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Dan Glickman Praises Movie Ratings System
10-Sep-2008
Written by: Dean Stattmann
Glickman pointed to an 80 percent approval rating of the 40-year-old ratings system while addressing the Media Institute in Washington.
Dan Glickman, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), celebrated the United States movie ratings system as "synonymous with the First Amendment . . . with political, artistic and creative expression in this country."
Glickman addressed the Media Institute in Washington, where he pointed out the triumphs of the system that will turn 40 on Nov. 1, reported the Hollywood Reporter. He also addressed the issue of critics’ suggestions to make more policy and moral judgments, but defended the current system, referencing an 80 percent approval rating among parents.
"It is the world's only voluntary, nongovernmental film rating system and must give parents clear information about a movie's content to let them decide for themselves if it's OK for their children," he said. "Ratings do not exist to cast judgment on whether a movie is 'good' or 'bad.’ The system is not a gatekeeper of society's morality and values. It does not require artists to promote behavior and beliefs deemed socially or morally upright."
"He left us and me many legacies," said the MPAA boss as he paid tribute to his predecessor, Jack Valenti, who launched the system 40 years ago. "But perhaps his greatest is the rating system."
"Do I occasionally find a film offensive? You bet," Glickman continued. "I'm a moviegoer with my own political, social and moral views like anyone else. But that's beside the point of the rating system. It's about information, truth in labeling, allowing diverse voices and visions to be heard and seen, protecting freedom of expression . . . all while respecting parents' desire for the information they need to raise their kids according to their beliefs, not those of whoever happens to be in charge at the time in either Washington or Hollywood."
"I firmly believe that the bedrock of American liberty is the first amendment. I’m proud to represent an artform that showcases to the world what democracy means. And, I thank you for this opportunity to commemorate 40 years of freedom in American filmmaking."
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