In effect, the PG-13 cautions parents with more stringency than usual togive special attention to this film before they allow their12-year-olds and younger to attend. If nudity is sexually oriented, thefilm will generally not be found in the PG-13 category. If violence istoo rough or persistent, the film goes into the R (restricted) rating. Afilm's single use of one of the harsher sexually derived words, thoughonly as an expletive, shall initially require the Rating Board to issuethat film at least a PG-13 rating. More than one such expletive mustlead the Rating Board to issue a film an R rating, as must even one ofthese words used in a sexual context. These films can be rated lessseverely, however, if by a special vote, the Rating Board feels that alesser rating would more responsibly reflect the opinion of Americanparents.
PG-13 places larger responsibilities on parents fortheir children. The voluntary rating system is not a surrogate parent,nor should it be. It cannot, and should not, insert itself in familydecisions that only parents can make. Its purpose is to givepre-screened informational warnings, so that parents can form their ownjudgments. PG-13 is designed to make parental decisions easier for filmsbetween PG and R.
