Movies With Smoking to Affect Rating

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

There's some basis for this arguement. Somehow incidences of new male smokers is down, while new female smokers are up. While there's still a sector of the population increasing their smoking habits it's probably a good idea to find ways of reversing it. Problem is when I was a kid a movie was so much 'cooler' if it was rated higher or was difficult to get in as an underager, even if the movie was terrible. If smoking gets pushed exclusively to 14A and 18A movies then it might actually entice wannabe grown-up teens to mimic them and smoke more.

Exactly... while children aged 5-12 are susceptible to imitation and mimicry this is typically mimicry of parents and role models, even if these role models are smokers/drinkers, its pretty easy for parents to police this age group... its more the 13-21 crowd that will take on the habit if it is perceived to be cool. Not seeing smoking in movies, and suddenly being bombarded by it in the 14A and 18A movies (typically more sought after type of movie by that age cohort) might have the reverse effect, and encourage more teenage smoking, not less. Lets not forget that teenagers are a lot harder to control. Its almost better to have them learn young and see the detriments of smoking in media, rather to have them learn about it themselves via trial and error.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

This rating idea would help persuade movie companies to keep needless smoking out of movies so they wouldn't get hit with an R rating. Typically movies with an R rating earn less money then those with a PG rating because of the smaller audience.

That's exactly my point. Studios will put pressure on directors to remove smoking from their films so they get a more favourable rating, thus violating the director's artistic vision for his or her film.

[Edit]
Just imagine what this iconic shot would have looked like if the studio forced Blake Edwards to remove Audrey Hepburn's cigerette in order to comply with this policy.

[Muta]

Let the damn kids see it in the movies, and let the parents make the decision as to whether it's good or bad for their own child(ren).

This increasingly societal shift to greater child-coddling will be the extreme 'wuss-ification' of the next generation.

It seems that the more we beat the freedom drum, the tighter the handcuffs get on our own wrists these days.

[Sparks]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Just imagine what this iconic shot would have looked like if the studio forced Blake Edwards to remove Audrey Hepburn's cigerette in order to comply with this policy.

How about this one?



I remember reading that they've digitally edited Paul's smoke off of the cover of Abbey Road. That's pretty pathetic.

[Flame On]

Stupid move. Movies are stories largely based on reality or at least many are. Now every movie is a little bit more fantasy because we don't live in a world that reflects what they're suggesting to impose.
Further, as with many moves by government and health, it's just going to make it cooler to smoke IMO.
Lastly, how exactly is smoking promoted or glorified in films?? I mean it's not like someone sparks up and wins the lottery or has a parade about it.

[PsYcNeT]

What ever happened to personal responsibility?