CNN.Com--Are "G" Rated Films Going Too Far?

Fozzie Bear

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Are G-rated films going too far?
Violence, veiled sexual references in many films

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A shotgun-wielding hunter mercilessly pursues his target. Angry space aliens vaporize a defenseless town. A bloodthirsty shark preys on the weak and tiny.

These movie scenes aren't from the latest action thrillers -- they're from G-rated animated films like Disney's new "Chicken Little."

As pop culture mimics today's permissive social values, violence and veiled sexual references have crept into the seemingly innocent cartoon landscape, giving parents new reason to do research beyond the ratings.

It's not that the Motion Picture Association of America's ratings board has become more permissive, said MPAA president Dan Glickman: "It's bound to be a reflection of society."

It's also a reflection of movie studios following the formula of hits like the "Toy Story" and "Shrek" films, whose sophisticated scripts include plenty of subtle jokes aimed at adults.

So the octopus-armed alien robots in "Chicken Little," who shred a cornfield and use their laser-gaze to zap away the town's animal citizens, are just typical cartoon characters. The film's allusion to "Girls Gone Wild" is just another cultural reference. The melons held chest-high by the heroine in "Wallace & Gromit" are just large pieces of fruit.

"Everybody is trying to reach out to as wide an audience as possible," said Disney spokesman Dennis Rice. "It may have some adult humor that goes over the heads of other audiences, but it's never so colorful that it would affect the MPAA and how they rate the movie."

Historically, cartoons have always contained some strong elements. Bambi's mother is shot and killed in the 1942 Disney classic, and Daffy Duck took many a shotgun blast from Elmer Fudd. But as animation techniques become more sophisticated and cartoons speak to audiences of all ages, the animated world looks more like reality, said Elayne Rapping, professor of film history and theory at the University of Buffalo.

"We become increasingly desensitized, so movies have to be more and more viscerally exciting," she said.

Beyond the ratings
A series of Harvard studies confirms that violence has increased during the history of animated G-rated films. In one study, more than half of all G-rated animated features showed characters using alcohol or tobacco. These movies are also likely to contain more violent content than their live-action counterparts.

Glickman said the MPAA ratings system is "somewhat subjective."

The Los Angeles-based ratings board is a full-time panel of 10 to 13 members, many of whom are parents. They evaluate the amount of violence, language, sexuality and drug use in each film before deciding a rating by majority vote.

A G rating means the movie is "good for all audiences," containing nothing that would be offensive to parents whose younger children view the film. But culture isn't static, and not all parents have the same values, so the definition of "offensive" can vary wildly.

"It's not the MPAA's fault," said James Steyer, chief executive of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit parent resource group. He founded the organization in 2003 to provide parents with more insight into children's entertainment.

"Standards have been inconsistent," he said. "Parents need to be better-informed consumers on behalf of their kids."

Common Sense Media and similar organizations, such as Parent Previews and Kids-in-Mind, offer their own ratings systems and provide additional details for parents about the content of popular movies.

They note the potential scariness of sharp-toothed sharks in "Finding Nemo," for example, and warn parents of the bawdy humor and armed hunter in "Wallace & Gromit." Both films earned G ratings.

Children learn just as much from animated features as they do from other media, said Kimberly Thompson, author of the Harvard studies.

"All media are educational. The only question is what they are teaching," she said. "Kids are sponges. They don't make this artificial distinction between entertainment and education."

Parents: Be there
Though most kids understand cartoons aren't real, they can still be affected by what they see. Some children imitate name-calling or bullying they witnessed on screen, or fear that something they saw in a movie could happen in real life, said pediatrician Ken Haller, a professor at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

Providing context is key to helping children make sense of an increasingly media-saturated world, he said.

"Being there to discuss things that might be disturbing, upsetting or funny is probably the most important thing parents can do," he said.

They should research the movies their children plan to see and learn about any questionable content in advance, he said, then be prepared to discuss it afterward.

"Parents think of animated feature-length films, even going back to 'Snow White,' as being a safe harbor they can put their kids in front of and not worry about," Haller said. "All the animated films involve violence or threats of violence. Snow White gets poisoned. The problem is when kids don't have anyone to help them process these things."

The MPAA's Glickman also cited old Road Runner cartoons, where all sorts of unthinkable things happened to the Coyote.

"We like to think that things are more violent today, and it may be," he said. "But 30 or 40 years ago, there were a lot of things falling on heads and dropping off cliffs."

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movies/11/02/film.kidsmovieratings.ap/index.html

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It is my opinion, "No." I don't have a single problem with the subtle jokes that go over kids' heads anyhow, but make the films funny for adults. Obviously, "shock humor" (gaseous outbursts and absolutely filthy stuff) are NOT funny to me, but Pepe saying, "I like my womens like I like my coffees, okay? A latte!" That is funny.

What do you think? Is society finding something else to worry about, or is there substance to their worries?
 

Censored

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I get tired of all the scatological humor in children's entertainment these days. When did that get to be acceptable for kids? :confused:
 

Labyrinth Fairy

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my opnion: honestly, I seen nothing wrong in children's movies of today, but I haven't seen chicken little. oh well.
 

Don'tLiveonMoon

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I think some movies cross the line; then again, it seems like fewer and fewer films are getting the G rating these days, so they're at least being pretty honest about how things have changed. I was a bit shocked by "Shrek" when it first came out, but I've made my peace with the level of crudity; it's overshadowed by the cleverness and the ultimately very worthwhile message. So I don't know. I think there is probably more out there to be concerned about than in years past, and ratings aren't always the most reliable guideline to follow. The best advice is for parents to preview films and determine if they're comfortable with their kids watching them, or at least to have them watch the movies together so any questionable issues can be discussed right away.
Erin
 

Phantom

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You know an ogre is alot like an onion...
 

D'Snowth

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So what's so sexual about aliens with octopi?
 

Phantom

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You are 16 going on 17...:sing:

Actually, I've got no clue...I just wanted to sing...
 

D'Snowth

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I'm glad my parents are such clean people from the 40's and 50's, because unlike other people my age I come in contact with, I don't even understand HALF of all these sexual jokes and innuendos floating arounf society. After years of watching Rocko's Modern Life, and Cow and Chicken in reruns, I'm just NOW starting to understand some of the jokes I didn't understand when I first watch when I was 8, 9, and 10 years old/
 

BEAR

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I think that our society is becoming way too sensitive about things, in my honest opinion. Yes, we need to be careful with what we expose to our children but we can't be uptight. It is important that the studios present something that parents and children can all enjoy. Disney does this well. That is why they are called "family films" and not strictly "childrens films". They are 2 separate categories that many people don't understand. Was Wallace and Gromit ever intended for children anyway? That is very sophisticated humor. You can't get all bent out of shape over a scary looking shark that devours fish in Finding Nemo. You know why? Because that is the reality of what sharks do. How is that going to influence a child in a negative way? I guess we shouldn't have Monstro the Whale either. There is always a fine line with violence. Many parents complain about how violent cartoons are such as Looney Toons. Sure, there may be some things that kids might pick up, but how realistic is it that a kid will find a 2 ton anvil and drop it on his brother's head? It is ultimately the parent's resposibility to remind the kids the difference between what is real and what is pure fantasy. Plus, some of those classic cartoons featuring Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck appeal to children mostly, but they are equally to be enjoyed by any adult with a playful sense of humor. The same is said of the Muppets as we all know. Do people realize how much violence is in an episode of The Muppet Show? Everyday something is blown up by Crazy Harry or karate punched by Miss Piggy. I remember reading about the development of the Muppet Show and how there is nothing funny really about Fozzie Bear standing there telling a joke, but if something happens to him while he tells it, that is funny. The point is, they never harm anybody. The writing is smart, funny and always clean. The writers never stooped to filth, cussing, potty humor, or sexually explicit material to be funny. That is what made Jerry Juhl's work so valueable. I don't any of these family films have anything so intense that a child will be scarred. They are usually written in a way where the parent and a kid will laugh at the exact same joke, but for 2 completely different reasons. It is to the brilliance of the writers that this happens. I will admit, there have been certain things i have seen in such films where I have thought "umm...I'm surprised they got away with that one," but its never as bad as people like to make it. Again, it is also a difference between a "childrens film" and a "family film". Let Aladdin's Genie dress in drag and shimmy his moneymakers, but if we ever saw Elmo hold up 2 melons to his chest, then we have cause to worry, but that day hasn't come yet. Let's think about who the films were actually aimed at before making a fuss.

I have babbled on way too much and I apologize. I just wanted to get that all out of my system.
 
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