Film Rating System
The MPAA administers a motion picture rating system used in the United States to rate films' thematic and content suitability for certain audiences. MPAA ratings carry no force of local, state, or federal law and the rating system is voluntary, applying only to films submitted for rating. Films may be exhibited without ratings, though many theaters refuse to exhibit non-rated films. After screening films, the selected viewers arrive at one of five ratings. Theater owners agree to enforce corporate film ratings as determined by the MPAA, which in turn facilitates their access to new film releases.
The primary MPAA ratings are G (General Audiences), PG (Parental Guidance Suggested/Some material might not be suitable for children), PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned/Some material may be inappropriate for children under the age of 13), R (Restricted/Under 17 not admitted without parent or adult guardian), and NC-17 (No One 17 and Under Admitted).
MPAA formerly used GP for PG, which originally stood for "General Audiences, Parental Guidance Suggested. The M rating was the original name of GP/PG and signified a film with mature themes. X was the original name of NC-17 and started out as no people under 18, but later became 17.
Read more about this topic: Motion Picture Association Of America
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