50 Shades of Deadpool

Regulation has changed in terms of becoming more lenient and strict, with a new age of technology and streaming media,  rising organisations such as the BBFC would be left behind if they did not improve their regulatory practices to work around this new era. While exploring how the BBFC uses its regulatory practices in relation to sex and violence I took into account how society has become desensitised and I have also looked into the Uses and Gratifications Theory paying particular attention to how we use the media to satisfy our needs. I feel that over the recent years the BBFC have taken a much more liberal approach to the ratings of films and this is evident with the ratings of movies such as Deadpool and 50 Shades of Grey.

The BBFC have had to adapt their regulatory practices to work around societies peak of tolerance in regards to sex and violence, specifically in the media. This tolerance is referred to as desensitisation. We have consumed so much of this harmful content that we now have built up a defence against it and it is now less effective. This has led movie makers to up the levels of violence and sex in their movies to entice us to watch their movies. Due to this, the BBFC has to adapt and work around this increase in gore by becoming more liberal in regards to their age ratings. This is seen in regards to 50 Shades of Grey which was made an 18 in the UK but an R in the US. By making the movie a lower age rating compared to other countries it shows that the BBFC is working alongside this mass desensitisation.

The BBFC have also had to take into account the Uses and Gratifications of the media, specifically how we use the media to indulge certain cravings. These cravings are usually linked to violence and sex, we view content to satisfy these needs. The BBFC has recently given Deadpool a 15 age rating which is surprisingly liberal given the sexual scenes and excessive violence. We as humans crave to experience certain pleasures and we can achieve this through the media so by witnessing violence and sex in for example Deadpool we can calm these craves.