Booking Through Thursday – Rating
Posted on March 28, 2013 in Books
Movies have a rating system to help guide the consumer weed out adult/violent/inappropriate kinds of films. Video games do, too. Do you think BOOKS should have a ratings system? – BTT
No. I was just talking with a couple of friends about this and how we started reading adult books at around age 12. I remember one of my first was Judy Blume’s adult books, and just the strange transition of reading “adult” situations after having only read young adult books. I did not find it illicit or daring, but I did like the newness of it and the freedom of choosing the book. No one stopped me from going to the adult section of the library.
I feel there is something very universal about books. I still read young adult fiction and children’s lit. I enjoy them a lot as well. The industry already categorizes age groups for books. I’m not against ratings for movies or video games either, but the graphic and visual nature can be more disturbing. Still, I think ratings are very subjective. In American cinema, I find it baffling how simple nudity even without sexuality can be rated R and a lot of violence is fine at PG-13. I think part of what I like about books is exploring them, and I think ratings could limit that experience for book lovers.
The way it is now is fine.
http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2013/03/booking-through-thursday_28.html
Indeed, TBM. Have a good weeekend!
I agree that it sometimes makes no sense to me how games and movies are rated from the industry, and that a rating is something quite subjective.
My BTT
Hi Caro! Yes, and I rather this subjectivity not affect the book industry. It seems a waste of time and money to rate books this way. Thanks for the comment!
It’s fine the way it is. 🙂
Here’s my answer: http://wp.me/p2GHnu-9l
This week’s topic has prompted some interesting discussions! I actually would like some type of content rating, but not necessarily age-restrictive (though categories like YA, etc. that imply an age can be a helpful guide.) My full response, as well as some extended discussion in the comments, can be found here.
Hi Melissa! I think it is fine the way it is, but I am not sure a content rating would work as people want to categorize it. The games situation is similar as it says the content more clearly. They have genre ratings which would be similar. Thanks for the comment!
I agree with those that say it is fine as is and if there was a rating system, my guess is that the literary community would go nuts. An example of a really good movie that got an R-rating was The Kings Speech because of the use age of the f-word for a scene and there wasn’t any violence in it (it was rated 14A in Canada).
Hi Melissa! I completely agree the movie rating system is ridiculous and that wonderful movie shows it. It’s a bit sad that violence is rated less highly than a few instances of the f-word in a humorous context. As a Canadian, I notice most R-rated things are rated 14A since we’re less persnickety about nudity and language up here. Very few movies are 18A. Thanks for the comment!