Jack Valenti (1921 - 2007) dies at 85.

[Juu-kuchi]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18354197/

Regardless, he did shape the movie industry. But I don't believe that's the reason you remember him.

You probably remember him for this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm0m_7WaBnc

If somebody can mirror this on WBC, then go ahead and do it. I somewhat think it's relevant.

[Mr. Pedro]

I did a power-point presentation on the rating-system, almost verbatim from that Freakazoid segment. Sadly, Sgt. Scruffy ended up on the cutting-room floor.

R.I.P. Mr. Valenti.

[Peter Paltridge]

*makes the first "cheeks" reference*

It's too bad he only got one role in anything. I thought he was great on Freakazoid.

[Majin_Megabyte]

R.I.P. Mr. Valenti as well.

I always will remember him for the Freakazoid thing, as well Sgt. Scruffy.

[ToOn~g@l]

At first I was wondering why this guy sounded familiar and then I saw that You Tube Video. Damn no more pinchy cheeks and stuff about Sgt. Scruffy. :crying: R.I.P Mr. Valenti you shaped those movie ratings.

[HG Revolution]

It's sad the guy died. He sure did mean well, even if the rating system doesn't really work as well as it should (though that's another topic altogether).

[The Weed Of Cri]

A lot of people who work in the movie industry complained about the way the MPAA operated, sometimes with good cause, sometimes not. Usually, the complaints were over the apparently arbitrary way that some ratings were decided. Valenti took a lot of flack over that, mostly without justification. What many of his critics overlooked (or perhaps ignored) was that Valenti was a staunch defender of the First Amendment, and a vocal opponent of the kind of widespread censorship that a lot of government functionaries would like to see put into effect. From the very beginning, he wanted the ratings to be purely advisory, a method of informing parents and sensitive people of what their ticket price was buying. It wasn't perfect, but it was a damn stretch better than anything else that has been proposed (see: The Hays Code). I hope his successor, whoever he or she may be, feels the same way.

[NinjaJack]

One of the greats:sad:

[HG Revolution]

One of the greats:sad:

Do you actually know much about the guy other than that Freakazoid episode? I understand that creating a ratings system instead of government censorship was a huge positive step, but said ratings system still needs to be worked out. I know Jack didn't really want the X/NC-17 rating, but its existence implies censorship and many films have had to be censored in order to fit a more commercial R rating. The whole ratings criteria is also a big mess; see the movie This Film is Not Yet Rated to get an idea of its main problems. Add in him constantly thinking that VCRs were evil and the fact he bootlegged films despite claiming to be against the process, and you end up with a man with respectable ambitions, but very few actual things he's done can really be considered "great".

[Mek]

Oh, every ratings system has its flaws. Look at the ESRB.

[HG Revolution]

Oh, every ratings system has its flaws. Look at the ESRB.

The ESRB has pretty clear guidelines and they've only gotten under major heat twice (GTA and that Oblivion mod). Plus stores don't really care about game ratings, whereas movie theaters do care about movie ratings a lot. When's the last time you saw an NC-17 film playing in a mainstream theater?

[The Weed Of Cri]

I know Jack didn't really want the X/NC-17 rating, but its existence implies censorship and many films have had to be censored in order to fit a more commercial R rating.

The MPAA and Valenti had little to do with the reaction of commercial ventures (like movie theaters) to NC-17 and X films. Movie theaters have the right to show (or refuse to show) what they want, just as newspapers, as private commercial ventures, have the right to decide who they accept advertising from (most mainstream newspapers will not run ads for NC-17 or X films on the same pages as with other films). That's not censorship, just free enterprise. Censorship is when the government steps in and dictates what can and cannot be shown. What the government censors (like porn) doesn't get examined by the MPAA anyway. Films that were given NC-17 ratings were not forced to cut them; the cuts were voluntary in order to appeal for a different rating, or they simply had to find other venues for advertising. And ratings could be challenged, although it was admittedly rare when the MPAA changed its decision. One such case was Steven Speilberg's Saving Private Ryan, which was originally given an NC-17, until Speilberg pleaded the case the film's depiction of war horrors (the reason for the rating) was done for reasons of historical accuracy rather than catering to prurient interest. The MPAA reconsidered and gave the film an R rating without cuts.

[Noukon]

The ESRB has pretty clear guidelines and they've only gotten under major heat twice (GTA and that Oblivion mod).

Indeed; whereas ESRB ratings are directly related to content, MPAA ratings are judged and applied without any guidelines whatsoever. It's a terrible way to run a ratings system.