Where have all the ratings gone?

Movie ratings can effect what you choose to watch or to let your children watch. Earlier this semester, The Signpost reported that the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) will be revising its method of rating movies for the first time in 16 years. Many would complain (or be delighted) that movies are (finally) getting ultra-grotesque, uber-violent, and unquestionably graphic. But is this generation of films the Cain of our values? Many think that "the good old days" were just that: good; meaning wholesome, clean, and decent. But were they really? MPAA-rated PG films have had nudity in the past. It would be far worse for a PG film with overt nudity to be widely viewed by 8-year-olds, than for an R-rated film with nudity to be seen by the fewer children whose parents allow any film to be watched. This is the exact case of the "Airplane" movies and movies today that are R-rated for nudity. In "Airplane" and "Airplane II: The Sequel," you'll find a "PG" rating and nudity. Not "kinda" nudity, or obscured nudity. Just women, nude from the waist up, visible and conspicuous. Even before 1980, when "Airplane" was released, there was a film about a girl discovering surfing and love. That girl was Gidget. This may be the earliest scene of an "orgy" in a film. The year was 1956. The problem with relying on the evaluations of others to determine what is wholesome, of worth, or what is repugnant and distasteful, is that the MPAA may not have the same values as the rest of the world. We can't possibly expect Hollywood, as glorious as it may be, to tell us what to believe or what to find acceptable. Hollywood is made up of a whole slew of people who live varying lives, probably all residing in the ridiculously ritzy parts of California. We shouldn't assume that there is a representative for all of our beliefs among those high-minded decision-makers in Hollywood. "Paradise Now," released in 2005, may not appeal to followers of the Jewish faith. It is a fictional account of two Palestinians recruited to be suicide bombers in Tel Aviv. Islamonline.net reported that "Kingdom of Heaven" was the cause of controversy amid Muslims, as it was unclear whether or not it would clear stereotypes of Muslims. Christian leaders around the world also have, at times, publicized their disdain for certain films, such as "Dogma" and "Brokeback Mountain." Perhaps we should listen to those we choose to follow. (Hopefully, you aren't following Hollywood.) Make an effort to research books, TV shows, movies and other forms of media, before investing time and money (and soul) into them. Ask around. If fart jokes and boogers are disgusting, don't watch "The Benchwarmers." If someone faking a mental disability to enter the Special Olympics is offensive, don't see "The Ringer." If witches, warlocks, goblins, elves, trolls, or other creatures of myths are objectionable, there are loads of films that should be avoided.