The "F" Word and the MPAA

Contributor: Ansley Ansley
The MPAA is the organization that assigns ratings to movies and video games based on their content and whether they are suitable for all individuals or a select group of individuals. When it comes to movies, this criteria is based on how many times the word "fuck" is used and how many times there's a glimpse of a naked body part or suggestions of drug use or suggestions of sex/sexuality.

The makers of films know what they can and cannot get away with but the line has always been slightly blurred when it comes to documentaries, both on the big screen and on the cable networks available in your home. Discovery Channel and the like can get away with not blurring certain tribes in Africa when they're bodies are exposed to the elements and the occasional swear word can be heard when necessary.

You can even get away with saying "fuck" during live broadcasts so long as you use it as an adjective and not a verb. (Looking at you, Bono.)

And this brings us to the movie, Bully, a film that producers and media alike are touting as a must-see film. You can read the full debate about the movie and its current R-rating here: link

To parents: Have your children heard the "F" word? Have they used it in your presence? How did you handle the situation?

To people without children: Do you try to control your use of "adult" words around children? If so, why? If not, why is that?
03/20/2012
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Contributor: P'Gell P'Gell
I'm a terrible potty mouth. I don't swear AT my kids, but I do swear around them.

Sometimes they think it's funny. Gingrich was on TV and I (it just slipped out) said, "Look at that ugly fuck." Both my girls who are still at home laughed so hard. My baby (now 12) used to swear when she was really little, all my kids did. But, we let them know, "Mommy isn't being nice when she says those words, those are for adults." It's kind of like alcohol, they know it's there but they know when it's appropriate. My eldest child swears like a sailor, my middle one, not at all (because Tourette Syndrome runs in our family, even though none of my family swears as a symptom, our middle one chose not to swear. She doesn't have Tourette (she and I are the only ones who don't in our immediate family) and she didn't want people to think she did.

Have you seen the movie This Film is Not Yet Rated? It's about the MMPA and how corrupt they are, how they favor BIG studio films over indies and how big films can get away with more with a more "friendly" rating.


YES, I think Bully should have a PG13 rating, because from what I have seen ALL kids need to see it.

My kids will see it either on On Demand or Netflix.

I have a friend who doesn't want people to swear around her child. I can understand uncontrolled middle school like swear fest, but she and her husband (both who swear when they think he isn't listening) swear like crazy. I don't know what they are trying to do. He's going to hear it, in fact, he came home from preschool with some choice words (supposedly) and she was talking about "not letting him play with Tristan if he continues to talk like that." I did mention to her to think about how she would feel if her son said a swear word and one of his friend's moms decided HE was off limits, due to something that minor.

I think kids need measured doses of reality.
03/20/2012
Contributor: Rin (aka Nire) Rin (aka Nire)
It cracks me up that violence is generally seen as more acceptable than nudity or swearing when it comes to films.

I generally do try to curb my language around children, largely because young kids can have trouble determining when it's appropriate to swear and who will or will not mind hearing it, so I don't want them to pick up on it until they're a bit older. That and I don't want them to be able to blame me if they slip up and swear in front of their parents.

And if Bully is as good as I'm hearing, then it should definitely be shown in schools. We've got more than enough trouble with bullies in this country, and some of them could use a wake-up call. No child of any age should be afraid to go to school.
03/20/2012
Contributor: JessCee JessCee
My children have most definitely heard the word. When they do I always get the, "MOMMY, THAT'S A BAD WORD!!!" lecture. I do try to tone it down when they're around... I don't want them to go out swearing every other sentence that comes out of their mouth.

Anyway, about "Bully," I don't care what kind of rating it ends up with, those kids need to see it in school!

When I was in nursing school doing my psychology clinical, we had to watch this movie about suicide. The flim was about kids who committed suicide because they were made fun of in school. It included real 911 calls from family members who found the victim, photos that haunt me still today, and interviews from those who were affected by the person's death. Now, don't ask me why I had to watch this in a psychology course, I have no idea, I think the instructor was a little loony himself... but my point is that, that video made me realize how much of a problem bullying is, and how REAL the pain that it causes is.

Kids today don't need another sugar-coated lesson, they need the hard truth! And I'm talking about middle/high school aged kids.
03/20/2012
Contributor: Beck Beck
My boys have heard me say it and my toddler has repeated it. I tell that it is a word that only grown ups can use. I really won't care when he is fourteen as long as he isn't tell me F you!
03/20/2012
Contributor: corsetsaurus rex corsetsaurus rex
I talk like the offspring of a sailor and the gutter when I'm not at work (probably a build-up thing), but since I'm the oldest child in my family and I've caught hell for even using the words like "darn" and "crap" around the kiddies, I'll automatically tone it down when there's anyone under 15 present.
03/20/2012
Contributor: Positwist Positwist
I don't have kids.

I censor myself when I'm around children and their parents. If I'm just around the kid, I don't censor myself. I'm more concerned about the parents flipping out than I am about the kid. They're gonna learn it anyway, so they might as well learn it from a responsible adult (then I get to snap at them when they use truly offensive words--they can say "fuck," but not "bitch"; "shit" but not "cunt," etc).

To all you parents out there, I apologize for teaching your children such vile language.
03/20/2012
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
I love all of these responses! My mother would curse around me but she wouldn't use the "f" word unless she was really, really angry or really, really hurt (physically). My dad would pepper the entire conversation with explicit language and my sister was no angel, either. It didn't take me long to figure out when and how to use the words appropriately and sometimes it can be really difficult to curtail, but I try.

I'm not around a lot of kids these days (by choice, we just don't get on well together), but when I was babysitting and stuff I tried to be mindful of it and not let the harder words slip out but "damn it" was certainly a favorite.

As for the bullying epidemic in this country, it's outrageous and parents need to control their kids and teach responsible behavior and how to interact with people. I mean kids shows act like they're trying to send good messages but, in my opinion, the only example they are setting is how to be a spoiled, entitled brat who steps on people to get what they want.
03/21/2012
Contributor: yummyinmytummy yummyinmytummy
I hate the MPAA. They are a racist, sexist, and SEVERELY homophobic.

The believe that it's less harmful to watch extreme violence than sex or nudity.

I have huge issues with the MPAA
07/26/2012