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Name: Motion Picture Association of America
Age: 90
Occupation: the people who give movies their ratings
Last Seen: Washington, DC
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Name: Parents Television Council
Age: 17
Occupation: media watchdog group
Last Seen: Alexandra, VA/Los Angeles, CA
Both Bee-otched For: being bullies
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If you're under the age of 17, you might be able to see the movie Bully after all without dragging mommy or daddy with you to the theatre.
The controversial new movie that deals with teens getting bullied and how adults are dealing with the problem will debut in select cities this weekend. the documentary's director, Lee Hirsch wanted to present the film in a gritty manner so kids being bullied who see the film can relate to the problems they face on a daily basis.
However, for a while, kids themselves weren't able to see the film due to its R rating from the Motion Picture Association of America for profanity said by the film's bullies.
Apparently, the word "fuck" is said a few times in the picture, and per MPAA rules, if that word is said more than once, it must be rated R. Because critics and protesters are infuriated over the MPAA's decision, the film's distributor, The Weinstein Company fought the MPAA to get the rating downgraded to a PG-13 to no avail. So, the company played an old rule from their playbook: release it unrated.
Once upon a time, Bob and Harvey Weinstein owned a little movie studio called Miramax, named for their parents Miriam and Max. The company became an indie powerhouse throughout the 80's and early 90's, and in 1993, the brothers sold the company to The Walt Disney Company for $60 million but retained control of the studio. However, the Weinsteins and Disney had their spats on what films could and couldn't be released, and when Kidswas given the green light in 1995, Disney balked out of the deal because of its NC-17 rating for glorifying teens having sex, doing drugs, cussing like sailors and fighting. So, the Weinsteins released the film on their own under the "Shining Excalibur" label unrated. Critics felt that it was important that the film - the debut film for Chloe Sevigny and Rosario Dawson - was a must-see for teens, especially since one of the film's central characters finds out that she's HIV-positive from having multiple sexual partners.
Of course, the Weinsteins left Miramax and Disney in 2005 and formed their own studio, The Weinstein Company. Disney eventually sold Miramax to another company. TWC released the last two Best Picture Oscar winners,The Kings Speech and The Artist.
With the Weinsteins' decision to take Bully unrated, theatres will now have to decide what type of policy they will have to have with the film. Undoubtedly, some theatres will allow teens in, but the more-corporate chains might honor the R rating. But sadly, one group is fighting for the latter.
The Parents Television Council claims that the film's original R-rating is designed to tell parents what's in the film and not for its commentary on value. They also think that the Weinsteins' decision will eventually derail the MPAA's 45-year-old (with some alterations) code, which replaced the even-more-barbaric Hays Code created in the 1930s that banned profanity, nudity, drug use and strong violence altogether. As a matter of fact, MGM paid a hefty fine to the MPAA in 1939 when the word "damn" appeared in the epic Gone With the Wind.
One of the great movies I own on DVD is This Film is Not Yet Rated, which talks about how moronic the MPAA rules are. I sigh at the fact that if an actress shows a split second of twat whisker, that film gets an NC-17. Yet, films with lots of bloodbath and violence all get a PG-13. It's sad under MPAA rules, teens would have to bring a parent to see Bully, a film that would teach them how to fight their enemies responsibly, but they can see a two-hour gorefest by themselves. Hasn't the world gotten Columbine and the recent school shootings in Ohio pounded into their brains yet? Violence is impressionable, but then again, so is sex. It's why parents need to teach their children responsibility in both sex and violence. If one chooses to have a sexual relationship with one another, wear a condom every time. Bullies? Simple. Just walk away or ignore them altogether. I've dealt with cyberbullies before, and ignoring them will show them that putting up with their bullshit won't be tolerable. They'll just walk away and pick on somebody else. Plain and simple.
Damn, did I prevent a ton of teens from seeing Bully? GULP! Sorry, Bob and Harvey. I'll see it anyway once it hits Grand Rapids.
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