Students at BYU-Idaho seem to be trapped. We are stuck in a world where ratings dictate our selection of movies, games, music and more. While entertainers produce a broad spectrum of content from wonderful to horrible, we somehow feel we need to watch for ratings more than we watch for content.

The misfortune is not so much that we like some of the poor content they produce, but that we buy it and support it. Sometimes as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we seem to take the approach to entertainment that ‘if it’s not bad, it’s good.’ If there’s no “Parental Advisory” on the cover, we listen to it. If it can be broadcast on TV, we watch it.

As Latter-day Saints, we are to search out and seek after “anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy,” according to the 13th Article of Faith. The things we watch may not contain nudity or strong violence, but many are a far cry from being lovely, praiseworthy or uplifting in any manner. Our position has become, to misquote the 13th Article of Faith, “If there is anything not rated R, we seek after these things.”

Contrast the romance and content of two recent major motion pictures, Pride and Prejudice (2005) and The Notebook (2004). In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy are both remarkable characters with intelligence, cultivation and kind manners. Though plagued by misunderstandings and mistakes on either part, their love is based on a respect for character, follows every rule of propriety and prevails by way of humility and forgiveness.

In The Notebook, Noah falls for Allie as soon as he sees her. He vows to win her over before he even really knows her. He does so, and they fall madly in love. The relationship portrayed is highly physical, without depth and they are intimate outside of marriage, etc. Noah and Allie act out another “meant for each other” love story full of plucked heartstrings, empty of the realities upon which successful relationships are based.

While the two movies seem very similar to the average moviegoer, we should notice the differences. Neither movie is rated R, but they portray very different ideals about love, intimacy and relationships.

Anything we watch, read or hear, regardless of the rating, will have an adverse or beneficial effect on our minds. Ratings should not and cannot determine if the content of a certain movie or album is good for us. We need to be cautious about selecting our entertainment. PG-13 does not automatically qualify as good or uplifting.

Our purpose is not to seek out and create more intense and alluring entertainment, it is to seek out and find that which is good. What we use for entertainment should serve to better our lives, to cultivate and to uplift in some manner.

Finding good, quality entertainment requires a more active and discerning selection process than merely checking ratings. It is important to actively seek perceptive reviews, talented and wholesome entertainers and quality media. The world is full of great opportunities to be truly entertained without having to compromise our values and standards. We should seek after these things.

Chandler Warnick
scroll staff