Thread by @eshap

I once EP’d a film called:
This Film Is Not Yet Rated.

It exposed how the @MPAA favors films from their owners, and punishes indies, favors war, punishes sex, favors straight, punishes gay, favors white, and punishes POC.

THAT was Joan Graves.

nytimes.com/2018/11/23/mov…

You see, a film that gets an NC-17 rating is blocked from most theaters, even prohibited from advertising in most outlets.

So an NC-17 rating can cost a film millions.

Now, ask yourself, why did these two films get different ratings?

Joan Graves oversaw and created the system of ratings that gave The King’s Speech an R rating for saying the word “Fuck,” but gave The Expendables 3 a PG-13.

King’s had no nudity, sex, violence or drug use. It was about... a speech.

500 people were killed, on screen in E3.

Joan Graves created a system by which the people rating films received ZERO training, and were allowed to remain anonymous (until we dug through their trash and outed them), and where their appeals board included a Catholic Priest, but filmmakers could not bring a lawyer.

The MPAA also worked w Armed Forces & Government to ensure access to weapons for studios, while ensuring War always got soft ratings, but “aberrant behavior” was rated harshly.

Kim Pierce was told, to get an R, she had to cut the shot on the left, but NOT the one on the right.

The movie business uses the MPAA to regulate itself, so the government won’t.

But since Jack Valenti, the MPAA has worked with those in government and organized religion to promote a particular lifestyle, THEY deemed acceptable.

That Joan deemed acceptable.

So, as the industry says farewell to Joan Graves, I invite you to watch Kirby Dick and @Eddie_Schmidt’s This Film Is Not Yet Rated.

We caught Joan in the act, and captured her @MPAA work on film - so that YOU can Rate HER work.

#ByeFelicia

Kim *Peirce - sorry Kim!!