Rating System

To build a standard for novel rating system, the author refers to the exiting rating rules in several relative fields, such as films, television programs, music and video games. The U.S., Canada, The U.K., France and some Asian countries like Japan, Korea and Singapore already have their own rating systems. There are some authoritative organizations take charge for rating in U.S. It is worth to mention that the U.S. association has published numerous detail description for their rating system, which becomes the main reference for the rating principle in this study. Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) builds a film rating system used in the United States and its territories to rate a film's suitability for certain audiences based on its content. Today, many theaters in U.S only play movies rated by MPAA. The TV parental guidelines are a television content rating system in response to public concerns about increasingly explicit sexual content, graphic violence and strong profanity in television programs. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the recording industry in the United States, it also runs a process to control the quality of the record contents. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is an American self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings to consumer video games in response to criticism of controversial video games with excessively violent or sexual content.

Rating Classes

In most of the rating systems, things are rating as follows:

[1] G - General Audiences

All ages admitted. Nothing that would offend parents for viewing by children.

[2] PG - Parental Guidance Suggested

Some material may not be suitable for children. Parents urged to give "parental guidance". May contain some material parents might not like for their young children

[3] PG-13 - Parents Strongly Cautioned

Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Parents are urged to be cautious. Some material may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers.

[4] R - Restricted

Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. Contains some adult material. Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their young children with them.

[5] NC-17 - Adults Only

No One 17 and Under Admitted. Clearly adult. Children are not admitted.

Rating Components

[1] Violence

Just allow minimum description of violence in G level movie. All intense descriptions are prohibited to show in movies below PG level. Those movies include realistic and extreme or persistent violence screen should be rated by R level.

[2] Language

Some beyond polite conversation are permitted in G level, but no stronger words are present. PG films may present profanity and PG-13 level is allowed to incur sexually-derived words. However, multiple occurrences of such an expletive in a sexual context should be seem as R films.

[3] Substance abuse

No permission for briefly visible tobacco and drugs in movies bellow PG rating.

[4] Nudity

Nudity is restricted to PG and above, and anything that constitutes more than brief nudity will require at least a PG-13 rating.

[5] Sexual content

Sex scenes is considered to be show above G level, and homosexual love is always considered as a R rating topic.