Focus on the Family Magazine - April/May 2023

MEDIA DISCERNMENT / KIDS & TEENS
ILLUMINATION ENTERTAINMENT; MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT; WALT DISNEY PICTURES
MAKING SENSE OF
MOVIE AND MEDIA
RATINGS
BY ADAM HOLZ
I’M OFTEN ASKED about the difference
between ratings for movies, TV shows,
video games and music. While many
people expect that ratings across entertainment
genres work the same way, they don’t.
The Motion Picture Association uses
a parental group that rates theatrically
released movies. While there’s some subjectivity,
they have many objective guidelines
for specific kinds of content. A PG-13
movie, for instance, can have one or two
f-words. Three f-words puts it in R-rated territory.
When it comes to video games, the
Entertainment Software Rating Board also
uses an independent rating panel.
By comparison, TV ratings are generated
differently. Television programs are
self-rated by their production companies.
Netflix’s “Stranger Things” has a TV-14 rating,
for example, because that’s what Netflix
chose. The same is true in the music industry.
The need for a “Parental Advisory:
Explicit Content” label affixed to graphic
music is determined by the record company.
You can see, then, that not all rating systems
are created equal. None are perfect but,
theoretically speaking, the movie and videogame
rating boards should be less biased
and more consistent than their television
and music peers.
As for the rating terms themselves, a general
rule of thumb is that a TV-MA television
show or an M (MATURE 17+) video game
potentially includes the same levels of sexual
imagery, profanity or violence that you
might see in an R-rated movie. But whether
they’re externally or self-generated, remember
that ratings alone are not a definitive
source for deciding what’s appropriate for
your family. •
Adam Holz is the director of Plugged In. He and his
wife, Jennifer, have three children.
UPCOMING REVIEWS
For reviews of these and other titles, visit PluggedIn.com,
<strong>Focus</strong> on the Family’s media review and discernment website.
GUARDIANS
OF THE GALAXY
VOL. 3
Do Peter and Gamora
rekindle their stretchedacross-time
relationship?
Scheduled
release:
May 5
THE LITTLE
MERMAID
Will Disney continue
the trend of inserting
questionable content into
its live-action remakes?
Scheduled
release:
May 26
THE SUPER MARIO
BROS. MOVIE
Can Nintendo’s mushroomhopping
plumber jump
his way from video-game
consoles to big-screen
success?
Scheduled
release:
April 7
APRIL / MAY 2023 FOCUS ON THE FAMILY 45