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| Boilerpipe Text | The
Motion Picture Association
film rating system
is used in the United States and its territories to rate a
motion picture
's suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion pictures are the responsibility of the
Motion Picture Association
(MPA), previously known as the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) from 1945 to 2019. The MPA rating system is a voluntary scheme that is not enforced by law; films can be exhibited without a rating, although most theaters refuse to exhibit non-rated or
NC-17 rated films
. Non-members of the MPA may also submit films for rating.
[
1
]
Other media, such as
television programs
,
music
and
video games
, are rated by other entities such as the
TV Parental Guidelines
, the
RIAA
and the
ESRB
, respectively.
In effect as of November 1968,
[
2
]
following the
Hays Code
of the
classical Hollywood cinema
era, the MPA rating system is one of various
motion picture rating systems
that are used to help parents decide what films are
appropriate for their children
. It is administered by the Classification & Ratings Administration (CARA), an independent division of the MPA.
[
3
]
The MPA film ratings are as follows:
[
4
]
Rating block
Meaning
G rating symbol and block
G – General Audiences
All ages admitted
. Nothing that would offend parents for viewing by children.
PG rating symbol and block
PG – Parental Guidance Suggested
Some material may not be suitable for children
. Parents urged to give "parental guidance". May contain some material parents might not like for their young children.
PG-13 rating symbol and block
PG-13 – Parents Strongly Cautioned
Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13
. Parents are urged to be cautious. Some material may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers.
R rating symbol and block
R – Restricted
Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian
. Contains some adult material. Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their young children with them.
NC-17 rating symbol and block
NC-17 – Adults Only
No one 17 and under admitted
. Clearly adult. Children are not admitted.
In 2013, the MPA ratings were visually redesigned, with the rating displayed on a left panel and the name of the rating shown above it. A larger panel on the right provides a more detailed description of the film's content and an explanation of the rating level is placed on a horizontal bar at the bottom of the rating.
[
5
]
Content descriptors
[
edit
]
Film ratings often have accompanying brief descriptions of the specifics behind the film's content and why it received a certain rating. They are displayed in trailers, posters, and on the backside of
home video
releases. Film rating content descriptors are used for films rated from PG to NC-17; they are not used for G-rated films, because the content in them is suitable for all audiences, even if it contains mildly-objectionable content.
[
6
]
If a film has not been submitted for a rating or is an uncut version of a film that was submitted, the labels
Not Rated
(
NR
) or
Unrated
(
UR
) are often used. Uncut/extended versions of films that are labeled "Unrated" also contain warnings saying that the uncut version of the film contains content that differs from the theatrical release and might not be suitable for minors.
If a film has not yet been assigned a final rating, the label
This Film Is Not Yet Rated
is used in trailers and television commercials.
A green band card for trailers that are suitable for general audiences
A yellow band card used for internet trailers
A red band trailer card reserved for restricted or mature audiences
The MPA also rates film trailers, print advertising, posters, and other media used to promote a film.
[
7
]
Theatrical trailers
[
edit
]
"Red band" redirects here. For the rock band, see
Red (band)
.
For broader coverage of cinema trailers, see
Trailer (promotion)
.
Rating cards
appear at the head of trailers in the United States which indicate how closely the trailer adheres to the MPA's (and prior to November 2019, the MPAA's) standards.
[
8
]
Green band
: When the trailer accompanies another rated feature, the wording on the green title card states, as of May 2013, "The following preview has been approved to accompany this feature." For trailers hosted on the Internet, the wording is tweaked to "The following preview has been approved for appropriate audiences."
[
7
]
Until April 2009, these cards indicated that they had been approved for "all audiences" and often included the film's MPAA rating. This signified that the trailer adhered to the standards for motion picture advertising outlined by the MPAA, which included limitations on foul language and violent, sexual, or otherwise objectionable imagery.
In April 2009, the MPAA began to permit the green band language to say that a trailer had been approved for "appropriate" audiences, meaning that the material would be appropriate for audiences in theaters, based on the content of the film they had come to see.
In May 2013, the MPAA changed the trailer approval band from "for appropriate audiences" to "to accompany this feature", but only when accompanying a feature film; for bands not accompanying a feature film, the text of the band remained the same. The font and style of the text on the graphic bands (green and red) was also changed at the time the green band was revised in 2013.
[
9
]
[
10
]
Yellow band
: A yellow title card was introduced in 2007 for trailers with restricted content hosted on the Internet, with the message "The following preview has been approved only for age-appropriate Internet users."
[
8
]
The MPAA stipulated that yellow-band trailers hosted on studio websites should only be available between 9:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. (i.e., 21:00 through 04:00 local time), and that for other websites hosting the trailers, at least 80% of its typical user base should be adults. The yellow card was reserved for trailers previewing films rated PG-13 or stronger.
[
8
]
An early example was a yellow-band trailer for
Rob Zombie
's
Halloween
(2007).
[
8
]
Yellow-band trailers were not widely adopted and were apparently abandoned within a few years: in 2013,
Variety
reported that age-restricted trailers online were released with red bands.
[
11
]
The 2019 edition of CARA's advertising guidelines reference only green and red bands for internet trailers.
[
7
]
Red band
: A red title card is issued to trailers which do not adhere to the MPA/CARA guidelines.
[
7
]
It indicates that the trailer is approved for only "restricted" or "mature" audiences, and when it accompanies another feature, the wording states "The following restricted preview has been approved to accompany this feature only." For trailers hosted on the Internet, the wording is tweaked to "The following restricted preview has been approved for appropriate audiences."
[
7
]
The red title card is reserved for trailers previewing R and NC-17 rated films: these trailers may include nudity, profanity, or other material deemed inappropriate for children.
[
12
]
Such trailers are officially meant to be locked behind age verification systems.
[
8
]
However, these "age gates" have been described as "ineffective"
[
11
]
and an "
honor system
";
[
8
]
furthermore, many
YouTube
channels which exist to syndicate film and television trailers do not feature any check, which has led to criticism from watchdog groups like
Common Sense Media
.
[
13
]
In 2007, red-band trailers were said to be virtually absent from theaters, due to worries that they would accidentally be shown before films released at a less-restrictive rating.
[
8
]
However, by the following year, they were noted as increasingly prevalent as the adoption of digital projection had largely alleviated these concerns.
[
14
]
These trailers may only be shown theatrically before R-rated, NC-17-rated, or unrated movies.
[
7
]
: 10
An example of the blue feature tag for
Edge of Tomorrow
The MPA also creates blue feature tags for theatrical and home media use. Theatrical releases show the blue tag after the film, with home media releases showing it prior to the film.
[
7
]
They feature the rating block and any content descriptors as assigned by the Classification and Rating Administration, the MPA logo, and links to MPA websites along the bottom.
Replacement of the Hays Code
[
edit
]
Jack Valenti
, who had become president of the
Motion Picture Association of America
in May 1966, deemed the
Motion Picture Production Code
, which had been in place since 1930 and rigorously enforced since July 1, 1934, out of date and bearing "the odious smell of
censorship
". Filmmakers were pushing at the boundaries of the code with some even going as far as filing lawsuits against the "Hays Code" by invoking the
First Amendment
. Valenti cited examples such as
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
, which used prohibited language including "hump the hostess", and
Blowup
, which was denied Code approval due to nudity, resulting in
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
, then a member studio of the MPAA, releasing it through a subsidiary. Valenti revised the Code to include the "SMA" (Suggested for Mature Audiences) advisory as a stopgap measure. To accommodate "the irresistible force of creators determined to make 'their films'
"
, and to avoid "the possible intrusion of government into the movie arena", he developed a set of advisory ratings which could be applied after a film was completed.
On November 1, 1968, the voluntary MPAA film rating system took effect,
[
2
]
with three organizations serving as its monitoring and guiding groups: the MPAA, the
National Association of Theatre Owners
(NATO), and the International Film Importers & Distributors of America (IFIDA).
[
15
]
Only films that premiered in the United States after that date were affected by this.
[
16
]
Walter Reade
was the only one of 75 top U.S. exhibitors who refused to use the ratings.
[
16
]
Warner Bros.-Seven Arts
'
The Girl on a Motorcycle
was the first film to receive the
X rating
, and was distributed by their Claridge Pictures subsidiary.
[
17
]
Two other films were rated X by the time the MPAA published their first weekly bulletin listing ratings:
Paramount
's
Sin With a Stranger
and
Universal
's
Birds in Peru
. Both films were subsequently released by subsidiaries.
[
18
]
The ratings used from 1968 to 1970 were:
[
19
]
[
20
]
Rated G
: Suggested for general audiences.
Rated M
: Suggested for mature audiences – Parental discretion advised.
Rated R
: Restricted – Persons under 16 not admitted, unless accompanied by parent or adult guardian.
Rated X
: Persons under 16 not admitted.
This content classification system originally was to have three ratings, with the intention of allowing parents to take their children to any film they chose. However, the National Association of Theatre Owners urged the creation of an adults-only category, fearful of possible legal problems in local jurisdictions. The "X" rating was not an MPAA trademark and would not receive the MPAA seal; any producer not submitting a film for MPAA rating could self-apply the "X" rating (or any other symbol or description that was not an MPAA trademark).
[
15
]
In 1970, the ages for "R" and "X" were raised from 16 to 17.
[
21
]
Also, due to confusion over whether "M"-rated films were suitable for children,
[
21
]
"M" was renamed to "GP" (for General audiences, Parental guidance suggested),
[
22
]
[
23
]
and in 1971, the MPAA added the content advisory "Some material not generally suitable for pre-teenagers".
[
24
]
On February 11, 1972,
[
25
]
"GP" was revised to "PG".
[
21
]
The ratings used from 1970 to 1972 were:
Rated G
: All ages admitted – General audiences.
Rated GP
: All ages admitted – Parental guidance suggested. [Sometimes a disclaimer would say "This film contains material which may not be suitable for pre-teenagers."]
Rated R
: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Rated X
: No one under 17 admitted.
The ratings used from 1972 to 1984 were:
[
26
]
Rated G
: General audiences – All ages admitted.
Rated PG
: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for [pre-teenagers (1972–1977)] / [children (1977–1984)].
[
27
]
Rated R
: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Rated X
: No one under 17 admitted.
Addition of the PG-13 rating
[
edit
]
In the 1980s, complaints about violence and gore in films such as
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
and
Gremlins
, both of which received PG ratings, refocused attention on films seen by younger children.
[
28
]
According to author Filipa Antunes, this revealed the conundrum of a film that "could not be recommended for all children but could also not be repudiated for all children uniformly," leading to speculation that the rating system's PG classification "no longer matched a notion of childhood most parents in America could agree on."
[
29
]
Steven Spielberg
, director of
Temple of Doom
and executive producer of
Gremlins
, suggested a new intermediate rating between "PG" and "R".
[
30
]
The "PG-13" rating was introduced on July 1, 1984, with the advisory "Parents Are Strongly Cautioned to Give Special Guidance for Attendance of Children Under 13 – Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Young Children". The first film to be released with this rating was the
John Milius
war film
Red Dawn
.
[
31
]
In 1985, the wording was simplified to "Parents Strongly Cautioned – Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13".
[
32
]
Around the same time, the MPAA won a
trademark
infringement lawsuit against the producers and distributors of
I Spit on Your Grave
over a fraudulent application of its R rating to the uncut version of the film,
[
33
]
and forced its member studios and several other home video distributors to put MPAA ratings on the packaging of MPAA-rated films via a settlement that would come into effect by fall that year.
[
34
]
The ratings used from 1984 to 1990 were:
Rated G
: General audiences – All ages admitted.
Rated PG
: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for children.
Rated PG-13
: Parents strongly cautioned – Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Rated R
: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Rated X
: No one under 17 admitted.
In 1989,
Tennessee
state law set the minimum age to view a theatrically exhibited R-rated film without adult accompaniment at 18, instead of 17, and categorized the admission of minors to X-rated films as a
misdemeanor
. The statute remained in force until 2013, when it was ruled to be in violation of the
First Amendment
. The law was amended in 2013 as to prohibit persons under the age of 18 only if the film was considered "harmful to minors".
[
35
]
[
36
]
X replaced by NC-17
[
edit
]
"X"-rating as it appeared in theatrical posters prior to being retired and replaced by NC-17
In the rating system's early years, "X"-rated films such as
Midnight Cowboy
(1969) and
A Clockwork Orange
(1971) were understood to be unsuitable for children, but non-pornographic and intended for the general public. However, pornographic films often self-applied the non-trademarked "X" rating, and it soon became synonymous with
pornography
in American culture.
[
37
]
In late 1989 and early 1990, respectively,
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
and
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
, two critically acclaimed
art films
featuring strong adult content, were released. Neither film was approved for an MPAA rating, limiting their commercial distribution and prompting criticism of the rating system's lack of a designation for such films.
[
38
]
[
39
]
In September 1990, the MPAA introduced the rating NC-17 ("No Children Under 17 Admitted").
[
40
]
Henry & June
, previously to be assigned an X rating, was the first film to receive the NC-17 rating instead.
[
40
]
[
41
]
Although films with an NC-17 rating had more mainstream distribution opportunities than X-rated films, many theaters refused to screen them, most entertainment media did not accept advertising for them, and many large video outlets refused to stock them.
[
42
]
Additionally, the MPAA started to include explanations, or "descriptors", of why each film received an "R" rating, allowing parents to know what type of content the film contained. For example, the descriptor for
The Girl Who Played with Fire
read "Rated [R] for brutal violence including a rape, some strong sexual content, nudity and language."
[
43
]
[
44
]
The ratings used from 1990 to 1996 were:
Rated G
: General audiences – All ages admitted.
Rated PG
: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for children.
Rated PG-13
: Parents strongly cautioned – Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Rated R
: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Rated NC-17
: No children under 17 admitted.
In 1996,
[
45
]
the minimum age for NC-17-rated films was raised to 18,
[
46
]
[
47
]
[
48
]
by rewording it to "No One 17 and Under Admitted".
[
49
]
The ratings used since 1996 are:
[
4
]
Rated G
: General audiences – All ages admitted.
Rated PG
: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for children.
Rated PG-13
: Parents strongly cautioned – Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Rated R
: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Rated NC-17
: Adults only – No one 17 and under admitted.
By the early 2000s, the MPAA also began applying rating explanations for PG, PG-13, and NC-17-rated films.
[
50
]
[
51
]
Depictions of violence are permitted under all ratings but must be moderated for the lower ones. Violence must be kept to a minimum in G-rated films and must not be intense in PG-rated films. Depictions of intense violence are permitted under the PG-13 rating, but violence that is both realistic and extreme or persistent will generally require at least an R rating.
[
3
]
Snippets of language that go "beyond polite conversation" are permitted in G-rated films, but no stronger words are present. Mild
profanity
may be present in PG rated films. The use of the word "
fuck
", described in the board's guidelines as "one of the harsher sexually-derived words", will initially incur at least a PG-13 rating.
[
52
]
[
53
]
More than one occurrence will usually incur an R rating as will the usage of such an expletive in a sexual context.
[
3
]
Known as the "automatic language rule",
[
54
]
it is widely known among filmmakers, and significant attention can be devoted to determining the most effective use of the word in a film intended to receive a PG-13 rating.
[
52
]
The board's guidelines allow exceptions to this rule if two-thirds of the members agree "that most American parents would believe that a PG-13 rating is appropriate because of the context of the manner in which the words are used or because the use of these words in the motion picture is inconspicuous".
[
3
]
[
52
]
The automatic language rule is arguably the rule that can most often be successfully appealed.
[
54
]
For example,
All the President's Men
(1976), produced before the PG-13 rating's introduction, received a PG rating after appealing it from an R, despite multiple instances of strong language, likely because of its historic subject matter.
[
54
]
[
52
]
Films rated PG-13 with multiple occurrences of the word
fuck
include
Adventures in Babysitting
,
where the word is used twice in the same scene;
[
55
]
Antwone Fisher
which has three uses;
[
56
]
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
, which has four uses (six in the "Taylor's Version" cut), all in song lyrics;
[
52
]
[
57
]
The Hip Hop Project
, which has seventeen uses;
[
58
]
and
Gunner Palace
, a documentary of soldiers in the
Iraq War
, which has 42 uses of the word with two used sexually.
[
59
]
Both
Bully
, a 2011 documentary about bullying, and
Philomena
—which has two instances of the word—released in 2013, were originally given R ratings on grounds of the language but the ratings were dropped to PG-13 after successful appeals (albeit
Bully
needed some cuts).
[
60
]
[
61
]
The King's Speech
, however, was given an R rating for one scene using the word
fuck
several times in a speech therapy context; the MPAA refused to re-certify the film on appeal, despite the
British Board of Film Classification
reducing the British rating from a 15 rating to a 12A on the grounds that the uses of the expletive were not directed at anyone.
[
62
]
This was satirized in the 2005 film
Be Cool
, in which the film producer Chili Palmer (
John Travolta
) says: "Do you know that unless you're willing to use the R rating, you can only say the 'F' word once? You know what I say? Fuck that. I'm done."
[
63
]
Often film producers will use the word for a scene of gravitas or humor and then bleep out any further instances with sound effects.
[
63
]
Some forms of media are cut post-release so as to obtain a PG-13 rating for
home media
release or to feature on an Internet streaming service that will not carry films rated higher than PG-13. In 2020,
a recording
of
Hamilton
was released on
Disney+
after cuts by
Lin-Manuel Miranda
to remove two of the three instances of
fuck
in the musical to qualify it as PG-13 under MPAA guidelines.
[
64
]
A study of popular American teen-oriented films rated PG and PG-13 from 1980 to 2006 found that in those films, teenaged characters use more and stronger profanity than adult ones in the same movies.
[
65
]
However, the study found that the overall amount of such language had declined somewhat since the 1980s.
[
65
]
Drug use content is restricted to PG-13 and above.
[
3
]
An example of an otherwise PG film being assigned a PG-13 rating for a drug reference (momentary, along with brief language) is
Whale Rider
. The film contained only mild profanity, but was rated PG-13 because of a scene where
drug paraphernalia
were briefly visible. Critic
Roger Ebert
criticized the MPAA for the rating and called it "a wild overreaction".
[
66
]
In May 2007, the MPAA announced that depictions of cigarette smoking would be considered in a film's rating.
[
67
]
[
68
]
Anti-smoking advocates stated that the child-friendly PG rating was inappropriate for the 2011
Nickelodeon
-animated film
Rango
, which included over 60 depictions of characters smoking.
[
69
]
Nudity
is restricted to PG and above, and anything that constitutes more than brief nudity will require at least a PG-13 rating. Nudity that is sexually oriented will generally require an R rating.
[
3
]
Since 2006, films have been flagged by the MPAA for carrying nudity. In 2010, the MPAA flagged three films specifically for "
male nudity
", precipitated by parental pressure in response to
Brüno
.
[
70
]
In 2018, MPAA Ratings Chair Joan Graves clarified the MPA's position by stating that "we don't usually define [nudity] as male or female ... usually, we just mention partial nudity, [or] graphic nudity."
[
71
]
The MPAA does not have any explicit criteria for sexual content other than excluding sex scenes from G-rated films.
[
3
]
Prior to the release of
The Exorcist
at the end of 1973, CARA president Aaron Stern took the unusual step of calling director
William Friedkin
to tell him that since it was an "important film", it would be rated R and could be released without any cuts.
[
72
]
The film drew huge crowds upon its release, many of whom were horrified by the film; some vomited and/or fainted,
[
73
]
and a psychiatric journal would later document four cases of "cinematic
neurosis
" induced by the film.
[
74
]
Among those patrons were many children, not always accompanied by adults. This left many commentators incredulous that the ratings board would have found that a film with disturbing scenes such as a possessed 12-year-old girl masturbating with a
crucifix
was acceptable for children to see. Roy Meacham, a Washington, D.C., critic who had praised the film while admonishing parents not to take their children to it, recalled those children he did see leaving showings "drained and drawn afterward; their eyes had a look I had never seen before." Authorities in Washington invoked a municipal ordinance that would have prevented
any
minors from seeing the film, threatening theater owners with arrest if they did.
[
75
]
Meacham insinuated that the board had succumbed to pressure from Warner Brothers, which had spent $10 million, more than twice its original budget, making the film; an X rating would have seriously limited
The Exorcist
'
s commercial prospects.
New Yorker
critic
Pauline Kael
echoed his criticism. "If
The Exorcist
had cost under a million or been made abroad," she wrote, "it would almost certainly be an X film. But when a movie is as expensive as this one, the [board] doesn't dare give it an X."
[
72
]
In 1974,
Richard Heffner
took over as president of the board. During his interview process, he had asked to screen recent films that had sparked ratings controversies, including
The Exorcist
. "How could anything be worse than this?" he recalled thinking later. "And it got an R?" After he took over as head, he would spearhead efforts to be more aggressive with the X rating, especially over violence in films. In 1976, he got the board to give the Japanese
martial arts film
The Street Fighter
an X rating for its
graphic violence
, the first time a film had earned that rating purely for violence.
[
72
]
Commercial viability of the NC-17 rating
[
edit
]
The NC-17 rating has been described as a "kiss of death" for any film that receives it.
[
76
]
Like the X rating it replaced, NC-17 limits a film's prospects of being marketed, screened in theaters and sold in major video outlets.
[
42
]
In 1995,
MGM/UA
released the big-budget film
Showgirls
; it became the most widely distributed film with an NC-17 rating (showing in 1,388 cinemas simultaneously), but it was a box office failure that grossed only 45% of its $45 million budget.
[
77
]
Some modest successes can be found among NC-17 theatrical releases, however;
Fox Searchlight Pictures
released the original NC-17-rated American edition of the European film
The Dreamers
(2003) in theaters in the United States, and later released both the original NC-17 and the cut R-rated version on DVD. A Fox Searchlight
spokesman
said the NC-17 rating did not give them much trouble in releasing this film (they had no problem booking it, and only the
Salt Lake City
newspaper
Deseret News
refused to take the film's ad), and Fox Searchlight was satisfied with this film's United States box office result.
[
78
]
Another notable exception is
Bad Education
(2004), an NC-17 foreign-language film that grossed $5.2 million in the United States theatrically
[
79
]
(a moderate success for a foreign-language film
[
80
]
).
In 2000, the
Directors Guild of America
called the NC-17 rating an "abject failure", for causing filmmakers to re-edit films to receive an R rating, rather than accept an NC-17 rating. They argued that this was "not only compromising filmmakers' visions, but also greatly increasing the likelihood that adult-oriented movies are seen by the very groups for which they are not intended."
[
81
]
As of March 2007, according to
Variety
, MPAA chairman Dan Glickman had been made aware of the attempts to introduce a new rating, or find ways to reduce the stigma of the NC-17 rating. Film studios have pressured the MPAA to retire the NC-17 rating, because of its likely impact on their film's box office revenue.
[
82
]
[
83
]
In 2010, the MPAA controversially decided to give the film
Blue Valentine
an NC-17 rating.
The Weinstein Company
challenged this decision, and the MPAA ended up awarding the same cut an R rating on appeal. Actor
Ryan Gosling
, who stars in the film, noted that NC-17 films are not allowed wide advertisement and that, given the refusal of major cinema chains like
AMC
and
Regal
to show NC-17 rated movies, many such films will never be accessible to people who live in markets that do not have art house theatres.
[
84
]
Legal scholar
Julie Hilden
wrote that the MPAA has a "masterpiece exception" that it has made for films that would ordinarily earn an NC-17 rating, if not for the broader artistic masterpiece that requires the violence depicted as a part of its message. She cites
Saving Private Ryan
, with its bloody depiction of the
D-Day landings
, as an example. This exception is troubling, Hilden argues, because it ignores context and perspective in evaluating other films and favors conventional films over edgier films that contribute newer and more interesting points to public discourse about violence.
[
85
]
In 2022, the
Netflix
film
Blonde
received an NC-17 rating, becoming the first film produced for a streaming service to earn the rating. As a result of primarily being released through a streaming service (outside of a limited theatrical release to qualify for awards), the film did not receive the same amount of commercial stigma that a film produced for a regular theatrical release would have otherwise received. In a piece for
GQ
, Keith Phipps argues that as a result,
Blonde
could usher in a new era of films and filmmakers that will "push beyond the restrictions of the R rating", writing, "In theory, the NC-17 rating could thrive on services like Netflix,
Hulu
, and
HBO Max
and
Blonde
could be a sign of things to come, possibly serving as a cue for other filmmakers to push beyond the restrictions of the R rating."
[
86
]
Issuance of "R Cards"
[
edit
]
Starting in 2004, GKC Theatres (since absorbed into
AMC Theatres
) introduced "R Cards", which parents could obtain for their children under 17 to see R-rated films without adult accompaniment. The cards generated much controversy; MPAA president Jack Valenti said in a news article: "I think it distorts and ruptures the intent of this voluntary film ratings system. All R-rated films are not alike."
[
87
]
John Fithian, the president of the National Association of Theatre Owners, also said that the cards can be harmful. He noted in a news article for the
Christian Science Monitor
that the R rating is "broad enough to include relatively family-friendly fare such as
Billy Elliot
and
Erin Brockovich
(which were both rated R for language) along with films that push the extremes of violence, including
Pulp Fiction
and
Kill Bill
".
[
88
]
Emphasis on sex and language versus violence
[
edit
]
The film rating system has had a number of high-profile critics. Film critic
Roger Ebert
called for replacing the NC-17 rating with separate ratings for pornographic and non-pornographic adult film.
[
89
]
Ebert argued that the system places too much emphasis on sex, while allowing the portrayal of massive amounts of gruesome violence. The uneven emphasis on sex versus violence is echoed by other critics, including
David Ansen
, as well as many filmmakers. Moreover, Ebert argued that the rating system is geared toward looking at trivial aspects of the film (such as the number of times a profane word is used) rather than at the general theme of the film (for example, if the film realistically depicts the consequences of sex and violence). He called for an A (adults only) rating, to indicate films high in violence or mature content that should not be marketed to teenagers, but do not have NC-17 levels of sex. He also called for the NC-17 rating to be removed and to have the X rating revived. He felt that everyone understood what X-rated means, while fewer people understood what NC-17 meant.
[
90
]
[
91
]
[
92
]
MPAA chairman
Dan Glickman
has disputed these claims, stating that far more films are initially rated NC-17 for violence than for sex, but that these are later edited by studios to receive an R rating.
[
93
]
Despite this, an internal critic of the early workings of the ratings system is film critic and writer Stephen Farber, who was a CARA intern for six months during 1969 and 1970. In
The Movie Ratings Game
,
[
94
]
he documents a prejudice against sex in relation to violence. The 2006 documentary
This Film Is Not Yet Rated
also points out that four times as many films received an NC-17 rating for sex as they did for violence according to the MPAA's own website, further mentioning a bias against homosexual content compared to heterosexual content, particularly with regards to sex scenes. Filmmaker
Darren Stein
further insists that his tame teen comedy
G.B.F.
, which features multiple same-sex kisses but no intercourse, strong language, violence, or nudity, was "rated R for being gay."
[
95
]
The 2011 documentary
Bully
received an R rating for the profanity contained within the film, which prevented most of the intended audience,
middle
and
high schoolers
, from seeing the film. The film's director, Lee Hirsch, has refused to recut the film, stating, "I feel a responsibility as a filmmaker, as the person entrusted to tell (these kids') stories, to not water them down." A petition collected more than 200,000 signatures to change the film's rating
[
96
]
and a version with less profanity was finally given a PG-13 rating. However, the 1995 teen drama
Kids
, which director
Larry Clark
wanted rated R so parents could take their kids to it for educational purposes, still received an NC-17 rating due to its content of teen sex, and the MPAA turned down Clark's appeal.
[
97
]
The film was then released unrated by
Miramax
[
98
]
(under Shining Excalibur Films because Miramax, formerly owned by
Disney
, hesitated to release it as an NC-17 film).
[
99
]
Inconsistent standards for independent studios
[
edit
]
Many critics of the MPA rating system, especially
independent
distributors, have charged that major studios' releases often receive more lenient treatment than independent films.
The independent film
Saints and Soldiers
, which contains no nudity, almost no sex (although there is a scene in which a German soldier is about to rape a French woman), very little profanity, and a minimum of violence, was said to have been rated R for a single clip where a main character is shot and killed, and required modification of just that one scene to receive a PG-13 rating.
[
100
]
[
101
]
Eric Watson, producer of the independently distributed
Requiem for a Dream
(initially rated NC-17 before having its rating surrendered and released unrated) complained that the studios are paying the budget of the MPAA, which gives the studios leverage over the MPAA's decisions.
[
102
]
The comedy
Scary Movie
, released by
Dimension Films
, at the time a division of
The Walt Disney Company
, contained "strong crude sexual humor, language, drug use and violence," including images of
ejaculation
,
fellatio
and an
erect penis
, but was rated R, to the surprise of many reviewers and audiences; by comparison, the comparatively tame porn spoof
Orgazmo
, an independent release by
South Park
creators
Matt Stone
and
Trey Parker
and distributed by
October Films
(since absorbed into
Focus Features
), contained "explicit sexual content and dialogue" and received an NC-17 (the only on-screen penis seen in the film is a
dildo
). Parker and Stone did not have the time and money to edit the film, so it retained its NC-17 rating, the duo later stated that the MPAA refused to note specific scenes to remove and theorized that the organization cared less because it was an independent release which would bring it significantly less money.
[
103
]
In contrast, Parker and Stone's following feature film,
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
, was distributed by a major studio (
Paramount Pictures
) and, after multiple submissions and notes from the MPAA, received an R rating.
[
102
]
Inconsistent standards between G and PG
[
edit
]
Disney
's 1996 film
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
has been criticized for its depiction of
lust
,
antiziganism
, and
genocide
, despite being rated G. Twenty-five years after its release, one of the screenwriters for the film,
Tab Murphy
, talked about its rating in an interview with
The New York Times
, saying, "That's the most R-rated G you will ever see in your life."
[
104
]
Pixar
's 2011 film
Cars 2
has been criticized similarly for featuring on-screen gun violence and a torture scene, despite being rated G.
[
105
]
Former vice president,
Joan Graves
, claimed in an interview with
The Hollywood Reporter
that she regretted rating the film as G and that parents actually care more about ratings at the lower level. She says: “We had a divided vote on Cars 2 but the G’s won. I had misgivings because as they’re going around the track, there’s a lot of ‘kill em’, kill em,’ but I thought, ‘OK, well, it’s animated’ and I talked myself down the cliff. The parents did not. They felt very very misled. It was our fault.”
[
106
]
In contrast, critics of the system have accused the ratings board of giving PG ratings to family-friendly films such as
Frozen
and
Finding Dory
, despite seemingly having no justification.
[
107
]
[
108
]
Call for publicizing the standards
[
edit
]
Many critics of the system, both conservative and liberal, would like to see the MPAA ratings unveiled and the standards made public. The MPAA has consistently cited nationwide scientific polls (conducted each year by the Opinion Research Corporation of
Princeton, New Jersey
), which show that parents find the ratings useful. Critics such as Matt Stone in Kirby Dick's documentary
This Film Is Not Yet Rated
respond this proves only that parents find the ratings more useful than nothing at all.
[
109
]
In the film, it is also discussed how the MPAA will not reveal any information about how or why certain decisions are made, and that the association will not even reveal to the filmmaker the specific scenes that need to be cut in order to get an alternative rating.
Accusation of "ratings creep"
[
edit
]
Although there has always been concern about the content of films,
[
110
]
the MPAA has been accused of a "ratings creep", whereby the films that fell into specific ratings categories in 2010 contained more objectionable material than those that appeared in the same categories two decades earlier.
[
111
]
A study put forward by the
Harvard School of Public Health
in 2004 concluded that there had been a significant increase in the level of profanity, sex and violence in films released between 1992 and 2003.
[
112
]
Kimberly Thompson, director of the study, stated: "The findings demonstrate that ratings creep has occurred over the last decade and that today's movies contain significantly more violence, sex, and profanity on average than movies of the same rating a decade ago."
[
112
]
Questions of relevance
[
edit
]
In 2010
Slashfilm
managing editor David Chen wrote on the website: "It's time for more people to condemn the MPAA and their outrageous antics. We're heading towards an age when we don't need a mommy-like organization to dictate what our delicate sensibilities can and can't be exposed to. I deeply hope that the MPAA's irrelevance is imminent."
[
113
]
Chicago Tribune
film critic Michael Phillips wrote in 2010 that the MPAA ratings board "has become foolish and irrelevant, and its members do not have my interests at heart, or yours. They're too easy on violence yet bizarrely reactionary when it comes to nudity and language."
[
114
]
Trademark infringement
[
edit
]
In 2005, the MPAA sent cease-and-desist letters to some writers of
fan fiction
regarding their usage of the film ratings;
[
115
]
many related websites now use alternate ratings systems designed as parallels to those of the MPAA.
[
116
]
In 2025, the MPAA sent a cease-and-desist letter to
Meta Platforms
after it announced that
Instagram
content for teenagers would be "guided by PG-13 ratings".
[
117
]
[
118
]
[
119
]
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Film Advisory Board
Film and Publication Board
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(1952)
Parental Advisory
Pink permits
TV Parental Guidelines
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting
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ISSN
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. Retrieved
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.
Classification and Ratings Administration
Official Website with ratings database
MPA Film Ratings website |
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## Contents
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- [(Top)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system)
- [1 Ratings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Ratings)
Toggle Ratings subsection
- [1\.1 MPA film ratings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#MPA_film_ratings)
- [1\.2 Content descriptors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Content_descriptors)
- [1\.3 Other labels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Other_labels)
- [2 Regulation of promotional materials and releases](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Regulation_of_promotional_materials_and_releases)
Toggle Regulation of promotional materials and releases subsection
- [2\.1 Theatrical trailers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Theatrical_trailers)
- [2\.2 Releases](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Releases)
- [3 History](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#History)
Toggle History subsection
- [3\.1 Replacement of the Hays Code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Replacement_of_the_Hays_Code)
- [3\.2 From M to GP to PG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#From_M_to_GP_to_PG)
- [3\.3 Addition of the PG-13 rating](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Addition_of_the_PG-13_rating)
- [3\.4 Tennessee law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Tennessee_law)
- [3\.5 X replaced by NC-17](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#X_replaced_by_NC-17)
- [4 Rating components](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Rating_components)
Toggle Rating components subsection
- [4\.1 Violence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Violence)
- [4\.2 Language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Language)
- [4\.3 Substances](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Substances)
- [4\.4 Nudity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Nudity)
- [4\.5 Sex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Sex)
- [5 Effects of ratings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Effects_of_ratings)
Toggle Effects of ratings subsection
- [5\.1 *The Exorcist*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#The_Exorcist)
- [5\.2 Commercial viability of the NC-17 rating](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Commercial_viability_of_the_NC-17_rating)
- [5\.3 Issuance of "R Cards"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Issuance_of_"R_Cards")
- [6 Criticisms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Criticisms)
Toggle Criticisms subsection
- [6\.1 Emphasis on sex and language versus violence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Emphasis_on_sex_and_language_versus_violence)
- [6\.2 Inconsistent standards for independent studios](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Inconsistent_standards_for_independent_studios)
- [6\.3 Inconsistent standards between G and PG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Inconsistent_standards_between_G_and_PG)
- [6\.4 Call for publicizing the standards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Call_for_publicizing_the_standards)
- [6\.5 Accusation of "ratings creep"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Accusation_of_"ratings_creep")
- [6\.6 Questions of relevance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Questions_of_relevance)
- [6\.7 Trademark infringement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#Trademark_infringement)
- [7 See also](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#See_also)
- [8 References](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#References)
- [9 External links](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#External_links)
Toggle the table of contents
# Motion Picture Association film rating system
25 languages
- [العربية](https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%86%D8%B8%D8%A7%D9%85_%D8%AC%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%A9_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D9%84%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%83%D9%8A_%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%8A%D9%8A%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%81%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85 "نظام جمعية الفلم الأمريكي لتقييم الأفلام – Arabic")
- [Azərbaycanca](https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerika_Kino_%C5%9Eirk%C9%99tl%C9%99ri_Assosiasiyas%C4%B1n%C4%B1n_film_reytinq_sistemi "Amerika Kino Şirkətləri Assosiasiyasının film reytinq sistemi – Azerbaijani")
- [Български](https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%B7%D0%B0_%D0%BE%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5_%D0%BD%D0%B0_Motion_Picture_Association "Система за оценка на филмите на Motion Picture Association – Bulgarian")
- [Català](https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistema_de_Qualificacions_de_la_Motion_Picture_Association_of_America "Sistema de Qualificacions de la Motion Picture Association of America – Catalan")
- [Čeština](https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filmov%C3%BD_rating_MPAA "Filmový rating MPAA – Czech")
- [Español](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistema_de_calificaciones_de_la_Motion_Picture_Association "Sistema de calificaciones de la Motion Picture Association – Spanish")
- [فارسی](https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85_%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%87%E2%80%8C%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%AF%DB%8C_%D9%81%DB%8C%D9%84%D9%85%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7_%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B7_%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%86_%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%B1_%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%B1%DA%A9_%D8%A2%D9%85%D8%B1%DB%8C%DA%A9%D8%A7 "سیستم درجهبندی فیلمها توسط انجمن تصاویر متحرک آمریکا – Persian")
- [Français](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9f%C3%A9rencement_cin%C3%A9matographique_de_la_Motion_Picture_Association_of_America "Référencement cinématographique de la Motion Picture Association of America – French")
- [Hausa](https://ha.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsarin_%C6%99ididdigar_fina-finai_na_Motion_Picture_Association "Tsarin ƙididdigar fina-finai na Motion Picture Association – Hausa")
- [Hrvatski](https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangiranje_filmova_po_sustavu_Ameri%C4%8Dke_filmske_asocijacije "Rangiranje filmova po sustavu Američke filmske asocijacije – Croatian")
- [Հայերեն](https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D4%B1%D5%B4%D5%A5%D6%80%D5%AB%D5%AF%D5%B5%D5%A1%D5%B6_%D5%AF%D5%AB%D5%B6%D5%B8%D5%A1%D5%BD%D5%B8%D6%81%D5%AB%D5%A1%D6%81%D5%AB%D5%A1%D5%B5%D5%AB_%D5%BE%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%AF%D5%A1%D5%B6%D5%AB%D5%B7%D5%B6%D5%A5%D6%80%D5%AB_%D5%B0%D5%A1%D5%B4%D5%A1%D5%AF%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%A3 "Ամերիկյան կինոասոցիացիայի վարկանիշների համակարգ – Armenian")
- [Bahasa Indonesia](https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistem_klasifikasi_usia_film_Motion_Picture_Association_of_America "Sistem klasifikasi usia film Motion Picture Association of America – Indonesian")
- [Italiano](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistema_di_classificazione_dei_film_della_Motion_Picture_Association "Sistema di classificazione dei film della Motion Picture Association – Italian")
- [Português](https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistema_de_classifica%C3%A7%C3%A3o_de_filmes_da_Motion_Picture_Association "Sistema de classificação de filmes da Motion Picture Association – Portuguese")
- [Русский](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B9%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B2_%D0%90%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8 "Система рейтингов Американской киноассоциации – Russian")
- [Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски](https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPAA-in_sistem_filmskih_rejtinga "MPAA-in sistem filmskih rejtinga – Serbo-Croatian")
- [සිංහල](https://si.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B6%87%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%99%E0%B6%BB%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%9A%E0%B7%8F%E0%B6%B1%E0%B7%94_%E0%B6%A0%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%AD%E0%B7%8A%E2%80%8D%E0%B6%BB%E0%B6%B4%E0%B6%A7_%E0%B7%80%E0%B6%BB%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%9C%E0%B7%93%E0%B6%9A%E0%B6%BB%E0%B6%AB%E0%B6%BA "ඇමෙරිකානු චිත්රපට වර්ගීකරණය – Sinhala")
- [Simple English](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system "Motion Picture Association film rating system – Simple English")
- [Slovenčina](https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filmov%C3%BD_rating_MPAA "Filmový rating MPAA – Slovak")
- [Shqip](https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistemi_i_vler%C3%ABsimit_t%C3%AB_filmit_t%C3%AB_Shoqat%C3%ABs_s%C3%AB_Filmit "Sistemi i vlerësimit të filmit të Shoqatës së Filmit – Albanian")
- [Српски / srpski](https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ameri%C4%8Dka_filmska_asocijacija_%E2%80%94_sistem_rangiranja_filmova "Američka filmska asocijacija — sistem rangiranja filmova – Serbian")
- [Türkçe](https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_of_America_film_reyting_sistemi "Motion Picture Association of America film reyting sistemi – Turkish")
- [Українська](https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B9%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B3%D1%96%D0%B2_%D0%90%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%8C%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%97_%D0%BA%D1%96%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%86%D1%96%D0%B0%D1%86%D1%96%D1%97 "Система рейтингів Американської кіноасоціації – Ukrainian")
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American film rating system
The **Motion Picture Association** **film rating system** is used in the United States and its territories to rate a [motion picture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_picture "Motion picture")'s suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion pictures are the responsibility of the [Motion Picture Association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association "Motion Picture Association") (MPA), previously known as the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) from 1945 to 2019. The MPA rating system is a voluntary scheme that is not enforced by law; films can be exhibited without a rating, although most theaters refuse to exhibit non-rated or [NC-17 rated films](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NC-17_rated_films "List of NC-17 rated films"). Non-members of the MPA may also submit films for rating.[\[1\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-1) Other media, such as [television programs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_programs "Television programs"), [music](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parental_Advisory "Parental Advisory") and [video games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_content_rating_system "Video game content rating system"), are rated by other entities such as the [TV Parental Guidelines](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_Parental_Guidelines "TV Parental Guidelines"), the [RIAA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recording_Industry_Association_of_America "Recording Industry Association of America") and the [ESRB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESRB "ESRB"), respectively.
In effect as of November 1968,[\[2\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-desques-2) following the [Hays Code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hays_Code "Hays Code") of the [classical Hollywood cinema](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_Hollywood_cinema "Classical Hollywood cinema") era, the MPA rating system is one of various [motion picture rating systems](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_picture_rating_system "Motion picture rating system") that are used to help parents decide what films are [appropriate for their children](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appropriate_for_children "Appropriate for children"). It is administered by the Classification & Ratings Administration (CARA), an independent division of the MPA.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-rating_rules-3)
## Ratings
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=1 "Edit section: Ratings")\]
"PG-13" and "NC-17" redirect here. For other uses of "PG-13", see [PG-13 (disambiguation)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PG-13_\(disambiguation\) "PG-13 (disambiguation)"). For the former highway in North Carolina, see [North Carolina Highway 17](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_Highway_17 "North Carolina Highway 17").
### MPA film ratings
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=2 "Edit section: MPA film ratings")\]
The MPA film ratings are as follows:[\[4\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-film_ratings-4)
| Rating block | Meaning |
|---|---|
| [](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_G_RATING_\(block\).svg "G rating symbol and block") G rating symbol and block | G – General Audiences *All ages admitted*. Nothing that would offend parents for viewing by children. |
| [](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_PG_RATING_\(block\).svg "PG rating symbol and block") PG rating symbol and block | PG – Parental Guidance Suggested *Some material may not be suitable for children*. Parents urged to give "parental guidance". May contain some material parents might not like for their young children. |
| [](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_PG-13_RATING_\(block\).svg "PG-13 rating symbol and block") PG-13 rating symbol and block | PG-13 – Parents Strongly Cautioned *Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13*. Parents are urged to be cautious. Some material may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers. |
| [](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_R_RATING_\(block\).svg "R rating symbol and block") R rating symbol and block | R – Restricted *Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian*. Contains some adult material. Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their young children with them. |
| [](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_NC-17_RATING_\(block\).svg "NC-17 rating symbol and block") NC-17 rating symbol and block | NC-17 – Adults Only *No one 17 and under admitted*. Clearly adult. Children are not admitted. |
In 2013, the MPA ratings were visually redesigned, with the rating displayed on a left panel and the name of the rating shown above it. A larger panel on the right provides a more detailed description of the film's content and an explanation of the rating level is placed on a horizontal bar at the bottom of the rating.[\[5\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-5)
### Content descriptors
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=3 "Edit section: Content descriptors")\]
Film ratings often have accompanying brief descriptions of the specifics behind the film's content and why it received a certain rating. They are displayed in trailers, posters, and on the backside of [home video](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_video "Home video") releases. Film rating content descriptors are used for films rated from PG to NC-17; they are not used for G-rated films, because the content in them is suitable for all audiences, even if it contains mildly-objectionable content.[\[6\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-6)
### Other labels
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=4 "Edit section: Other labels")\]
If a film has not been submitted for a rating or is an uncut version of a film that was submitted, the labels **Not Rated** (**NR**) or **Unrated** (**UR**) are often used. Uncut/extended versions of films that are labeled "Unrated" also contain warnings saying that the uncut version of the film contains content that differs from the theatrical release and might not be suitable for minors.
If a film has not yet been assigned a final rating, the label **This Film Is Not Yet Rated** is used in trailers and television commercials.
## Regulation of promotional materials and releases
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=5 "Edit section: Regulation of promotional materials and releases")\]
[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_greenband_intro_card_\(Toy_Story_4_greenband_trailer\).png)
A green band card for trailers that are suitable for general audiences
[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_yellowband_intro_card_\(The_Unborn_\(2009\)_yellowband_trailer\).png)
A yellow band card used for internet trailers
[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_redband_intro_card_\(Snowpiercer_redband_trailer\).png)
A red band trailer card reserved for restricted or mature audiences
The MPA also rates film trailers, print advertising, posters, and other media used to promote a film.[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-AAR-7)
### Theatrical trailers
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=6 "Edit section: Theatrical trailers")\]
"Red band" redirects here. For the rock band, see [Red (band)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_\(band\) "Red (band)"). For broader coverage of cinema trailers, see [Trailer (promotion)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trailer_\(promotion\) "Trailer (promotion)").
**Rating cards** appear at the head of trailers in the United States which indicate how closely the trailer adheres to the MPA's (and prior to November 2019, the MPAA's) standards.[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Halbfinger-8)
- **Green band**: When the trailer accompanies another rated feature, the wording on the green title card states, as of May 2013, "The following preview has been approved to accompany this feature." For trailers hosted on the Internet, the wording is tweaked to "The following preview has been approved for appropriate audiences."[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-AAR-7)
Until April 2009, these cards indicated that they had been approved for "all audiences" and often included the film's MPAA rating. This signified that the trailer adhered to the standards for motion picture advertising outlined by the MPAA, which included limitations on foul language and violent, sexual, or otherwise objectionable imagery.
In April 2009, the MPAA began to permit the green band language to say that a trailer had been approved for "appropriate" audiences, meaning that the material would be appropriate for audiences in theaters, based on the content of the film they had come to see.
In May 2013, the MPAA changed the trailer approval band from "for appropriate audiences" to "to accompany this feature", but only when accompanying a feature film; for bands not accompanying a feature film, the text of the band remained the same. The font and style of the text on the graphic bands (green and red) was also changed at the time the green band was revised in 2013.[\[9\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Dodd-9)[\[10\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Slate-10)
- **Yellow band**: A yellow title card was introduced in 2007 for trailers with restricted content hosted on the Internet, with the message "The following preview has been approved only for age-appropriate Internet users."[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Halbfinger-8) The MPAA stipulated that yellow-band trailers hosted on studio websites should only be available between 9:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. (i.e., 21:00 through 04:00 local time), and that for other websites hosting the trailers, at least 80% of its typical user base should be adults. The yellow card was reserved for trailers previewing films rated PG-13 or stronger.[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Halbfinger-8) An early example was a yellow-band trailer for [Rob Zombie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Zombie "Rob Zombie")'s *[Halloween](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween_\(2007_film\) "Halloween (2007 film)")* (2007).[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Halbfinger-8) Yellow-band trailers were not widely adopted and were apparently abandoned within a few years: in 2013, *[Variety](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_\(magazine\) "Variety (magazine)")* reported that age-restricted trailers online were released with red bands.[\[11\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Debruge-11) The 2019 edition of CARA's advertising guidelines reference only green and red bands for internet trailers.[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-AAR-7)
- **Red band**: A red title card is issued to trailers which do not adhere to the MPA/CARA guidelines.[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-AAR-7) It indicates that the trailer is approved for only "restricted" or "mature" audiences, and when it accompanies another feature, the wording states "The following restricted preview has been approved to accompany this feature only." For trailers hosted on the Internet, the wording is tweaked to "The following restricted preview has been approved for appropriate audiences."[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-AAR-7) The red title card is reserved for trailers previewing R and NC-17 rated films: these trailers may include nudity, profanity, or other material deemed inappropriate for children.[\[12\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-12) Such trailers are officially meant to be locked behind age verification systems.[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Halbfinger-8) However, these "age gates" have been described as "ineffective"[\[11\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Debruge-11) and an "[honor system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor_system "Honor system")";[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Halbfinger-8) furthermore, many [YouTube](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube "YouTube") channels which exist to syndicate film and television trailers do not feature any check, which has led to criticism from watchdog groups like [Common Sense Media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense_Media "Common Sense Media").[\[13\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-13) In 2007, red-band trailers were said to be virtually absent from theaters, due to worries that they would accidentally be shown before films released at a less-restrictive rating.[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Halbfinger-8) However, by the following year, they were noted as increasingly prevalent as the adoption of digital projection had largely alleviated these concerns.[\[14\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-14) These trailers may only be shown theatrically before R-rated, NC-17-rated, or unrated movies.[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-AAR-7): 10
### Releases
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=7 "Edit section: Releases")\]
[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_blue_feature_tag_\(Edge_of_Tomorrow_\(2014\)_feature\).png)
An example of the blue feature tag for *[Edge of Tomorrow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_of_Tomorrow "Edge of Tomorrow")*
The MPA also creates blue feature tags for theatrical and home media use. Theatrical releases show the blue tag after the film, with home media releases showing it prior to the film.[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-AAR-7) They feature the rating block and any content descriptors as assigned by the Classification and Rating Administration, the MPA logo, and links to MPA websites along the bottom.
## History
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=8 "Edit section: History")\]
### Replacement of the Hays Code
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=9 "Edit section: Replacement of the Hays Code")\]
[Jack Valenti](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Valenti "Jack Valenti"), who had become president of the [Motion Picture Association of America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association "Motion Picture Association") in May 1966, deemed the [Motion Picture Production Code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hays_Code "Hays Code"), which had been in place since 1930 and rigorously enforced since July 1, 1934, out of date and bearing "the odious smell of [censorship](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship "Censorship")". Filmmakers were pushing at the boundaries of the code with some even going as far as filing lawsuits against the "Hays Code" by invoking the [First Amendment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution "First Amendment to the United States Constitution"). Valenti cited examples such as *[Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who%27s_Afraid_of_Virginia_Woolf%3F_\(film\) "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (film)")*, which used prohibited language including "hump the hostess", and *[Blowup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowup "Blowup")*, which was denied Code approval due to nudity, resulting in [Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer"), then a member studio of the MPAA, releasing it through a subsidiary. Valenti revised the Code to include the "SMA" (Suggested for Mature Audiences) advisory as a stopgap measure. To accommodate "the irresistible force of creators determined to make 'their films'", and to avoid "the possible intrusion of government into the movie arena", he developed a set of advisory ratings which could be applied after a film was completed.
On November 1, 1968, the voluntary MPAA film rating system took effect,[\[2\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-desques-2) with three organizations serving as its monitoring and guiding groups: the MPAA, the [National Association of Theatre Owners](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Association_of_Theatre_Owners "National Association of Theatre Owners") (NATO), and the International Film Importers & Distributors of America (IFIDA).[\[15\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-valenti-15) Only films that premiered in the United States after that date were affected by this.[\[16\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Variety-16) [Walter Reade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Reade "Walter Reade") was the only one of 75 top U.S. exhibitors who refused to use the ratings.[\[16\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Variety-16) [Warner Bros.-Seven Arts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Bros.-Seven_Arts "Warner Bros.-Seven Arts")' *[The Girl on a Motorcycle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_on_a_Motorcycle "The Girl on a Motorcycle")* was the first film to receive the [X rating](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_rating "X rating"), and was distributed by their Claridge Pictures subsidiary.[\[17\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-17) Two other films were rated X by the time the MPAA published their first weekly bulletin listing ratings: [Paramount](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramount_Pictures "Paramount Pictures")'s *Sin With a Stranger* and [Universal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Pictures "Universal Pictures")'s *[Birds in Peru](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birds_in_Peru "Birds in Peru")*. Both films were subsequently released by subsidiaries.[\[18\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-18)
The ratings used from 1968 to 1970 were:[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-19)[\[20\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-20)
- **Rated G**: Suggested for general audiences.
- **Rated M**: Suggested for mature audiences – Parental discretion advised.
- **Rated R**: Restricted – Persons under 16 not admitted, unless accompanied by parent or adult guardian.
- **Rated X**: Persons under 16 not admitted.
This content classification system originally was to have three ratings, with the intention of allowing parents to take their children to any film they chose. However, the National Association of Theatre Owners urged the creation of an adults-only category, fearful of possible legal problems in local jurisdictions. The "X" rating was not an MPAA trademark and would not receive the MPAA seal; any producer not submitting a film for MPAA rating could self-apply the "X" rating (or any other symbol or description that was not an MPAA trademark).[\[15\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-valenti-15)
### From M to GP to PG
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=10 "Edit section: From M to GP to PG")\]
In 1970, the ages for "R" and "X" were raised from 16 to 17.[\[21\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Kr%C3%A4mer_\(2005\)-21) Also, due to confusion over whether "M"-rated films were suitable for children,[\[21\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Kr%C3%A4mer_\(2005\)-21) "M" was renamed to "GP" (for General audiences, Parental guidance suggested),[\[22\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-22)[\[23\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-23) and in 1971, the MPAA added the content advisory "Some material not generally suitable for pre-teenagers".[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-24) On February 11, 1972,[\[25\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-25) "GP" was revised to "PG".[\[21\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Kr%C3%A4mer_\(2005\)-21)
The ratings used from 1970 to 1972 were:
- **Rated G**: All ages admitted – General audiences.
- **Rated GP**: All ages admitted – Parental guidance suggested. \[Sometimes a disclaimer would say "This film contains material which may not be suitable for pre-teenagers."\]
- **Rated R**: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
- **Rated X**: No one under 17 admitted.
The ratings used from 1972 to 1984 were:[\[26\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-26)
- **Rated G**: General audiences – All ages admitted.
- **Rated PG**: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for \[pre-teenagers (1972–1977)\] / \[children (1977–1984)\].[\[27\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-27)
- **Rated R**: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
- **Rated X**: No one under 17 admitted.
### Addition of the PG-13 rating
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=11 "Edit section: Addition of the PG-13 rating")\]
| | |
|---|---|
|  | This section needs to be **updated**. The reason given is: **The section should mention [the rationale for the choice of PG-13 for certain films](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/movies/movie-ratings-sex-violence-drugs.html)**. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. *(November 2025)* |
In the 1980s, complaints about violence and gore in films such as *[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_Jones_and_the_Temple_of_Doom "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom")* and *[Gremlins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gremlins "Gremlins")*, both of which received PG ratings, refocused attention on films seen by younger children.[\[28\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-28) According to author Filipa Antunes, this revealed the conundrum of a film that "could not be recommended for all children but could also not be repudiated for all children uniformly," leading to speculation that the rating system's PG classification "no longer matched a notion of childhood most parents in America could agree on."[\[29\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-29) [Steven Spielberg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Spielberg "Steven Spielberg"), director of *Temple of Doom* and executive producer of *Gremlins*, suggested a new intermediate rating between "PG" and "R".[\[30\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-30) The "PG-13" rating was introduced on July 1, 1984, with the advisory "Parents Are Strongly Cautioned to Give Special Guidance for Attendance of Children Under 13 – Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Young Children". The first film to be released with this rating was the [John Milius](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Milius "John Milius") war film *[Red Dawn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dawn "Red Dawn")*.[\[31\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-thr01-31) In 1985, the wording was simplified to "Parents Strongly Cautioned – Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13".[\[32\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-32) Around the same time, the MPAA won a [trademark](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademark "Trademark") infringement lawsuit against the producers and distributors of *[I Spit on Your Grave](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Spit_on_Your_Grave "I Spit on Your Grave")* over a fraudulent application of its R rating to the uncut version of the film,[\[33\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-33) and forced its member studios and several other home video distributors to put MPAA ratings on the packaging of MPAA-rated films via a settlement that would come into effect by fall that year.[\[34\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-34)
The ratings used from 1984 to 1990 were:
- **Rated G**: General audiences – All ages admitted.
- **Rated PG**: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for children.
- **Rated PG-13**: Parents strongly cautioned – Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
- **Rated R**: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
- **Rated X**: No one under 17 admitted.
### Tennessee law
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=12 "Edit section: Tennessee law")\]
In 1989, [Tennessee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee "Tennessee") state law set the minimum age to view a theatrically exhibited R-rated film without adult accompaniment at 18, instead of 17, and categorized the admission of minors to X-rated films as a [misdemeanor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misdemeanor "Misdemeanor"). The statute remained in force until 2013, when it was ruled to be in violation of the [First Amendment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment "First Amendment"). The law was amended in 2013 as to prohibit persons under the age of 18 only if the film was considered "harmful to minors".[\[35\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-35)[\[36\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-36)
### X replaced by NC-17
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=13 "Edit section: X replaced by NC-17")\]
[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPAA_X_RATING_\(block\).svg)
"X"-rating as it appeared in theatrical posters prior to being retired and replaced by NC-17
In the rating system's early years, "X"-rated films such as *[Midnight Cowboy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_Cowboy "Midnight Cowboy")* (1969) and *[A Clockwork Orange](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Clockwork_Orange_\(film\) "A Clockwork Orange (film)")* (1971) were understood to be unsuitable for children, but non-pornographic and intended for the general public. However, pornographic films often self-applied the non-trademarked "X" rating, and it soon became synonymous with [pornography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornography "Pornography") in American culture.[\[37\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-37) In late 1989 and early 1990, respectively, *[Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry:_Portrait_of_a_Serial_Killer "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer")* and *[The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cook,_the_Thief,_His_Wife_%26_Her_Lover "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover")*, two critically acclaimed [art films](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_films "Art films") featuring strong adult content, were released. Neither film was approved for an MPAA rating, limiting their commercial distribution and prompting criticism of the rating system's lack of a designation for such films.[\[38\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-38)[\[39\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-39)
In September 1990, the MPAA introduced the rating NC-17 ("No Children Under 17 Admitted").[\[40\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-articles.latimes.com-40) *[Henry & June](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_%26_June "Henry & June")*, previously to be assigned an X rating, was the first film to receive the NC-17 rating instead.[\[40\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-articles.latimes.com-40)[\[41\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-41) Although films with an NC-17 rating had more mainstream distribution opportunities than X-rated films, many theaters refused to screen them, most entertainment media did not accept advertising for them, and many large video outlets refused to stock them.[\[42\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Weinraub-42) Additionally, the MPAA started to include explanations, or "descriptors", of why each film received an "R" rating, allowing parents to know what type of content the film contained. For example, the descriptor for *[The Girl Who Played with Fire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_Who_Played_with_Fire_\(film\) "The Girl Who Played with Fire (film)")* read "Rated \[R\] for brutal violence including a rape, some strong sexual content, nudity and language."[\[43\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-43)[\[44\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-44)
The ratings used from 1990 to 1996 were:
- **Rated G**: General audiences – All ages admitted.
- **Rated PG**: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for children.
- **Rated PG-13**: Parents strongly cautioned – Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
- **Rated R**: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
- **Rated NC-17**: No children under 17 admitted.
In 1996,[\[45\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-45) the minimum age for NC-17-rated films was raised to 18,[\[46\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-46)[\[47\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-47)[\[48\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-48) by rewording it to "No One 17 and Under Admitted".[\[49\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-49) The ratings used since 1996 are:[\[4\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-film_ratings-4)
- **Rated G**: General audiences – All ages admitted.
- **Rated PG**: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for children.
- **Rated PG-13**: Parents strongly cautioned – Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
- **Rated R**: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
- **Rated NC-17**: Adults only – No one 17 and under admitted.
By the early 2000s, the MPAA also began applying rating explanations for PG, PG-13, and NC-17-rated films.[\[50\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-ratingmpaa-50)[\[51\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-51)
## Rating components
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=14 "Edit section: Rating components")\]
### Violence
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=15 "Edit section: Violence")\]
Depictions of violence are permitted under all ratings but must be moderated for the lower ones. Violence must be kept to a minimum in G-rated films and must not be intense in PG-rated films. Depictions of intense violence are permitted under the PG-13 rating, but violence that is both realistic and extreme or persistent will generally require at least an R rating.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-rating_rules-3)
### Language
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=16 "Edit section: Language")\]
Snippets of language that go "beyond polite conversation" are permitted in G-rated films, but no stronger words are present. Mild [profanity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profanity "Profanity") may be present in PG rated films. The use of the word "*[fuck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuck "Fuck")*", described in the board's guidelines as "one of the harsher sexually-derived words", will initially incur at least a PG-13 rating.[\[52\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Jacobs-52)[\[53\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-53) More than one occurrence will usually incur an R rating as will the usage of such an expletive in a sexual context.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-rating_rules-3) Known as the "automatic language rule",[\[54\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Vaughan-54) it is widely known among filmmakers, and significant attention can be devoted to determining the most effective use of the word in a film intended to receive a PG-13 rating.[\[52\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Jacobs-52) The board's guidelines allow exceptions to this rule if two-thirds of the members agree "that most American parents would believe that a PG-13 rating is appropriate because of the context of the manner in which the words are used or because the use of these words in the motion picture is inconspicuous".[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-rating_rules-3)[\[52\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Jacobs-52) The automatic language rule is arguably the rule that can most often be successfully appealed.[\[54\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Vaughan-54) For example, *[All the President's Men](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_the_President%27s_Men_\(film\) "All the President's Men (film)")* (1976), produced before the PG-13 rating's introduction, received a PG rating after appealing it from an R, despite multiple instances of strong language, likely because of its historic subject matter.[\[54\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Vaughan-54)[\[52\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Jacobs-52)
Films rated PG-13 with multiple occurrences of the word *fuck* include *[Adventures in Babysitting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventures_in_Babysitting "Adventures in Babysitting"),* where the word is used twice in the same scene;[\[55\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-55) *[Antwone Fisher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antwone_Fisher_\(film\) "Antwone Fisher (film)")* which has three uses;[\[56\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-56) *[Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor_Swift:_The_Eras_Tour "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour")*, which has four uses (six in the "Taylor's Version" cut), all in song lyrics;[\[52\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Jacobs-52)[\[57\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-57) *The Hip Hop Project*, which has seventeen uses;[\[58\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-58) and *[Gunner Palace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunner_Palace "Gunner Palace")*, a documentary of soldiers in the [Iraq War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War "Iraq War"), which has 42 uses of the word with two used sexually.[\[59\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-59) Both *[Bully](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bully_\(2011_film\) "Bully (2011 film)")*, a 2011 documentary about bullying, and *[Philomena](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philomena_\(film\) "Philomena (film)")*—which has two instances of the word—released in 2013, were originally given R ratings on grounds of the language but the ratings were dropped to PG-13 after successful appeals (albeit *Bully* needed some cuts).[\[60\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-60)[\[61\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-61) *[The King's Speech](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King%27s_Speech "The King's Speech")*, however, was given an R rating for one scene using the word *fuck* several times in a speech therapy context; the MPAA refused to re-certify the film on appeal, despite the [British Board of Film Classification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Board_of_Film_Classification "British Board of Film Classification") reducing the British rating from a 15 rating to a 12A on the grounds that the uses of the expletive were not directed at anyone.[\[62\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-62)
This was satirized in the 2005 film *[Be Cool](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be_Cool "Be Cool")*, in which the film producer Chili Palmer ([John Travolta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Travolta "John Travolta")) says: "Do you know that unless you're willing to use the R rating, you can only say the 'F' word once? You know what I say? Fuck that. I'm done."[\[63\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-dog-63) Often film producers will use the word for a scene of gravitas or humor and then bleep out any further instances with sound effects.[\[63\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-dog-63)
Some forms of media are cut post-release so as to obtain a PG-13 rating for [home media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_video "Home video") release or to feature on an Internet streaming service that will not carry films rated higher than PG-13. In 2020, [a recording](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_\(2020_film\) "Hamilton (2020 film)") of *[Hamilton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_\(musical\) "Hamilton (musical)")* was released on [Disney+](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney%2B "Disney+") after cuts by [Lin-Manuel Miranda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lin-Manuel_Miranda "Lin-Manuel Miranda") to remove two of the three instances of *fuck* in the musical to qualify it as PG-13 under MPAA guidelines.[\[64\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-ham-64)
A study of popular American teen-oriented films rated PG and PG-13 from 1980 to 2006 found that in those films, teenaged characters use more and stronger profanity than adult ones in the same movies.[\[65\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-:0-65) However, the study found that the overall amount of such language had declined somewhat since the 1980s.[\[65\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-:0-65)
### Substances
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=17 "Edit section: Substances")\]
See also: [Product placement § Tobacco](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_placement#Tobacco "Product placement")
Drug use content is restricted to PG-13 and above.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-rating_rules-3) An example of an otherwise PG film being assigned a PG-13 rating for a drug reference (momentary, along with brief language) is *[Whale Rider](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_Rider "Whale Rider")*. The film contained only mild profanity, but was rated PG-13 because of a scene where [drug paraphernalia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_paraphernalia "Drug paraphernalia") were briefly visible. Critic [Roger Ebert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ebert "Roger Ebert") criticized the MPAA for the rating and called it "a wild overreaction".[\[66\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-66)
In May 2007, the MPAA announced that depictions of cigarette smoking would be considered in a film's rating.[\[67\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-67)[\[68\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-68) Anti-smoking advocates stated that the child-friendly PG rating was inappropriate for the 2011 [Nickelodeon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickelodeon_Movies "Nickelodeon Movies")\-animated film *[Rango](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rango_\(2011_film\) "Rango (2011 film)")*, which included over 60 depictions of characters smoking.[\[69\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-69)
### Nudity
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=18 "Edit section: Nudity")\]
[Nudity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudity "Nudity") is restricted to PG and above, and anything that constitutes more than brief nudity will require at least a PG-13 rating. Nudity that is sexually oriented will generally require an R rating.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-rating_rules-3) Since 2006, films have been flagged by the MPAA for carrying nudity. In 2010, the MPAA flagged three films specifically for "[male nudity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Male_nudity "Male nudity")", precipitated by parental pressure in response to *[Brüno](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Br%C3%BCno "Brüno")*.[\[70\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-70) In 2018, MPAA Ratings Chair Joan Graves clarified the MPA's position by stating that "we don't usually define \[nudity\] as male or female ... usually, we just mention partial nudity, \[or\] graphic nudity."[\[71\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-71)
### Sex
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=19 "Edit section: Sex")\]
The MPAA does not have any explicit criteria for sexual content other than excluding sex scenes from G-rated films.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-rating_rules-3)
## Effects of ratings
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=20 "Edit section: Effects of ratings")\]
### *The Exorcist*
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=21 "Edit section: The Exorcist")\]
Main article: [The Exorcist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exorcist "The Exorcist")
Prior to the release of *[The Exorcist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exorcist "The Exorcist")* at the end of 1973, CARA president Aaron Stern took the unusual step of calling director [William Friedkin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Friedkin "William Friedkin") to tell him that since it was an "important film", it would be rated R and could be released without any cuts.[\[72\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Shock_Value-72) The film drew huge crowds upon its release, many of whom were horrified by the film; some vomited and/or fainted,[\[73\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Klemesrud_NYT_article-73) and a psychiatric journal would later document four cases of "cinematic [neurosis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurosis "Neurosis")" induced by the film.[\[74\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-74)
Among those patrons were many children, not always accompanied by adults. This left many commentators incredulous that the ratings board would have found that a film with disturbing scenes such as a possessed 12-year-old girl masturbating with a [crucifix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crucifix "Crucifix") was acceptable for children to see. Roy Meacham, a Washington, D.C., critic who had praised the film while admonishing parents not to take their children to it, recalled those children he did see leaving showings "drained and drawn afterward; their eyes had a look I had never seen before." Authorities in Washington invoked a municipal ordinance that would have prevented *any* minors from seeing the film, threatening theater owners with arrest if they did.[\[75\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Meacham_NYT_piece-75)
Meacham insinuated that the board had succumbed to pressure from Warner Brothers, which had spent \$10 million, more than twice its original budget, making the film; an X rating would have seriously limited *The Exorcist*'s commercial prospects. *[New Yorker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Yorker "The New Yorker")* critic [Pauline Kael](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_Kael "Pauline Kael") echoed his criticism. "If *The Exorcist* had cost under a million or been made abroad," she wrote, "it would almost certainly be an X film. But when a movie is as expensive as this one, the \[board\] doesn't dare give it an X."[\[72\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Shock_Value-72)
In 1974, [Richard Heffner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Heffner "Richard Heffner") took over as president of the board. During his interview process, he had asked to screen recent films that had sparked ratings controversies, including *The Exorcist*. "How could anything be worse than this?" he recalled thinking later. "And it got an R?" After he took over as head, he would spearhead efforts to be more aggressive with the X rating, especially over violence in films. In 1976, he got the board to give the Japanese [martial arts film](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_arts_film "Martial arts film") *[The Street Fighter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Street_Fighter "The Street Fighter")* an X rating for its [graphic violence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_violence "Graphic violence"), the first time a film had earned that rating purely for violence.[\[72\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Shock_Value-72)
### Commercial viability of the NC-17 rating
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=22 "Edit section: Commercial viability of the NC-17 rating")\]
The NC-17 rating has been described as a "kiss of death" for any film that receives it.[\[76\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-76) Like the X rating it replaced, NC-17 limits a film's prospects of being marketed, screened in theaters and sold in major video outlets.[\[42\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Weinraub-42) In 1995, [MGM/UA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM/United_Artists "MGM/United Artists") released the big-budget film *[Showgirls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Showgirls "Showgirls")*; it became the most widely distributed film with an NC-17 rating (showing in 1,388 cinemas simultaneously), but it was a box office failure that grossed only 45% of its \$45 million budget.[\[77\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-77) Some modest successes can be found among NC-17 theatrical releases, however; [Fox Searchlight Pictures](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Searchlight_Pictures "Fox Searchlight Pictures") released the original NC-17-rated American edition of the European film *[The Dreamers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dreamers_\(2003_film\) "The Dreamers (2003 film)")* (2003) in theaters in the United States, and later released both the original NC-17 and the cut R-rated version on DVD. A Fox Searchlight [spokesman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spokesman "Spokesman") said the NC-17 rating did not give them much trouble in releasing this film (they had no problem booking it, and only the [Salt Lake City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Lake_City "Salt Lake City") newspaper *[Deseret News](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deseret_News "Deseret News")* refused to take the film's ad), and Fox Searchlight was satisfied with this film's United States box office result.[\[78\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-lahiding-78) Another notable exception is *[Bad Education](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Education_\(2004_film\) "Bad Education (2004 film)")* (2004), an NC-17 foreign-language film that grossed \$5.2 million in the United States theatrically[\[79\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-79) (a moderate success for a foreign-language film[\[80\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-80)).
In 2000, the [Directors Guild of America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directors_Guild_of_America "Directors Guild of America") called the NC-17 rating an "abject failure", for causing filmmakers to re-edit films to receive an R rating, rather than accept an NC-17 rating. They argued that this was "not only compromising filmmakers' visions, but also greatly increasing the likelihood that adult-oriented movies are seen by the very groups for which they are not intended."[\[81\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-81) As of March 2007, according to *[Variety](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_\(magazine\) "Variety (magazine)")*, MPAA chairman Dan Glickman had been made aware of the attempts to introduce a new rating, or find ways to reduce the stigma of the NC-17 rating. Film studios have pressured the MPAA to retire the NC-17 rating, because of its likely impact on their film's box office revenue.[\[82\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-82)[\[83\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-83)
In 2010, the MPAA controversially decided to give the film *[Blue Valentine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Valentine_\(film\) "Blue Valentine (film)")* an NC-17 rating. [The Weinstein Company](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Weinstein_Company "The Weinstein Company") challenged this decision, and the MPAA ended up awarding the same cut an R rating on appeal. Actor [Ryan Gosling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Gosling "Ryan Gosling"), who stars in the film, noted that NC-17 films are not allowed wide advertisement and that, given the refusal of major cinema chains like [AMC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_Cinemas "AMC Cinemas") and [Regal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regal_Entertainment_Group "Regal Entertainment Group") to show NC-17 rated movies, many such films will never be accessible to people who live in markets that do not have art house theatres.[\[84\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-84)
Legal scholar [Julie Hilden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Hilden "Julie Hilden") wrote that the MPAA has a "masterpiece exception" that it has made for films that would ordinarily earn an NC-17 rating, if not for the broader artistic masterpiece that requires the violence depicted as a part of its message. She cites *[Saving Private Ryan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saving_Private_Ryan "Saving Private Ryan")*, with its bloody depiction of the [D-Day landings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normandy_landings "Normandy landings"), as an example. This exception is troubling, Hilden argues, because it ignores context and perspective in evaluating other films and favors conventional films over edgier films that contribute newer and more interesting points to public discourse about violence.[\[85\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-85)
In 2022, the [Netflix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netflix "Netflix") film *[Blonde](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blonde_\(2022_film\) "Blonde (2022 film)")* received an NC-17 rating, becoming the first film produced for a streaming service to earn the rating. As a result of primarily being released through a streaming service (outside of a limited theatrical release to qualify for awards), the film did not receive the same amount of commercial stigma that a film produced for a regular theatrical release would have otherwise received. In a piece for *[GQ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GQ "GQ")*, Keith Phipps argues that as a result, *Blonde* could usher in a new era of films and filmmakers that will "push beyond the restrictions of the R rating", writing, "In theory, the NC-17 rating could thrive on services like Netflix, [Hulu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulu "Hulu"), and [HBO Max](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HBO_Max "HBO Max") and *Blonde* could be a sign of things to come, possibly serving as a cue for other filmmakers to push beyond the restrictions of the R rating."[\[86\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-86)
### Issuance of "R Cards"
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=23 "Edit section: Issuance of \"R Cards\"")\]
Starting in 2004, GKC Theatres (since absorbed into [AMC Theatres](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_Theatres "AMC Theatres")) introduced "R Cards", which parents could obtain for their children under 17 to see R-rated films without adult accompaniment. The cards generated much controversy; MPAA president Jack Valenti said in a news article: "I think it distorts and ruptures the intent of this voluntary film ratings system. All R-rated films are not alike."[\[87\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-87) John Fithian, the president of the National Association of Theatre Owners, also said that the cards can be harmful. He noted in a news article for the *[Christian Science Monitor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Science_Monitor "Christian Science Monitor")* that the R rating is "broad enough to include relatively family-friendly fare such as *[Billy Elliot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Elliot "Billy Elliot")* and *[Erin Brockovich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_Brockovich_\(film\) "Erin Brockovich (film)")* (which were both rated R for language) along with films that push the extremes of violence, including *[Pulp Fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulp_Fiction_\(film\) "Pulp Fiction (film)")* and *[Kill Bill](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_Bill "Kill Bill")*".[\[88\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-88)
## Criticisms
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=24 "Edit section: Criticisms")\]
### Emphasis on sex and language versus violence
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=25 "Edit section: Emphasis on sex and language versus violence")\]
The film rating system has had a number of high-profile critics. Film critic [Roger Ebert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ebert "Roger Ebert") called for replacing the NC-17 rating with separate ratings for pornographic and non-pornographic adult film.[\[89\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-89) Ebert argued that the system places too much emphasis on sex, while allowing the portrayal of massive amounts of gruesome violence. The uneven emphasis on sex versus violence is echoed by other critics, including [David Ansen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ansen "David Ansen"), as well as many filmmakers. Moreover, Ebert argued that the rating system is geared toward looking at trivial aspects of the film (such as the number of times a profane word is used) rather than at the general theme of the film (for example, if the film realistically depicts the consequences of sex and violence). He called for an A (adults only) rating, to indicate films high in violence or mature content that should not be marketed to teenagers, but do not have NC-17 levels of sex. He also called for the NC-17 rating to be removed and to have the X rating revived. He felt that everyone understood what X-rated means, while fewer people understood what NC-17 meant.[\[90\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-90)[\[91\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-91)[\[92\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-92)
MPAA chairman [Dan Glickman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Glickman "Dan Glickman") has disputed these claims, stating that far more films are initially rated NC-17 for violence than for sex, but that these are later edited by studios to receive an R rating.[\[93\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-93)
Despite this, an internal critic of the early workings of the ratings system is film critic and writer Stephen Farber, who was a CARA intern for six months during 1969 and 1970. In *The Movie Ratings Game*,[\[94\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Farber1972-94) he documents a prejudice against sex in relation to violence. The 2006 documentary *[This Film Is Not Yet Rated](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Film_Is_Not_Yet_Rated "This Film Is Not Yet Rated")* also points out that four times as many films received an NC-17 rating for sex as they did for violence according to the MPAA's own website, further mentioning a bias against homosexual content compared to heterosexual content, particularly with regards to sex scenes. Filmmaker [Darren Stein](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darren_Stein "Darren Stein") further insists that his tame teen comedy *[G.B.F.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.B.F._\(film\) "G.B.F. (film)")*, which features multiple same-sex kisses but no intercourse, strong language, violence, or nudity, was "rated R for being gay."[\[95\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-95)
The 2011 documentary *[Bully](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bully_\(2011_film\) "Bully (2011 film)")* received an R rating for the profanity contained within the film, which prevented most of the intended audience, [middle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_school "Middle school") and [high schoolers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_school_\(North_America\) "High school (North America)"), from seeing the film. The film's director, Lee Hirsch, has refused to recut the film, stating, "I feel a responsibility as a filmmaker, as the person entrusted to tell (these kids') stories, to not water them down." A petition collected more than 200,000 signatures to change the film's rating[\[96\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-96) and a version with less profanity was finally given a PG-13 rating. However, the 1995 teen drama *[Kids](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kids_\(film\) "Kids (film)")*, which director [Larry Clark](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Clark "Larry Clark") wanted rated R so parents could take their kids to it for educational purposes, still received an NC-17 rating due to its content of teen sex, and the MPAA turned down Clark's appeal.[\[97\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-x786-97) The film was then released unrated by [Miramax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miramax "Miramax")[\[98\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-y138-98) (under Shining Excalibur Films because Miramax, formerly owned by [Disney](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walt_Disney_Company "The Walt Disney Company"), hesitated to release it as an NC-17 film).[\[99\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Evans-99)
### Inconsistent standards for independent studios
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=26 "Edit section: Inconsistent standards for independent studios")\]
Many critics of the MPA rating system, especially [independent](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_film "Independent film") distributors, have charged that major studios' releases often receive more lenient treatment than independent films.
The independent film *[Saints and Soldiers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saints_and_Soldiers "Saints and Soldiers")*, which contains no nudity, almost no sex (although there is a scene in which a German soldier is about to rape a French woman), very little profanity, and a minimum of violence, was said to have been rated R for a single clip where a main character is shot and killed, and required modification of just that one scene to receive a PG-13 rating.[\[100\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-100)[\[101\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-101) Eric Watson, producer of the independently distributed *[Requiem for a Dream](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem_for_a_Dream "Requiem for a Dream")* (initially rated NC-17 before having its rating surrendered and released unrated) complained that the studios are paying the budget of the MPAA, which gives the studios leverage over the MPAA's decisions.[\[102\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Atschison-102)
The comedy *[Scary Movie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scary_Movie "Scary Movie")*, released by [Dimension Films](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimension_Films "Dimension Films"), at the time a division of [The Walt Disney Company](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walt_Disney_Company "The Walt Disney Company"), contained "strong crude sexual humor, language, drug use and violence," including images of [ejaculation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ejaculation "Ejaculation"), [fellatio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fellatio "Fellatio") and an [erect penis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erection "Erection"), but was rated R, to the surprise of many reviewers and audiences; by comparison, the comparatively tame porn spoof *[Orgazmo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orgazmo "Orgazmo")*, an independent release by *[South Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Park "South Park")* creators [Matt Stone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Stone "Matt Stone") and [Trey Parker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trey_Parker "Trey Parker") and distributed by [October Films](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_Films "October Films") (since absorbed into [Focus Features](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_Features "Focus Features")), contained "explicit sexual content and dialogue" and received an NC-17 (the only on-screen penis seen in the film is a [dildo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dildo "Dildo")). Parker and Stone did not have the time and money to edit the film, so it retained its NC-17 rating, the duo later stated that the MPAA refused to note specific scenes to remove and theorized that the organization cared less because it was an independent release which would bring it significantly less money.[\[103\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Playboy-103) In contrast, Parker and Stone's following feature film, *[South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Park:_Bigger,_Longer_%26_Uncut "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut")*, was distributed by a major studio ([Paramount Pictures](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramount_Pictures "Paramount Pictures")) and, after multiple submissions and notes from the MPAA, received an R rating.[\[102\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Atschison-102)
### Inconsistent standards between G and PG
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=27 "Edit section: Inconsistent standards between G and PG")\]
[Disney](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_Animation_Studios "Walt Disney Animation Studios")'s 1996 film *[The Hunchback of Notre Dame](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame_\(1996_film\) "The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)")* has been criticized for its depiction of [lust](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lust "Lust"), [antiziganism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiziganism "Antiziganism"), and [genocide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocide "Genocide"), despite being rated G. Twenty-five years after its release, one of the screenwriters for the film, [Tab Murphy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tab_Murphy "Tab Murphy"), talked about its rating in an interview with *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*, saying, "That's the most R-rated G you will ever see in your life."[\[104\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-104) [Pixar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixar "Pixar")'s 2011 film *[Cars 2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cars_2 "Cars 2")* has been criticized similarly for featuring on-screen gun violence and a torture scene, despite being rated G.[\[105\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-105) Former vice president, [Joan Graves](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Graves "Joan Graves"), claimed in an interview with *[The Hollywood Reporter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hollywood_Reporter "The Hollywood Reporter")* that she regretted rating the film as G and that parents actually care more about ratings at the lower level. She says: “We had a divided vote on Cars 2 but the G’s won. I had misgivings because as they’re going around the track, there’s a lot of ‘kill em’, kill em,’ but I thought, ‘OK, well, it’s animated’ and I talked myself down the cliff. The parents did not. They felt very very misled. It was our fault.”[\[106\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-THR-106) In contrast, critics of the system have accused the ratings board of giving PG ratings to family-friendly films such as *[Frozen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_\(2013_film\) "Frozen (2013 film)")* and *[Finding Dory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finding_Dory "Finding Dory")*, despite seemingly having no justification.[\[107\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-107)[\[108\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-108)
### Call for publicizing the standards
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=28 "Edit section: Call for publicizing the standards")\]
Many critics of the system, both conservative and liberal, would like to see the MPAA ratings unveiled and the standards made public. The MPAA has consistently cited nationwide scientific polls (conducted each year by the Opinion Research Corporation of [Princeton, New Jersey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princeton,_New_Jersey "Princeton, New Jersey")), which show that parents find the ratings useful. Critics such as Matt Stone in Kirby Dick's documentary *[This Film Is Not Yet Rated](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Film_Is_Not_Yet_Rated "This Film Is Not Yet Rated")* respond this proves only that parents find the ratings more useful than nothing at all.[\[109\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-This_Film_is_not_Yet_Rated-109) In the film, it is also discussed how the MPAA will not reveal any information about how or why certain decisions are made, and that the association will not even reveal to the filmmaker the specific scenes that need to be cut in order to get an alternative rating.
### Accusation of "ratings creep"
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=29 "Edit section: Accusation of \"ratings creep\"")\]
Although there has always been concern about the content of films,[\[110\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-110) the MPAA has been accused of a "ratings creep", whereby the films that fell into specific ratings categories in 2010 contained more objectionable material than those that appeared in the same categories two decades earlier.[\[111\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-111) A study put forward by the [Harvard School of Public Health](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_School_of_Public_Health "Harvard School of Public Health") in 2004 concluded that there had been a significant increase in the level of profanity, sex and violence in films released between 1992 and 2003.[\[112\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-pmid15520625-112) Kimberly Thompson, director of the study, stated: "The findings demonstrate that ratings creep has occurred over the last decade and that today's movies contain significantly more violence, sex, and profanity on average than movies of the same rating a decade ago."[\[112\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-pmid15520625-112)
### Questions of relevance
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=30 "Edit section: Questions of relevance")\]
In 2010 *[Slashfilm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slashfilm "Slashfilm")* managing editor David Chen wrote on the website: "It's time for more people to condemn the MPAA and their outrageous antics. We're heading towards an age when we don't need a mommy-like organization to dictate what our delicate sensibilities can and can't be exposed to. I deeply hope that the MPAA's irrelevance is imminent."[\[113\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Chen2010-113)
*[Chicago Tribune](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Tribune "Chicago Tribune")* film critic Michael Phillips wrote in 2010 that the MPAA ratings board "has become foolish and irrelevant, and its members do not have my interests at heart, or yours. They're too easy on violence yet bizarrely reactionary when it comes to nudity and language."[\[114\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-114)
### Trademark infringement
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=31 "Edit section: Trademark infringement")\]
In 2005, the MPAA sent cease-and-desist letters to some writers of [fan fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_fiction "Fan fiction") regarding their usage of the film ratings;[\[115\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-115) many related websites now use alternate ratings systems designed as parallels to those of the MPAA.[\[116\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-116) In 2025, the MPAA sent a cease-and-desist letter to [Meta Platforms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta_Platforms "Meta Platforms") after it announced that [Instagram](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram "Instagram") content for teenagers would be "guided by PG-13 ratings".[\[117\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-117)[\[118\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-118)[\[119\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-119)
## See also
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=32 "Edit section: See also")\]
- [United States portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:United_States "Portal:United States")
- [Film portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Film "Portal:Film")
- [List of highest-grossing R-rated films](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_R-rated_films "List of highest-grossing R-rated films")
- [List of NC-17 rated films](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NC-17_rated_films "List of NC-17 rated films")
- [Common Sense Media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense_Media "Common Sense Media")
- [Entertainment Software Rating Board](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_Software_Rating_Board "Entertainment Software Rating Board")
- [Film Advisory Board](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_Advisory_Board "Film Advisory Board")
- [Film and Publication Board](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_and_Publication_Board "Film and Publication Board")
- [Green Sheet (filmmaking)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Sheet_\(filmmaking\) "Green Sheet (filmmaking)")
- *[Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Burstyn,_Inc._v._Wilson "Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson")* (1952)
- [Parental Advisory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parental_Advisory "Parental Advisory")
- [Pink permits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_permits "Pink permits")
- [TV Parental Guidelines](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_Parental_Guidelines "TV Parental Guidelines")
- [United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Conference_of_Catholic_Bishops%27_Office_for_Film_and_Broadcasting "United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting")
- [Film censorship in the United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_censorship_in_the_United_States "Film censorship in the United States")
## References
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=33 "Edit section: References")\]
1. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-1)**
Rialto Cinemas (2012). ["Frequently Asked Questions"](https://web.archive.org/web/20220705194752/https://www.rialtocinemas.com/index.php?location=sebastopol&page=faq). *Rialto Cinemas*. Rialto Cinemas™. Archived from [the original](https://www.rialtocinemas.com/index.php?location=sebastopol&page=faq) on July 5, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
2. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-desques_2-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-desques_2-1)
["Questionable ratings to gain patronge"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-2Y1AAAAIBAJ&pg=5106%2C7197294). *Deseret News*. Salt Lake City, Utah. (The Moviegoer). October 31, 1968. p. 10A.
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Bowles, Scott (April 16, 2013). ["Film-rating descriptors to add detail"](https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/04/16/cinemacon-ratings-mpaa-nato-dodd/2088439/). *[USA Today](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Today "USA Today")*. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
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["History"](https://www.filmratings.com/History).
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Halbfinger, David M. (June 13, 2007). ["Attention, Web Surfers: The Following Film Trailer May Be Racy or Graphic"](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/13/movies/13yell.html). *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*. p. E1. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
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Dodd, Chris (April 18, 2013). ["Check the Box to Decide if a Film Is Right for Your Family"](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/check-the-box-to-decide-i_b_3110024). *[Huffington Post](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huffington_Post "Huffington Post")*. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
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Wickman, Forrest (June 11, 2013). ["Have You Noticed Trailers Looking Different?"](https://slate.com/culture/2013/06/trailer-tags-sport-new-font-and-other-design-changes-heres-why-red-band-and-green-band-movie-previews-look-different.html). *[Slate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slate_\(magazine\) "Slate (magazine)")*. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
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Debruge, Peter (May 2, 2013). ["Trailers Jump on the Age-Restricted Red-Band Wagon"](https://variety.com/2013/film/features/red-band-trailers-1200391717/). *[Variety](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_\(magazine\) "Variety (magazine)")*. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
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Barnes, Brooks (February 23, 2010). ["Cat-and-Mouse for a Trashy Trailer"](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/movies/24kick.html). *The New York Times*. Retrieved February 24, 2010.
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["What are red-band trailers on YouTube?"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190121083207/https://www.commonsensemedia.org/youtube/what-are-red-band-trailers-on-youtube). [Common Sense Media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense_Media "Common Sense Media"). Archived from [the original](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/youtube/what-are-red-band-trailers-on-youtube) on January 21, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
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McClintock, Pamela (May 28, 2008). ["Regal greenlights red band trailers"](https://variety.com/2008/more/news/regal-greenlights-red-band-trailers-1117983114/). *[Variety](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_\(magazine\) "Variety (magazine)")*. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
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vbcsc03l@vax.csun.edu (snopes) (May 25, 1993). ["Re: The MPAA"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170818092954/http://www.skepticfiles.org/en001/mpaarate.htm). *The Skeptic Tank*. Archived from [the original](https://www.skepticfiles.org/en001/mpaarate.htm) on August 18, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
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"'X' Marks Spot For Only 1 of 1st MPAA Group: W7 'Girl'". *[Daily Variety](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_\(magazine\) "Variety (magazine)")*. October 22, 1968. p. 1.
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Murphy, A.D. (November 20, 1968). "Coding Old Pix New Wrinkle". *[Daily Variety](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_\(magazine\) "Variety (magazine)")*. p. 1.
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Kennedy, Matthew (2014). *Roadshow!: The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s*. [OUP USA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_University_Press#North_America "Oxford University Press"). p. [183](https://books.google.com/books?id=9Xj1AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA183). [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)")
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Kroon, Richard W. (2014). *A/V A to Z: An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Media, Entertainment and Other Audiovisual Terms*. [McFarland & Company](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McFarland_%26_Company "McFarland & Company"). p. [316](https://books.google.com/books?id=HjmNAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA316). [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)")
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Friedman, Jane M. (1973). "The Motion Picture Rating System of 1968: A Constitutional Analysis of Self-Regulation by the Film Industry". *[Columbia Law Review](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Law_Review "Columbia Law Review")*. **73** (2): 185–240\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_\(identifier\) "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.2307/1121227](https://doi.org/10.2307%2F1121227). [JSTOR](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSTOR_\(identifier\) "JSTOR (identifier)") [1121227](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1121227).
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Austin, Bruce A. (September 1980). "The Influence of the MPAA's Film-Rating System on Motion Picture Attendance: A Pilot Study". *The Journal of Psychology*. **106** (1): 91–99\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_\(identifier\) "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1080/00223980.1980.9915174](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F00223980.1980.9915174). [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_\(identifier\) "ISSN (identifier)") [0022-3980](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0022-3980). [S2CID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2CID_\(identifier\) "S2CID (identifier)") [144395298](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:144395298).
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"Brief Reviews: MPAA Rating Guide". *[New York](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_\(magazine\) "New York (magazine)")*: [64](https://books.google.com/books?id=HOYCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA64). February 2, 1981.
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"Wording Changed in Classification of PG Movies". *[The Los Angeles Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Los_Angeles_Times "The Los Angeles Times")*. July 30, 1977. p. 34.
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Richard Zoglin; Meg Grant/Los Angeles; Timothy Loughran/New York (June 25, 1984). ["Show Business: Gremlins in the Rating System"](https://web.archive.org/web/20101029133825/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,926639,00.html). *Time*. Time Inc. Archived from [the original](https://time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,926639,00.html) on October 29, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
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Roger Ebert (January 1, 1999). ["The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (No MPAA Rating)"](https://www.rogerebert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990101/REVIEWS/901010301/1023). *RogerEbert.com*. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
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Ebert, Roger (September 14, 1990). ["Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (Unrated)"](https://www.rogerebert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19900914/REVIEWS/9140301/1023). *RogerEbert.com*. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
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Jack Mathews (August 27, 1990). ["Henry Miller Meets the MPAA : Movies: Philip Kaufman's very adult 'Henry & June,' a tale of the controversial author's days in Paris, apparently is the latest recipient of the dreaded X rating. Its U.S. release is in limbo"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-08-27-ca-117-story.html). *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
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[*Video Watchdog*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Watchdog "Video Watchdog"). Tim & Donna Lucas. 1996. p. [80](https://books.google.com/books?ei=nJEGUuvMA8uQ0QW45oCwDw&id=8I-GAAAAIAAJ&q=%22no+children+under+17%22).
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Masters, Tim (November 30, 2011). ["Will Shame change the game for the NC-17 rating?"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15921903). [BBC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC "BBC"). Retrieved January 10, 2021. "The rating restricts anyone under the age of 18 from attending a film."
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Brooks, Brian (February 28, 2012). ["NATO Threatens Weinstein Co With NC-17 Rating For 'Bully'"](https://deadline.com/2012/02/in-bully-fight-nato-threatens-twc-with-nc-17-237532/). *[Deadline Hollywood](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadline_Hollywood "Deadline Hollywood")*. Retrieved January 10, 2021. "In most cases, that means enforcement as though the movies were rated NC-17 — where no one under the age of 18 can be admitted even with accompanying parents or guardians.""
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Zeitchik, Steven (August 18, 2012). ["High hopes, low notes for film world's NC-17 rating"](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-mn-ca-nc-17-20120819-story.html). *[Los Angeles Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Times "Los Angeles Times")*. Retrieved January 10, 2021. "Formally instituted in 1990, the restrictive rating aimed to signal moviegoers that a film included adult-oriented — but not necessarily pornographic — content and made those movies off-limits to anyone under 18."
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Baggaley, Thomas. ["LDS Cinema Gets Better and Gets a Bum Rating"](https://web.archive.org/web/20040229103927/http://www.meridianmagazine.com/arts/040220mpaa.html). *meridianmagazine.com*. Archived from [the original](http://www.meridianmagazine.com/arts/040220mpaa.html) on February 29, 2004.
102. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Atschison_102-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Atschison_102-1) Atschison, Doug. "Separate and Unequal? How the MPAA Rates Independent Films." *The Best American Movie Writing 2001*. Ed. [John Landis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Landis "John Landis"). 59–69.
103. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Playboy_103-0)**
Pond, Steve (June 2000). "Interview: Trey Parker and Matt Stone". *[Playboy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playboy "Playboy")*. **47** (6): 65–80\.
["\[ shpadoinkle \] Trey Parker"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110727232806/http://treyparker.info/archives_playboy_00jun00.htm). Archived from [the original](http://treyparker.info/archives_playboy_00jun00.htm) on July 27, 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
104. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-104)**
Bahr, Sarah (June 21, 2021). ["'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' at 25: 'The Most R-Rated G You Will Ever See'"](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/21/movies/the-hunchback-of-notre-dame.html). *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
105. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-105)**
Rorie, Matt (June 27, 2011). ["Was Cars 2 Too Violent For A G-Rating?"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110629141858/http://www.screened.com/news/was-cars-2-too-violent-for-a-g-rating/2473/). Screened. Archived from [the original](http://www.screened.com/news/was-cars-2-too-violent-for-a-g-rating/2473/) on June 29, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
106. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-THR_106-0)**
McClintock, Pamela; Noble, Alexandra (May 25, 2019). ["Lessons From 30 Years of Movie Ratings and Angry Phone Calls"](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lessons-30-years-movie-ratings-angry-phone-calls-1213531). *[The Hollywood Reporter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hollywood_Reporter "The Hollywood Reporter")*. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
107. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-107)**
Mendelson, Scott (May 11, 2016). ["'Finding Dory' And 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2' Get Surprising Ratings"](https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2016/05/11/finding-dory-and-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-get-surprising-ratings/?sh=66facf7379dd). *[Forbes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes "Forbes")*. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
108. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-108)**
Mendelson, Scott (November 26, 2013). ["Disney's 'Frozen' Proves Failure Of PG Rating"](https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2013/11/26/disneys-frozen-proves-worthlessness-of-pg-rating/?sh=66a653256d35). *[Forbes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes "Forbes")*. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
109. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-This_Film_is_not_Yet_Rated_109-0)**
[Kirby Dick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirby_Dick "Kirby Dick") (January 25, 2006). *[This Film is not Yet Rated](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Film_is_not_Yet_Rated "This Film is not Yet Rated")* (Film).
110. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-110)**
Tobias, Patricia Eliot (November 1999). ["Who Put the Sin in Cinema?"](https://web.archive.org/web/20030416145339/http://www.wga.org/WrittenBy/1199/sinema.html). *Written by*. Archived from [the original](https://www.wga.org/WrittenBy/1199/sinema.html) on April 16, 2003. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
111. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-111)**
Greydanus, Steven D. (October 24, 2004). ["'Ratings Creep' – or a Case of 'Once Bitten, Twice Shy'?"](https://www.ncregister.com/site/article/ratings_creep_or_a_case_of_once_bitten_twice_shy). *[National Catholic Register](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Catholic_Register "National Catholic Register")*. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
112. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-pmid15520625_112-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-pmid15520625_112-1)
Thompson, Kimberly M.; Yokota, Fumie (2004). ["Violence, sex and profanity in films: correlation of movie ratings with content"](https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/480900). *MedGenMed*. **6** (3): 3. [PMC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMC_\(identifier\) "PMC (identifier)") [1435631](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1435631). [PMID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMID_\(identifier\) "PMID (identifier)") [15520625](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15520625).
- ["Study Finds "Ratings Creep": Movie Ratings Categories Contain More Violence, Sex, Profanity than Decade Ago"](https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/archives/2004-releases/press07132004.html). *[Harvard School of Public Health](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_School_of_Public_Health "Harvard School of Public Health")* (Press release). July 13, 2004.
113. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Chen2010_113-0)**
Chen, David (November 8, 2010). ["Why the MPAA Should Be Ashamed of Itself"](https://www.slashfilm.com/mpaa-rating-nc-17-blue-valentine-tillman-story-kings-speech/). *slashfilm.com*. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
114. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-114)**
Phillips, Michael (November 4, 2010). ["There's a word for the MPAA..."](https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-xpm-2010-11-04-chi-talking-pictures-1105-story.html) *Chicago Tribune*. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
115. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-115)**
Licalzi O'Connell, Pamela (April 18, 2005). ["Please Don't Call It a G-Rated Dispute (Published 2005)"](https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/18/business/media/please-dont-call-it-a-grated-dispute.html). *New York Times*. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
116. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-116)**
Finn, Kavita Mudan (May 1, 2017). [*Fan Phenomena: Game of Thrones*](https://books.google.com/books?id=IQPsEAAAQBAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&lpg=PA92&dq=%22mpaa%22%20%22ratings%22%20%22fanfiction%22&pg=PA92#v=onepage&q=%22mpaa%22%20%22ratings%22%20%22fanfiction%22&f=false). Intellect Books. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)")
[978-1-78320-785-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-78320-785-5 "Special:BookSources/978-1-78320-785-5")
.
117. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-117)**
Simonetti, Isabella (November 5, 2025). ["Exclusive \| Motion Picture Trade Group Pans Instagram's Use of 'PG-13' With Cease and Desist"](https://www.wsj.com/business/media/motion-picture-trade-group-pans-instagrams-use-of-pg-13-with-cease-and-desist-6003a62d). *The Wall Street Journal*. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
118. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-118)**
isolomons (October 14, 2025). ["New PG-13 Guidelines for Instagram Teen Accounts \| Meta"](https://about.fb.com/news/2025/10/instagram-teen-accounts-pg-13-ratings/). *Meta Newsroom*. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
119. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-119)**
["Opinion \| Meta's misappropriation of PG-13 threatens a trusted system"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/11/06/meta-instagram-pg-13-content-moderation/). *The Washington Post*. November 6, 2025. [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_\(identifier\) "ISSN (identifier)") [0190-8286](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0190-8286). Retrieved November 7, 2025.
## External links
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=34 "Edit section: External links")\]
[Wikidata](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikidata "Wikidata") has the property:
-  ***[MPA film rating (P1657)](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Property_talk:P1657 "d:Property talk:P1657")*** (see [uses](https://query.wikidata.org/embed.html#SELECT%20%3FWikidata_item_%20%3FWikidata_item_Label%20%3Fvalue%20%3FvalueLabel%20%3FEnglish_Wikipedia_article%20%23Show%20data%20in%20this%20order%0A%7B%0A%09%3FWikidata_item_%20wdt%3AP1657%20%3Fvalue%20.%20%23Collecting%20all%20items%20which%20have%20P1657%20data%2C%20from%20whole%20Wikidata%20item%20pages%0A%09OPTIONAL%20%7B%3FEnglish_Wikipedia_article%20schema%3Aabout%20%3FWikidata_item_%3B%20schema%3AisPartOf%20%3Chttps%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2F%3E%20.%7D%20%23If%20collected%20item%20has%20link%20to%20English%20Wikipedia%2C%20show%20that%0A%09SERVICE%20wikibase%3Alabel%20%7B%20bd%3AserviceParam%20wikibase%3Alanguage%20%22en%22%20%20%7D%20%23Show%20label%20in%20this%20language.%20%22en%22%20is%20English.%20%20%20%0A%7D%0ALIMIT%201000))
- [Classification and Ratings Administration](https://www.filmratings.com/) Official Website with ratings database
- [MPA Film Ratings website](https://www.motionpictures.org/film-ratings/)
| [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Motion_picture_content_rating_systems "Template:Motion picture content rating systems") [t](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template_talk:Motion_picture_content_rating_systems "Template talk:Motion picture content rating systems") [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Motion_picture_content_rating_systems "Special:EditPage/Template:Motion picture content rating systems")[Motion picture content rating systems](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_picture_content_rating_system "Motion picture content rating system") | |
|---|---|
| Active | [ACB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Classification_Board#Film_and_video_game_classifications "Australian Classification Board") (Australia) [BBFC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Board_of_Film_Classification#Current_certificates "British Board of Film Classification") (UK) [Canadian motion picture rating system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_motion_picture_rating_system "Canadian motion picture rating system") [BCFCO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_Film_Classification_Office#Rating_system "British Columbia Film Classification Office") [CHVRS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Home_Video_Rating_System#Classifications "Canadian Home Video Rating System") [MFCB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritime_Film_Classification_Board#Rating_categories "Maritime Film Classification Board") [SFVCB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saskatchewan_Film_and_Video_Classification_Board "Saskatchewan Film and Video Classification Board") [CBFC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Board_of_Film_Censors#Certification "Central Board of Film Censors") (Pakistan) [CBFC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Board_of_Film_Certification#Certificates_and_guidelines "Central Board of Film Certification") (India) [Classification Office](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classification_Office_\(New_Zealand\)#Labels "Classification Office (New Zealand)") (New Zealand) [ClassInd](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_advisory_rating_system#Rating_ranges "Brazilian advisory rating system") (Brazil) [Derzhkino](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_State_Film_Agency#Ratings "Ukrainian State Film Agency") (Ukraine) [Eirin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eirin#Ratings "Eirin") (Japan) [FPB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_and_Publication_Board#Ratings "Film and Publication Board") (South Africa) [FSK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freiwillige_Selbstkontrolle_der_Filmwirtschaft#Ratings "Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft") (Germany) [Gmedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Authority_of_Media_Regulation#Films "General Authority of Media Regulation") (Saudi Arabia) [Hong Kong motion picture rating system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_motion_picture_rating_system#Ratings_system "Hong Kong motion picture rating system") [IFCO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Film_Classification_Office#Cinematic_certificates "Irish Film Classification Office") (Ireland) [IGAC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspec%C3%A7%C3%A3o_Geral_das_Actividades_Culturais "Inspecção Geral das Actividades Culturais") (Portugal) [IMDA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infocomm_Media_Development_Authority#Films_and_TV "Infocomm Media Development Authority") (Singapore) [INCAA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Institute_of_Cinema_and_Audiovisual_Arts "National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts") (Argentina) [KAVI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Audiovisual_Institute_\(Finland\)#Classification_system "National Audiovisual Institute (Finland)") (Finland) [KFCB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya_Film_Classification_Board#Classification_guidelines "Kenya Film Classification Board") (Kenya) [Kijkwijzer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kijkwijzer#Advice_and_prohibitions "Kijkwijzer") (Netherlands) [KMRB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korea_Media_Rating_Board#Film_ratings "Korea Media Rating Board") (South Korea) [LPF](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_Censorship_Board_of_Malaysia#Rating_system "Film Censorship Board of Malaysia") (Malaysia) [LSF](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_Censorship_Board "Film Censorship Board") (Indonesia) [Medietilsynet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Media_Authority#Classification_system "Norwegian Media Authority") (Norway) [MPA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#MPA_film_ratings) (US) [MTRCB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movie_and_Television_Review_and_Classification_Board#Movies "Movie and Television Review and Classification Board") (Philippines) [NBC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bureau_of_Classification#Film_ratings "National Bureau of Classification") (Maldives) [On Protecting Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Protecting_Children_from_Information_Harmful_to_Their_Health_and_Development#The_modern_system_of_classification_of_information_products "On Protecting Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development") (Russia) [RTC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direcci%C3%B3n_General_de_Radio,_Televisi%C3%B3n_y_Cinematograf%C3%ADa#RTC_film_and_television_ratings "Dirección General de Radio, Televisión y Cinematografía") (Mexico) |
| Former/Defunct | [MFCB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitoba_Film_Classification_Board#Ratings "Manitoba Film Classification Board") (Canada) [OFRB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_Film_Review_Board#Classifications "Ontario Film Review Board") (Canada) [Régie du cinéma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9gie_du_cin%C3%A9ma_\(Quebec\)#Rating_systems "Régie du cinéma (Quebec)") (Canada) [VET](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Board_of_Film_Classification#Age_ratings "Finnish Board of Film Classification") (Finland) |
| Related | [Film censorship](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_censorship "Film censorship") [Hays Code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hays_Code "Hays Code") [List of banned films](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_films "List of banned films") [National Legion of Decency](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Legion_of_Decency "National Legion of Decency") [Payne Fund Studies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payne_Fund_Studies "Payne Fund Studies") [Pink permits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_permits "Pink permits") |
|  [Category](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Motion_picture_rating_systems "Category:Motion picture rating systems") **·**  [Television content rating systems template](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Television_content_rating_systems "Template:Television content rating systems") **·**  [Video game content rating systems template](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Video_game_content_rating_systems "Template:Video game content rating systems") | |
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Motion Picture Association film rating system
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| Readable Markdown | The **Motion Picture Association** **film rating system** is used in the United States and its territories to rate a [motion picture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_picture "Motion picture")'s suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion pictures are the responsibility of the [Motion Picture Association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association "Motion Picture Association") (MPA), previously known as the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) from 1945 to 2019. The MPA rating system is a voluntary scheme that is not enforced by law; films can be exhibited without a rating, although most theaters refuse to exhibit non-rated or [NC-17 rated films](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NC-17_rated_films "List of NC-17 rated films"). Non-members of the MPA may also submit films for rating.[\[1\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-1) Other media, such as [television programs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_programs "Television programs"), [music](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parental_Advisory "Parental Advisory") and [video games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_content_rating_system "Video game content rating system"), are rated by other entities such as the [TV Parental Guidelines](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_Parental_Guidelines "TV Parental Guidelines"), the [RIAA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recording_Industry_Association_of_America "Recording Industry Association of America") and the [ESRB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESRB "ESRB"), respectively.
In effect as of November 1968,[\[2\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-desques-2) following the [Hays Code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hays_Code "Hays Code") of the [classical Hollywood cinema](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_Hollywood_cinema "Classical Hollywood cinema") era, the MPA rating system is one of various [motion picture rating systems](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_picture_rating_system "Motion picture rating system") that are used to help parents decide what films are [appropriate for their children](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appropriate_for_children "Appropriate for children"). It is administered by the Classification & Ratings Administration (CARA), an independent division of the MPA.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-rating_rules-3)
The MPA film ratings are as follows:[\[4\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-film_ratings-4)
| Rating block | Meaning |
|---|---|
| [](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_G_RATING_\(block\).svg "G rating symbol and block") G rating symbol and block | G – General Audiences *All ages admitted*. Nothing that would offend parents for viewing by children. |
| [](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_PG_RATING_\(block\).svg "PG rating symbol and block") PG rating symbol and block | PG – Parental Guidance Suggested *Some material may not be suitable for children*. Parents urged to give "parental guidance". May contain some material parents might not like for their young children. |
| [](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_PG-13_RATING_\(block\).svg "PG-13 rating symbol and block") PG-13 rating symbol and block | PG-13 – Parents Strongly Cautioned *Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13*. Parents are urged to be cautious. Some material may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers. |
| [](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_R_RATING_\(block\).svg "R rating symbol and block") R rating symbol and block | R – Restricted *Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian*. Contains some adult material. Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their young children with them. |
| [](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_NC-17_RATING_\(block\).svg "NC-17 rating symbol and block") NC-17 rating symbol and block | NC-17 – Adults Only *No one 17 and under admitted*. Clearly adult. Children are not admitted. |
In 2013, the MPA ratings were visually redesigned, with the rating displayed on a left panel and the name of the rating shown above it. A larger panel on the right provides a more detailed description of the film's content and an explanation of the rating level is placed on a horizontal bar at the bottom of the rating.[\[5\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-5)
### Content descriptors
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=3 "Edit section: Content descriptors")\]
Film ratings often have accompanying brief descriptions of the specifics behind the film's content and why it received a certain rating. They are displayed in trailers, posters, and on the backside of [home video](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_video "Home video") releases. Film rating content descriptors are used for films rated from PG to NC-17; they are not used for G-rated films, because the content in them is suitable for all audiences, even if it contains mildly-objectionable content.[\[6\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-6)
If a film has not been submitted for a rating or is an uncut version of a film that was submitted, the labels **Not Rated** (**NR**) or **Unrated** (**UR**) are often used. Uncut/extended versions of films that are labeled "Unrated" also contain warnings saying that the uncut version of the film contains content that differs from the theatrical release and might not be suitable for minors.
If a film has not yet been assigned a final rating, the label **This Film Is Not Yet Rated** is used in trailers and television commercials.
[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_greenband_intro_card_\(Toy_Story_4_greenband_trailer\).png)
A green band card for trailers that are suitable for general audiences
[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_yellowband_intro_card_\(The_Unborn_\(2009\)_yellowband_trailer\).png)
A yellow band card used for internet trailers
[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_redband_intro_card_\(Snowpiercer_redband_trailer\).png)
A red band trailer card reserved for restricted or mature audiences
The MPA also rates film trailers, print advertising, posters, and other media used to promote a film.[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-AAR-7)
### Theatrical trailers
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=6 "Edit section: Theatrical trailers")\]
"Red band" redirects here. For the rock band, see [Red (band)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_\(band\) "Red (band)"). For broader coverage of cinema trailers, see [Trailer (promotion)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trailer_\(promotion\) "Trailer (promotion)").
**Rating cards** appear at the head of trailers in the United States which indicate how closely the trailer adheres to the MPA's (and prior to November 2019, the MPAA's) standards.[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Halbfinger-8)
- **Green band**: When the trailer accompanies another rated feature, the wording on the green title card states, as of May 2013, "The following preview has been approved to accompany this feature." For trailers hosted on the Internet, the wording is tweaked to "The following preview has been approved for appropriate audiences."[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-AAR-7) Until April 2009, these cards indicated that they had been approved for "all audiences" and often included the film's MPAA rating. This signified that the trailer adhered to the standards for motion picture advertising outlined by the MPAA, which included limitations on foul language and violent, sexual, or otherwise objectionable imagery. In April 2009, the MPAA began to permit the green band language to say that a trailer had been approved for "appropriate" audiences, meaning that the material would be appropriate for audiences in theaters, based on the content of the film they had come to see. In May 2013, the MPAA changed the trailer approval band from "for appropriate audiences" to "to accompany this feature", but only when accompanying a feature film; for bands not accompanying a feature film, the text of the band remained the same. The font and style of the text on the graphic bands (green and red) was also changed at the time the green band was revised in 2013.[\[9\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Dodd-9)[\[10\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Slate-10)
- **Yellow band**: A yellow title card was introduced in 2007 for trailers with restricted content hosted on the Internet, with the message "The following preview has been approved only for age-appropriate Internet users."[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Halbfinger-8) The MPAA stipulated that yellow-band trailers hosted on studio websites should only be available between 9:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. (i.e., 21:00 through 04:00 local time), and that for other websites hosting the trailers, at least 80% of its typical user base should be adults. The yellow card was reserved for trailers previewing films rated PG-13 or stronger.[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Halbfinger-8) An early example was a yellow-band trailer for [Rob Zombie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Zombie "Rob Zombie")'s *[Halloween](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween_\(2007_film\) "Halloween (2007 film)")* (2007).[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Halbfinger-8) Yellow-band trailers were not widely adopted and were apparently abandoned within a few years: in 2013, *[Variety](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_\(magazine\) "Variety (magazine)")* reported that age-restricted trailers online were released with red bands.[\[11\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Debruge-11) The 2019 edition of CARA's advertising guidelines reference only green and red bands for internet trailers.[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-AAR-7)
- **Red band**: A red title card is issued to trailers which do not adhere to the MPA/CARA guidelines.[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-AAR-7) It indicates that the trailer is approved for only "restricted" or "mature" audiences, and when it accompanies another feature, the wording states "The following restricted preview has been approved to accompany this feature only." For trailers hosted on the Internet, the wording is tweaked to "The following restricted preview has been approved for appropriate audiences."[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-AAR-7) The red title card is reserved for trailers previewing R and NC-17 rated films: these trailers may include nudity, profanity, or other material deemed inappropriate for children.[\[12\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-12) Such trailers are officially meant to be locked behind age verification systems.[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Halbfinger-8) However, these "age gates" have been described as "ineffective"[\[11\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Debruge-11) and an "[honor system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor_system "Honor system")";[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Halbfinger-8) furthermore, many [YouTube](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube "YouTube") channels which exist to syndicate film and television trailers do not feature any check, which has led to criticism from watchdog groups like [Common Sense Media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense_Media "Common Sense Media").[\[13\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-13) In 2007, red-band trailers were said to be virtually absent from theaters, due to worries that they would accidentally be shown before films released at a less-restrictive rating.[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Halbfinger-8) However, by the following year, they were noted as increasingly prevalent as the adoption of digital projection had largely alleviated these concerns.[\[14\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-14) These trailers may only be shown theatrically before R-rated, NC-17-rated, or unrated movies.[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-AAR-7): 10
[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_blue_feature_tag_\(Edge_of_Tomorrow_\(2014\)_feature\).png)
An example of the blue feature tag for *[Edge of Tomorrow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_of_Tomorrow "Edge of Tomorrow")*
The MPA also creates blue feature tags for theatrical and home media use. Theatrical releases show the blue tag after the film, with home media releases showing it prior to the film.[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-AAR-7) They feature the rating block and any content descriptors as assigned by the Classification and Rating Administration, the MPA logo, and links to MPA websites along the bottom.
### Replacement of the Hays Code
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=9 "Edit section: Replacement of the Hays Code")\]
[Jack Valenti](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Valenti "Jack Valenti"), who had become president of the [Motion Picture Association of America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association "Motion Picture Association") in May 1966, deemed the [Motion Picture Production Code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hays_Code "Hays Code"), which had been in place since 1930 and rigorously enforced since July 1, 1934, out of date and bearing "the odious smell of [censorship](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship "Censorship")". Filmmakers were pushing at the boundaries of the code with some even going as far as filing lawsuits against the "Hays Code" by invoking the [First Amendment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution "First Amendment to the United States Constitution"). Valenti cited examples such as *[Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who%27s_Afraid_of_Virginia_Woolf%3F_\(film\) "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (film)")*, which used prohibited language including "hump the hostess", and *[Blowup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowup "Blowup")*, which was denied Code approval due to nudity, resulting in [Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer"), then a member studio of the MPAA, releasing it through a subsidiary. Valenti revised the Code to include the "SMA" (Suggested for Mature Audiences) advisory as a stopgap measure. To accommodate "the irresistible force of creators determined to make 'their films'", and to avoid "the possible intrusion of government into the movie arena", he developed a set of advisory ratings which could be applied after a film was completed.
On November 1, 1968, the voluntary MPAA film rating system took effect,[\[2\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-desques-2) with three organizations serving as its monitoring and guiding groups: the MPAA, the [National Association of Theatre Owners](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Association_of_Theatre_Owners "National Association of Theatre Owners") (NATO), and the International Film Importers & Distributors of America (IFIDA).[\[15\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-valenti-15) Only films that premiered in the United States after that date were affected by this.[\[16\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Variety-16) [Walter Reade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Reade "Walter Reade") was the only one of 75 top U.S. exhibitors who refused to use the ratings.[\[16\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Variety-16) [Warner Bros.-Seven Arts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Bros.-Seven_Arts "Warner Bros.-Seven Arts")' *[The Girl on a Motorcycle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_on_a_Motorcycle "The Girl on a Motorcycle")* was the first film to receive the [X rating](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_rating "X rating"), and was distributed by their Claridge Pictures subsidiary.[\[17\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-17) Two other films were rated X by the time the MPAA published their first weekly bulletin listing ratings: [Paramount](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramount_Pictures "Paramount Pictures")'s *Sin With a Stranger* and [Universal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Pictures "Universal Pictures")'s *[Birds in Peru](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birds_in_Peru "Birds in Peru")*. Both films were subsequently released by subsidiaries.[\[18\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-18)
The ratings used from 1968 to 1970 were:[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-19)[\[20\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-20)
- **Rated G**: Suggested for general audiences.
- **Rated M**: Suggested for mature audiences – Parental discretion advised.
- **Rated R**: Restricted – Persons under 16 not admitted, unless accompanied by parent or adult guardian.
- **Rated X**: Persons under 16 not admitted.
This content classification system originally was to have three ratings, with the intention of allowing parents to take their children to any film they chose. However, the National Association of Theatre Owners urged the creation of an adults-only category, fearful of possible legal problems in local jurisdictions. The "X" rating was not an MPAA trademark and would not receive the MPAA seal; any producer not submitting a film for MPAA rating could self-apply the "X" rating (or any other symbol or description that was not an MPAA trademark).[\[15\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-valenti-15)
In 1970, the ages for "R" and "X" were raised from 16 to 17.[\[21\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Kr%C3%A4mer_\(2005\)-21) Also, due to confusion over whether "M"-rated films were suitable for children,[\[21\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Kr%C3%A4mer_\(2005\)-21) "M" was renamed to "GP" (for General audiences, Parental guidance suggested),[\[22\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-22)[\[23\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-23) and in 1971, the MPAA added the content advisory "Some material not generally suitable for pre-teenagers".[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-24) On February 11, 1972,[\[25\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-25) "GP" was revised to "PG".[\[21\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Kr%C3%A4mer_\(2005\)-21)
The ratings used from 1970 to 1972 were:
- **Rated G**: All ages admitted – General audiences.
- **Rated GP**: All ages admitted – Parental guidance suggested. \[Sometimes a disclaimer would say "This film contains material which may not be suitable for pre-teenagers."\]
- **Rated R**: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
- **Rated X**: No one under 17 admitted.
The ratings used from 1972 to 1984 were:[\[26\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-26)
- **Rated G**: General audiences – All ages admitted.
- **Rated PG**: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for \[pre-teenagers (1972–1977)\] / \[children (1977–1984)\].[\[27\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-27)
- **Rated R**: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
- **Rated X**: No one under 17 admitted.
### Addition of the PG-13 rating
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=11 "Edit section: Addition of the PG-13 rating")\]
In the 1980s, complaints about violence and gore in films such as *[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_Jones_and_the_Temple_of_Doom "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom")* and *[Gremlins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gremlins "Gremlins")*, both of which received PG ratings, refocused attention on films seen by younger children.[\[28\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-28) According to author Filipa Antunes, this revealed the conundrum of a film that "could not be recommended for all children but could also not be repudiated for all children uniformly," leading to speculation that the rating system's PG classification "no longer matched a notion of childhood most parents in America could agree on."[\[29\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-29) [Steven Spielberg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Spielberg "Steven Spielberg"), director of *Temple of Doom* and executive producer of *Gremlins*, suggested a new intermediate rating between "PG" and "R".[\[30\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-30) The "PG-13" rating was introduced on July 1, 1984, with the advisory "Parents Are Strongly Cautioned to Give Special Guidance for Attendance of Children Under 13 – Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Young Children". The first film to be released with this rating was the [John Milius](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Milius "John Milius") war film *[Red Dawn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dawn "Red Dawn")*.[\[31\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-thr01-31) In 1985, the wording was simplified to "Parents Strongly Cautioned – Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13".[\[32\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-32) Around the same time, the MPAA won a [trademark](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademark "Trademark") infringement lawsuit against the producers and distributors of *[I Spit on Your Grave](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Spit_on_Your_Grave "I Spit on Your Grave")* over a fraudulent application of its R rating to the uncut version of the film,[\[33\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-33) and forced its member studios and several other home video distributors to put MPAA ratings on the packaging of MPAA-rated films via a settlement that would come into effect by fall that year.[\[34\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-34)
The ratings used from 1984 to 1990 were:
- **Rated G**: General audiences – All ages admitted.
- **Rated PG**: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for children.
- **Rated PG-13**: Parents strongly cautioned – Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
- **Rated R**: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
- **Rated X**: No one under 17 admitted.
In 1989, [Tennessee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee "Tennessee") state law set the minimum age to view a theatrically exhibited R-rated film without adult accompaniment at 18, instead of 17, and categorized the admission of minors to X-rated films as a [misdemeanor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misdemeanor "Misdemeanor"). The statute remained in force until 2013, when it was ruled to be in violation of the [First Amendment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment "First Amendment"). The law was amended in 2013 as to prohibit persons under the age of 18 only if the film was considered "harmful to minors".[\[35\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-35)[\[36\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-36)
### X replaced by NC-17
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=13 "Edit section: X replaced by NC-17")\]
[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPAA_X_RATING_\(block\).svg)
"X"-rating as it appeared in theatrical posters prior to being retired and replaced by NC-17
In the rating system's early years, "X"-rated films such as *[Midnight Cowboy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_Cowboy "Midnight Cowboy")* (1969) and *[A Clockwork Orange](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Clockwork_Orange_\(film\) "A Clockwork Orange (film)")* (1971) were understood to be unsuitable for children, but non-pornographic and intended for the general public. However, pornographic films often self-applied the non-trademarked "X" rating, and it soon became synonymous with [pornography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornography "Pornography") in American culture.[\[37\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-37) In late 1989 and early 1990, respectively, *[Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry:_Portrait_of_a_Serial_Killer "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer")* and *[The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cook,_the_Thief,_His_Wife_%26_Her_Lover "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover")*, two critically acclaimed [art films](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_films "Art films") featuring strong adult content, were released. Neither film was approved for an MPAA rating, limiting their commercial distribution and prompting criticism of the rating system's lack of a designation for such films.[\[38\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-38)[\[39\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-39)
In September 1990, the MPAA introduced the rating NC-17 ("No Children Under 17 Admitted").[\[40\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-articles.latimes.com-40) *[Henry & June](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_%26_June "Henry & June")*, previously to be assigned an X rating, was the first film to receive the NC-17 rating instead.[\[40\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-articles.latimes.com-40)[\[41\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-41) Although films with an NC-17 rating had more mainstream distribution opportunities than X-rated films, many theaters refused to screen them, most entertainment media did not accept advertising for them, and many large video outlets refused to stock them.[\[42\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Weinraub-42) Additionally, the MPAA started to include explanations, or "descriptors", of why each film received an "R" rating, allowing parents to know what type of content the film contained. For example, the descriptor for *[The Girl Who Played with Fire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_Who_Played_with_Fire_\(film\) "The Girl Who Played with Fire (film)")* read "Rated \[R\] for brutal violence including a rape, some strong sexual content, nudity and language."[\[43\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-43)[\[44\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-44)
The ratings used from 1990 to 1996 were:
- **Rated G**: General audiences – All ages admitted.
- **Rated PG**: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for children.
- **Rated PG-13**: Parents strongly cautioned – Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
- **Rated R**: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
- **Rated NC-17**: No children under 17 admitted.
In 1996,[\[45\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-45) the minimum age for NC-17-rated films was raised to 18,[\[46\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-46)[\[47\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-47)[\[48\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-48) by rewording it to "No One 17 and Under Admitted".[\[49\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-49) The ratings used since 1996 are:[\[4\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-film_ratings-4)
- **Rated G**: General audiences – All ages admitted.
- **Rated PG**: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for children.
- **Rated PG-13**: Parents strongly cautioned – Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
- **Rated R**: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
- **Rated NC-17**: Adults only – No one 17 and under admitted.
By the early 2000s, the MPAA also began applying rating explanations for PG, PG-13, and NC-17-rated films.[\[50\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-ratingmpaa-50)[\[51\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-51)
Depictions of violence are permitted under all ratings but must be moderated for the lower ones. Violence must be kept to a minimum in G-rated films and must not be intense in PG-rated films. Depictions of intense violence are permitted under the PG-13 rating, but violence that is both realistic and extreme or persistent will generally require at least an R rating.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-rating_rules-3)
Snippets of language that go "beyond polite conversation" are permitted in G-rated films, but no stronger words are present. Mild [profanity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profanity "Profanity") may be present in PG rated films. The use of the word "*[fuck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuck "Fuck")*", described in the board's guidelines as "one of the harsher sexually-derived words", will initially incur at least a PG-13 rating.[\[52\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Jacobs-52)[\[53\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-53) More than one occurrence will usually incur an R rating as will the usage of such an expletive in a sexual context.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-rating_rules-3) Known as the "automatic language rule",[\[54\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Vaughan-54) it is widely known among filmmakers, and significant attention can be devoted to determining the most effective use of the word in a film intended to receive a PG-13 rating.[\[52\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Jacobs-52) The board's guidelines allow exceptions to this rule if two-thirds of the members agree "that most American parents would believe that a PG-13 rating is appropriate because of the context of the manner in which the words are used or because the use of these words in the motion picture is inconspicuous".[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-rating_rules-3)[\[52\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Jacobs-52) The automatic language rule is arguably the rule that can most often be successfully appealed.[\[54\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Vaughan-54) For example, *[All the President's Men](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_the_President%27s_Men_\(film\) "All the President's Men (film)")* (1976), produced before the PG-13 rating's introduction, received a PG rating after appealing it from an R, despite multiple instances of strong language, likely because of its historic subject matter.[\[54\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Vaughan-54)[\[52\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Jacobs-52)
Films rated PG-13 with multiple occurrences of the word *fuck* include *[Adventures in Babysitting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventures_in_Babysitting "Adventures in Babysitting"),* where the word is used twice in the same scene;[\[55\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-55) *[Antwone Fisher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antwone_Fisher_\(film\) "Antwone Fisher (film)")* which has three uses;[\[56\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-56) *[Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor_Swift:_The_Eras_Tour "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour")*, which has four uses (six in the "Taylor's Version" cut), all in song lyrics;[\[52\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Jacobs-52)[\[57\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-57) *The Hip Hop Project*, which has seventeen uses;[\[58\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-58) and *[Gunner Palace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunner_Palace "Gunner Palace")*, a documentary of soldiers in the [Iraq War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War "Iraq War"), which has 42 uses of the word with two used sexually.[\[59\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-59) Both *[Bully](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bully_\(2011_film\) "Bully (2011 film)")*, a 2011 documentary about bullying, and *[Philomena](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philomena_\(film\) "Philomena (film)")*—which has two instances of the word—released in 2013, were originally given R ratings on grounds of the language but the ratings were dropped to PG-13 after successful appeals (albeit *Bully* needed some cuts).[\[60\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-60)[\[61\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-61) *[The King's Speech](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King%27s_Speech "The King's Speech")*, however, was given an R rating for one scene using the word *fuck* several times in a speech therapy context; the MPAA refused to re-certify the film on appeal, despite the [British Board of Film Classification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Board_of_Film_Classification "British Board of Film Classification") reducing the British rating from a 15 rating to a 12A on the grounds that the uses of the expletive were not directed at anyone.[\[62\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-62)
This was satirized in the 2005 film *[Be Cool](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be_Cool "Be Cool")*, in which the film producer Chili Palmer ([John Travolta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Travolta "John Travolta")) says: "Do you know that unless you're willing to use the R rating, you can only say the 'F' word once? You know what I say? Fuck that. I'm done."[\[63\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-dog-63) Often film producers will use the word for a scene of gravitas or humor and then bleep out any further instances with sound effects.[\[63\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-dog-63)
Some forms of media are cut post-release so as to obtain a PG-13 rating for [home media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_video "Home video") release or to feature on an Internet streaming service that will not carry films rated higher than PG-13. In 2020, [a recording](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_\(2020_film\) "Hamilton (2020 film)") of *[Hamilton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_\(musical\) "Hamilton (musical)")* was released on [Disney+](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney%2B "Disney+") after cuts by [Lin-Manuel Miranda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lin-Manuel_Miranda "Lin-Manuel Miranda") to remove two of the three instances of *fuck* in the musical to qualify it as PG-13 under MPAA guidelines.[\[64\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-ham-64)
A study of popular American teen-oriented films rated PG and PG-13 from 1980 to 2006 found that in those films, teenaged characters use more and stronger profanity than adult ones in the same movies.[\[65\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-:0-65) However, the study found that the overall amount of such language had declined somewhat since the 1980s.[\[65\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-:0-65)
Drug use content is restricted to PG-13 and above.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-rating_rules-3) An example of an otherwise PG film being assigned a PG-13 rating for a drug reference (momentary, along with brief language) is *[Whale Rider](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_Rider "Whale Rider")*. The film contained only mild profanity, but was rated PG-13 because of a scene where [drug paraphernalia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_paraphernalia "Drug paraphernalia") were briefly visible. Critic [Roger Ebert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ebert "Roger Ebert") criticized the MPAA for the rating and called it "a wild overreaction".[\[66\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-66)
In May 2007, the MPAA announced that depictions of cigarette smoking would be considered in a film's rating.[\[67\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-67)[\[68\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-68) Anti-smoking advocates stated that the child-friendly PG rating was inappropriate for the 2011 [Nickelodeon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickelodeon_Movies "Nickelodeon Movies")\-animated film *[Rango](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rango_\(2011_film\) "Rango (2011 film)")*, which included over 60 depictions of characters smoking.[\[69\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-69)
[Nudity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudity "Nudity") is restricted to PG and above, and anything that constitutes more than brief nudity will require at least a PG-13 rating. Nudity that is sexually oriented will generally require an R rating.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-rating_rules-3) Since 2006, films have been flagged by the MPAA for carrying nudity. In 2010, the MPAA flagged three films specifically for "[male nudity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Male_nudity "Male nudity")", precipitated by parental pressure in response to *[Brüno](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Br%C3%BCno "Brüno")*.[\[70\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-70) In 2018, MPAA Ratings Chair Joan Graves clarified the MPA's position by stating that "we don't usually define \[nudity\] as male or female ... usually, we just mention partial nudity, \[or\] graphic nudity."[\[71\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-71)
The MPAA does not have any explicit criteria for sexual content other than excluding sex scenes from G-rated films.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-rating_rules-3)
Prior to the release of *[The Exorcist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exorcist "The Exorcist")* at the end of 1973, CARA president Aaron Stern took the unusual step of calling director [William Friedkin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Friedkin "William Friedkin") to tell him that since it was an "important film", it would be rated R and could be released without any cuts.[\[72\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Shock_Value-72) The film drew huge crowds upon its release, many of whom were horrified by the film; some vomited and/or fainted,[\[73\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Klemesrud_NYT_article-73) and a psychiatric journal would later document four cases of "cinematic [neurosis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurosis "Neurosis")" induced by the film.[\[74\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-74)
Among those patrons were many children, not always accompanied by adults. This left many commentators incredulous that the ratings board would have found that a film with disturbing scenes such as a possessed 12-year-old girl masturbating with a [crucifix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crucifix "Crucifix") was acceptable for children to see. Roy Meacham, a Washington, D.C., critic who had praised the film while admonishing parents not to take their children to it, recalled those children he did see leaving showings "drained and drawn afterward; their eyes had a look I had never seen before." Authorities in Washington invoked a municipal ordinance that would have prevented *any* minors from seeing the film, threatening theater owners with arrest if they did.[\[75\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Meacham_NYT_piece-75)
Meacham insinuated that the board had succumbed to pressure from Warner Brothers, which had spent \$10 million, more than twice its original budget, making the film; an X rating would have seriously limited *The Exorcist*'s commercial prospects. *[New Yorker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Yorker "The New Yorker")* critic [Pauline Kael](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_Kael "Pauline Kael") echoed his criticism. "If *The Exorcist* had cost under a million or been made abroad," she wrote, "it would almost certainly be an X film. But when a movie is as expensive as this one, the \[board\] doesn't dare give it an X."[\[72\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Shock_Value-72)
In 1974, [Richard Heffner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Heffner "Richard Heffner") took over as president of the board. During his interview process, he had asked to screen recent films that had sparked ratings controversies, including *The Exorcist*. "How could anything be worse than this?" he recalled thinking later. "And it got an R?" After he took over as head, he would spearhead efforts to be more aggressive with the X rating, especially over violence in films. In 1976, he got the board to give the Japanese [martial arts film](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_arts_film "Martial arts film") *[The Street Fighter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Street_Fighter "The Street Fighter")* an X rating for its [graphic violence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_violence "Graphic violence"), the first time a film had earned that rating purely for violence.[\[72\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Shock_Value-72)
### Commercial viability of the NC-17 rating
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=22 "Edit section: Commercial viability of the NC-17 rating")\]
The NC-17 rating has been described as a "kiss of death" for any film that receives it.[\[76\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-76) Like the X rating it replaced, NC-17 limits a film's prospects of being marketed, screened in theaters and sold in major video outlets.[\[42\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Weinraub-42) In 1995, [MGM/UA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM/United_Artists "MGM/United Artists") released the big-budget film *[Showgirls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Showgirls "Showgirls")*; it became the most widely distributed film with an NC-17 rating (showing in 1,388 cinemas simultaneously), but it was a box office failure that grossed only 45% of its \$45 million budget.[\[77\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-77) Some modest successes can be found among NC-17 theatrical releases, however; [Fox Searchlight Pictures](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Searchlight_Pictures "Fox Searchlight Pictures") released the original NC-17-rated American edition of the European film *[The Dreamers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dreamers_\(2003_film\) "The Dreamers (2003 film)")* (2003) in theaters in the United States, and later released both the original NC-17 and the cut R-rated version on DVD. A Fox Searchlight [spokesman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spokesman "Spokesman") said the NC-17 rating did not give them much trouble in releasing this film (they had no problem booking it, and only the [Salt Lake City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Lake_City "Salt Lake City") newspaper *[Deseret News](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deseret_News "Deseret News")* refused to take the film's ad), and Fox Searchlight was satisfied with this film's United States box office result.[\[78\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-lahiding-78) Another notable exception is *[Bad Education](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Education_\(2004_film\) "Bad Education (2004 film)")* (2004), an NC-17 foreign-language film that grossed \$5.2 million in the United States theatrically[\[79\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-79) (a moderate success for a foreign-language film[\[80\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-80)).
In 2000, the [Directors Guild of America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directors_Guild_of_America "Directors Guild of America") called the NC-17 rating an "abject failure", for causing filmmakers to re-edit films to receive an R rating, rather than accept an NC-17 rating. They argued that this was "not only compromising filmmakers' visions, but also greatly increasing the likelihood that adult-oriented movies are seen by the very groups for which they are not intended."[\[81\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-81) As of March 2007, according to *[Variety](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_\(magazine\) "Variety (magazine)")*, MPAA chairman Dan Glickman had been made aware of the attempts to introduce a new rating, or find ways to reduce the stigma of the NC-17 rating. Film studios have pressured the MPAA to retire the NC-17 rating, because of its likely impact on their film's box office revenue.[\[82\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-82)[\[83\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-83)
In 2010, the MPAA controversially decided to give the film *[Blue Valentine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Valentine_\(film\) "Blue Valentine (film)")* an NC-17 rating. [The Weinstein Company](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Weinstein_Company "The Weinstein Company") challenged this decision, and the MPAA ended up awarding the same cut an R rating on appeal. Actor [Ryan Gosling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Gosling "Ryan Gosling"), who stars in the film, noted that NC-17 films are not allowed wide advertisement and that, given the refusal of major cinema chains like [AMC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_Cinemas "AMC Cinemas") and [Regal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regal_Entertainment_Group "Regal Entertainment Group") to show NC-17 rated movies, many such films will never be accessible to people who live in markets that do not have art house theatres.[\[84\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-84)
Legal scholar [Julie Hilden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Hilden "Julie Hilden") wrote that the MPAA has a "masterpiece exception" that it has made for films that would ordinarily earn an NC-17 rating, if not for the broader artistic masterpiece that requires the violence depicted as a part of its message. She cites *[Saving Private Ryan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saving_Private_Ryan "Saving Private Ryan")*, with its bloody depiction of the [D-Day landings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normandy_landings "Normandy landings"), as an example. This exception is troubling, Hilden argues, because it ignores context and perspective in evaluating other films and favors conventional films over edgier films that contribute newer and more interesting points to public discourse about violence.[\[85\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-85)
In 2022, the [Netflix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netflix "Netflix") film *[Blonde](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blonde_\(2022_film\) "Blonde (2022 film)")* received an NC-17 rating, becoming the first film produced for a streaming service to earn the rating. As a result of primarily being released through a streaming service (outside of a limited theatrical release to qualify for awards), the film did not receive the same amount of commercial stigma that a film produced for a regular theatrical release would have otherwise received. In a piece for *[GQ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GQ "GQ")*, Keith Phipps argues that as a result, *Blonde* could usher in a new era of films and filmmakers that will "push beyond the restrictions of the R rating", writing, "In theory, the NC-17 rating could thrive on services like Netflix, [Hulu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulu "Hulu"), and [HBO Max](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HBO_Max "HBO Max") and *Blonde* could be a sign of things to come, possibly serving as a cue for other filmmakers to push beyond the restrictions of the R rating."[\[86\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-86)
### Issuance of "R Cards"
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=23 "Edit section: Issuance of \"R Cards\"")\]
Starting in 2004, GKC Theatres (since absorbed into [AMC Theatres](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_Theatres "AMC Theatres")) introduced "R Cards", which parents could obtain for their children under 17 to see R-rated films without adult accompaniment. The cards generated much controversy; MPAA president Jack Valenti said in a news article: "I think it distorts and ruptures the intent of this voluntary film ratings system. All R-rated films are not alike."[\[87\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-87) John Fithian, the president of the National Association of Theatre Owners, also said that the cards can be harmful. He noted in a news article for the *[Christian Science Monitor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Science_Monitor "Christian Science Monitor")* that the R rating is "broad enough to include relatively family-friendly fare such as *[Billy Elliot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Elliot "Billy Elliot")* and *[Erin Brockovich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_Brockovich_\(film\) "Erin Brockovich (film)")* (which were both rated R for language) along with films that push the extremes of violence, including *[Pulp Fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulp_Fiction_\(film\) "Pulp Fiction (film)")* and *[Kill Bill](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_Bill "Kill Bill")*".[\[88\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-88)
### Emphasis on sex and language versus violence
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=25 "Edit section: Emphasis on sex and language versus violence")\]
The film rating system has had a number of high-profile critics. Film critic [Roger Ebert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ebert "Roger Ebert") called for replacing the NC-17 rating with separate ratings for pornographic and non-pornographic adult film.[\[89\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-89) Ebert argued that the system places too much emphasis on sex, while allowing the portrayal of massive amounts of gruesome violence. The uneven emphasis on sex versus violence is echoed by other critics, including [David Ansen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ansen "David Ansen"), as well as many filmmakers. Moreover, Ebert argued that the rating system is geared toward looking at trivial aspects of the film (such as the number of times a profane word is used) rather than at the general theme of the film (for example, if the film realistically depicts the consequences of sex and violence). He called for an A (adults only) rating, to indicate films high in violence or mature content that should not be marketed to teenagers, but do not have NC-17 levels of sex. He also called for the NC-17 rating to be removed and to have the X rating revived. He felt that everyone understood what X-rated means, while fewer people understood what NC-17 meant.[\[90\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-90)[\[91\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-91)[\[92\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-92)
MPAA chairman [Dan Glickman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Glickman "Dan Glickman") has disputed these claims, stating that far more films are initially rated NC-17 for violence than for sex, but that these are later edited by studios to receive an R rating.[\[93\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-93)
Despite this, an internal critic of the early workings of the ratings system is film critic and writer Stephen Farber, who was a CARA intern for six months during 1969 and 1970. In *The Movie Ratings Game*,[\[94\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Farber1972-94) he documents a prejudice against sex in relation to violence. The 2006 documentary *[This Film Is Not Yet Rated](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Film_Is_Not_Yet_Rated "This Film Is Not Yet Rated")* also points out that four times as many films received an NC-17 rating for sex as they did for violence according to the MPAA's own website, further mentioning a bias against homosexual content compared to heterosexual content, particularly with regards to sex scenes. Filmmaker [Darren Stein](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darren_Stein "Darren Stein") further insists that his tame teen comedy *[G.B.F.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.B.F._\(film\) "G.B.F. (film)")*, which features multiple same-sex kisses but no intercourse, strong language, violence, or nudity, was "rated R for being gay."[\[95\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-95)
The 2011 documentary *[Bully](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bully_\(2011_film\) "Bully (2011 film)")* received an R rating for the profanity contained within the film, which prevented most of the intended audience, [middle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_school "Middle school") and [high schoolers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_school_\(North_America\) "High school (North America)"), from seeing the film. The film's director, Lee Hirsch, has refused to recut the film, stating, "I feel a responsibility as a filmmaker, as the person entrusted to tell (these kids') stories, to not water them down." A petition collected more than 200,000 signatures to change the film's rating[\[96\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-96) and a version with less profanity was finally given a PG-13 rating. However, the 1995 teen drama *[Kids](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kids_\(film\) "Kids (film)")*, which director [Larry Clark](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Clark "Larry Clark") wanted rated R so parents could take their kids to it for educational purposes, still received an NC-17 rating due to its content of teen sex, and the MPAA turned down Clark's appeal.[\[97\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-x786-97) The film was then released unrated by [Miramax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miramax "Miramax")[\[98\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-y138-98) (under Shining Excalibur Films because Miramax, formerly owned by [Disney](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walt_Disney_Company "The Walt Disney Company"), hesitated to release it as an NC-17 film).[\[99\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Evans-99)
### Inconsistent standards for independent studios
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=26 "Edit section: Inconsistent standards for independent studios")\]
Many critics of the MPA rating system, especially [independent](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_film "Independent film") distributors, have charged that major studios' releases often receive more lenient treatment than independent films.
The independent film *[Saints and Soldiers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saints_and_Soldiers "Saints and Soldiers")*, which contains no nudity, almost no sex (although there is a scene in which a German soldier is about to rape a French woman), very little profanity, and a minimum of violence, was said to have been rated R for a single clip where a main character is shot and killed, and required modification of just that one scene to receive a PG-13 rating.[\[100\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-100)[\[101\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-101) Eric Watson, producer of the independently distributed *[Requiem for a Dream](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem_for_a_Dream "Requiem for a Dream")* (initially rated NC-17 before having its rating surrendered and released unrated) complained that the studios are paying the budget of the MPAA, which gives the studios leverage over the MPAA's decisions.[\[102\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Atschison-102)
The comedy *[Scary Movie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scary_Movie "Scary Movie")*, released by [Dimension Films](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimension_Films "Dimension Films"), at the time a division of [The Walt Disney Company](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walt_Disney_Company "The Walt Disney Company"), contained "strong crude sexual humor, language, drug use and violence," including images of [ejaculation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ejaculation "Ejaculation"), [fellatio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fellatio "Fellatio") and an [erect penis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erection "Erection"), but was rated R, to the surprise of many reviewers and audiences; by comparison, the comparatively tame porn spoof *[Orgazmo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orgazmo "Orgazmo")*, an independent release by *[South Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Park "South Park")* creators [Matt Stone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Stone "Matt Stone") and [Trey Parker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trey_Parker "Trey Parker") and distributed by [October Films](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_Films "October Films") (since absorbed into [Focus Features](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_Features "Focus Features")), contained "explicit sexual content and dialogue" and received an NC-17 (the only on-screen penis seen in the film is a [dildo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dildo "Dildo")). Parker and Stone did not have the time and money to edit the film, so it retained its NC-17 rating, the duo later stated that the MPAA refused to note specific scenes to remove and theorized that the organization cared less because it was an independent release which would bring it significantly less money.[\[103\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Playboy-103) In contrast, Parker and Stone's following feature film, *[South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Park:_Bigger,_Longer_%26_Uncut "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut")*, was distributed by a major studio ([Paramount Pictures](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramount_Pictures "Paramount Pictures")) and, after multiple submissions and notes from the MPAA, received an R rating.[\[102\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Atschison-102)
### Inconsistent standards between G and PG
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=27 "Edit section: Inconsistent standards between G and PG")\]
[Disney](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_Animation_Studios "Walt Disney Animation Studios")'s 1996 film *[The Hunchback of Notre Dame](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame_\(1996_film\) "The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)")* has been criticized for its depiction of [lust](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lust "Lust"), [antiziganism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiziganism "Antiziganism"), and [genocide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocide "Genocide"), despite being rated G. Twenty-five years after its release, one of the screenwriters for the film, [Tab Murphy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tab_Murphy "Tab Murphy"), talked about its rating in an interview with *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*, saying, "That's the most R-rated G you will ever see in your life."[\[104\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-104) [Pixar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixar "Pixar")'s 2011 film *[Cars 2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cars_2 "Cars 2")* has been criticized similarly for featuring on-screen gun violence and a torture scene, despite being rated G.[\[105\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-105) Former vice president, [Joan Graves](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Graves "Joan Graves"), claimed in an interview with *[The Hollywood Reporter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hollywood_Reporter "The Hollywood Reporter")* that she regretted rating the film as G and that parents actually care more about ratings at the lower level. She says: “We had a divided vote on Cars 2 but the G’s won. I had misgivings because as they’re going around the track, there’s a lot of ‘kill em’, kill em,’ but I thought, ‘OK, well, it’s animated’ and I talked myself down the cliff. The parents did not. They felt very very misled. It was our fault.”[\[106\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-THR-106) In contrast, critics of the system have accused the ratings board of giving PG ratings to family-friendly films such as *[Frozen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_\(2013_film\) "Frozen (2013 film)")* and *[Finding Dory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finding_Dory "Finding Dory")*, despite seemingly having no justification.[\[107\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-107)[\[108\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-108)
### Call for publicizing the standards
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=28 "Edit section: Call for publicizing the standards")\]
Many critics of the system, both conservative and liberal, would like to see the MPAA ratings unveiled and the standards made public. The MPAA has consistently cited nationwide scientific polls (conducted each year by the Opinion Research Corporation of [Princeton, New Jersey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princeton,_New_Jersey "Princeton, New Jersey")), which show that parents find the ratings useful. Critics such as Matt Stone in Kirby Dick's documentary *[This Film Is Not Yet Rated](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Film_Is_Not_Yet_Rated "This Film Is Not Yet Rated")* respond this proves only that parents find the ratings more useful than nothing at all.[\[109\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-This_Film_is_not_Yet_Rated-109) In the film, it is also discussed how the MPAA will not reveal any information about how or why certain decisions are made, and that the association will not even reveal to the filmmaker the specific scenes that need to be cut in order to get an alternative rating.
### Accusation of "ratings creep"
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=29 "Edit section: Accusation of \"ratings creep\"")\]
Although there has always been concern about the content of films,[\[110\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-110) the MPAA has been accused of a "ratings creep", whereby the films that fell into specific ratings categories in 2010 contained more objectionable material than those that appeared in the same categories two decades earlier.[\[111\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-111) A study put forward by the [Harvard School of Public Health](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_School_of_Public_Health "Harvard School of Public Health") in 2004 concluded that there had been a significant increase in the level of profanity, sex and violence in films released between 1992 and 2003.[\[112\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-pmid15520625-112) Kimberly Thompson, director of the study, stated: "The findings demonstrate that ratings creep has occurred over the last decade and that today's movies contain significantly more violence, sex, and profanity on average than movies of the same rating a decade ago."[\[112\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-pmid15520625-112)
### Questions of relevance
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=30 "Edit section: Questions of relevance")\]
In 2010 *[Slashfilm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slashfilm "Slashfilm")* managing editor David Chen wrote on the website: "It's time for more people to condemn the MPAA and their outrageous antics. We're heading towards an age when we don't need a mommy-like organization to dictate what our delicate sensibilities can and can't be exposed to. I deeply hope that the MPAA's irrelevance is imminent."[\[113\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-Chen2010-113)
*[Chicago Tribune](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Tribune "Chicago Tribune")* film critic Michael Phillips wrote in 2010 that the MPAA ratings board "has become foolish and irrelevant, and its members do not have my interests at heart, or yours. They're too easy on violence yet bizarrely reactionary when it comes to nudity and language."[\[114\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-114)
### Trademark infringement
\[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system&action=edit§ion=31 "Edit section: Trademark infringement")\]
In 2005, the MPAA sent cease-and-desist letters to some writers of [fan fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_fiction "Fan fiction") regarding their usage of the film ratings;[\[115\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-115) many related websites now use alternate ratings systems designed as parallels to those of the MPAA.[\[116\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-116) In 2025, the MPAA sent a cease-and-desist letter to [Meta Platforms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta_Platforms "Meta Platforms") after it announced that [Instagram](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram "Instagram") content for teenagers would be "guided by PG-13 ratings".[\[117\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-117)[\[118\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-118)[\[119\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_note-119)
- [List of highest-grossing R-rated films](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_R-rated_films "List of highest-grossing R-rated films")
- [List of NC-17 rated films](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NC-17_rated_films "List of NC-17 rated films")
- [Common Sense Media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense_Media "Common Sense Media")
- [Entertainment Software Rating Board](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_Software_Rating_Board "Entertainment Software Rating Board")
- [Film Advisory Board](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_Advisory_Board "Film Advisory Board")
- [Film and Publication Board](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_and_Publication_Board "Film and Publication Board")
- [Green Sheet (filmmaking)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Sheet_\(filmmaking\) "Green Sheet (filmmaking)")
- *[Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Burstyn,_Inc._v._Wilson "Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson")* (1952)
- [Parental Advisory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parental_Advisory "Parental Advisory")
- [Pink permits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_permits "Pink permits")
- [TV Parental Guidelines](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_Parental_Guidelines "TV Parental Guidelines")
- [United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Conference_of_Catholic_Bishops%27_Office_for_Film_and_Broadcasting "United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting")
- [Film censorship in the United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_censorship_in_the_United_States "Film censorship in the United States")
1. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-1)**
Rialto Cinemas (2012). ["Frequently Asked Questions"](https://web.archive.org/web/20220705194752/https://www.rialtocinemas.com/index.php?location=sebastopol&page=faq). *Rialto Cinemas*. Rialto Cinemas™. Archived from [the original](https://www.rialtocinemas.com/index.php?location=sebastopol&page=faq) on July 5, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
2. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-desques_2-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-desques_2-1)
["Questionable ratings to gain patronge"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-2Y1AAAAIBAJ&pg=5106%2C7197294). *Deseret News*. Salt Lake City, Utah. (The Moviegoer). October 31, 1968. p. 10A.
3. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-rating_rules_3-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-rating_rules_3-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-rating_rules_3-2) [***d***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-rating_rules_3-3) [***e***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-rating_rules_3-4) [***f***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-rating_rules_3-5) [***g***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-rating_rules_3-6)
["Classification and Rating Rules"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141204235546/http://filmratings.com/downloads/rating_rules.pdf) (PDF). Classification and Rating Administration. January 1, 2010. pp. [6](https://www.filmratings.com/content/downloads/rating_rules.pdf#page=8)–8. Archived from [the original](https://www.filmratings.com/content/downloads/rating_rules.pdf) (PDF) on December 4, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
4. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-film_ratings_4-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-film_ratings_4-1)
["Film Ratings"](https://www.motionpictures.org/film-ratings/). [Motion Picture Association of America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_of_America "Motion Picture Association of America"). Retrieved March 24, 2014.
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Bowles, Scott (April 16, 2013). ["Film-rating descriptors to add detail"](https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/04/16/cinemacon-ratings-mpaa-nato-dodd/2088439/). *[USA Today](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Today "USA Today")*. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
6. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-6)**
["History"](https://www.filmratings.com/History).
7. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-AAR_7-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-AAR_7-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-AAR_7-2) [***d***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-AAR_7-3) [***e***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-AAR_7-4) [***f***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-AAR_7-5) [***g***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-AAR_7-6)
["Advertising Administration Rules"](https://www.filmratings.com/Content/Downloads/advertising_handbook.pdf) (PDF). [Motion Picture Association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association "Motion Picture Association"). October 8, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
8. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Halbfinger_8-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Halbfinger_8-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Halbfinger_8-2) [***d***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Halbfinger_8-3) [***e***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Halbfinger_8-4) [***f***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Halbfinger_8-5) [***g***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Halbfinger_8-6)
Halbfinger, David M. (June 13, 2007). ["Attention, Web Surfers: The Following Film Trailer May Be Racy or Graphic"](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/13/movies/13yell.html). *[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*. p. E1. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
9. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Dodd_9-0)**
Dodd, Chris (April 18, 2013). ["Check the Box to Decide if a Film Is Right for Your Family"](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/check-the-box-to-decide-i_b_3110024). *[Huffington Post](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huffington_Post "Huffington Post")*. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
10. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Slate_10-0)**
Wickman, Forrest (June 11, 2013). ["Have You Noticed Trailers Looking Different?"](https://slate.com/culture/2013/06/trailer-tags-sport-new-font-and-other-design-changes-heres-why-red-band-and-green-band-movie-previews-look-different.html). *[Slate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slate_\(magazine\) "Slate (magazine)")*. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
11. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Debruge_11-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Debruge_11-1)
Debruge, Peter (May 2, 2013). ["Trailers Jump on the Age-Restricted Red-Band Wagon"](https://variety.com/2013/film/features/red-band-trailers-1200391717/). *[Variety](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_\(magazine\) "Variety (magazine)")*. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
12. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-12)**
Barnes, Brooks (February 23, 2010). ["Cat-and-Mouse for a Trashy Trailer"](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/movies/24kick.html). *The New York Times*. Retrieved February 24, 2010.
13. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-13)**
["What are red-band trailers on YouTube?"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190121083207/https://www.commonsensemedia.org/youtube/what-are-red-band-trailers-on-youtube). [Common Sense Media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense_Media "Common Sense Media"). Archived from [the original](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/youtube/what-are-red-band-trailers-on-youtube) on January 21, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
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McClintock, Pamela (May 28, 2008). ["Regal greenlights red band trailers"](https://variety.com/2008/more/news/regal-greenlights-red-band-trailers-1117983114/). *[Variety](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_\(magazine\) "Variety (magazine)")*. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
15. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-valenti_15-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-valenti_15-1)
vbcsc03l@vax.csun.edu (snopes) (May 25, 1993). ["Re: The MPAA"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170818092954/http://www.skepticfiles.org/en001/mpaarate.htm). *The Skeptic Tank*. Archived from [the original](https://www.skepticfiles.org/en001/mpaarate.htm) on August 18, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_numeric_names:_authors_list "Category:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list"))
16. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Variety_16-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Variety_16-1)
"MPAA Ratings in Effect But Not Being Widely Advertised - Yet". *[Daily Variety](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_\(magazine\) "Variety (magazine)")*. November 4, 1968. p. 1.
17. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-17)**
"'X' Marks Spot For Only 1 of 1st MPAA Group: W7 'Girl'". *[Daily Variety](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_\(magazine\) "Variety (magazine)")*. October 22, 1968. p. 1.
18. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-18)**
Murphy, A.D. (November 20, 1968). "Coding Old Pix New Wrinkle". *[Daily Variety](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_\(magazine\) "Variety (magazine)")*. p. 1.
19. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-19)**
Kennedy, Matthew (2014). *Roadshow!: The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s*. [OUP USA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_University_Press#North_America "Oxford University Press"). p. [183](https://books.google.com/books?id=9Xj1AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA183). [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)")
[9780199925674](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780199925674 "Special:BookSources/9780199925674")
.
20. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-20)** *[Life](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Magazine "Life Magazine")*, p. [55](https://books.google.com/books?id=a08EAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22X+Persons+Under+16+Not+Admitted%22&pg=PA55), May 30, 1969.
21. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Kr%C3%A4mer_\(2005\)_21-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Kr%C3%A4mer_\(2005\)_21-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-Kr%C3%A4mer_\(2005\)_21-2)
Krämer, Peter (2005). *The New Hollywood: From Bonnie and Clyde to Star Wars*. Short Cuts Series. [Columbia University Press](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_University_Press "Columbia University Press"). p. [49](https://books.google.com/books?id=29Y3BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA49). [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)")
[978-0-231-85005-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-231-85005-6 "Special:BookSources/978-0-231-85005-6")
. [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_\(identifier\) "OCLC (identifier)") [952779968](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/952779968).
22. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-22)**
Kroon, Richard W. (2014). *A/V A to Z: An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Media, Entertainment and Other Audiovisual Terms*. [McFarland & Company](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McFarland_%26_Company "McFarland & Company"). p. [316](https://books.google.com/books?id=HjmNAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA316). [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)")
[9780786457403](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780786457403 "Special:BookSources/9780786457403")
. [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_\(identifier\) "OCLC (identifier)") [910109344](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/910109344).
23. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#cite_ref-23)**
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- ["Study Finds "Ratings Creep": Movie Ratings Categories Contain More Violence, Sex, Profanity than Decade Ago"](https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/archives/2004-releases/press07132004.html). *[Harvard School of Public Health](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_School_of_Public_Health "Harvard School of Public Health")* (Press release). July 13, 2004.
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- [Classification and Ratings Administration](https://www.filmratings.com/) Official Website with ratings database
- [MPA Film Ratings website](https://www.motionpictures.org/film-ratings/) |
| Shard | 152 (laksa) |
| Root Hash | 17790707453426894952 |
| Unparsed URL | org,wikipedia!en,/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system s443 |