RAW retains RESTRICTED rating outside US

[Aotearoa (Bushwacker)]

This is not another thread bashing the PG era, just more of an observation regarding PG. I am from New Zealand we get Raw here on Friday and Smackdown on Sunday so while we don't get WWE live we are only a few days behind. So WWE has been PG for a while now but I think it is worth noting that in a country outside of the US the rating here has not changed. Wrestling is rated M here which means it is restricted to over 15 years of age, or basically for a Mature audience. During the height of the attitude era it was also rated M. So it seems while the WWE has gone to great lengths in the US to get the rating changed it has not affected how the censors view it here and it is rated M regardless. I would also like to note however that movies like Die Hard are also rated M here and I believe R18 in other countries so it's not like our censors are overly sensitive but it is interesting that a hard core movie like Die Hard and Raw can be classed in the same rating category. Raw remains M rated yet comes on at 7.30pm here. It may also be worth noting that shows like Two and a half men, and Family Guy are rated PG here.
TV shows are imported and viewed by the censor here so a show is not given a fixed rating but that rating can change weekly depending on the content of the show. Raw has not moved in rating and remains consistently an M rated product here.
I am interested in hearing from people in other non-USA countries. What is the rating for WWE products there? Has the PG era changed your local censor rating or does it remain the same? Does the rating of the product make a difference?
If any US citizens want to comment feel free. What has changing the rating really changed? Does the general perception of wrestling remain the same regardless of the rating? Is it just simply a matter of time and perception will shift in time or will it forever be tarnished?

 

[vampirek]

Just because WWE obtained a PG rating in the USA does not mean it applies to every country in the world. It doesn't work like that. Each country has different rules, views etc in regards to content shown on tv. People read too much into the PG rating for their own good and I don't know why.

For example in the UK there are two different Raws that are shown, the live one which due to its time of showing doesn't need editing and then theres the edited one which takes out errors, chair shots, people going throw tables etc anything deemed in breach of OFCOM before the watershed.

There is no possible way WWE can obtain a PG rating worldwide, some countries are stricter when it comes to violence. Even look at the DVD ratings, I doubt you see many WWE DVDs being PG. So again I'll just say people read too much in the PG rating and it has not affected the quality of the show, it is merely a scapegoat.

 

[cboedeker2]

WWE lobbying for a PG rating in the US is simply a marketing tactic, and nothing more. The more viewers they open their show up to, the more will watch (in their minds at least), and the more leverage they will have in gaining sponsors, which they desperately need to do. Every Monday in my market (Chicago) we are bombarded by the same commercials repeating during every break. It gets rather annoying and kind of takes away from the enjoyment of the show at times.

 

[Aotearoa (Bushwacker)]

Just because WWE obtained a PG rating in the USA does not mean it applies to every country in the world. It doesn't work like that. Each country has different rules, views etc in regards to content shown on tv. People read too much into the PG rating for their own good and I don't know why.

I was not in any way implying that it did just merely making an observation. I am not reading anything into the PG rating. I liked the product before and I like the product now I am just saying that it is interesting they are trying hard to put out a more general, family friendly product but it is not shifting the perception or the rating by the censors in other countries. Surely the purpose was to open up other demographics and allow for a wider audience, gain some younger viewers who will become lifelong fans etc. The product is not being promoted as viewable by the general audience outside the US. I have no issue with the PG era, but the censors obviously still do, LOL.

 

[Yarrie]

it is interesting that we have a higher rating here in NZ, as we are pretty cruisy here in Aotearoa. Americans are quite prudish about what they put on TV, we are more likely to have violence and nudity in our shows. Interesting point that. I would consider WWE not needing a PG rating, but then I am an adult and maybe missing something a little kid wouldnt.

 

[GLOBAL ICON]

Yes. What vampirek said is absolutely true. Each country has different rules. Here in India, the parents don't like kids to see girls in bikinis and even the chair-shots and Extreme Rules matches are disallowed. But, it is till PG here though with parent's restricitons. Literally, the kids have to change channels when a Divas match is on.

 

[Heartbreak_Kid_707]

what i find interesting is that the PG fans keep bringing up how it doesnt matter..even when us AE fans say that the current product is STILL good they argue with us anyways...

But i do find it interesting that New Zealand has a PG rating on shows like 2 and half men and family guy but not wrestling. Thanks for letting me know that cause that is an interesting fact that i wouldnt have guessed. And i personally like learning things about other countries...

Good post by the Opening poster!!!!

 

[Aotearoa (Bushwacker)]

what i find interesting is that the PG fans keep bringing up how it doesnt matter..even when us AE fans say that the current product is STILL good they argue with us anyways...

But i do find it interesting that New Zealand has a PG rating on shows like 2 and half men and family guy but not wrestling. Thanks for letting me know that cause that is an interesting fact that i wouldnt have guessed. And i personally like learning things about other countries...

Good post by the Opening poster!!!!

Thank you. Yeah it's funny, I have never said I dislike or even disagree with the PG era but people still want to argue about it. anyway I guess my main point is that the perception of what wrestling is still there. Family Guy gets rated PG here cause I think they look at it and think oh its a cartoon so it cant be bad and yet its way over the top and then look at wrestling and regardless of the content think oh yeah wrestling is bad that has to be rated M. And its not like where opposed to violence here cause like I say Die Hard was on the other night and that was rated M also, so go figure, they deem it okay for a 15 year old to watch Die Hard unedited.
So my point being WWE needs to really do something else to change the general perception of the show they are producing in order to get more fans.