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Exhibit Guide Home Exhibits Introduction Founding Generation Founding Documents You Be the Judge Defining Freedom The Struggle Continues Faces of Freedom Marketplace of Ideas Censorship: What Is It? Musical Hit List Draw the Line Resources Museum Map Glossary |
 Censorship > Film Film Combining words, pictures and sounds, films are a powerful medium for conveying ideas and messages. Because of its place in pop culture, films often become the target of controversy. Film censorship by local and state governments was common in the U.S before the 1950s. There were more than 40 local, city and state censorship boards across the country in the early 1900s, according to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). The MPAA is an independent advocacy group that represents the American motion picture, home video and television industries. Films had to be submitted to film censorship boards before they could be shown and filmmakers had to make sure their movies met the local board’s requirements or risk being banned. In 1922, the MPAA began to formally self-regulate the industry by requiring major motion picture studios to submit films to the organization for approval before distribution. The Hays Code, named after the MPAA’s first president Will Hays, included a long list of requirements. For example, films could not show childbirth, nudity, illegal drug use or actions that could be seen as sexually suggestive. Films were either approved as “moral” or banned as “immoral.” After the Supreme Court’s decision in Burstyn Inc. v. Wilson (1952), which established First Amendment protection for films, the motion picture industry continued to self-regulate. Former MPAA chairman and actor, Jack Valenti, led an effort to replace the Hays Code to give filmmakers more artistic freedom. Instead of the MPAA approving or disapproving films, the group would create cautionary warning labels so that parents could make informed decisions about what films their children can see. The independent ratings group would include parents. Valenti’s idea for a movie ratings system was adopted on November 1, 1968 and still continues today. The ratings system has evolved over time, such as adding new labels and changing some of it standards. It’s another example of how we as a society interpret the limits of free expression differently as our cultural and societal standards change over time. The film ratings system is an example of self-regulation that is sometimes known as self-censorship. Self-censorship occurs when an individual, group, or industry decides to self-impose limits on a work, or create regulatory standards to avoid possible confrontation. It is the most difficult form of censorship to track because it is framed into a book, film, or art work before it reaches the public eye. Regulatory standards can be an attempt to prevent potentially harsher forms of censorship. They can also be seen as a compromise, giving citizens an opportunity to play a role in determining baseline standards so that consumers can make informed decisions about content. A few of the cases you see in this exhibit are from countries around the world. Many countries still have film ratings or film censorship boards that screen films and decide whether to ban films or show edited versions to their citizens. Like with the original Hays Code, many of the standards used by these films ratings boards are based on the societal and cultural norms of those countries.
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