Essay: "NC-17 Films and Censorship", Part 3 of Several

Essay: "NC-17 Films and Censorship", Part 3 of Several

         Events Leading Up To the Creation of the NC-17 Rating:

       In 1989 and 1990, at least ten independent and foreign films received an X-rating. Among them were:  "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and her Lover", "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!", "Hardware" (all by Miramax Studios), and a number of other films as well. The makers of these ten films sued the Motion Picture Assocation of America (the MPAA or Hollywood's official movie-rating service) over receiving a box-office obliterating X-rating, and as a result, some of the films were either re-edited to receive an R-rating or were released unrated. (I believe movie companies have to pay for the  'privilege' of being rated.) Also, such big-name filmmakers as Francis Ford Coppola ["The Godfather", etc.], Spike Lee ["Do the Right Thing", etc.], Penny Marshall, Ron Howard ["Apollo 13", etc.], and Rob Reiner ["This Is Spinal Tap", etc.], plus the late movie reviewer Gene Siskel and his currently cancer-stricken colleague Roger Ebert, all called for the abolition of the X-rating for mainstream movies.  Within a year, the MPAA created and copyrighted the NC-17 rating, for films too controversial for an R-rating, but not for pornographic or so-called adult films. (to be cont'd)

 [The original version of this essay first appeared in Eastern Connecticut State University's Campus Lantern student newspaper in the early '90s, in my unpublished manuscript  "In Mediocrity We Trust... In Debt We Die" And Other Essays, and in UMass/Boston's Mass Media

student newspaper in the mid-90s.]

Essay: "NC-17 Films and Censorship", Part 2

Essay: "NC-17 Films and Censorship", Part 2 of Several

       Many non-pornographic films have received an X-rating by the MPAA over the years. In 1969, "Midnight Cowboy" received an X-rating, and actually went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. In 1971,  "A Clockwork Orange" received an X-rating and went on to become a cult classic. I 1973, "Last Tango In Paris",  starring Marlon Brando, received an X-rating. I never saw that film, but I know that Brando never would have been a contentuh if he had ever appeared in a smutty film. Also, in 1986, "Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer" received an X-rating.

       For years, the MPAA had been granting films by major studios an R-rating, while giving similar films by independent and foreign filmmakers the dreaded X. For example, if the same rule that applied to independent and foreign films applied to the major studios, such films as  "Fatal Attraction" and  "Dangerous Liaisons", among others, might have received an X-rating. By copyrighting the NC-17 rating, the MPAA could, it was hoped, rate violent or risque' films without stigmatizing them. (to be cont'd)

[The original version of this essay first appeared in Eastern Connecticut State University's Campus Lantern student newspaper in the early '90s, in my unpublished manuscript  "In Mediocrity We Trust... In Debt We Die" And Other Essays, and in UMass/Boston's  Mass Media student newspaper in the mid-90s.

Essay: "NC-17 Films and Censorship"

Essay: "NC-17 Films and Censorship", Part 1 of Several

       In 1968, the Motion Picture Association of America, formerly headed by Jack Valenti, was established as a nationwide rating system for movies. Before the MPAA came into existence, communities, municipalities, religious groups (i.e. the so-called Catholic Legion of Decency and the Hays Code), and sometimes even the government decided what movies were suitable for families and individuals.

      The MPAA has the following ratings for films: Rated G (General Audiences) for anyone of any age to see; PG (once GP) (Parental Guidance) recommended for anyone aged 12 or older or if approved by a parent or guardian; Rated R (Restricted) for anyone aged 17 or older to see; and Rated X , strictly for adults. In the early eighties, the rating system was expanded to include PG-13 films, for movies in between a PG and R rating, recommended for children over aged 13. The ratings G, PG, PG-13 and R were all copyrighted by the MPAA, while the X-rating was not. Due to the failure to copyright the X-rating, pornographers soon adopted the notorious X-rating for their own smutty films.  As a result, ever since then, any film given an X-rating, regardless of reason has automatically assumed to be pornographic.  In hopes of correcting this potential oversight, the NC-17 rating (No Children Under 17 admitted) was announced and copyrighted in the early 1990s, to try to escape the stigma of the X. (to be cont'd)

[The original version of this essay entitled  "NC-17 Films" first appeared in Eastern Connecticut State University's Campus Lantern  student newspaper in the early '90s and as part of my unpublished manuscript "In Mediocrity We Trust... In Debt We Die" And Other Essays and also later appeared in UMass/Boston's student newspaper The Mass Media in the mid '90s.

Essay: "The PTC and Censorship"

Essay: "The Parents Television Council and Censorship"

       The Parents Television Council is a mostly right-wing (it claims to be non-partisan) pressure group, which under the pretext of  "protecting children" bullies its way into impinging on the rights of potential viewers and artists of television and movies. According to the PTC website, the Parents Television Council has at least "90,ooo+ active members", including such right-wingers as movie critic Michael Medved.  On their website is a section which encourages members or potential members to complain to the Federal Communication Commission (the FCC) about programs individuals don't like, whether or not they actually watched the program(s).  In fact, a majority of complaints to the FCC regarding alleged  "indecency" over the airwaves are attributed to the self-appointed prudes and censorship fanatics of the  PTC.

       On the Parents Television Council website is a list of both so-called  "Best Shows" for families and  "Worst Shows" for families. Under the  "Best Show" category are mindless G-rated fluff like  "Dancing With The Stars" and similar stuff I wouldn't waste my time or be caught dead watching.  Under the so-called  "Worst Show" category were such shows as  the medical drama  "House"; the murder mystery  "Harper's Island"; the science-fiction programs "Dollhouse" and  "Fringe"; plus  "Medium", "My Name Is Earl", and  "Supernatural". Ironically or not, I watch all the programs on the so-called  "Worst" list every week. Admittedly, most, if not all of these shows are arguably inappropriate for young children, but be that as it may; I don't want any right-wing zealots or left-leaning PC police dictating what I can read, write, view, listen, create, or think.

       According to the PTC website, other prudes and zealots striving to censor the airwaves etc. include the following groups:  "Focus On the Family; Concerned Women For America;  Citizens For Community Values; the (infamous)  American Family Association; and the Illinois Family Institute" among others. These modern versions of the Catholic Legion of Decency (self-appointed prudes and morality police of the early to late 20eth century) use intimidation and sometimes even underhanded tactics to impose their so-called values on the rest of us.  If you disagree with Censorship, including the self-censorship imposed after Super Bowl  2004's "Nipplegate" incident you only have yourself to blame if you don't oppose such individuals, groups and politicians who will curtail your rights and censor what you listen, view, write or think or show dissent against injustice of any kind.

Poetry: "If It Doesn't Rhyme"

Poetry:  "If It Doesn't Rhyme"

              If it doesn't rhyme

              It ain't a crime

              Either way, you won't likely earn a dime

              Instead you'll toil through the slime

              Or do something else to waste your time

               And get your fingers filled with grime...

Poetry: "I Hate My Job"

Poetry:  "I Hate My Job"

        I hate my job

        I've got to leave

        For something else, I do believe

        I hate my job

        I want to go 

        Before my resentment starts to grow

         I hate my job

         It truly sucks

         It's hardly worth my fifty bucks

         I hate my job

         It causes stress

         I'd do something more pleasant

         For even less

         I hate my job

         I often cry

         To stay for life, I'd rather die... (tbc?)

Essay: "Bleep the FCC, the Supreme Court and the PTC"

Essay:  "Bleep the FCC, the Supreme Court and the PTC"

       This week or early last week (week of between April 26 to May 2 or thereabouts) in  "FCC v. Fox TV" (according to the Parents Television Council website) the Roberts Court ruled in a majority (of mostly right-wing majority of Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice Roberts and Sam Elite-o plus Justice Kennedy)) decision that the Federal Communications Commission (the FCC or the Federal Censorship Gestapo) is within their rights to heavily fine radio and television stations for perceived or actual  "indecency" over the airwaves. To the Parents Television Council (the PTC) and other right-wing pressure groups this ruling is a victory for so-called  "decency", but for the rest of us this is a disappointing loss of freedom of choice and speech for both viewers, listeners and artists of all kinds.

        The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution explicitly states:  "Congress shall make no law abridging speech..." Why is broadcast tv and radio exempt from the First Amendment? And, why does Congress and the Courts ignore the First Amendment to accommodate a small minority of vocal loudmouths who are offended by almost anything? Also, why aren't more people joining or forming counter-pressure groups like the ACLU, People For The American Way, and Americans United For the Separation of Church and State, etc. I really resent having other people's values or supposed morals imposed on me. Why don't these people be more Christ-like by speaking out against economic and other true forms of injustice? If it were up to me I would have the FCC abolished as a cudgel of ruthless censorship, coercion of artists, viewers and listeners, or perhaps even proselitizing of hypocritical Christian values. We are for the most part a secular nation and not Jesus-land (except for the so-called Bible Belt). These pressure groups can take their phony values and stick 'em where the sun don't shine. 

       By the way, according to the parentstv.org website (website of the parents television council) there are at least 90,000 members of the PTC. In other words, 90,000 some-odd self-appointed busybodies pressure the media against the wishes of millions of potential viewers, listeners and artists.