Research Beyond Ratings

A movie rating does not absolve a parent from making educated decisions about what their kids watch. There. I’ve said it. MPAA’s rating standards cannot possibly reflect the moral and censorship standards of every household in America as words like “offensive” and “appropriate” are subjective terms that vary from parent to parent.

I’ve been reading today about the alleged violence and adult humor in Chicken Little and the objections of some viewers. Maybe it’s excessive. Maybe it’s not. It’s gonna depend on who you ask.

People like to point to old cartoons either as a defence for current day animated violence or as a participant in the decline of America. (Funny. Seems like there'd be a rash of anvil related crimes in the 60's). It’s simple parental prerogative. You don’t like Roadrunner cartoons? Don’t let your kids watch them. You think Popeye was a racist? Don’t buy his DVD’s.

I saw a Tweety cartoon the other day that I hadn't seen since I was a little girl. The Abbott cat tells the Costello cat to give him the bird. Costello cat says, “yeah, I’ll give ya the bird”. It was hysterical and I don't care if my kids see it. But, it didn’t even merit a chuckle when I was ten. On the other hand, I never allowed my kids to see the animated Hercules film. My son, who was thirteen at the time picked up a picture book of the movie and saw a dead Megara floating in a green fog in hell. He had just lost his grandmother to Cancer and was very disturbed by the image. So, no Hercules. My circumstance. My kids. My prerogative. No biggie.

Parents are still in charge of what they send their kids to see and can investigate films before their little darlin’s are exposed to them. If it worries you, then listen to what other parents say, watch movie reviews, look the film up on the internet or even view the film first and then form an opinion about the appropriateness of the film.

You think Chicken Little might give your kid War of the World nightmares about uzi wielding farm animals? Don’t spend the $8 plus $10 or so in snacks. Nobody is twisting your arm.