 ? No one under the age of 18 will be admitted