Thoughts on Censorship

     For about the past month, we have been discussing censorship in various media such as movies, television shows, and even gaming. While every individual has their own opinion on what is excessive or acceptable, it's interesting to think that organizations such as the MPAA have such a strong influence on the general American population - for better or for worse. This realization has me thinking about what life related to visual media would be like if these censors didn't exist. 

    First, I think that families with younger children would be in opposition because I do feel that the MPAA's ability to distinguish a "PG" movie from a "PG-13" movie makes a difference when parents decide what is appropriate and what isn't. Without this guidance, I assume that children would be exposed to violence, sex, language, etc., at a younger age than wanted. Furthermore, given my personal experience,  and the current state of social media, I have already observed how my thirteen year old brother is experiencing a higher level of explicitness than I had at that age. As a result, this begs the question: Is the exposing of explicit content to younger generations inevitable? Would it really matter if things weren't censored? 

    Second, the non-existence of censorship can be observed through the eyes of adults. More often than not, when watching a movie trailer, people are able to decide if that movie seems intriguing or not. If they don't like what they see, they will most likely avoid it when it's released. Without movie ratings or censorship, couldn't people avoid explicit movies based on their reaction to the trailer? How effective or truly appreciated is the censorship system by filmmakers? I would assume that some people would love for the MPAA to lose its influence. 

    Finally, I can see how some people appreciate the censorship system as well as how others despise it. I appreciate the class's in-depth study on this topic because it's something I never really considered until dissecting it. Censorship is a topic that I will continue to think about as I continue my path down media studies. 

Tristan Hilson