Now films classified by race or sex discrimination

Published on Tuesday 23 June 2009 22:52

NEW guidelines on film classification include "discrimination" as a key factor in deciding what certificate a movie is awarded.

For the first time, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) will give the same consideration to issues of prejudice on grounds of race, gender, religion, disability and sexuality as to violence, swearing and sex.

The new rules meant a DVD box set of US comedy Friends was recently given a 12 rating because of a single derogatory use of the word "spastic". Had the word not been included, the set would have been rated PG.

The BBFC reviews its certification guidelines every four years to ensure they reflect public tastes and opinions, and more than 8,700 people were consulted over the latest revision.

Alongside guidance on drugs, horror, nudity, sex and violence, the BBFC now offers the following advice on discrimination:

&#149 For the U (universal, suitable for all) certificate: "No discriminatory language or behaviour unless clearly disapproved of."

&#149 For the PG (parental guidance) certificate: "Discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly disapproved of or in an educational or historical context. Discrimination by a character with which children can readily identify is unlikely to be acceptable.

&#149 For the 12 and 12A certificate (suitable for 12 years and older): "Discriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed by the work as a whole. Aggressive discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned."

&#149 For the 15 certificate (suitable for 15 years and over): "The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour."

A spokeswoman for the BBFC said discrimination had always been a concern in film classification, but never a key factor.

"What we will be looking at will be how the subject is being treated," she said. "If the film is about the issue of discrimination, that would be different from an old episode of Till Death Us Do Part."

The new guidelines also see the rule on references to drugs in U films relaxed so that illegal substances can be mentioned either in an educational context or if "infrequent and innocuous".

Guidelines on crude sexual references are tightened in response to public concern about three films – Date Movie, Meet the Spartans and Norbit, all of which were rated 12 or 12A. Under the new guidelines, these films would be given 15 ratings.

BBFC director David Cooke said: "There may be criticism from some quarters that these changes are not more drastic or more restrictive, but they are significant and will have an impact on our classification decisions.

"They also represent the views of the majority of the public."