Date: 01-21-2008
A coalition of 21 advocacy groups has urged the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to stop marketing PG-13 movies to young children. The groups have signed a letter drafted by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC). Last year, CCFC filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that the PG-13 rated movie Transformers showed “intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, brief sexual humor, and language” and was still being marketed to preschool children. Last week, the FTC urged the MPAA to adopt guidelines for the marketing of PG-13 movies. “Given the film industry’s consistent failure to respect parents as gatekeepers, it is disappointing that the FTC chose to rely on self-regulation rather than taking action,” said Dr. Susan Linn, co-founder and director of CCFC.
