A Horrible New Idea: The "R Card" (1 Viewer)

[Morgan Jolley]

The main reason I support the current system is because if it is upheld, it keeps control in the parents' hands. Maybe a movie should be rated PG-13 instead of R, but that doesn't mean that a kid's parents might not want them seeing it.

And to be honest, most of the R-rated films that kids sneak into are things like American Wedding, The Girl Next Door, Kill Bill, The Punisher....basically, the violence/sex/curse-ridden ones. Rarely do kids sneak into Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, American Beauty, or Almost Famous. It's just a fact.

 

[Kevin Grey]

But control is still in the parent's hands with the R-card because they determine if the kid gets one or not. If the parent wants to exert picture-by-picture control on the child then they just do it the old fashioned way. If the parent feels the kid should be allowed to see what they want then they can get the R-card. Its not mandatory.

The big issue with an R-card's widespread use would be political- in the wake of Columbine the studios are under a lot of pressure to not be perceived as marketing R-rated movies to kids under 17. The R-card would open up an avenue for studios to say "we're specifically marketing the movie towards kids with R-cards."

 

[Joe_Pinney]

Next up, the X Card, wherein parents send little 8 year old Jimmy to the corner video store with a card and a note that says "please let my son Jimmy rent Debbie Does Dallas #14 and Sperm Burping Gutter Sluts #72 for me. Signed, Jimmy's Mother."

 

[Chad R]

With the internet this really becomes a moot point. Kids under 17 are aware of R rated movies not because the marketing seeks them out, but because they seek out the marketing. Movies are one of the few consumer products where people intentionally seek out the advertising, i.e. trailer, and download it.

 

[Kevin Grey]

Not really, because its all about perception. Of course kids are aware of R-rated movies- the see trailers for them before PG or PG-13 movies, they still see some commercials, hear other people talk about them, etc. The issue is focused advertising- buying ad space for an R-rated movie during a time where the predominant viewing demographic is under 17 (afternoon or Saturday morning cartoons, MTV), constructing the ads in a way to maximize appeal to the teenage set, etc. There were a lot of R-rated movies that were funded based on the expectation of an under-17 audience being able to get into the theater.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The idea should be that parents hold onto the "R"-card. If they approve an R-rated movie for their child, they give them the card to go see it, then take it back once they child comes home.

 

[Kevin Grey]

Great idea, Adam. I hadn't thought of that. One thing I did think of that would work in this day and age of online ticket sales- The parents could purchase the specific movie ticket for their child on the internet using a PIN known only to the parents. The child could then pick up the ticket at the theater with an ID. That would allow the parents to retain control over exactly which R-rated movies they were authorized to see.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Makes sense to me.

 

[Beau]

I always thought of an idea like this, but now since I'm over 17 it wouldn't apply to me. I got screwed out of seeing A LOT of movies because of being too young and my parents too busy to take me sometimes. It wasn't always so bad though, I used to be able to have my parents JUST buy the tickets and I could go in alone, but ever since the summer of '99(American Pie, South Park B,L&U)it's been stricter and parents have to sit through the entire movie with their kids. It never made much sense to me, because I've always, ever since I was like 11, been able to go into a store and BUY R rated movies and that's never changed. You don't need to be 17 to BUY an R rated films, but you have to to see it in theaters.

 

[Malcolm R]

Depends on where you shop. Some retailers enforce ratings, some don't. I know Wal-Mart's system is programmed so that when an R-rated video is scanned for purchase, the system will automatically prompt the cashier to check ID.

 

[Jason_Els]

"Hey Mom? I lost my movie card. I need to get another one!"

Kid keeps the supposedly "lost" card and then goes to see what she wants.

The theaters would have to visually confirm each person and then scan the cards for authenticity to see if the card given matches the one in the database and then deny or admit entrance based on that. Mismatched records, forgeries, accusations from parents and kids; no theater is going to devote the resources to manage that headache.

 

[Kevin Grey]

Considering some theaters are already doing it, some theaters are willing to manage the headache. There's no reason for any database matching shenanigans either- either the kid has a valid photo R-card or not. If I have to show my driver's license to buy beer they aren't checking it against any database.

 

[Jonathan_E]

I work in a theater and I find this to be a very bad idea. I'm sorry to say, but the biggest problems we encounter are underaged people in R-rated movies. We are usually very good with carding, even have an employee posted at the door checking id's a second time for some of the bad rated r movies. I'm 20 years old and I can still remember plenty of times that I wanted to see an R rated movie when I was too young, but BIG DEAL... Life goes on. The rating system may not be perfect, but its there for a reason and my theater would have more problems with kids if we weren't strict about it.

Besides, I'm with Morgan here. You really have no idea how much fun it is to boot kids out of movies who don't belong. Bonus points if you can do it from the projection booth. I've gotten a few dozen that way.

 

[Chad R]

And this system would remove that problem.

 

[Kevin Grey]

I was using extreme examples to illustrate the point. I'm not imagining this- these were very real concerns that the Government had about studio advertising in recent years. The pressure for studios to make releases PG-13 has really increased since theaters have started cracking down on R-rated ticket sales.