Problems With the Word “Porno”

People are complaining about the ads for Kevin Smith’s new film, “Zack and Miri Make a Porno.”

CNN reports that one complaint came from a man watching a baseball game with his son. “He was explaining to his son what a squeeze bunt was. Commercial break, the ad comes on, and the kid asks, ‘Dad, what does porno mean?”

Dodgers spokesman Josh Rawitch responded to complaints about ads for the film during the game. “Dodgers baseball has always been about family, and we’ve always been sensitive to the type of advertising that runs on our games.”

Commericals for the film were dropped from Fox Sports at the team’s request.

Good for them!

The film, originally rated NC-17, is rated R on appeal for strong crude sexual content including dialogue, graphic nudity and pervasive language.

That sort of sums it up.

Kevin Smith, no stranger to raunchy movies, wasn’t about to let the NC-17 rating stand. “We didn’t set out to make an NC-17 film. That’s just commercial suicide,” Smith told The Associated Press. The NC-17 rating would have prohibited anyone younger than 17 from seeing it. With an R rating, those under 17 can see it in the company of an adult.

Isn’t that nice!

The sad fact is… Kevin Smith is a really talented writer, this film is already getting a lot of hype… it’s probably going to do really well.

It’s also one of the films where people can go onto the movie’s web site: http://www.zackandmiri.com/ and view the redband trailer (the “R-rated” trailer). Sure… our kids will say, “Mom, Dad… don’t worry… that trailer didn’t have any nudity!” And they’re right. But WOW!!!

Teenage guys are definitely going to want to see the film… they traditionally respond better to movie ads than girls do, and this movie is right up their ally.

Our kids our growing up in a different world than I did.

Sigh.