The WELL: inkwell.vue.349: Stephen Tropiano, Obscene, Indecent, Immoral and Offensive

#70: Stephen Tropiano (stropiano) Wed 1 Apr 09 23:30

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:30:00 PDT

Thank you---I have really enjoyed conversing with all of you! ST [Read entire topic]

#69: (dana) Wed 1 Apr 09 16:39

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:39:00 PDT

Thank you, Stephen, for joining us here in the Inkwell. Our virtual spotlight has turned to a new discussion today, but everyone is free to continue the discussion. [Read entire topic]

#68: Linda Castellani (castle) Mon 30 Mar 09 18:18

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:18:00 PDT

I think that Fritz the Cat was also rated X.

Thanks for the clarification. [Read entire topic]

#67: Stephen Tropiano (stropiano) Mon 30 Mar 09 16:55

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:55:00 PDT

THE X RATING: The X rating no longer exists--and as for XX and XXX. The MPAA never copyrighted the "X" rating, which essentially meant that anyone could rate their film X. NC-17 is copyrighted. The reason NC-17 came about is the X rating, which at one time (late 1960s, early 1970s) was actually used for films (including non-pornographic ones) that dealt with adult themes (MIDNIGHT COWBOY, which won Best Picture, was rated X, though by today's standards it would receive an R). [Read entire topic]

#66: Linda Castellani (castle) Mon 30 Mar 09 15:56

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:56:00 PDT

How does the NC-17 rating compare to NR or X? Does the X-rating still exist, and if it does, what does a film have to contain to qualify for it? Are there official rating distinctions between X, XX, or XXX? [Read entire topic]

#65: Michael C. Berch (mcb) Mon 30 Mar 09 14:48

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:48:00 PDT

Re <40>, <46>, what I hope we can work towards is some way of killing off the MPAA ratings system, and other means of self-censorship and "official" systems in favor of a completely pluralistic system like the rating web sites you and others mentioned.

More importantly, the following discussion revealed that parents' concerns, real or assumed, are the tail that wags the dog of film content and ratings of all kinds. It's one more manifestation of the whole "it's for the children" excuse to infantilize modern life, and I really resent it. [Read entire topic]

#64: Cogito? (robertflink) Mon 30 Mar 09 13:36

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:36:00 PDT

The discussion set me to speculating on a religious equivalent to indulging our prurient interests.

The flipside may be seeing who can be the most righteous, resulting in a kind of pornography of the spirit. Then, again, inquisitions may have their own "carnal" delights.

I would contend that humans "need" some degree of "tut,tutness" if only to go "tut, tut" to those who go "tut, tut". [Read entire topic]

#63: uber-muso hipster hyperbole (pjm) Mon 30 Mar 09 13:27

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:27:00 PDT

That movie is often lumped in the serio-comedy group. It is much more than that. [Read entire topic]

#62: mother of my eyelid (frako) Mon 30 Mar 09 08:58

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:58:00 PDT

How about the notion that a woman could have an abortion and not be punished for it (by getting depressed, suicidal, etc.)? I can't think of another film like FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH (1982), where a girl gets an abortion and still ends up happy with a guy. [Read entire topic]

#61: the secret agenda of rabbits (cjp) Mon 30 Mar 09 00:26

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:26:00 PDT

Oh yeah, Bob Saget blew my precious little mind for good in THE ARISTOCRATS.

One last frontier seems (to me at least) to be mainstream religion. The uproar over Mel Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST seemed in part because it rehashed old prejudices, in addition to dwelling almost pornographically on the Christ's torture. Other mainstream films, though, have taken a different tack and questioned traditional religious subjects -- like Scorcese's LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST and even Bill Maher's recent RELIGULOUS -- and there was a bit of a to-do over them as well. Are mainstream religion and full-on sex (plus perhaps animal maltreatment) the only things that get people in the U.S. really upset nowadays? [Read entire topic]