Maybe all lazy parents should move to South Australia, because everyone’s favourite state government seems to want to do all your parenting for you. The South Australian government is now enforcing a law that requires all R-rated films for sale or hire to be segregated from all other movies of a lower rating. Not only that, but advertising R-rated films will also be illegal.
Essentially, this law is going to affect two types of businesses: places that sell or hire DVDs and Blu-ray films (everywhere from Target to Blockbuster), and cinemas.
The first change in the law, which says that you can’t display R-rated movies alongside movies of other ratings, requires a dedicated area for all R-rated content, which needs to be clearly marked with this statement (in font at least 15mm high):
R 18+ FILMS AREA—THE PUBLIC ARE WARNED THAT MATERIAL DISPLAYED IN THIS AREA MAY CAUSE OFFENCE.
In addition to that, the item’s surface area (such as a DVD cover) must not be more than 300 square centimetres (which is bigger than a DVD cover).
The other alternative given is to remove any covers or displays, other than the name of the movie (in font no larger than 1cm high) and the rating. No description, no funny quotes from Margaret Pomeranz, nothing.
So now, if you want to visit your local video store in South Australia to hire a copy of, let’s say Bruno or The Hangover (Extended), the only way you’ll be able to find it is by trudging through releases like Fuck me in the ass and say that you love me or Reel babes real breasts. Either that, or you have no idea about the contents of the film other than the film’s name and its rating.
The second part of the new laws restricts the ability to advertise R18+ rated films. Businesses (including cinemas) can no longer show trailers for R-rated films or display promotional material such as posters, pamphlets or other printed material. Although this probably won’t be too big a problem (very few theatrical releases have been classified R18+ in recent years – most make it as MA15+) for most businesses.
Still though, it’s enough to guarantee that I’ll never move to South Australia…
[PDF Summary via Justice SA]
Travis Young
January 14, 2010 at 2:36 PM
I’m not sure this avenue has been explored, but the law seems a little too general.
How is the premises defined? Is a cinema that shares a building with a shop selling DVDs going to be restricted from displaying Posters for R18 films. Will they be banned from showing trailers for these films?
If an small independent cinema sells DVDs along with other promotional material how do the laws apply?
Also, my reading of the legislation, as passed, is that it applies only to premises where films are SOLD. No mention of hiring.But the summary published says sold or let on hire.
It just looks rushed and poorly thought out.
Report Permalinkmatt
January 14, 2010 at 6:34 PM
this seems to be in line with what they did to counter smoking… some how I don’t think R rated movies are quite on the same level.
Report PermalinkSteven Clark
January 14, 2010 at 8:37 PM
This fine piece of social management has been brought to us by the Family First Party.
I wonder what Rann’s government got in return …
Report PermalinkRG
January 15, 2010 at 9:45 AM
lmao.. Had a non game playing friend from SA say Atkinson wasn’t so bad – whilst defending him regarding the game rating classification system. He lives within the Croydon electrate.
Now he’s talking about voting Gamers4Croydon simply because he thinks this is taking things too far.
I say Atkinson and Conjob should continue with their crazy laws and letting lazy parents be lazy in their glorious Nanny State. Eventually people will realise that they have to take a stand and might actually get off their backsides to do something.
Report PermalinkChilli Dong
January 15, 2010 at 7:42 PM
Completely disagree with this, but complaining that R’s will be stacked with X rated films is a bit of a strawman. There’s nothing stopping the video store having 2 sections, 1 for R rated films & one for porn.
It’s still ridiculous all the same.
Report PermalinkNick Broughall
January 15, 2010 at 8:09 PM
Both the movies mentioned in the article were classified R18+ by the OFLC.
Report PermalinkWWJD
January 20, 2010 at 7:37 AM
As a good Christian woman I am very happy with this news. There is too much temptation out there in the world today – drugs, gangs, Harry Potter – it puts my soul at peace to know that we don’t have to worry about determining what we should and should not watch because the government can kindly do it for us. Next, I would like a law passed prohibiting chocolates and lollies being placed next to the mints and chewing gum at the supermarket checkouts. We don’t want our children going for a packet of dentist-approved Extra and ending up with a Mars Bar now do we!
Report PermalinkDanielle Wessel
January 28, 2010 at 5:13 PM
Glad to see Australia is migrating towards a state closely resembling the book 1984 by George Orwell. Okay, perhaps that was a bit harsh, but if laws keep progressing as such, I may as well jump off a bridge before the unstable state of democratic society diminishes completely.
As for the parents who find this law so ‘progressive’, ‘responsible’, and claiming posts like these are terrible ‘naive’…thanks for the laugh. You find it shocking that an R-rated movie is placed out in the open? Yet, I am willing to bet that your kids own a PS3 or Xbox and play games like Call of Duty, Fallout and even Donkey Kong, all of which promote death, guns and violence. Wake up and smell the 21st century. As for sexual content, your children are already getting a highly inaccurate, fully graphic crashcourse from their peers at school. By rearranging the placement of material isn’t going to change any of this, people. Deal with it.
On a happy note, at least I have an excuse to look at porno =)
Report Permalinkillhp
January 30, 2010 at 2:23 PM
John Safran was right. Never live in Adelaide, it’s a hole. He should have extended it to the whole state.
Report PermalinkEric
February 4, 2010 at 3:18 PM
Adelaide is not a hole, but we do have some major problems with closed minded government.
Report PermalinkMark
February 2, 2010 at 2:15 PM
Censorship in Australia… are we going back to this?
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s1730839.htm
ANDREW DENTON: When you were Minister for Customs and Excise, you were in charge of censorship in this country and at that time, late 60s, early 70s, you’ve described Australia as censorship crazy. In what way?
DON CHIPP: The list was banned. You couldn’t publish it.
ANDREW DENTON: The list?
DON CHIPP: You didn’t know what was banned and what wasn’t. Intolerable. I published the list and the reasons why it was banned.
ANDREW DENTON: Were there some stupid bannings? Were these all sensual books, or…
DON CHIPP: ‘Noddy’ was banned once.
ANDREW DENTON: ‘Noddy’.
DON CHIPP: Enid Blyton, because there is a place on page 84 which says “And Noddy walked down a country lane and felt a little queer.”
ANDREW DENTON: And that was banned in this country?
DON CHIPP: Yeah.
Report PermalinkEric
February 4, 2010 at 3:16 PM
This is in response to the argument that there should be a R rated computer game category. A popular argument is “Im an adult and I can hire R rated videos, so why cant I get an R rated game?” The answer is apparently to close up the R rated film industry as well, as much as possible.
Michael Atkinson, you have a really old fashioned and bent view of things, no thanks for eating away or rights more and more, when the only problem in the first place was too much censorship already. Just keep trying to push things further and further undergound. If its harder to do it the official way then piracy will increase and local businesses caught in the fight will feel the pain. Bring on more liberal laws!
I could go on forever.. How can we fix the governments? Where is the one that thinks like me?
Report PermalinkAlfred
March 9, 2010 at 4:19 PM
It occurs to me that all of you with negative comments about this law are selfish and can care less for children; all you see is “Me, Me, Me, but you don’t stop to see that this is not taking away your right to rent or view this films that are meant for “MATURE ADULTS”
Report PermalinkTHIS IS ABOUT CHILDREN’S RIGHTS.
There are so many people around the world that ignore the psychological and emotional side effects on CHILDREN whom were exposed to this adult material films that again, are for MATURE ADULTS, not children.
Just look around you.
People, if you plant grass you get grass if you plant trash you get trash!
If you plant love you will harvest love.
I do pay my respects to South Australia by passing this law
soon your new generations will make the difference in the world
Thank you, God Bless you all.
Kieran
March 22, 2010 at 9:36 PM
I work at a video store and this law has made things extremely irritating for me and my co-workers. Not only did we have to go over the entire store and find R18 movies to put them in a new section, but now we have to rigorously police the rest of the store.
Most people probably don’t realise how often video store customers will choose a dvd, then change their mind and just stick it on the nearest shelf. This means R18 movies end up around the store, and we might not notice their displacement for some weeks. This creates an opportunity for our store to be fined pretty much at any point in time, which might be fine for corporate video stores, but not for this local one which can barely afford to pay my wages.
Oh, and the law is colossally stupid for all the other reasons people have given voice to here. Then again, I think i’ve noticed an increase in people renting R18 movies since we created a section for them, and the irony tastes delicious.
Report PermalinkJoebobknuckle
August 9, 2010 at 11:39 AM
Ok, I understand not allowing mature movies to be played in public, parents should have control over what their little demons are exposed to. But this crosses the line, this is simple fascism, no doubt, and should be stopped. It’s very naive of parents to believe that candy coating life will make their child any better at living it. The number one cause of sexual immorality is sexual repression, and that’s a proven fact. Silly, right-wing doormat hypocrites, you’ve done it again.
Report Permalinkadult toys
December 22, 2010 at 2:27 PM
yes, you are right my friend. It should be called as nanny state. Lol…
Report PermalinkMichael
April 4, 2011 at 11:12 PM
SA is becoming the Nanny state. But worse than that Australia is more and more becoming a full on Police State. Just most of the frogs haven’t noticed yet because they are turning the heat up ever so incrementally and stedily that the poor little buggers aren’t noticing…..and who cares so long as they have their big screen tv’s and slabs of beer….
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