The common thought with films is that if it’s R-rated, then there’s going to be tons of nudity, sex, violence and other stuff that could be considered depraved or disturbing. However, I’ve seen several PG-13 films that I felt should have been rated R. Take for instance, “The Dark Knight.” That movie is rated PG-13, yet there’s a ton of disturbing stuff in that film. I was actually surprised the film was rated for ages 13 and up–that film was doing the most with toeing the line.
If you’re of the same opinion that PG-13-rated films rivals that of R-rated films, then check out this post at Entertainment Weekly. News is going around that a new study called “Gun Violence Trends in Movies” shows that PG-13-rated films are, in fact, just as violent than R-rated films. According to the study, the amount of gun violence in PG-13-rated films have rivaled the amount found in R-rated films since 2009.
“It’s disturbing that PG-13 movies are filled with so much gun violence,” said Dan Romer, a co-author of the study and the director of the Adolescent Communication Institute of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, in a press release. “We know that movies teach children how adults behave, and they make gun use appear exciting and attractive.”
The study also highlights how murky the PG-13 rating is, making it a boon for movie studios. Just from a layperson’s perspective, I think this is why there’s so much violence in PG-13 movies; the rating qualifications are so basic–the violence has to be cartoony or not realistic, and what is considered “cartoony” is subjective to the viewer or producer–that films that should be regulated get away with tons of violence.
You can read more about this study at Entertainment Weekly. What do you think about the amount of gun violence in films? Give your opinions in the comments section below!
