Many parents, like most people, are stupid and don’t understand many things about the real world. In a bid to help them figure out what’s best for them and their kids so they don’t have to, the British Board of Film Classification has launched a new Web site.
Parents BBFC is aimed at educating the drooling public as what the age ratings mean and what content may or may not be suitable for their slightly less intellectual offspring. Of course, one can question the authority of a ratings board that refuses to give ratings if it doesn’t like the content it’s looking at … but I won’t mention the organization’s unprofessional handling of Manhunt 2 again. I will say it was unprofessional though.
Cynicism aside, this is something I actually approve of, since I’ve said many times that education, not regulation, is the way to deal with questionable content in our entertainment media. If we can stop parents being such reactionary crusaders every time their parasitic sprog sees a bit of fake blood in a videogame, we might not have half the ‘controversy’ that goes on in this industry.
Remember — it’s very obvious that children will play adult videogames. What doesn’t seem to be obvious, however, is that they can only do it if parents let them. Sites like this are needed because people are simply ignorant. Now the morons can search for games and movies through this site to see if they’re comfortable with what Little Bobby Crappypants is playing with his friends. Good show.
