By Ryan Parsons | Image property of respective holders, Variety.
Thank You for Smoking
In a world where most lack any accountability and our youth remain as impressionable as a soaked sponge, the MPAA took it upon themselves to help shield moviegoers eyes to smoking.
Smoking? MPAA Boosts Your Rating
The MPAA made an official statement this Thursday announcing that smoking will become a factor in future movie ratings.
"In the past, illegal teen smoking has been a factor in the rating of films, alongside other parental concerns such as sex, violence and adult language. Now, all smoking will be considered, and depictions that glamorize smoking or movies that feature pervasive smoking outside of a historic or other mitigating context may receive a higher rating."
So, if you do happen to have a character who smokes, get them to hack and cough after every puff -- make them look like they absolutely hate what they are doing. Like an addiction to torture, or something.
Pay attention to the ratings from now on, as some are bound to say "includes pervasive smoking." A last cigarette? OK? A character who smokes? Now that's pervasive!
"Clearly, smoking is increasingly an unacceptable behavior in our society," MPAA topper Dan Glickman said in a statement. "There is broad awareness of smoking as a unique public health concern due to nicotine's highly addictive nature, and no parent wants their child to take up the habit. The appropriate response of the rating system is to give more information to parents on this issue."
Smoking will become one of many factors when considering rating including violence, sexual content and language.
Don't get me wrong -- I hate smoking and refuse to date women who do -- but I am one of those who believe that people can be accountable for their own actions. Seeing somebody smoke on screen does not brainwash anybody, so don't point any fingers as an excuse for what you are doing. If a film convinces you to smoke, you were probably going to end up smoking anyway. If you blame the film for your lung cancer later on, well, you're an idiot. Take accountability for your own actions and stop over-censuring us.
Trust me people, if we continue at this rate we are going to end up like Demolition Man -- where just about everything is banned, including salt.
Add to Heffee!
