Canadian censor board gives Bully doc an all-ages PG rating

Last week, I wrote about the controversy entailed by the R-rating the MPAA has given to the documentary Bully, effectively putting it outside the reach of most of the young people it addresses. Now the film censor board in British Columbia has given the film an all-ages PG rating, calling the MPAA's judgment into question.

“Last night, I learned of the B.C. board’s decision to grant Bully a PG-rating. I am thrilled that kids of all ages can now join their parents, teachers, social work advocates and leaders to bring about change for this deeply important cause,” Hirsch said Wednesday in a statement.

'Bully' Doc Gets PG-Rating in Canada, Despite MPAA's R-Rating Stateside (Thanks, Antinous!)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE: bullying • censorship • free speech • Kids • movies

More at Boing Boing

Ants and Stars: Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tesanovic visit the Sardinia Radio Telescope in Italy

The Snowden Principle

eh1eh

Come to Canada. We still have most of our constitutional freedoms intact.
- Hakuin
  
  der Harpenfuhrer takes der note of dat und vill zoon make “corrrrections”…. ja?
  - retepslluerb
    
    Man, it must be really hard to stomach that today’s fascists speak English as their native language.
- Brainspore
  
  Technically the MPAA is a non-governmental organization that has no legal authority to stop anyone from making or distributing a movie. (Note I said “technically,” in practice they can get theaters blacklisted from mainstream movie distribution.) That makes it kind of tricky to get them on issues of Constitutionality.
  - Hakuin
    
    so RICO applies?
    - Brainspore
      
      Interesting legal strategy, probably worth a shot.
      - Hakuin
        
        from RICO wiki:
        AccessHealthSource
        
        On August 31, 2010, eleven defendants were indicted on RICO charges for allegedly assisting AccessHealthSource, a local health care provider, in obtaining and maintaining lucrative contracts with local and state government entities in the city of El Paso, Texas, “through bribery of and kickbacks to elected officials or himself and others, extortion under color of authority, fraudulent schemes and artifices, false pretenses, promises and representations and deprivation of the right of citizens to the honest services of their elected local officials” (see indictment).[41]
        
        Now, their spokesmouth is on record threatening to stop bribing the government if they don’t get their own way, and the “under color of authority ” thing ought to cover how they have been raping indie film producers while giving big studios a complete bye.
        
        Too bad America has a legal system and no justice system at all.
http://twitter.com/stevepan1 Steve Pan

As a private organization, the MPAA’s job is literally not doing what they say they do and classify films for appropriate ages, but to ensure that the government gets off their back and doesn’t do it themselves. As such, violence is okay given how violent our society is but sexuality is dangerous. Female sexuality doubly so. And the MPAA doesn’t feel like it’s their job to do anything but reinforce these societal biases since they don’t want to rock the boat at all.
WillieNelsonMandela

Kids of all ages in the US can watch it. It isn’t rated NC-17. An R rating means they are allowed to watch it with an adult.
- Brainspore
  
  They can’t watch it by themselves or with friends. They CAN buy tickets to see “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” or the latest Tyler Perry offering, however.
Paul Renault

I’m astounded that BC *still* has a Censor Board. I thought those had all been done away with, years ago.

Clicks link…performs a Google search…hmmm…it’s actually called Consumer Protection B.C.