Whatever you think about the Motion Picture Association of America and its seemingly arbitrary ranking system, the group announced today that smoking in a movie will now affect its rating.
In the past, illegal teen smoking (and other parental concerns like sex and violence) has played a part in how the MPAA rates movies. The organization said that it is now expanding their criteria to include all smoking when evaluating a film and assigning a rating.
"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 is considered a victory for child advocacy groups and health organizations, but what irks me is how many actors and actresses in Hollywood smoke. Young celebs like Britney Spears, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Metcalfe, Lindsay Lohan, and Sienna Miller, are often snapped with cigarettes in hand. That's real life, and how kids feel about their "role models" smoking concerns me far more than smoking in movies.
But that's a post for another day.
