The PG 13 Discussion

[gekko]

Let's take for example, the N word [...] Quite frankly, I honestly DON'T want to hear the word at all, historical or otherwise, and would be a happy man not ever hearing it ever again [...] And as for it being ok in a historical sense, NO. It's not [...] The rating system should be one flat universal rating system.

The N word is a whole nother can of worms here, and quite a bit more of a touchy subject than sex on TV. However, in both cases, it cannot be simply a flat universal system. Why not?

Consider "Huckleberry Finn." This book contains the N word, and not just in an educational way -- the book is for entertainment as well as education, after all. However, the book does not support the use of the word, nor does it glamorize or support it. Quite the contrary, the book does an excellent job of critisizing racism.

Simply put, just because a book/movie/argument contains the N word does not imply that said book/movie/argument is racist. The context must be considered, as well. And the same goes for sex on TV or in movies.

Does this mean some unfair ratings and judgements will occur? Probably. However, it sure beats simply saying "this is not allowed in any case."

Another problem with the "flat universal" rating system is the lack of a magical age where children become adults. Legally, we can say once you hit a certain age, you are an adult. But what about the teenage years? Maturity levels differ greatly among teenagers of the same age (same goes for any age group, not only teens, of course). What does this have to do with the flat rating system? A grey area helps to diminish this problem by "fuzzing over" the limits placed on teenagers.

gekko