Why did Capitalism get an R rating?

[Joanne98]

Sunday, October 04, 2009

Capitalism - A Love Story

My daughter and I couldn't wait to get to the Saturday matinee showing of the new Michael Moore film, Capitalism: A Love Story. I almost couldn't believe that our Phoenix area movie theatres were brave enough to show this film in the land of Barry Goldwater and John McCain. When we arrived at our local mall multiplex (ironic, I know) my daughter ran ahead to buy the tickets at the box office while I strolled at my comfortable senior citizen's pace, but when she got to the window she was refused a ticket.

"What's the problem?" I asked, rushing up when I saw the look of disappointment on her face.

"Sorry Ma'am, this movie's rated R," said the gray haired woman behind the glass.

"Oh, that's OK, she's with me," I told the concerned ticket vendor. I couldn't help but wonder what material in this documentary could possibly have merited an R rating. Michael Moore's films are not known for steamy sex scenes or gratuitous violence. Perhaps the rating board considered it Marxist pornography and they were looking out for the welfare of our impressionable young, soon-to-be voters?

"So, are you going to let her see it?" the woman asked, a somewhat disbelieving tone in her voice.

"Yes, I'm going to see it with her, that's all that needs to happen - right? 'R' means 17 unless accompanied by a parent."

"Well... does she have ID?" Clearly, there was no way I was going to slip an innocent child past this guardian of the ratings, this enforcer of the code, without a battle. A series of circuitous misunderstandings occurred and we had to leap backwards through a row of flaming hoops before we were finally allowed to purchase tickets. After getting the third degree at the box office it came as no surprise to me that the theater was only about 1/4 full and that my daughter was the only teen in that auditorium.

continued>>>
http://alicebag.blogspot.com/2009/10/capitalism-love-story.html

This is bull shit!

[YOY]

1. So why is it rated R: Objectionably language?

Heavens no!

[Name removed]

19. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rollingrock]

2. 'Rated R for some language'

wow, what BS.


Halloween II-
Rated R for bloody violence, language, nudity, disturbing graphic images, strong brutal violence and crude sexual content

Capitalism: A Love Story-
Rated R for some language


so much for free speech.

[armyowalgreens]

6. More than 1 F-word and a movie gets an R-rating.

They do that with all movies.

It has nothing to do with free speech.

[marmar]

25. I've seen PG-13s where the "F" word was used multiple times.....

n/t

[armyowalgreens]

31. The rules use to be different. They have since changed.

You will no longer find newly released PG-13 films with multiple F-words. They allow 1. Anymore, and the film is automatically rated R or greater.

[blondeatlast]

38. True--in fact, filmmakers who think a PG-13 rating will hurt them at the box office

will throw in an extra f-word just to get the R. I believe that that was the case with the "Starsky and Hutch" remake, among others.

[whopis01]

60. Ever see the movie "Student Bodies"?

I wouldn't blame you if you haven't - it is a second-rate parody of slasher movies - must have come out sometime in the early 80s.

About halfway through, it cuts away to some executive behind a desk. He goes on to explain how R-rated movies tend to do better in the box-office and despite its violence this movie only received a PG rating. He then explains how it is easier to get an R for language and says "So the producers of this movie would like to take a moment to say 'Fuck you!' to the audience" - and as he does it comes up with the MPAA R rating placard.

Later on I read that they actually did get a PG rating when they first went to the board and then did add that to get the R.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

62. I remember that movie

...and that scene. Probably the most amusing part of the whole film.

[Kutjara]

9. Ah yes, America's infantile obsession with "dirty" words.

It really makes me wonder if there's anyone here with an emotional age greater than ten.

[Kablooie]

32. I sure glad my kids won't hear any obscenities until they are 17. They would be lost otherwise.

[Xipe Totec]

3. Not for children

Or child-like minds.

[rollingrock]

26. The R rating will probably make a lot of kids

want to see it more than they otherwise would.

come to think of it, the audience under 17 have no interest in this kind of subject anyway or even ability to understand it, so I guess the rating really doesn't matter anyway.

[MinneapolisMatt]

4. R for Reality

LOL

[followthemoney]

24. You beat me to it. But I'll say it again. R for Reality nt

[DJ13]

5. "R" = Restrict access so impressionable young future capitalists dont get brain washed

[AllentownJake]

7. Probably the F word and the guy

who is stroking his guns talking about I won't do it myself but I hope someone gets the bankers.

[dsc]

8. I am guessing that it has a couple of fucks in it

which is an automatic R. The ratings system is biased in many ways. Gay films have been given R's for sex scenes that would be PG 13 if the couples were opposite gender.

[Ruby the Liberal]

13. It does. Problem is Moore should have known that.

and avoided it. He pimped the "WWJD" angle but a lot of WWJD people aren't going watch an R-rated flick.

[omega minimo]

36. how bout STFU. was that in it?

[anonymous171]

10. I remember they did the same thing to Fahrenheit 9/11. nt

[Ruby the Liberal]

11. Several F-bombs

[Kceres]

12. The ticket agent was a right-wing asshole. n/t

[Harry Monroe]

30. Or maybe just a prude

Just because she wouldn't let an underage kid into an R-rated movie, this makes her a RW asshole? But asking for the ID was completely irrelevant and unnecessary, since the kid's parent was already accompanying her. I think it was a simple case of prudish behavior.

[seabeyond]

39. or could be her following the rules. nt

[EOTE]

43. The rules are to disallow anyone under 17 into an R rated film.

The rules say nothing about hassling a parent who wants to bring her child in to see an R rated film.

[seabeyond]

46. i thought under 13 could not get into an r. not seeing it. there are tightening of rule.

The best part of the campaign, though, could be something not related to a rule change at all. The MPAA and the National Association of Theatre Owners are planning to do more to communicate with parents and urge them against bringing minors to R-rated films, particularly those deemed "hard-R". I'm really hoping that this plan is a way to get the R rating to mean what it is supposed to mean, and to decrease, if not discontinue, the use of the box office killer NC-17. With more theatres adhering strictly to the ratings system, there are fewer kids getting into inappropriate movies than were at the time the NC-17 rating was instituted

http://www.cinematical.com/2007/01/17/rated-r-for-revisions-to-ratings-rules/

[EOTE]

58. That doesn't appear to be the case.

And if there was an age requirement even with adult supervision, that's what the employee should have said. Instead, it appears as if she was hassling the woman simply because of the movie she wanted to take her kid to see. There's nothing in that link you provided that says that kids under 13 can't see an R movie with parental supervision.

[seabeyond]

59. regardless, then seems to have more to do with political concerns and not prudish behavior

which seems to be the knee jerk insult of du.

[EOTE]

61. I don't know what her motivations were.

I think it's just as likely to be a prudish attitude on her part as it would be that it was politically motivated. One thing that's clear though is she wasn't just following rules. She overstepped her authority and acted like a complete asshole.

[yurbud]

14. R for offensive to Republicans & Reactionaries

[Gabi Hayes]

15. you should go back and see if the same person is there, and, if he/she hassles you, make a big

stink to the manager

make that person's day a little more of a pain, just as he/she did to you

if nothing else, call the theater, and complain about the person's very insolent/impolite attitude. tell them that you understand the policy, but that the person was VERY rude in the way he/she treated you. tell them you'll be taking your business elsewhere, and will be telling your myriad friends (who do everything you tell them) to boycott the place, as well

after ALL, you were trying to give them your MONEY!

[npk]

34. Self delete

Wrong spot.

[14thColony]

16. "...does she have ID?" WTF?

Who cares? She wasn't trying to get in alone.

[Canuckistanian]

17. Yeah, that doesn't make sense

She's standing right there, obviously a minor with an adult, as required by the regulation.

Why in God's name would she have to produce an ID?

[14thColony]

18. Weird huh?

I would have said "ok, fine, you caught us. She doesn't really need an adult."

[peekaloo]

42. She's onto that "liberal reverse psychology stuff".

Hmmm, looked like a kid, no admittance without parent.
Hmmm, parent shows up to vouch for kid, must not be a kid after all, so they're trying to scam the admission price.
Hmmm, never trust these socialist types.


:sarcasm: of course

[jmondine]

20. Probably from the all the scenes of the poor getting fucked

[Soylent Brice]

44. WINNER of the thread^^^^^

[Fire1]

21. Not surprised in the least. n/t

[slampoet]

22. That asshole deserves to get fired. The "R" rating doesn't require an ID check.

ANY guardian will do.


ALSO in nearly every state of the union it is a guideline and not legally enforceable.


Take it from someone who has worked at theaters and tried to keep kids out of "Freddy vs. Jason"

As long as the parent buys the ticket anyone can see an "R" film and the theater can't do anything about it.

[earth mom]

23. Well, if the F word got Moores movie an R rating, I'm glad he kept the F word in the film.

Fuck the fucking fuckers responsible for fucking this country up-they can fuck off!!!!

Whew, I feel SO much better. O8)

[rollingrock]

27. come to think of it

most of the audience under 17 have no interest in this kind of subject anyway or even ability to understand it, so I guess the rating really doesn't matter anyway.

I mean, do you know any kids who go to the movies to see a documentary? I sure don't.

[gmoney]

28. I think there are a few DUers under 18 who I'm sure would want to see it

One prominent poster, until pretty recently was under 18, IIRC, and as a filmmaker herself, I'm sure would want to see it.

I'm guessing there are other young'uns around here, or DUers with teen kids in the woman from the OP's situation.

[rollingrock]

29. Maybe

but I bet they're not from the US. I can't imagine a teenager in this country with the interest or attention span for anything but Toy Story or Jennifer's Body lol.

[PVnRT]

63. Maybe they're too busy loitering on your lawn

:eyes:

[seabeyond]

40. my kids have seen columbine and f11. sheeeit, they watch lots of documentaries

they find them really interesting

sad you know no kids that do.

[Zywiec]

47. My 16 year old son and his friends tried to sneak into Zombieland

over the weekend, but got busted.

I guess my son is not as cool as some of the other posters' children who sound like the life of any party.

:shrug:

[Greyhound]

33. This Film Contains Objectionable Ideas.

[npk]

35. Too many F-bombs.

I think that was a mistake by Moore to leave those in, instead of taking them out. I don't know how many more people would have seen it with a PG-13 rating, but it certainly wouldn't have hurt.

[leveymg]

37. Inequality is the greatest obscenity, and aiding Wall St.'s bank robberies is a crime of state.

Really, there's no sense of proportion left in this society, and even less common sense.

[seabeyond]

41. son went to movie this weekend with friends. told him would prefer he chose moores movie

kinda want him to take a few friends and watch. would never have thought it r rated.

[Echo In Light]

45. Has no one seen the doc film, This Film Is Not Yet Rated? MPAA = RICH REPUBS

It's a private group, unaccountable to the public - in fact, the public isn't even allowed to know who they are, so the makers of this film get busy doing some digging, and discover what shouldn't come as much of a surprise to anyone. Unfavorable 'smear' ratings are applied according (usually to indie films) based on members' political/ideological/religious beliefs, yet BIG $ movies with R rated material get PG-13 as to not hurt big studio profits.

http://www.ifc.com/videos/this-film-is-not-yet-rated.php

[seabeyond]

48. i have been surprised by some of the pg 13 rated compared to r. nt

[Echo In Light]

49. RW hypocrisy = why that happens (not that I frankly give a shit about 'ratings' to begin with)

[seabeyond]

50. i have kids so i care. but on all of it, computer games, movies, they have made it very

hard by their inconsistency.

[Echo In Light]

52. We have a daughter, but aren't too concerned about ratings, per se

We go by content/context more so than ratings.

[seabeyond]

54. absolutely. my point. why the inconsistency of rating is not useful to adult.

the challenge is to get the info on movie or computer game beyond a rating to see if, even though a r or M rating, it is ok for kid.

or the why i dont want them to watch a pg-13 or play a T game.

[Lucy Goosey]

51. Just for comparison, it's rated "PG" in Canada

http://www.google.ca/movies?hl=en&near=Ottawa&ei=kwjKSvnRItS8lAfPmqiSAw&mid=4fdea2558e634fb0

We don't really have as much of a problem with strong language up here in spite of our reputation for politeness, I guess.

[Echo In Light]

53. People here don't have a problem w/it either - but the MPAA is run by RWers

[Lucy Goosey]

55. Fair enough - I sould have made the distinction.

Sorry 'bout that.

[Echo In Light]

56. Nothing to apologize over. Just offering insight on the MPAA's decision to rate this R

:hi:

[Downtown Hound]

57. I worked in a movie theater for three years

That ticket worker was way out of line. If you are seeing the movie with your daughter, then she has no right to ask for you ID. You met the requirements for entry just by accompanying her.

And I can tell you another thing, I guarantee you that that worker has seen parents take their kids to much more questionable films than "Capitalism." It comes with the job. I remember a father taking his kids that couldn't have been more than three or four to "American Psycho." But I didn't say anything. As long as he was with them, it was legal. So I can pretty much guarantee you that the only reason she reacted like that was because it was a Michael Moore movie.

[Withywindle]

64. My "favorite" experience along those lines....

Once had a movie experience disrupted by the usual shrieking restless toddlers and the idiot parents who won't take them out.

In this case, though, I could easily understand why the kids were upset. The movie? "Gangs of New York."