Er, Whut?

[silverthorne]

Well, I haven't found the printed word yet, so I'm treating it as a rumor rather than fact, but the radio station I'm listening to says a new rating system in the film industry is being proposed for films that contain people smoking.

As in; it has smoking, it gets an automatic 'R' rating.

...Uh, wow. That's...pretty special. As in, isn't anyone capable of self-teaching themselves or learning basic common sense from their own families anymore?

Just...wow. O.o

(I really dislike smoking, enough to be grateful for things like no-smoking zones, and I still think this is out where the buses don't run, okay?)

Comments

[paradisacorbasi.livejournal.com]

I hate smoking enough to be happy the laws are making it impossible to smoke in public.

But yeah, this? Stupid.

"If they see it in a movie, they'll do it in RL!"

Please.

*sigh*

[paradisacorbasi.livejournal.com]

Printed word it is. (http://news.google.com/news?q=movie+rating+smoking&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=tfT&um=1&sa=X&oi=news_group&resnum=1&ct=title)

Re: *sigh*

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

...oi.

Wow...just. They really don't expect us to be able to think for ourselves anymore, do they?

Re: *sigh*

[paradisacorbasi.livejournal.com]

No, they want to make it so they think for us, so they keep making it so we don't have to think for ourselves.

Re: *sigh*

[paradisacorbasi.livejournal.com]

That and there's a lazy sort parents who don't think they have time or energy to teach their kids right from wrong, so they pressure the media to do it for them.

Re: *sigh*

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

...

Uh yeah. don't get me started on that. I'm likely to start frothing at the mouth and cussing more than usual.

Re: *sigh*

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

Ah well. Guess I'll have to make contingency plans for when the guys in the suits eventually show up at my door, wanting to remove my brain altogether for illegal thinking.

Maybe I'll send it to Bora Bora on vacation...it needs a tan.

[janewt.livejournal.com]

Not exactly "it has smoking, it gets and automatic R." http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070510/ap_en_ot/film_movie_ratings_smoking

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I see that. Heh. Of course, I was listening to shock jocks at the time (Because occasionally real news slips in between thier rambling, and I'm not sure what CD to put on yet).

Still...that's...extreme. Not to mention that what one person is okay with, another person might think went too far. So...yeah. I dunno. Where they're going to draw the line is going to be a mess.

[janewt.livejournal.com]

Yeah, judging what counts as "glamorized" smoking is pretty subjective. Interestingly, it sounds like they already take into consideration underage smoking--also interestingly, I didn't spot any mention of drinking as a factor in ratings. 'Course I didn't look any further than that article. *kinda lazy*

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

They probably have something for that too. I seem to remember in the eighties (back when I was a cluelss teen and didn't pay much attention) both alchohol and cigarette ads were more or less banned from TV advertising for about the same reasoning. Other than helping some folks who were completely Do Not Want To See It feel better, it really didn't do any good. Alchohol adds, obviously, came back.

Which...yeah. People tend to think smoking is worse, more addictive, more harmful to the body in the long run, etc.

...which, looking at things like drunk driving and medical costs for alcoholics...seems pretty blind to me.

[takhys]

We've got a very different ratings system up here. I'm always amused when I come across a film that carries both American and Canadian ratings on the box -- PG-13 in Canada, R in America, or reversed like 18A in Canada, PG13 in the States.

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

Heh, yeah. Society and culture does play a role in that. Some things that fly in Canada don't here and vise versa. I remember when O first gopt into japanese animation and was all 'O.o they actually are allowed to do that?!'

It was an eye opener, to say the least.

In regards to it being an american issue though; this is one of those many signs that people are getting lazy and would rather have the government regulate their lives than take responsibility on their own.

Or at least a sign that the government thinks that's what we want. Either way, it's not a good thing.

[vorkosigan.livejournal.com]

Buh

I hate smoking (grew up in a household where everyone chain smoked. yyyyyeah....) but that's a bit ridiculous. People smoke, it's part of life. The less kids see of it, the more they'll want to do it. Seriously.

*facepalm*

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

Yeah, no kidding. What kept me off of it wasn't being kept away from it, but by taking a health ed class when I was about eight and seeing a picture of some nice tar-coated lungs from a heavy smoker. Between that and my own family, even the ones that smoked (and were honest about the health effects it had on them), telling me why it it wasn't such a great idea to get into, I was cured of wanting it before I even tried it.

...By the same token, sex was not talked about often. Guess what I was doing by age 17 (but with birth control, because at least I got the education for that as well both in and out of school).