I was under the impression that movie ratings were getting
more lenient over time... gradually more and more
"inappropriate" material seems to be slipping into films
with lower and lower ratings. I'm amazed at *how much*
they'll allow into a PG-13 movie these days. But perhaps I
was wrong in thinking that it's getting worse with time...

When you think of films rated PG, what movies come to
mind? Probably kids' stuff. "Air Bud," "Stuart Little" and "Spy
Kids" were all rated PG. So was the 1973 heist movie "The
Sting." I just borrowed this movie from the library on DVD
and watched it for the first time two days ago. I was
expecting a light family-friendly comedy about bumbling
crooks, but that's not what I found, at all.

"The Sting" is riddled with profanity, adult themes, alcohol
and tobacco use, and violence. I heard the S-word, "SOB,"
and "n****r" all many times. Granted, the latter may have
been more acceptable in 1976 than it is today, and the
movie does take place in the 1930s. But I was still
surprised. There is also a scene of topless women dancing
on a stage (wearing pasties, but still)... It seems like
everywhere you look in the movie, someone is drinking like
a fish or smoking like a chimney. And there's plenty of
gunfire: three people are shot onscreen, two in the chest
(with blood all over their shirts) and one in the forehead (a
big bloody hole between her eyes). And finally, even if the
movie's content WAS suitable for children, the movie goes
at such a slow pace that most kids would likely be bored
out of their minds.

So how does a film like this get the PG rating? Is this a sign
that the rating system has actually gotten stricter over the
years? If this movie came out today with that kind of rating,
I think a lot of people would be up in arms. What are your
thoughts on the matter?

-useless"Has anyone here seen the movie?"ness