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Bully Movie Update: MPAA Refuses to Change R Rating, Please Sign New Petition

Submitted by Landon Bryce on Tue, 02/28/2012 - 13:54
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Last week I wrote about the film Bully, which has been given an R-rating by the MPAA.  That organization just released a statement that indicates they have been entirely deaf to the concerns many of us have been trying to raise:

The voluntary ratings system enables parents to make an informed decision about what content they allow their children to see in movies.  The R rating and description of “some language” for Bully does not mean that children cannot see the film.  As with any movie, parents will decide if they want their children to see Bully.  School districts, similarly, handle the determination of showing movies on a case-by-case basis and have their own guidelines for parental approval.

 

There are now two petitions to get the rating changed so that teenagers will be able to see it more easily.  One is the one I shared last week at the Care2 petition site, and one is at Change.org. 

That one was started by a high school student named Katy Butler, who understands the issue in a way that MPAA does not:

I just heard that the Motion Picture Association of America has given an “R” rating to “Bully” -- a new film coming out soon that documents the epidemic of bullying in American schools. Because of the R rating, most kids won’t get to see this film. No one under 17 will be allowed to see the movie, and the film won’t be allowed to be screened in American middle schools or high schools.

I can’t believe the MPAA is blocking millions of teenagers from seeing a movie that could change -- and, in some cases, save -- their lives. According to the film’s website, over 13 million kids will be bullied this year alone. Think of how many of these kids could benefit from seeing this film, especially if it is shown in schools?

It has reached nearly 94,000 signatures already. 

Please go add yours.