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When I work the boxoffice at my theatre, I am constantly amazed by how often the following discussion reoccurs:

CUSTOMER (Who has small children in tow):
"Why is this movie rated R"?
ME: "For extreme violence and adult themes and content"
CUSTOMER: "Is there any sex in it"?
ME: "No. Just graphic violence"
CUSTOMER: "Well its all right then (as they proceed to buy tickets for the accompanying children).... just as long as there is no sex in it"

As someone who came of age in the sixties (and was actually at Woodstock) I still believe in that old expression: "Make Love, Not War"

I recently was selling tickets for LOVE ACTUALLY and the owners of my theater told me not to let any kids in (because of the nudity and simulated sex of the stand-ins for the porn movie set).

However, at LAST SAMURAI (a film full of violence), there are no such restrictions and parents have NO problem with blood and guts (but better not let their kids see bare breasts or a physical act that just about everybody does)...

It’s an odd dichotomy of the American movie-going public that while they will accept the depiction of a bare breasted woman being mutilated by a man – THEY will bring down the wrath of all that is Holy on anyone who dares to screen a film showing a man being intimate, caressing, and holding a bare breasted woman.

It’s not SEX that people don’t want their kids to see on the screen, its intimacy between men & women that frightens them so…

Not to mention intimacy between men & men, women & women, etc.

It's the old American adage...Kill him, don't kiss him.

Did any of you have problems with parents bringing young children to that "family film"- Bad Santa? I had several come in with the rugrats in tow. I gently explained that maybe Cat in the Hat or Elf would be a more suitable choice.

I think that most of the people that have a problem with intimacy struggle with it in their own lives. Violence is far removed from most of us but itamacy, that's another story. The unfortunate thing is that we seem to be okay with the situation as it stands and we as a population are sending a poor message to our children.