Stop PG-13 Blockbusters from Targeting Preschoolers

In response to a complaint filed by CCFC in 2007, the Federal Trade Commission urged the Motion Picture Association of America—the self-regulating body of Hollywood movie studios that administers film ratings in the United States—to develop a policy to “ensure that PG-13 movies are not marketed in a manner inconsistent with their rating.”  Sixteen months later, the MPAA has not honored that request, and children's television stations continue to barrage young viewers with ads for violent PG-13 movies and their related merchandise. The PG-13 rating bears the warning “Parents strongly cautioned: Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.”  

Since March, CCFC has logged over 3,000 ads on children’s TV channels for five PG-13 films: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen; Terminator Salvation; Star Trek; X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and the upcoming GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Last month CCFC sent another letter to the FTC documenting the continued failure of the movie industry’s self-regulation, and urging the Commission to take action.   

Now the FTC needs to hear from you.  Use the form below to sign CCFC's petition to the FTC urging them to stop the marketing of violent PG-13 films to young children. We’ll deliver the petition, along with your comments, to the FTC before the August 7^th premiere of the last of this summer’s violent PG-13 blockbusters, GI Joe -- rated PG-13 for “strong sequences of action violence and mayhem throughout.”

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Dear Chairman Leibowitz, It’s been over sixteen months since the Federal Trade Commission’s staff urged the Motion Picture Association of America to develop an “explicit policy, incorporating objective criteria” to “ensure that PG-13 movies are not marketed in a manner inconsistent with their rating.” So far, the MPAA has refused that request. This summer children are once again being inundated with ads for violent PG-13 blockbusters, like "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and "Terminator Salvation," as well as their related merchandise. Since March 17, 2009, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood documented over 3,000 advertisements for violent PG-13 films—including their licensed toys and respective fast food promotions—that aired on children’s television stations like Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network at times when young children were likely to be watching. The upcoming film, "GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra," based on the Hasbro action figure, promises yet another wave of marketing that turns children into lobbyists for media that glorifies violence, and that their parents may not want them to see. Marketing PG-13 films to young children sends a confusing message to parents and increases the likelihood that kids will be exposed to media content that even the film industry believes may be inappropriate for them. It’s too late to prevent this summer’s marketing storm, but you can protect children from future marketing maelstroms. Please stop the marketing of violent PG-13 movies to young children.

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Please enter your additional comments to the FTC below.

0-25 of 3729 signatures

Number	Date	Name	Location	Please enter your additional comments to the FTC below.
3729	September 01, 2010	siobhan cafferty	chicago, IL
3728	August 26, 2010	melissa ferguson	janesville, WI
3727	August 10, 2010	Stacy Eddy	CM, CA
3726	August 10, 2010	Shaun-Adrian Chofla	Sacramento, CA
3725	July 29, 2010	Dena Woods	Saint Louis, MO	When I take my child to see a movie he wants to see, I am shocked at the content and subject matter of some of the movies. But since my child see' s child character's that he looks up to, he automatically thinks he wants to see the movie.
3724	July 16, 2010	ANA VALDEZ	LIHUE, HI
3723	July 10, 2010	Kathryn Malinowski	Birmingham, AL
3722	June 23, 2010	Heidi Berg	Portland, OR	Please help protect our children from unnecessary violence!
3721	June 20, 2010	scott laderoute	kitchener, ON
3720	June 19, 2010	joyce luke	denton, TX	have a heart and some sense of mortality!!
3719	June 19, 2010	joyce luke	denton, TX	have a heart and some sense of mortality!!
3718	June 17, 2010	Michelle Lamanet	Portland, OR
3717	June 16, 2010	Leslie Wilda	Talent, OR
3716	June 15, 2010	Leah Eister-Hargrave	Seattle, WA
3715	June 10, 2010	Shoshana Cohen	Portland, OR
3714	June 08, 2010	Jennifer Magruder	Richmond, VA
3713	June 08, 2010	Desirae Schneider	Lawton, OK
3712	June 07, 2010	Tim Metayer	Albany, NY	Call me old fashion, but I feel that our children should not be forced into the militaristic worldview presented in our media until they're at least old enough to realize what's going on. It's bad enough to manipulate children through advertisements aimed at children too young to understand what they're seeing, but to include harmful messages (the benefits of violence, etc...) makes the practice of advertising mature content to young children all the more reprehensible.
3711	May 27, 2010	Lisa Oaks	North Conway, NH
3710	May 26, 2010		,	Children are confused enough and they should be exposed to all the good things in life, not the bad. They have the rest of their lives to be exposed to the bad. Marketers do not care about the damage; all they care about is pushing their product and making a buck. This selfish, irresponsible behavior must be regulated to protect the innocent because corporations are not regulating themselves. Although many parents regulate and monitor children's activities, it is impossible for parents to regulate their exposure since the market is saturated by advertising.
3709	May 26, 2010	Betty Zipperer	Whitelaw, WI	Keep are young people inocent.
3708	May 26, 2010	REgina Rodriguez	Colorado Springss, CO
3707	May 26, 2010	Beth Vella	Auburn, NY
3706	May 20, 2010	Matthew Mooney	Portland, OR	Kids under 13 should not be watching the Disney channel. Don't advertise PG-13 rated movies there. Sacrificing 1/1000 of the bottom line for the good of children is the least you could do.
3705	May 18, 2010	Annette Torres	san antonio, TX	Please help parents to enforce the rules to be implemented on our youth. We trust in these movie ratings, and game ratings to be accurate and safe. However the ratings are not safe, were do we draw the line. I believe the time is now- we are pleading for help..

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