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15 Cardozo Arts & Ent. L.J. 135 (1997)
Motion Picture Ratings in the United States

handle is hein.journals/caelj15 and id is 141 raw text is: MOTION PICTURE RATINGS IN THE UNITED STATES RICHARD M. MosK* INTRODUCTION The motion picture is a major art form and a significant United States industry. Millions of Americans go to motion picture theaters regularly. Motion Pictures are also seen on television and on videocassettes. They are one of America's major exports and are regarded as portraying, and even having an influence on, cul- ture, morals, and behavior. As a result, motion pictures are widely discussed and critiqued. The voluntary system of rating motion pictures for the benefit of American parents has become a widely used component of the American movie scene. Nevertheless, it engenders criticism in cer- tain academic and entertainment circles.' As Chairman of the Classification and Rating Administration (CARA),' which ad- ministers the motion picture ratings, I believe that much of this criticism is unjustified. Although the system is not perfect-what is?-it is far preferable to the alternatives. I shall briefly-discuss the origins and operation of the ratings system and address some of the issues concerning it.' HISTORY From as early as 1911, city and state governments had estab- lished censorship boards. By the 1960's there were many such boards, each applying its own set of standards. There were also private evaluators, such as religious groups, that recommended * Chairman, Motion Picture Association of America Classification and Rating Adminis- tration- member of the California Bar; A.B. Stanford University; J.D. Harvard University; former Judge on the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal. I SeeJane M. Friedman, The Motion Picture Rating System of 1968: A Constitutional Analysis of Self-Regulation by the Film Industry, 73 COLUM. L. REv. 185 (1973); see also Bill Broadway, Hollywood as Babylon: Not Satisfied with Movie Industiy's Rating System, Christian Groups Offer Their Own Warning Guides For Parents, WASH. POST, Aug. 24, 1996, at D6; Timothy M. Gray, The Movie Ratings Codes: Grade it C for Confusing, CHI. SuN-TIMES, Jan. 23, 1994, at 1NC; Joanna Connors, Industry's Movie Rating Is Labeled a Farce, PLAIN DEALER, Aug. 18, 1990, at 1E. 2 The Classification and Rating Administration (CARA) is a part of the Motion Pic- ture Association of America. 3 For a detailed description of the history and workings of the ratings system, see JACK VALENTI, MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, THE VOLUNTARY MOVIE RATING SYS- TEM, How IT BEGAN; ITS PURPOSE; THE PUBLIC REACTION (1996).

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