The stigma of the G rating in the United States

[PhysicalMediaMaestro]

G-rated movies are often favorites among elementary school kids in the United States. But once kids enter middle school, and especially when they enter high school, they often start to hate G-rated movies. They see the G rating as a symbol of cinematic inferiority for the following reasons:

1. They now prefer live-action to animation and assume that if a movie is rated G, it must be animated.
2. They have big egos and feel that G-rated movies are talking down to them.
3. They feel that the messages are sent by G-rated movies are irrelevant to the world they live in.

But there are exceptions to the rule. If you're age 13 or over, are there any G-rated movies that are your personal favorites? And if so, do you feel you need to keep that a secret from other people for fear of ridicule? Please let me know.

Also, if you live in Australia, does the G rating assigned by the Australian Classification Board have the same stigma there that the G rating has in the United States? Or if you live in the United Kingdom, does the U rating assigned by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) have the same stigma as the G rating in the United States?

Please let me know. I eagerly await your answers. Have a great weekend.

[russweiss1]

Not sure I agree about there being a stigma for G rated movies. Teenagers may be less forthcoming if they enjoy G rated films but beyond that, I don't think so. Certainly there have been many films with this rating that did very well at the box office.

https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-records/)

[playgames1970]

The Black Stallion is a long time personal favorite that's G rated and I have no issue 'fessing up to.

[Mr. Chaverria]

Originally Posted by PhysicalMediaMaestro

G-rated movies are often favorites among elementary school kids in the United States. But once kids enter middle school, and especially when they enter high school, they often start to hate G-rated movies. They see the G rating as a symbol of cinematic inferiority for the following reasons:

1. They now prefer live-action to animation and assume that if a movie is rated G, it must be animated.
2. They have big egos and feel that G-rated movies are talking down to them.
3. They feel that the messages are sent by G-rated movies are irrelevant to the world they live in.

But there are exceptions to the rule. If you're age 13 or over, are there any G-rated movies that are your personal favorites? And if so, do you feel you need to keep that a secret from other people for fear of ridicule? Please let me know.

Also, if you live in Australia, does the G rating assigned by the Australian Classification Board have the same stigma there that the G rating has in the United States? Or if you live in the United Kingdom, does the U rating assigned by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) have the same stigma as the G rating in the United States?

Please let me know. I eagerly await your answers. Have a great weekend.

What's your solidified basis for this? There's a lot of belief here but not a lot of confirmed knowledge. Not saying I don't feel you may track well on some points but this still feels off.

Also... based on the presentation of the topic: what is your age, nationality, and ethnicity? I'm assuming you're a man based on the use of Maestro but this is the internet, avatars can just be placeholders for an identity.

[John1701D]

Asking ethnicity is odd.

[roxy1927]

I agree there is a stigma against G rated films. Even most of Disney animated films want a PG rating. When What's Up Doc? got a G rating the producers asked Bogdonovich to add some profanity to get a PG rating. You have to add some single entendres to your film to avoid a dreaded G rating. Even under brain dead Bobby Liar Disney wants more stupid R rated films.

[ImBlu_DaBaDee]

Remember when Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame was rated G? Rated G for Genocide, Gaslighting, and Goes Way Hard maybe

[Moviefan2k4]

The Black Cauldron was the first animated Disney film to be given a PG rating, and that was 40 years ago. Prior to that, all of them had been firmly in G territory, and most of them remain beloved today by tons of people. One of my personal favorites from that run is Peter Pan; I also enjoy Alice in Wonderland, The Jungle Book, and Cinderella.

[PhysicalMediaMaestro]

Originally Posted by russweiss1

Not sure I agree about there being a stigma for G rated movies. Teenagers may be less forthcoming if they enjoy G rated films but beyond that, I don't think so. Certainly there have been many films with this rating that did very well at the box office.

https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-records/)

You are absolutely right when you say "Teenagers may be less forthcoming if they enjoy G rated films". That's the stigma I'm talking about.

As far as box office numbers, that's mainly because one or both parents are accompanying their kids into the theater.

[PhysicalMediaMaestro]

Originally Posted by roxy1927

I agree there is a stigma against G rated films. Even most of Disney animated films want a PG rating. When What's Up Doc? got a G rating the producers asked Bogdonovich to add some profanity to get a PG rating. You have to add some single entendres to your film to avoid a dreaded G rating. Even under brain dead Bobby Liar Disney wants more stupid R rated films.

The G rating in the United States was a lot more lenient back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. if you watch "Battle of Britain" (1969) or "The Andromeda Strain" (1971) or "Zeppelin" (1971), you will not believe those movies got rated G, but they did.

Now the G rating in the United States has gotten far too strict. If a movie rated PG in the United States got a U rating in the UK and a G rating in Australia, that's an indicator that it didn't really need to be rated PG in the United States. One example of this is Disney's 2015 live-action version of "Cinderella", which got rated PG in the United States, but was also rated U in the UK and G in Australia. If the sweetest story ever told can't get rated G, what can?

[PhysicalMediaMaestro]

Originally Posted by Mr. Chaverria

What's your solidified basis for this? There's a lot of belief here but not a lot of confirmed knowledge. Not saying I don't feel you may track well on some points but this still feels off.

Also... based on the presentation of the topic: what is your age, nationality, and ethnicity? I'm assuming you're a man based on the use of Maestro but this is the internet, avatars can just be placeholders for an identity.

I'm not telling you any more about who I am but I will give a quote from Roger Ebert that describes in more detail what I'm talking about:

“In talking with high school kids, I find that many of them go to good or serious movies by themselves, and choose vulgarity and violence when going with their friends. To be a kid and read good books and attend good movies sets you aside. ”

This quote came from his review of the 2003 documentary "Spellbound" which was rated G by the MPAA in the United States.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/spellbound-2003

[PhysicalMediaMaestro]

Originally Posted by Moviefan2k4

The Black Cauldron was the first animated Disney film to be given a PG rating, and that was 40 years ago. Prior to that, all of them had been firmly in G territory, and most of them remain beloved today by tons of people. One of my personal favorites from that run is Peter Pan; I also enjoy Alice in Wonderland, The Jungle Book, and Cinderella.

Thank you for sharing. When I was in elementary school, my favorite G-rated Disney movie was the 1977 film "Freaky Friday". Other G-rated movies I have enjoyed include:

"The Ten Commandments" (1956)
"2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968)
"Microcosmos" (1996)
"Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun" (1997)
"The Princess Diaries" (2001)
"Monsters, Inc." (2001)
"Spellbound" (2003)
"Cars" (2006)
"WALL-E" (2008)
"Lord of the Dance" (2011)
"Monsters University" (2013)
"A Beautiful Planet" (2016

Maybe the G-rating wouldn't need to be so strict if it allowed for content descriptors next to the rating symbol, which is what the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board), the ACB (Australian Classification Board) and the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) all do for their universal rating categories.

[PhysicalMediaMaestro]

Originally Posted by ImBlu_DaBaDee

Remember when Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame was rated G? Rated G for Genocide, Gaslighting, and Goes Way Hard maybe

That particular Disney movie should have been rated PG. The 1998 Disney animated movie "Mulan" also should have been rated PG.