The documentary Bully has been getting a lot of attention this week for the R rating the MPAA assigned it.
As of right now, the MPAA (who does the ratings) says that the documentary on bullying deserves the R rating for bad language. Movie stars like Johnny Depp as well as anti-bullying advocates are fighting the rating.
The producers of the movie say they are going to release it unrated. But that means that many (though not all) movie theaters will refuse to show it because they never show unrated movies. The Parents Television Council is pushing for theaters to hold to this policy.
Bully will carry a “Common Sense” rating issued by Common Sense Media of “Pause 13+,” the same rating that the group gave The Hunger Games. The rating means that for age 13 and higher, parents should “know your child, some content may not be right for some kids.”
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We exist because our nation’s children spend more time with media and digital activities than they do with their families or in school, which profoundly impacts their social, emotional, and physical development . As a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization, we provide trustworthy information and tools, as well as an independent forum, so that families can have a choice and a voice about the media they consume.
As a side note, unrated versions of movies are quite often the standard when it comes to video releases. So it’s not as though theaters showing an unrated movie would be a sign of the cultural apocalypse.
UPDATE: As of early April, 2012, the MPAA and the producers of Bully came to an agreement to cut three instances of the “F-word” out of the movie in return for giving it a PG-13 rating.