1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,319 Speaker 1: a show that unspools history one day at a time. 4 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:23,480 Speaker 1: I'm Gay Bluesier, and in this episode, we're talking about 5 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: one of the less glamorous milestones of movie history, the 6 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: day when American films began to be rated not by 7 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 1: their merit, but by their content. The day was November 8 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: one night the Motion Picture Association of America announced its 9 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: first ever rating system for films. The mp a a's 10 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: ratings were developed to better inform audiences, primarily parents, about 11 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: the content they could expect to see in a movie. 12 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: The ratings were provided were most movies released to American theaters, 13 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: and the four criteria used to determine them included theme, language, violence, 14 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: and nudity or sexual content. The US film industry was 15 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:17,320 Speaker 1: a latecomer with regard to film classification. Countries such as 16 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: Australia and the United Kingdom had already been rating their 17 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: films for decades, but for American parents trying to determine 18 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: if a movie was appropriate for their kids to watch, 19 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:31,400 Speaker 1: the ratings were better late than never. Film ratings were 20 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 1: a new venture for the m P a A, but 21 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:38,119 Speaker 1: the organization itself had existed since the early days of Hollywood. 22 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: By the early nineteen twenties, the US government was threatening 23 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: a crackdown on the movie industry. They had received numerous 24 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: complaints about Hollywood from the general public, not only for 25 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: the allegedly indecent content shown on screen, but also for 26 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: the many movie star scandals that made headlines week after week. 27 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 1: Local censoring board had already formed to ban and boycott 28 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 1: the movies and celebrities they deemed morally corrupting, but many 29 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: felt local efforts weren't enough and began to call for 30 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: federal intervention at the movie house. Rather than waiting for 31 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:18,519 Speaker 1: the government to impose standards on filmmaking, America's major movie 32 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 1: studios decided to practice self censorship instead. In ninety two, 33 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 1: they founded the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America 34 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: the mp P d A. The members of the trade 35 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: organization represented about eighty percent of US filmmaking at the time, 36 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:39,519 Speaker 1: and their goal was to put a more respectable face 37 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: on the Hollywood industry. To help with that task, the 38 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: group hired former Postmaster General will H. Hayes to be 39 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,959 Speaker 1: the first president of the m P p d A. Then, 40 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: using the complaints they had gathered from local censoring boards 41 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: as a guide, they introduced the Motion Picture Production Code 42 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:02,640 Speaker 1: nicknamed the Hayes Code mode, which outlined, often vaguely, the 43 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 1: kind of content that would no longer be allowed in movies. 44 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: This forbidden material included quote excessive and lustful kissing, sex, perversion, missgenation, 45 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 1: and indecent or undo exposure. Oh and for good measure, 46 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 1: the code also issued a blanket ban on anything that 47 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 1: quote lowered moral standards of viewers. To be clear, the 48 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: mp p d A didn't have the power to enforce 49 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: its guidelines. It could review movies for compliance with the code, 50 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: but it was left for studios to decide whether or 51 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: not to implement the recommended changes. That said, most filmmakers 52 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: did comply with the code simply to avoid public backlash 53 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 1: or potential lawsuits. In that way, the Hayes Code helped 54 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: secure the financial viability of the fledgling movie industry by 55 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: greatly reducing the public controversy surrounding it. However, as many 56 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: filmmaker errs then and now would tell you, that security 57 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: often came at the cost of full artistic freedom. As 58 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: time went on, the mp d a A changed its 59 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: name to the much shorter mp a A, the Motion 60 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: Picture Association of America. Even under its new name, though, 61 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: the organization still relied on the old Hayes Code to 62 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: inform Hollywood movie making. But by the nineteen sixties, those 63 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 1: original guidelines had begun to look quite dated, and some 64 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:34,599 Speaker 1: studios began to overstep or even outright ignore them. The 65 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 1: reality was that social norms had shifted dramatically since the 66 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:42,480 Speaker 1: nineteen thirties, leading to a much wider acceptance of former 67 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 1: taboos on screen, such as sexuality, drug use, and violence. 68 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: It was that relaxed social climate that allowed the Haze 69 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,280 Speaker 1: Production Code to be overhauled into the film rating system 70 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 1: we know today. One of the biggest proponents of that 71 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:00,600 Speaker 1: change was the then current President to the m p 72 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: a A, Jack Valenti, a former ADMIN and adviser to 73 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 1: President Lyndon Johnson. As soon as Valenti took the job 74 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty six, he began loosening restrictions in the 75 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: old code and looking for ways to dismantle it entirely. 76 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:20,720 Speaker 1: His big break came two years later, when the Supreme 77 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 1: Court weighed in on the case of Interstate Circuit Inc. 78 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: Versus Dallas. The court ruled that local governments did not 79 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 1: have the authority to ban movies from being shown to adults, 80 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 1: but did have the power to pass laws preventing children 81 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 1: from being exposed to certain material. In other words, studios 82 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,400 Speaker 1: no longer had to worry about their movies being outright 83 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 1: banned due to their content, but they did need to 84 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 1: make it clear which movies were suitable for different age groups. 85 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: With that in mind, Valenti and the m p a 86 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,599 Speaker 1: A developed a rating system to warn audiences about the 87 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 1: content of a specific movie in advance. That way, they 88 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 1: could decide for themselves the type of movie they wanted 89 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 1: to watch without having to impose outside restrictions on filmmakers. 90 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: The rating system was announced on November first, nineteen sixty eight, 91 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:13,279 Speaker 1: and was put into use nationwide by the end of 92 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: the month. The initial plan had been to have just 93 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: three ratings, G for general audiences, M for mature audiences, 94 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 1: and R for restricted, meaning no one under sixteen admitted 95 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:31,359 Speaker 1: without an adult. However, the National Association of Theater Owners 96 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:35,160 Speaker 1: pushed for the creation of a fourth adults only category 97 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 1: to avoid possible legal trouble. This resulted in the X rating, 98 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:42,720 Speaker 1: for which no one under the age of seventeen would 99 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 1: be admitted, whether an adult was with them or not. 100 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:50,719 Speaker 1: Those four original ratings, G, M, R, and X were 101 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:54,160 Speaker 1: revised several times in the years that followed. P G 102 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:58,279 Speaker 1: was added for films where parental guidance was suggested. M 103 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: was changed to PG thirteen, meaning that parental guidance was 104 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: suggested for anyone under the age of thirteen. The age 105 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 1: restriction for R rated movies was changed from sixteen to seventeen, 106 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: and the X rating was changed to the more descriptive 107 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 1: and C seventeen no children under seventeen admitted. These are 108 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: the ratings still in use today, and they're typically accompanied 109 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 1: by descriptions of the content that resulted in that rating. 110 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: Much like the Hayes Code, the rating system is technically voluntary. 111 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 1: Filmmakers can always choose not to submit their films for rating, 112 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: in which case they'll receive an unrated label, which simply 113 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 1: means that the ratings board hasn't weighed in on the 114 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: movie's content one way or the other. That said, most 115 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: American theaters refused to screen unrated movies for fear of 116 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: upsetting their customers, and many publications won't run ads for 117 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: films without ratings. That means that even though the rating 118 00:07:56,080 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: system isn't mandatory, most filmmakers are compelled to submit to 119 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 1: it anyway. By now, you may be wondering who decides 120 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: what a movie should be rated? After all, the members 121 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: of the m p a A are all part of 122 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 1: the film industry, so they can't be reviewing and rating 123 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 1: their own movies, right Well, First of all, the organization 124 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: eventually had yet another name change. It's now just the 125 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 1: mp A the Motion Picture Association. But no, it doesn't 126 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 1: determine the ratings on its own. Instead, the ratings are 127 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 1: decided by a separate division called the Classification and Ratings 128 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 1: Administration or CARA. The group is composed of eight to 129 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:41,440 Speaker 1: fourteen members, all of who must work outside of the 130 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: entertainment industry and must have children between the ages of 131 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,840 Speaker 1: five and fifteen when they join. The only other restriction 132 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: on membership is that a member must leave the group 133 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 1: once their children turned twenty one. CARA members watch each 134 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 1: film together before it's released in theaters, and then assign 135 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: it a rating by majority vote. As you might imagine, 136 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 1: that arrangement has led to a great many controversies Over 137 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 1: the years, many have accused the Ratings Board of being 138 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 1: too lenient on major studios and established filmmakers, handing out 139 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 1: softer ratings than they do when similar content appears in 140 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 1: independent or foreign films. That subjective approach to film rating 141 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 1: can be a serious problem, since the rating of film 142 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 1: receives often determines who will watch it and how much 143 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:31,320 Speaker 1: money it will learn. Once again, just like with the 144 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: Hayes Code, the non mandatory need for a certain rating 145 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:39,560 Speaker 1: can and does hinder artistic expression. If a studio thinks 146 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:42,440 Speaker 1: a certain scene will earn a movie too high a rating, 147 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 1: then they might insist on cutting that scene for a 148 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:48,959 Speaker 1: chance at a bigger box office. In the decades since 149 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 1: its debut, the m p A has rated more than 150 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: thirty thousand films and counting at a rate of roughly 151 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: six hundred each year. The merits of those ratings remain 152 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 1: an ongoing debate, but for many parents there's no denying 153 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:07,720 Speaker 1: the usefulness of clear content warnings for films. Just remember 154 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: that movie ratings are only recommendations and will always be 155 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 1: influenced by the tastes and biases of whoever currently assigns them. 156 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 1: And if you still need more proof of that. Keep 157 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 1: in mind that Frozen and Jaws are both rated PG. 158 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:28,079 Speaker 1: I'm Gabe Lousier and hopefully you now know a little 159 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:32,040 Speaker 1: more about history today than you did yesterday. If you 160 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: have a second and you're so inclined, consider following us 161 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at t D i HC Show, 162 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,920 Speaker 1: and if you have any comments or suggestions, feel free 163 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:45,720 Speaker 1: to send them my way by writing to This Day 164 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:49,400 Speaker 1: at I heart media dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays 165 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 1: for producing the show, and thank you for listening. I'll 166 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 1: see you back here again tomorrow for another day in 167 00:10:55,520 --> 00:11:07,640 Speaker 1: History class.