X-rated

Overview

X-rated is a term originally created by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) in 1968 to designate films that were strictly for audiences aged 18 and older. While originally intended for both mainstream films with mature themes and explicit content, the label was eventually co-opted by the adult film industry.

In modern usage, "X-rated" has become a generic synonym for hardcore pornography, though the official rating was retired by the MPAA in 1990 and replaced by the NC-17 rating.

History

The 1968 Rating System

When the MPAA replaced the old Hays Code with a voluntary rating system in 1968, the "X" rating was the most restrictive category. Unlike the G, M (later PG), and R ratings, the MPAA did not trademark the "X" rating. This allowed any filmmaker to self-apply an "X" to their movie without submitting it to the board.

Mainstream X-Rated Films

In the early 1970s, several mainstream, critically acclaimed films received the X rating for violence or mature themes:

Midnight Cowboy (1969): The only X-rated film to ever win the Academy Award for Best Picture. (It was later re-rated "R").
A Clockwork Orange (1971): Directed by Stanley Kubrick; originally released with an X rating in the U.S. due to graphic violence.
Last Tango in Paris (1972): Starring Marlon Brando; a major mainstream success despite its X rating.

The Shift to Pornography

Because the "X" symbol was not trademarked, the burgeoning adult film industry began using it as a marketing tool. Producers of films like Deep Throat and Behind the Green Door applied the "X" to signal explicit content to consumers.

To stand out, some producers began using "XX" or "XXX" to imply even more graphic content. None of these "multi-X" ratings were ever official MPAA designations.

The Death of the X Rating

By the 1980s, the "X" rating had become so closely associated with pornography that mainstream studios found it impossible to market "serious" adult-themed films. Major newspapers refused to carry ads for X-rated movies, and many theaters refused to screen them.

In 1990, following the controversy surrounding the film Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, the MPAA officially retired the X rating and replaced it with **NC-17** ("No Children Under 17 Admitted").

Global Variations

United Kingdom: The BBFC used an "X" certificate from 1951 to 1982, which was later replaced by the "18" rating.
Australia: Australia maintains a legal "X18+" category specifically for non-violent hardcore pornography.

References

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