MovieChat Forums > Spaceballs (1987) Discussion > back in the day when PG was PG

back in the day when PG was PG

posted 10 years ago by nobody111777
6 replies | jump to latest

Back in the day, parents knew their 10 year-olds used nasty language on the playground. Parents knew their kids knew what sex was. They knew boys would get into trouble and talk about boobs.

Now this today; it'd be PG-13, all because of some swearing and sex jokes. Yet, ironically, VIOLENCE beyond anything in the the 80s would get heavy R-ratings fast, but murder and death is totally acceptable today.

PG now means, a cartoon with less offensive crap than Looney Tunes. Might as well stamp "overprotective douche" as the rating for parents who are crybabies who don't let their kids understand a stupid movie is for jokes. Your kids are telling "your momma" jokes with F-bombs left and right.

Frankly, PG means "parental guidance" and PG-13 means (parental guidance with an age attached); your kid is in junior high school at age 13, so they're saying the F-word left and right, making out and touching boobs, looking at porno, setting things on fire, and killing each other in video games all day.

Like the F-bomb is anything compared to the violence in PG-13 movies now. I'd rather my kid hear *beep* 20x, and see a boob, than see 20 people get shot and lay in blood (even PG-13 blood). Cursing and sex are natural. Murder is an abomination of the worst. Parents are idiots now, violence is fine because it is pretend.

What is wrong with society now... kids start swearing in 4th grade, age 9, but letting them play Grand Theft Auto is okay because it's "pretend." WTF is a movie?

Soapboax over.

[–] Hendry_William_French 10 years ago

I think this movie was actually PG-13, I got the theatrical poster hanging up in my home and it has that rating on it. It's a PG all the way, though (the f bomb is barely audible).

Violence in movies and kids watching them is fine but only in moderation and under parental supervision. Some movies are more violent and trashier than others and you have to closely monitor what they're taking in in your household. I'd have no qualms showing my own kids something like Rambo II or T2 but would keep them well away from stuff like Pulp Fiction or anything by Tarantino for example.

There's a huge difference between comic book violence and raw, realistic violence that pervades many movies. The key is the context and tone. That gets lost on a lot of uptight parent groups who bitch about ratings and keep their children away from R-rated films which in turn has ruined a lot of movies as studios know an R can mean box office failure. Yes, many R-rated films are violent but can also be of very high quality thus worthwhile as art form. Movies nowadays compromise their quality and integrity for the sake of a lower rating and that's messing up the industry.

In short, movie violence is fine in moderation and when depicted in a well made movie with a fitting context. Same goes for profanity. Sex should only be in skinemax type movies and porno imo (I've never seen a movie where its not been gratuitous/awkward/forced, same for tna flashes).

Buckle up back there, we're going into... hyperactive

[–] steelywulf 10 years ago

It was released with a PG rating, despite the f-word being used. Caddyshack II, Big, and Beetlejuice were also similarly PG rated, instead of PG-13.

"But, that's just one fellow's opinion." - George Carlin

[–] nobody111777 10 years ago

IMDB link http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094012/?ref_=nv_sr_1

It's PG. It may have later been changed. I don't see it as something a 10 year-old can't laugh at, but the overprotective MPAA thinks parodies with a few "adult" jokes means the movie is only fit for kids nearing high school. Honestly... when I was in 5th grade (age 10), all us boys were throwing F-bombs and looking at Playboys... The MPAA is really overdoing it these days.

[–] willydoe71 9 years ago

I don't see it as something a 10 year-old can't laugh at

Agreed. My daughter will be 13 next month, but I introduced her to Spaceballs almost 5 years ago, and she LOVED it! Still loves it to this day.

[–] starkrayz 10 years ago

I'm pretty certain the MPAA will automatically slap an R-rating on any film if an f-bomb is mentioned just once.

[–] jnericsonx 9 years ago

Nope, you can use it just once in a PG-13 movie. Hence Wolverine's great line in X-men First class-"Go F--k yourself."