Public Service...or Censorship?

The Motion Picture Association of America’s movie-rating system just turned 50. As many movies as I’ve seen, perhaps I ought to feel nostalgic about this milestone.

But in the 1980s, I also rated movies, as a member of the Motion Picture Classification Board for the City of Dallas, Texas.

The MPAA hated our guts, as I recall, and even today refers to us as the “very last active censorship board in the U.S.” in its commemorative report, G is for Golden.

I’d spent a few years as a film critic, am anything but conservative, and certainly never saw the board's role as a censor. Rather, I thought the information we provided was helpful, especially to busy parents.

Our all-volunteer board screened films rated G, PG and PG-13 by the MPAA, and added details about their content: 'D' for drugs, 'N' for nudity, 'L' for language, 'S' for sex, etc.

Theaters in the Dallas area were required to post the board’s listings alongside the MPAA ratings for the movies they showed.

We hotly debated some of our letter designations (like 'P' for perverse behavior) and I’m not saying we always got it right. But we didn’t deserve the furor over filmmakers’ First Amendment rights, or lawsuits from movie distributors for a rare “Not Suitable” rating – meaning kids under 16 couldn’t see it without a parent or guardian.

I was no longer living in Dallas when the board was disbanded in 1993. I have fond memories of many hours in that screening room with people from all walks of life and all political persuasions.

My fellow board members taught me a lot about civility and respect for diverse opinions. Wherever they are today, I wish them well.

(Photo courtesy ISO Republic)