Media Notes / Motion Picture Association

The following TV Tropes page has been approved for appropriate audiences by the Motion Picture Association.

The Motion Picture Association (MPA), previously known the Motion Picture Association of America (or MPAA) from 1945 until September 2019, is the most prominent and well-known ratings system for Film. The MPA is a volunteer organization that was created in the early 1920s as the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA). The MPA must review everything — they see a full script, review all art assets, and even watch the film — before they give a final rating, and they'll sometimes revise that rating post-launch if circumstances warrant.

The ratings system was created in 1968 to replace the old Hays Code by longtime head Jack Valenti (and his cheeks), who knew it was necessary to keep the MPAA relevant amid the Fall of the Studio System, as more and more filmmakers (especially independent producers and directors) were opting not to submit their films, while foreign films that were not subject to the MPAA's scrutiny were making waves in American theaters.

Before adding examples to under the age ratings, there are some points to consider:

1. See Media Classifications for systems used in other countries.
2. The MPA was formed in 1922. Films that were released before that time will not be listed under them. However, there is a chance that they will be listed under them due to Digital Distribution.
3. The MPA's rating system has changed multiple times over the decades, reflecting changing standards as time went on. This wiki will stick exclusively to the most current system, established in 1996.
4. It is possible to have the same movie be given different age ratings. This is because some films have changed over time. Sometimes features have to be removed from differing versions, which decreases the age rating.

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Members ("+" denotes a founding member) :

Current (as of January 2019)

• Paramount Pictures+
• Warner Bros.+
• Universal Pictures+
• Sony Pictures
• Disney
• Netflix

Former

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer+ (left in 2005)
• United Artists+ (membership merged into MGM in 1981; left with parent in 2005)
• Turner Entertainment (membership merged into Warner Bros. in 1996)
• Twentieth Century Fox+ (membership merged into Disney in 2019)
• Allied Artists (left following bankruptcy in 1979)

The age ratings that MPA currently uses:

• Ages 3+ — G (General Audiences)
• Ages 7+ — PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Ages 13+ — PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
• Ages 17+ — R (Restricted)
• Ages 18+ — NC-17 (Adults Only)
• N/A — NR (Not Rated)

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