[HPFGU-Movie] Re: Help from UK viewers/readers? language

[John Walton]

someone (dawncad) wrote:

> I'm pretty sure Malfoy said "a-s-s". After seeing the movie the first
> time, I was discussing this with my friend. We were both surprised
> that a child was allowed to say it in a PG movie. In US television,
> saing a-s-s is no longer censored, I don't know if this is the case
> for other countries, but I was still shocked to hear a child say it
> in a children's film.

Joanne0012 at aol.com wrote:

> It's my understanding that PG comes between "G" and PG-13 in the ratings
> hierarchy.    Films that are rated PG-13 are not recommended for kids under
> 13.   So HPSS's PG rating means that it's not  appropriate for the youngest
> kids, but is OK for kids under 13.

I too am unsurprised by the language used -- in fact I feel it's quite mild
for the age. When I started at boarding school at 13, our mothers would have
washed our mouths out with soap if they could have heard us. I think that
JKR has watered down the language a *lot*.

Bear in mind, too, that "arse" in UK-speak isn't *really* as offensive as
"ass" in US-speak. (I'm an American of British parentage and education who
has lived in the US all my life apart from five years at boarding school &
three years at university; I still live in NY, so I do have a handle on
this.)

--John

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The order was given to turn cows to whoppers
Enforced by the might of ten thousand coppers
But on the horizon surrounding the shoppers
Came the deafening roar of chickens in choppers
    --"Cows With Guns", by Dana Lyons

John Walton -- john at walton.vu
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