Art ratings?

[leelastarsky]

A question - particularly for my fellow artists, but I'm interested to hear everybody's opinion.

The ratings that are gernerally ascribed to fanfiction - G through to NC17 - do you think the same standards should apply to art? Or should they be higher because it is a visual medium?

I ask because the picture in my icon - the full version of which you can see here - Passionate Ron/Hermione, was just labelled NC17 in a forum and, I'm sorry, but I would never have classed that pic NC17. Yes, it's suggestive, but that's it. There is no cock to be seen, no sexual act in progress, not even a breast.

Personally, I'd have rated it M (15+), just to be on the safe side. Am I too liberal? I mean, my kids have all seen this, and they range in age from 15 down to just-turned-9. They weren't horrified or traumatised by it. And, to counterpoint, none of them have seen the 'quickie' slash drawing I did for shocolate the other day, because I know that would squick them, and that one I do regard as NC17.

So what's the consensus? Would you rate this painting NC17?

And, out of interest, what would you rate this one while we're at it?

Comments

[chickadilly.livejournal.com]

I'd rate it as an R. I don't think that it's NC-17 at all ... and the pic of Lily breastfeeding I'd rate a PG13, maybe PG. I mean that is not a sexual picture at all ... she's breastfeeding her child and having a laugh with James. It's full of love and just all around adorable.

I might not be a good judge though -- I often think that we're too strict about presentations of sex and nudity here in the US and too lenient with violence when it comes to ratings.

[chickadilly.livejournal.com]

BTW, in the US an R rating is 17 and up ... maybe that's too strict for the pic. (Though I tend to be a bit lenient with R ratings because to me they never meant anything. Technically you're not supposed to see an R rated film before you're 17 but when I was a kid it wasn't much of a big deal or a problem to do so anyway ...)

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

I often think that we're too strict about presentations of sex and nudity here in the US and too lenient with violence when it comes to ratings.

I'm afraid I agree with you wholeheartedly on that one. I don't think I ever got over the edict that came down at TheForce.net fanfic section, which allowed an entire page of outrageous torture and gratuitous violence, yet would only allow ONE PARAGRAPH of implied sexual activity. Seriously, seriously boggled my mind.

[yanksfan.livejournal.com]

Gaah, the Force.net thing always bothered me too. It always handcuffs the writer into writing these generic *wink, wink* you-know-what-they're-doing-but-we-can't-tell-you-straight-out kind of scenes.

Followed quickly by the "Oh, and if you want the unedited version, PM me." Which everyone then signs on for, therebv getting exposed to the same sexually explicit material that theforce.net was trying to "protect" us all from in the first place.

I never understood this country's uptightness about sex. Sheesh. You'd think we all came about through immaculate conception or something.