It’s something the Deadpool movie jokes about in its own script: a superhero movie with over the top graphic violence, on-screen nudity, and sexual content. There’s been an assumption that superhero movies won’t do well if they’re rated R, because the genre is supposedly a family friendly one. But the appropriately R-rated Deadpool has raked in box office rewards, making some people question once again the usefulness of the MPAA ratings system.

What do you think of Deadpool’s MPAA ratings system grade? (Credit: 20th Century Fox)
Beyond the Check the Box initiative of 2013, the ratings system has changed very little over the years. If you are looking for a research paper topic for your film class or for a course on American ethics, consider looking at the MPAA ratings system and how assumptions about what those ratings mean changes over time. Read more