While Colorado still grapples with its almost year-old smoking ban – Can we? Can’t we? What the hell is a cigar bar? Who the hell said they could be a cigar bar? What did that judge say? Oh, fuck all – the Motion Picture Association of America decided yesterday to take the anti-smoking campaign even further.
From now on, images of anyone lighting up – not just teens – will be considered alongside sex, language and violence when determining ratings From the press release:
Now, all smoking will be considered and depictions that glamorize smoking or movies that feature pervasive smoking outside of an historic or other mitigating context may receive a higher rating. … This action is an extension of our current practice of factoring under-age smoking into the rating of films. Now, all smoking will be a consideration in the rating process. Three questions will have particular weight for our rating board when considering smoking in a film: Is the smoking pervasive? Does the film glamorize smoking? And, is there an historic or other mitigating context? Additionally, when a film’s rating is affected by the depiction of smoking, that rating will now include phrases such as ‘glamorized smoking’ or ‘pervasive smoking.’ This ensures specific information is front and center for parents as they make decisions for their kids.While they’re at it, maybe they could just ban Britney, Paris and Lindsey from our screens all together. Their movies are way more dangerous to the public health, particularly LaLohan’s Georgia Rule, which opens tonight. No one should be subjected to that. (Sorry, Felicity Huffman. I wish I understood how you got dragged down by them; Jane Fonda, on the other hand, made Monster in Law, so she's on her own.)– Amy Haimerl
