As a parent, I’ve realized lately how lenient I’ve become with adhering to the recommended Motion Picture Association’s movie ratings. Yesterday, my kids and I went to go see the new “Iron Man” movie. The movie was fantastic and captivating, yet rated PG-13. My kids are only 6 & 8-years-old, so why have I disregarded the recommendations?
I know the answer to my own question, and I think it’s an interesting enough of a thought to share with all of you. All of these superhero movies are Pg-13 today: ”Iron Man,” “The Avengers,” “Spiderman,” etc. If only 13 & older kids are supposed to be attending these shows, then why have the movie makers been marketing with action figures and McDonald’s Happy Meal toys and Lego sets? Movies that are recommended for an older audience are doing their best to entice a younger audience. It’s an unusual contradiction and a little messed up in my opinion, too!
“Iron Man 3″ was a great movie. It is rated Pg-13 mostly for its violence and gore. Looking at the movie, it would have been so easy to tone it down for a PG rating. The charm of “Iron Man” is Robert Downey Jr.’s excellent and funny I-can-relate-to-that-guy performance and his chemistry with Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts character. Yes, the special effects are great, but why is it so necessary to have so much violence that brings it away from a PG rating? To me, it’s a sad commentary on how desensitized we have all become to things that are violent in nature. Why must we expose our kids to it?
Superheroes and kids go hand in hand. They always have, and they always will. I know that my own kids will always want to see superhero flicks, and I know I am not alone in sharing these movies with them. All of their peers talk about these movies and have seen them, too. Parents are attending Pg-13 movies with their kids, because they are meant to do it. It’s an interesting conflict.
My song of the day is Bob Seeger’s “Hollywood Nights.” In the song, Bob Seeger meets a beautiful California girl who leads him into a life that he is not entirely comfortable with even though he is so attracted to her. He writes:
“He spent all night staring down at the lights of LA
Wondering if he could ever go home”
It is easy to get lost in the facade of Hollywood, and I beg the movie makers to recognize their real audience and cater to them and be sensitive to their needs. Click HERE to hear the song, as I go search to see if “Superman” is on Netflix. Look at the success of that franchise! It was rated PG!
