OCR Text |
Show UVU REVIEW A6 OPINIONS APRIL 14, 2014 econsidering the 'R' rating Strong horror violence, Thematic elements, Images of terror, Intense situations of peril, Strong sexual content, and stronge adult lanuage AIMS A A R-rated movies for no one The R-rated movie debate continues ANA R-rated movies for everyone The belief of banning all R-rated movies for Mormons misses the point By Brittany M. Plothow Opinions Editor @brittanyplo PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB.COM You've been given a mind of your own, and I trust that you'll care enough to fill it with the best information possible, even in something as simple as choosing which movies to watch. By Jarom Carlson Staff writer jaromcarlson@live.com Imagine for a moment: The lights dim, silence falls upon the crowd, and there you are with your coke and popcorn. Yes, that's right — you're at the movies, and the shows about to start. However, this isn't just any normal film. Growing up in a religion that teaches strictly against the viewing of "anything that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic" you begin to feel a bit edgy about some of the scenes that start playing before your very eyes. Once again you're faced with a decision. "Do I walk out or finish this R rated movie?" Ultimately, the choice is yours, but I hope you'll make the right one and leave the theater as soon as possible. In 2001, Christine Jackson, Ph.D., from Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, headed a survey of over 700 teenagers from various middle schools in the southeastern United States. The study's purpose was to identify the relationship between smoking and the viewing of R rated movies. At the beginning of the analysis none of the students were smokers. However, after three years, the results, as recorded in "White Teens With High Exposure to R-Rated Movies Have Increased Risk of Smoking Initiation," attests that the white population of those who watched R rated movies more frequently were three times more likely to smoke. Another interesting stat from "Preventative Medicine" in the May 2012 issue showed that R rated movies produced from 1988-1997 are most likely to feature main characters that smoke. The study analyzed the top 25 box office hits of each consecutive year during the sample period. Okay, so I'm not saying that watching an R rated video automatically results in the viewer wanting to choose poor health habits while throwing ethics out the window. However, consider the words of English philosopher James Allen who poetically stated, "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he." The Book of Mormon also warns us to watch our "thoughts, and [our] words, and [our] deeds". Although movies weren't around in 150 B.C., the principal still applies. Choose entertainment that uplifts and inspires. Surround yourself with media that help you want to become better. The fact is I can't spell out every do and don't when it comes to movie watching. And I don't want to. You've been given a mind of your own, and I trust that you'll care enough to fill it with the best information possible, even in something as simple as choosing which movies to watch. I recently watched "12 Years a Slave." It was violent, graphic and filled with language that may be argued as offensive. It was also incredibly moving, beautiful and transformative . I was speaking with a friend about the movie and how some scenes made me turn away and wince. She asked me if I felt more informed and educated afterwards. My answer was a firm "yes." Being based on a true story, I felt so much empathy and respect for the man who experienced it and wrote the book it was based on. I feel like I view the world a little bit differently now. As a rated R movie, many people haven't watched it. I very much respect another person's opinion in refraining from watching movies they may be uncomfortable with. I myself subscribe to a slightly different filter. I choose the movies I view and own based on my personal level of what I find offensive. Violence and language don't really bother me much, as long as it's not gratuitous and without merit. Nudity is another thing I filter, within reason. There is a fair amount of nudity in "12 Years a Slave," and it is not unjustified and unwarranted. Nudity is used to highlight the inhumane nature in which slaves were treated. It was not purely for shock value or over- sexuality. "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" on the other hand uses full-frontal male nudity for humor. That's just lazy humor. That kind of R-rated movie doesn't make the cut for me. Some of the most moving and insightful movies I own happen to be Rrated. "Argo," "Almost Famous," and "About Time," just to name a few, are movies I can honestly say taught me to view the world and my life differently, and I learn something new from them each time I watch them. Not all R-rated movies are created equal. We should be educated consumers and know what we are getting into before we walk into the theater or pick up a movie from the corner Redbox. Making a blanket statement about entertainment misses the point. I personally find some PG-13 movies more offensive or vulgar than some of the Rrated movies that I own and love. The MPAA represents the six major movie making studios in Hollywood and oversees film ratings, lobbying and anti-piracy in the film industry. I personally don't trust a group of strangers in Los Angeles to tell me what is or isn't appropriate for me to view. It's not about drawing a line in the sand without knowing what goes on each side of this imaginary line. Research movies before you see them and don't let a room of movie executives tell you what's okay and what's not okay. Not all R-rated movies are created equal. We should be educated consumers and know what we are getting into before we walk into the theater or pick up a movie from the corner Redbox. tram the writer/director of 'Jerry Maguire" A L.! EX BRYAN MIAMI Al. Ahr ANION ANW MOM ALMOST FAMOUS A' • ARGO HAF .116WE W.f.5 FAKE. THE U.S3fta WAS REAL 1012. .. ._ vi ,...i - 11111i 0161111' riiri1 3 turattinii IL 00,,, . rsiiimi, ALL SUP ■ i ,) , 1 ,,..1,i, li ' , s ';''A , 1 ,.;41' , .-71,094,1rnd ' -*". ":• :' I'r....` ■■ PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB.COM |