Should movie theatres enforce an age restriction?

[GwJ]

You don't really get it. We don't accept the "I give my child permission to see the movie" deal for a reason. If we did that, we would have to get that from so many parents. On top of that, how do we know who's being truthful? Is that really their mom or is that just their friend's mom? What about the kid who's mom isn't here, but can get her on the phone? What about the kid who's mom wrote him a note?

Do you see what I'm getting at? It doesn't work.

 

[sooshi shef]

Well what is your idea on the age limit? I think that parents should be a bit safer and that movie theatres shouldn't have to put age limits on movies. In our society we are so carefree (look at: facebook, myspace,twitter,etc.) that if an age ban was introduced than there would be a general complaint from people where ever the restriction was introduced. There would be protest lines and companies like AMC would loose profit.

 

[GwJ]

Well, there is a single age restriction. Anyone can see G-PG13. Only 17+ can see R, and I suppose a second would be in place for NC-17. But 17 is really the only possible age restriction to place, because it's impossible to verify the age of a child younger than that age due to a lack of drivers license.

Age restrictions on services and goods are nothing new to America. We face it from alcohol and tobacco. We do it because they're inappropriate for children. Furthermore, the MPAA uses their rating system to, to the best of their ability, determine what is appropriate for kids and what's not. The only people complaining about the MPAA rating system are people who aren't old enough to get into an R rated movie. That's generally it. Want to let your child see an R rated movie? Go see it with them, because otherwise we're not going to know if they are responsible enough to see it alone.

 

[Battlecow]

One theater in my town has this "R Card" system where you can get a card that your kid carries around which basically says they're allowed by you to watch R movies.

 

[GwJ]

Is there anything to prevent their friends from simply borrowing it?

 

[Battlecow]

It's got their picture on it.

 

[GwJ]

I'm not opposed to the idea. It would come down to how leniant they are. They'd need to change their carding policies and such then.

 

[sooshi shef]

Well that card idea does work if it has a picture on it. As for age restrictions on alchohol and tobacco they don't matter when parents don't care whether their kids have it. It would be the same thing as what I said earlier. Now while I don't believe in letting kids do drugs, I don't think it's exactly the same when a parent takes their 10 year old to something that's rated R.

Also in my oppion certain movies have a bearing. While I might take a 10-12 year old to something like "Men Who Stare At Goats", I wouldn't take them to "Saw" because those are the ones that can affect kids. I new this kid who had seen a BUNCH of horror movies and he tried not to let it show but they deffinately affected him. Anyone could tell. So I guess it depends on the kid and the movie.

 

[GwJ]

That's another point. It's got differwent importance based on how bad the movie is, but we can't card for just some and not all.