New Zealand has just banned "Into The River", it's first book banning in 22 years

[4691mls]

As far as I know the US film age ratings only prevent kids under a certain age from seeing adult-rated movies in theaters - I doubt there's any way to ban parents from buying or renting an adult-rated movie to show at home if they wanted to let their children watch it.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

As far as I know the US film age ratings only prevent kids under a certain age from seeing adult-rated movies in theaters - I doubt there's any way to ban parents from buying or renting an adult-rated movie to show at home if they wanted to let their children watch it.

Sure, they're basically an advisory, just like the NZ book ratings are.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

As far as I know the US film age ratings only prevent kids under a certain age from seeing adult-rated movies in theaters - I doubt there's any way to ban parents from buying or renting an adult-rated movie to show at home if they wanted to let their children watch it.

Actually a child can see an R rated movie in a movie theater as long as a "responsible" adult is with them.
That is why my mother went with me to see Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I was 16 and you had to be 17 to go to an R movie. Note I think it has since been re-rated. I saw my first R movie "The Deep", when I was 10. My 6 year old brother went too. Our 18 year old cousin took us.
It is another movie that has been down rated to PG13.
The only movies a child can't go to in a theater are NR and X.
All other ratings are just guidelines.

Now on bad books for kids: Flowers in the Attic. Everyone I know that read it was 12 and 13.

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Sure, they're basically an advisory, just like the NZ book ratings are.

Just some clarification.

NZ book classifications are not just an advisory, it is in fact illegal to supply a book to a person under the age for which the book is classified, or, of course, to anyone at all if it is banned (neither of those things necessarily mean that it is not permitted to possess the book).

Book classification in NZ is also different to that for movies, etc. in that books do not have to be classified and by far the majority are not. In most cases books are only presented for classification by Government authorities such as Customs seeking clarification as to entry at the border of commercial quantities, Police, etc. These, I suspect (because I have no direct involvement with classifications), will be in the main books which are of a nature that are or may be regarded as troublesome in most Western countries. Publishers also submit some books voluntarily if they have some concerns about them. The public may also request a classification of a book but my understanding is that this is rare.

A publisher may also voluntarily "classify" a publication, even if it is not formally classified, and this is, as far as I am aware, most commonly done with explicit magazines (as each issue is different) which are then clear enveloped and stickered for placement on the retailers' display shelves (usually high up, which makes life difficult for randy 11 year olds I guess :-)). Not something I have paid much attention to but I think these are predominantly, if not all "restricted" to 18+ years and seems to work well.

Overall, I suspect that the number of books ever submitted for classification is very, very low compared to the number of books published or even to just those on sale. And the number of books that end up classified with a restriction even much lower.