Should commentaries be rated independant of the film itself? (1 Viewer)

[Inspector Hammer!]

I asked this because tonight I had a friend over and he had his son with him who's about 7 or 8 and I was watching the commentary track on AVP with the director, Sanna Lathan and Lance Henrickson.

During the scene when the face huggers first come out of the eggs and leap in slow motion, Sanna Lathan said something really suggestive regarding the way the underside of the face huggers looked. She said they looked like a p***y, then she corrected herself and said vagina.

Now, considering that the film is PG-13 and that language isn't allowed in the film, why is it allowed on the commentary track where kids might be listening because the parents or whomever assumes it's safe because the film is PG-13? Something just doesn't seem right with that.

I realize that their is a warning that says that the studio isn't affiliated with the comments made, but they should edit these tracks better or at least inform the participants of the track that words like she used should not be uttered because of the films rating, to keep it clean.

I've also heard other examples in the past, but they didn't bother me until tonight when my friends kid heard what she said and this thought occured to me. Of course, he didn't know what that word meant, but still.

 

[Scott Kimball]

I can't comment specifically on AvP (haven't seen it, don't want to), but most DVDs have a disclaimer - something like "Bonus Features Not Rated" - somewhere on the packaging, and/or on a screen before or after any copyright statements on the disc's video.

 

[Eric Peterson]

What Scott said.

Please, don't start rating the bonus materials, because that will just lead to less of them.

Personally, I don't see what's wrong with the example you used, especially after allowing them to watch a violent movie such as AvP. Now, if someone said that on a Disney commentary track, you might have a beef.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

Answer: Fuck no!

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Yeah, i'm aware of that disclaimer, however I really think that it needs to be re-thought regarding the commentary tracks.

Most of the bonus material was done while the film was in production, that sort of thing can't really be controlled, but commentaries are done in a controlled environment, it would be easy to make the participants aware of the films rating and to make their comments withing the same language restriction as the film's rating.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

I'm not saying rate all of the bonus material, just impliment some kind of control for the commentary regarding what is said in relation to the films rating.

As far as the violence goes in the film, he allows his son to watch PG-13 material so the movie didn't seem to scare him at all, but when she said what she said I kind of flinched a bit because I knew he was watching.

 

[Matthew Chmiel]

The word "pussy" can be said in PG-13 films and on television, so I would have no problems with one using that word on the commentary track for a PG-13 flick.

And I agree with Eric. AVP is a hard PG-13 film. Should young kids be actually watching the film in the first place, let alone the commentary? If this was in place on a PG or G rated film, then I can see a beef; but not with PG-13 and higher.

Just keep "bonus features" at not rated. And if the commentary is a sour one, then put a disclaimer before the DVD menus similar to that of Jersey Girl's (where the bonus material's content goes above and beyond that of an R rated flick).

 

[TravisR]

I can completely understand people's concern but commentaries are already edited for so many other reasons, I don't want them cut for language too.

I do understand though

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Something like a disclaimer would be fine, soething to make people aware that their may be some language spoken that's not appropriate for children.

Better than nothing at least. And i've never heard "pussy" used in a PG-13 film, can you point out an example or two?

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Never mind, I thought of some.

Oh well, it was just a thought anyway. :b

 

[GuruAskew]

Call me crazy, but isn't the fact that there's a pussy running around with legs attaching itself to faces more offensive than the fact that someone said the word "pussy"?

 

[Colin Jacobson]

John, if you REALLY want to make a case for rating commentaries - or extras, really - you'll have to check out the upcoming Flight of the Phoenix DVD. The "f"-word flies a few times during the commentary, IIRC, but there's a torrent of profanity during the documentary! Trust me - "pussy" wouldn't even get noticed in that barrage.

But I'm with the "extras should remain unrated" crowd. Though I must admit I found it startling to hear so much unbleeped profanity in the extras for a "PG-13" flick like Phoenix. It was like watching a Kevin Smith movie!

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Wait a second. We're talking about two adults who were showing a PG-13 movie to a 7 or 8 year old. What are the odds that rating the bonus materials would have somehow improved their judgment to the point that they would have paid attention to that rating? The film's rating obviously didn't make much of an impression on anybody, or communicate much useful information about the film's content or age appropriateness to them. Now one of them is complaining about a word that, in that same context, has been used on TV shows like The Shield IIRC and in other PG-13 movies. Am I missing something?


Besides, does anybody seriously think either the studios or the MPAA are going to want to add a whole new classification of material to be rated?

Regards,

Joe

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Bill,
I never thought for a second that the face huggers looked liked vaginas before now.

The context in which she said it was just strange, why not say vagina in the first place, why "pussy"? It's the obvious and point blank referrance to that part of the female anatomy that struck me, it's not like she was calling someone a pussy, but she said it in the way Eddie Murphy used to when he did Raw and Delerious.

And I DON'T want to rate extras, or even commentaries, despite my topic header, I should have said something else. I would just like a warning of some sort that tells people that their is some language that may be inappropriate for younger viewers, despite the rating of the film.

Perhaps on the commentary selection screen it should look like this...

Commentary Track 1: With
director Paul Anderson and stars Sanna Lathan and Lance Henrickson.
ON or OFF
(WARNING: Although this film has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA, this commentary track is not rated and contains language which may not be suitable for younger veiwers. Parental discretion is advised.)

What's wrong with something like that?

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Joe,
I didn't intend for him to actually watch the film, he didn't even really pay attention to it, it just happened to be on when they showed up and I left it running while we bull shitted around and his son was admiring all of my movie collectables. And your right, we've become too complacent when it comes to ratings, nobody pays attention to them anymore really.

Although, having said that, I can tell you that if I had seen a warning like the example I gave above, I would have turned the film off.

Again NO RATING the bonus material, just put a simple warning, that's all.

 

[Damin J Toell]

In the UK, all bonus materials, including commentaries, must be submitted for rating. You can always move there or import all your discs from there.

Anyway, as Joseph pointed out, the film's rating itself didn't modify your behavior with regard to the young child, so would an additional warning really matter? How many times do you need to be reminded that the content is inappropriate for a 7-year old? You already ignored one warning. Should the discs come with someone to remind you to press pause the next time a young child visits your place?

DJ

 

[Matthew Chmiel]

The Burbs?
The Abyss?
America's Sweethearts?
Evolution?

And the list goes on and on... those were just four random PG-13 titles I took from IMDB's quote search by using the word "pussy." In addition to FX's television shows using the word on a frequent basis (e.g. Nip/Tuck and The Shield), The Daily Show has used the word a few times, and the underrated (and quickly cancelled much to my dismay) WB show Brutally Normal had an episode where the two lead characters kept on calling one another a "pussy." Then again, I'm pretty sure that wouldn't fly at the current moment due to the evil FCC.

So if the word "pussy" can be said on network television, I have no problem with it being used on an audio commentary track.

 

[GuruAskew]

I think you're probably the only one. Practically all of Giger's designs are blatantly sexually symbolic.

 

[TravisR]

Wait, wait the alien looks like a penis? No way

 

[george kaplan]

I'm confused.

PG-13 means "PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED: Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13". Doesn't that already mean that it might not be suitable for younger viewers?

Hell, even PG is defined as "PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED: SOME MATERIAL MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN"

See this link