Classification

From October 2014 the new implication of age restrictions on music videos will be set in place and begin. In August David Cameron announced plans to add age restrictions music videos "to help parents protect their children from some of the graphic content in online music videos". However there is some conflicted views as to whether this idea will work or not. Ella On The Run is one artist who has two views to the issue, she explains that the understands why they want to put age restrictions on music videos, as there are many over sexual and violent images that children of particular ages shouldn't see. However she also has concerns that if a restriction is put in place then certain artists will make videos much more sexualised and explicit and just put a higher age rating on it, just because they can. 

The artist FKA Twigs said 'I think that the answer to protecting younger viewers is not to ban things, it's to show an alternative.' He does present a fair argument that we no longer live in Victorian Britain, should we still be having children grow up with an elephant in the room, with anything sexual or graphic hidden behind close doors. Some people argue that it's worse to act like sex and violence is something bad and something we shouldn't discuss, as it then becomes something young people aim to try or see purely because its restricted. 

There is another side to the argument as the majority of record labels are already part of the BPI's parental advisory scheme, so is there any need for the a age restriction on videos. 

They seem to be focusing more on graphic violent content rather than content of a sexual nature to start with; “If it contains racist, or homophobic, or other types of discriminatory content it will now for the first time have to be classified. If it contains suicide or self harm, it will for the first time have to be classified. So the music industry is doing is looking at that level, and linking that to when they will submit content to us."

There is already filter in terms of the Parental Advisory Explicit Content label, however it this isn't a enforces filter, just a suggestion that the parents listen to the music before the child, to ensure it is suitable in the parents eyes. A child of any age can still buy it without an adult present though.


Following a sruvey in 2013 of 10,000 people about the classification laws there was one issue that arose strongly; 'A specific issue highlighted by the consultation is in relation to sexual content, where the public is particularly concerned about the sexualisation of girls, and pornography.  The content of music videos and the ease of accessibility of online porn are special worries.' hence this has become something the BBFC want to tackle. 

Its videos such as Nicki Minaj- Anaconda:  Nicki Minaj - "Anaconda" from > on Vimeo.
(http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2014/10/nicki-minaj-doesnt-get-all-the-talk-about-her-racy-anaconda-video/) That create such complaints. 


http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/29423817
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/sex/10584304/Age-ratings-for-music-videos-Kids-this-Miley-Cyrus-music-video-isnt-for-you.-The-British-Board-of-Film-Classification-says-so.html
http://parental-advisory.co.uk/advice-for-parents/why-are-certain-songs-or-videos-labelled-explicit/
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/about-bbfc/media-centre/bbfc-launch-new-classification-guidelines
http://www.factmag.com/2014/01/13/british-board-of-film-classification-working-on-age-rating-for-music-videos/