Random Thoughts

[Molandfreak]

The fact that The Outlaw Josey Wales was rated PG with an attempted rape scene and a massacre by gatling gun was appalling to me.

I think the MPAA rating system has definitely improved over time.  I mean, I think it is more common now when a parent brings a kid into a rated R movie and acting appalled that the reaction is wondering what was wrong with the parent rather than the rating system.

I just don't think that a movie that is obviously intended for general audiences should be given the PG rating just to be cautious. Did the MPAA screw up at different times in the past? Sure. But I don't think that Frozen, Toy Story 5, Wish, or Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie (I haven't seen the latter, but I'm assuming it is the case here since it is based off a preschool franchise) should be branded as needing parental guidance as much as Shrek, Ice Age, The Incredibles, or Turning Red. A movie can be for general audiences and still feature some heavy thematic tones or adult topics, the point is that a PG film better earn that rating and not just be an example of the MPAA applying a rating for marketing purposes.

Should Cars 2 and Toy Story 3 have been PG? Sure. The former has multiple onscreen deaths from gun violence and the latter has the infamous incinerator scene. But I'm not up in arms about them getting G ratings.

[Max Rockatansky]

I've never quite grasped what the difference between PG and PG-13 is supposed to be, or which one is supposed to be worse.

Also, why does the TV rating system not match that for movies? There's a TV-14 rating instead of a PG-13. Do you have to be a year older to be mature enough to deal with commercial breaks or something?

Someone took their kid to a Poltergeist style movie and they got scared.  Upset parents are often the instigators of petitioning for unnecessary changes to things like movie ratings.

Speaking of upset parents, does anyone remember back when the ESRB was developed by the game industry?  I still find it hilarious that pure schlock like Night Trap got so many parents and senators enraged. 

[Rothman]

Wasn't Red Dawn one of the first PG-13 movies?

Wolverine's!

[Max Rockatansky]

Wasn't Red Dawn one of the first PG-13 movies?

Wolverine's!

Apparently it was the first with the rating to make theaters. 

[1995hoo]

PG-13 originally meant "Parents strongly cautioned—some material may be inappropriate for children under 13." The two movies that are most frequently cited as leading to the adoption of that rating were Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins.

[Rothman]

Wasn't Red Dawn one of the first PG-13 movies?

Wolverine's!

Apparently it was the first with the rating to make theaters. 

Wolverines'!

Wolv'rines!

[Max Rockatansky]

Wasn't Red Dawn one of the first PG-13 movies?

Wolverine's!

Apparently it was the first with the rating to make theaters. 

Wolverines'!

Wolv'rines!

Red Dawn was actually on today and I gave it a watch.  It is kind of amusing from an adult perspective that anyone that it was plausible that Mexico would turn into an ally of the Soviet Union. 

[Rothman]

Wasn't Red Dawn one of the first PG-13 movies?

Wolverine's!

Apparently it was the first with the rating to make theaters. 

Wolverines'!

Wolv'rines!

Red Dawn was actually on today and I gave it a watch.  It is kind of amusing from an adult perspective that anyone that it was plausible that Mexico would turn into an ally of the Soviet Union. 

But the good Colonel Bella was Cuban.

[Max Rockatansky]

Wasn't Red Dawn one of the first PG-13 movies?

Wolverine's!

Apparently it was the first with the rating to make theaters. 

Wolverines'!

Wolv'rines!

Red Dawn was actually on today and I gave it a watch.  It is kind of amusing from an adult perspective that anyone that it was plausible that Mexico would turn into an ally of the Soviet Union. 

But the good Colonel Bella was Cuban.

Totally not a Che Guevara homage.

[interstatefan990]

I'm more confused on why PG stands for "Parental Guidance" but PG-13 means "Parents Strongly Cautioned".

[Beltway]

Someone took their kid to a Poltergeist style movie and they got scared.  Upset parents are often the instigators of petitioning for unnecessary changes to things like movie ratings.

A weird movie even for adults. Very audible scare reaction in the theater when that ghostly hand came out of the TV toward a child.

[Molandfreak]

I'm more confused on why PG stands for "Parental Guidance" but PG-13 means "Parents Strongly Cautioned".

Originally it was supposed to be a separation of what was generally ok for kids but should probably have a parent in the room and what definitely needs a parent in the room unless the children are in their late teens. Now PG is the go-to if it's completely safe for kids, and PG-13 is for the level of action that was deemed appropriate for PG or even G (ie The Hunchback of Notre Dame) 30 years ago.

[I-57/Route 66 Fan]

Why doesn't Monopoly allow you to do a second hotel?

[Scott5114]

Why doesn't Monopoly allow you to do a second hotel?

What would it add to the game? If you've already spent $2000 on hotels on Boardwalk and Park Place, and can afford to drop another $2000 to add a second (I'm assuming a second hotel would have to be built up through four houses like the first one), you've basically already won the game.

On the other hand, it might make the game end a lot faster. Landing on Boardwalk and having to pay $4000 for a double hotel would knock people out of the game pretty often. But then again that reveals why Monopoly kind of sucks as a game—because at that point it essentially boils down to a sudden-death "well just don't be the one who lands on Boardwalk". It does strengthen the capitalism allegory intended by the original author, though, so there's that.

Nothing saying you can't just house-rule it as OK if you want to try it. But you might run into not having enough house tokens. Rules as written, that means that you're supposed to just tell people they're out of luck if there are no houses in the bank, so that means one player could hoard the housing stock. And there's not even enough space on the standard Monopoly board to fit the four houses you're allowed to (never understood why they didn't make the houses smaller), much less four houses plus a hotel or two hotels.

[Rothman]

Why doesn't Monopoly allow you to do a second hotel?

What would it add to the game? If you've already spent $2000 on hotels on Boardwalk and Park Place, and can afford to drop another $2000 to add a second (I'm assuming a second hotel would have to be built up through four houses like the first one), you've basically already won the game.

On the other hand, it might make the game end a lot faster. Landing on Boardwalk and having to pay $4000 for a double hotel would knock people out of the game pretty often. But then again that reveals why Monopoly kind of sucks as a game—because at that point it essentially boils down to a sudden-death "well just don't be the one who lands on Boardwalk". It does strengthen the capitalism allegory intended by the original author, though, so there's that.

Nothing saying you can't just house-rule it as OK if you want to try it. But you might run into not having enough house tokens. Rules as written, that means that you're supposed to just tell people they're out of luck if there are no houses in the bank, so that means one player could hoard the housing stock. And there's not even enough space on the standard Monopoly board to fit the four houses you're allowed to (never understood why they didn't make the houses smaller), much less four houses plus a hotel or two hotels.

Is it dictated that houses and hotels need to go in a specific spot on the space?  Never had a problen fitting four houses in the color strip.

[1995hoo]

There could probably be a whole thread: "What 'house rules' do you use when you play Monopoly?"

(I suppose one might expand that to other board games. My mother and brother, for example, don't enforce the rule in Scrabble that you can only play your letters in one single line on any given turn. I still remember it was embarrassing at school in sixth grade when I learned what the real rule was because I played it the way my parents had taught us at home and everyone else said you can't do that.)

[Max Rockatansky]

I find it to be more fun to actually force people to play by the actual rules.  Most people who have played Monopoly don't have any exposure to trades, house limits and auctions.  Usually I can manipulate the other players for a couple rounds of the board until they figure out what I'm doing.

[1995hoo]

I find it to be more fun to actually force people to play by the actual rules.  Most people who have played Monopoly don't have any exposure to trades, house limits and auctions.  Usually I can manipulate the other players for a couple rounds of the board until they figure out what I'm doing.

What can be interesting about "house rules" is when you play with someone who is used to different ones. I remember once growing up when a few of our friends were over and we decided to play Monopoly and an argument started because one kid insisted there was supposed to be a $500 bill placed at the center of the board at the beginning of the game as the Free Parking jackpot. The rest of us were used to the "rule" that amounts you pay for income tax or luxury tax, or because a card ordered you to pay something (other than to another player), went "under Free Parking." Looking back, I suppose that would have been a situation to follow the actual rules.

One rule almost nobody I know follows is the rule that the bank auctions off a property if someone lands on it and decides not to buy it. The only people I know who follow that are our relatives in Fort Myers. Everyone else just leaves the property available until someone else lands on it and decides to buy it.

[kphoger]

I'm more confused on why PG stands for "Parental Guidance" but PG-13 means "Parents Strongly Cautioned".

PG-13 originally meant...

Parents Are Strongly Cautioned to Give Special Guidance for Attendance of Children Under 13 – Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Young Children

...and then...

Parents Strongly Cautioned – Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13

[kphoger]

I had no clue that every property not immediately bought was supposed to go up for auction—until we got a video game version that does just that.

[JayhawkCO]

I had no clue that every property not immediately bought was supposed to go up for auction—until we got a video game version that does just that.

Because it's also -EV to not buy a property if you have the money to do so. It doesn't happen all that often.

[kphoger]

It doesn't happen all that often.

Maybe among people who know what they're doing, but that's not been my general experience with Monopoly.

[1995hoo]

I had no clue that every property not immediately bought was supposed to go up for auction—until we got a video game version that does just that.

Because it's also -EV to not buy a property if you have the money to do so. It doesn't happen all that often.

What does the boldfaced mean?

[hotdogPi]

I had no clue that every property not immediately bought was supposed to go up for auction—until we got a video game version that does just that.

Because it's also -EV to not buy a property if you have the money to do so. It doesn't happen all that often.

What does the boldfaced mean?

negative expected value

[Max Rockatansky]

It doesn't happen all that often.

Maybe among people who know what they're doing, but that's not been my general experience with Monopoly.

That's my experience also.  Usually Monopoly only gets played during family holiday events.  There aren't many hardened board game players who show up for Thanksgiving or Christmas.