I've done some searches on this and not terribly confident in the search results. Wondering if anyone here might have a bead on this. I was always curious just how much bad language (and what constitutes bad language) can be used in a show or movie based on the various ratings. How many of these little monsters can you throw into a PG film? What words are too far for G but okay in PG? TV ratings - same thing, what words get you on after 11pm versus ones that are okay for the 8pm slot? If anyone has a destination that is solid with this information I would be very grateful. I've gotten a lot of information sites written by bloggers and they aren't exactly point for point in their information.
Screenwriting : What is the limit for 'bad words' across ratings? by James Hoey
What is the limit for 'bad words' across ratings?
Other topics in Screenwriting:
Check out Trending Discussions
Register / Log In
Watch/ read PG films. Watch 8pm shows as well as after 11. I'm thinking G rated has no swearing. PG might have some but nothing bad like the F word. and R can do just about anything. As for TV, no swearing really...not on the network stations. But like I said, watch and read a ton of shows/movies and then you should get a clearer picture of what's allowed.
1 person likes this
Hi Christine. I've watched TV and movies for forty years, still can't figure out the formula. Is it per-minute, so many words in 40 minutes? With network continuously pushing boundaries, and cable channels having what seems a little more wiggle room, just looking for the tabernacle of measurement. We've come a long way from George Carlin's bit on words you can't say on TV. It was a lot simpler 30 years ago.
2 people like this
You need to look at the actual ratings' definitions from the MPAA. Here is the link to the MPAA's Classification and Ratings Rules (CARA). Note the difference between PG-13 and R ratings, and why some "bad words" may change a PG-13 rating to an R-rating.
Check out Section 3 for the particulars, and you can download it. Check out the MPAA's website, too, for more general information about the rating system and how filmmakers apply for ratings:
https://filmratings.com/Content/Downloads/rating_rules.pdf
https://www.mpaa.org/
Best fortunes to you, James!
Watch The Town (I'm sure you've seen it) or any movie shot in Boston, the F word is used in every other sentence because that is how they talk there. It makes it authentic and believable. Maybe take that into consideration. Where the film takes place, the kind of people...etc. Give them your own voice and let the powers that be figure out where it belongs...cable..network, etc. I hope that helps : )
And hello by the way : )
Great info Bill! Thx
Christine Capone isnt that how everyone talks, lol?!
Seriously, it depends on your target market/audience. If you’re trying for a MOW, minimal curse words, if any. If you’re looking at an R rated feature, use them as you see fit.
I tend to curse a lot so I use that a lot in my screenplays. I do sometimes go back and delete half the F bombs where they don’t move the story along, but even doing that leaves me with a lot of colorful dialogue.
Jody yeah pretty much! haha. But I think every other word is the F word. Having grown up there and moving away, I notice it more and it makes me cringe but ya know, I tend to throw an F bomb in there every once in a while. When I see it it movies, it annoys me. A little is ok but as a writer, we should find better words that help move our story along. I think, anyway : )
Hey Bill. Thanks for the links. And to Christine and Jody. I'm not concerned about what I put in my scripts overall, I know when I'm writing an R-rated film versus a more general audience, but I've been curious as to how to meter the use of certain words or expressions. I am constantly finding myself surprised while watching television. F-bombs are clearly a definitive line drawn in the sand, but I am seeing more and more low-level cursing and could not help but think, "Is there a certain size bucket they draw from, and when it's empty that's it?" Myself, I've been a sailor, and in everyday casual talk I can make sailors cringe. A conversation came up with some friends bout "crap." How many "craps" can you tuck into a movie or tv show before someone will scream RATING ALERT? Our family feature obviously has nothing of the sort. I can remember back when a PG movie (Jaws) would show near-borderline R-rated imagery and language. Or PG allowed X number of seconds of bare breasts (Sixteen Candles).
For a laugh : CASINO is said to have the most F words of any film to date
To be honest James, I never heard of this being a concern for writers. They write a particular genre and audience and that's it. If the network needs to change it and adjust to a particular audience then they will. In my opinion, I wouldn't focus so much on it. Just write!
Trace I'm sure!
I believe that distinction belongs to the "Scarface" remake.