Popcorn in your hair, anyone?

A PG-13 rating is a sterner warning by the Rating Board to parents to determine whether their children under age 13 should view the motion picture, as some material might not be suited for them. A PG-13 motion picture may go beyond the PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, adult activities or other elements, but does not reach the restricted R category. The theme of the motion picture by itself will not result in a rating greater than PG-13, although depictions of activities related to a mature theme may result in a restricted rating for the motion picture. Any drug use will initially require at least a PG-13 rating. More than brief nudity will require at least a PG-13 rating, but such nudity in a PG-13 rated motion picture generally will not be sexually oriented. There may be depictions of violence in a PG-13 movie, but generally not both realistic and extreme or persistent violence. A motion picture’s single use of one of the harsher sexually-derived words, though only as an expletive, initially requires at least a PG-13 rating. More than one such expletive requires an R rating, as must even one of those words used in a sexual context. The Rating Board nevertheless may rate such a motion picture PG-13 if, based on a special vote by a two-thirds majority, the Raters feel that most American parents would believe that a PG-13 rating is appropriate because of the context or manner in which the words are used or because the use of those words in the motion picture is inconspicuous.

So, today, I was almost thrown out of a movie because I 'threatened' to punch two little kids that were behind us (without a parent) if they didn't stop throwing popcorn, spitting things at people through their straws, pounding on the floor and the seat in front of them, talking, burping and, I'd bet my life on it... farting. After telling the manager and him not doing anything, I took matters into my own hands and went back to them myself. The one kid went and told the usher and the usher came in to me and threatened to throw me out for 'threatening' them.

I find it ironic that everyone was so worried about me 'threatening' to punch them... as if that would be any more scarring to their young minds compared to the sex, swearing and knife-weilding killing going on in the movie that they should have never been able to be let into. After the movie, and after other people in the movie applauded me for getting them to stop, I went to the manager and asked why they were let in there. Apparently the rating system is just a suggestion to parents about the content and whether their kids should see it.

The parents obviously dropped the kids off unattended at the movie so they obviously don't care what they see as long as they are out of their hair. The rating says "some material may be inappropriate for children under 13"... so the parents already must have had some idea that their children would be inappropriately threatened... especially knowing how terrible their kids are. It also says "parents strongly cautioned"... and if the parent isn't present to be cautioned, then the kids will be.... strongly. What can I say, I have issues.