OT: Legislators Finally Try To Do Something Right

[Guest guest]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/us/26rating.html

 

Bill to Restrict In-Flight Movies

 

By MATT

RICHTEL<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/matt_richte\

l/index.html?inline=nyt-per>

Published: September 26, 2007

 

Under federal legislation introduced yesterday, airlines that show

adult-themed movies on overhead screens would be required to create seating

sections to shield children from graphic content.

 

The legislation was prompted by complaints from parents and others who said

airlines were increasingly showing movies and television reruns with sexual

content and violence to in-flight audiences that include children, said a

spokesman for Representative Heath Shuler, Democrat of North Carolina, one

of two authors of bill, the Family Friendly Flights Act.

 

Andrew Whalen, the spokesman, said circumstances made it difficult for

parents to do their own policing. " When you have a captive audience and a

giant screen, how are you going to tell your 5-year-old not to look? " Mr.

Whalen said.

 

Children's advocacy groups and flight attendants assert that young people

are subjected to movies rated R and PG-13 despite efforts by airlines to

edit the films.

 

Recent images have depicted a man shooting his wife in the face, from the

movie " Fracture. "

 

Mr. Shuler cited a constituent who was angered to have to try to shield her

children from scenes in " Last Kiss, " in which a married architect is tempted

by a beautiful student. The constituent also complained that " The Last King

of Scotland, " about the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, was playing on

some flights.

 

Federal broadcast laws do not apply to in-flight entertainment, and airlines

are not required to adhere to motion picture ratings. Mr. Whalen said

legislation would not apply to individual screens in headrests.

 

Under the bill, co-authored by Representative Walter B. Jones, Republican of

North Carolina, airlines would not be allowed to show movies in general

seating areas that are rated PG-13, R, NC-17 or that are unrated. It would

also preclude television shows rated V, for violence, Mr. Whalen said.

 

Mary Clark, a spokeswoman for Continental Airlines, which showed the edited

version of " Fracture, " declined to comment.''

 

Copyright 2007 - The New York Times Company

 

<http://www.nytimes.com/privacy>

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I still say " why even show it " . Can't adults accept the fact that

there are kids on the airplane?