Upcoming Movie ‘Bully’ Gets “R” Rating


As you already know, the Yak is very anti-bully, working with many different reality stars and the online community at large to help bring awareness to the problem of bullying and help to seek out ways to end it. As you may also already know, there is a movie coming out at the end of the month, Bully, highlighting bullying around the country, it’s victims and what we can do to help stop it. Here is the trailer:

Recently, the MPAA has assigned a rating of “R” to this movie. Harvey Weinstein petitioned the MPAA ratings board to soften the rating to PG-13 in hopes to reach more kids that are in these situations or know of situations happening around them. The MPAA refused. However, a 17 yr. old student from Ann Arbor, Michigan has stepped up and created an online petition to lower the rating over at Change.org.

Katy, a high school junior, who has not seen the movie but has suffered bullying herself, launched a petition urging the MPAA to reconsider. So far, more than 130,000 supporters have signed on all within only three days of the petition’s launch.

In her explanation, Butler cites an incident where bullies slammed a locker door on her hand, breaking her finger. “I can’t believe the MPAA is blocking millions of teenagers from seeing a movie that could change — and, in some cases, save — their lives. According to the film’s website, over 13 million kids will be bullied this year alone. Think of how many of these kids could benefit from seeing this film, especially if it is shown in schools” Katy writes.

This is not Katy’s first rodeo into Anti-Bullying. Last year, when Michigan legislature proposed an Anti-Bullying law with a religious exemption, Katy petitioned to have the religious exemption removed from the law. The law did pass without the exemption.

The MPAA did respond to the petition in a blog post, stating basically that just because there is an “R” rating, that won’t stop children from seeing the movie. They cited that schools can still book the movie to show in classrooms and parents can decide if they want their children to see it. The reason the MPAA decided on the “R” rating was because of 6, yes, only SIX uses of the “F” bomb. Apparently the rating rules state that one use is a PG-13, more than one it gets the R. The trouble with the MPAA’s theory about the movie still be booked in schools is that some schools have a blanket policy of no R Rated movies.

Weinstein could of course edit out the expletives to achieve the PG-13 rating, like he did with ‘The King’s Speech’ a couple of years ago, but he says he won’t. “I don’t think we should. Whatever. I think this is realistic. I think it’s authentic. And I think we should win this battle rather than start editing the movie” Weinstein said on Piers Morgan. “The Archdiocese of Cincinnati, the School Board of Cincinnati saw the film. The people there were arranging for 40,000 people to see the film if it got rated PG-13. Now those 40,000 kids can’t go to see the movie. They can’t go without their parents” he added.

If Weinstein can’t sway the MPAA, will Katy be able to? What do you think? Is 6 expletives excessive? Will you take your child to see the movie?

Bully is scheduled to be released on March 30th. If you would like to join Katy’s petition to lower the rating of the movie, CLICK HERE.

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