I chuckle a little bit whenever conversation comes around to American values and the old discussion of violence versus sexuality in film arises.

I don’t profess to be an expert on this topic, but it does seem to me that American film values are shared by other countries where the rule of law is based upon religion. In these places, sexuality in movies is a greater taboo than violence. Canada, with its geographic proximity to the US, is heavily influenced by the US from all things artistic to legislative. When it comes to what is acceptable in film for specific audiences we are more conservative than Europeans and more liberal than the Americans.

Here’s a trailer for the American film, This Film is Not Yet Rated. It was given an NC-17 rating in the US (also known as an X rating) which was rejected by the filmmakers. Thus the film is not rated in the States. Here in Ontario (which is a province in Canada) it’s rated as adult accompaniment under 14 years of age (14A). The film is banned in Malaysia,  a non-secular state. Australia isn’t really Europe but if I tell you that the film is rated MA over there you might still get my point. MA is the same rating that the spectacularly popular US show, 24, has in Australia.

The note about Ontario being in Canada is another inside joke that Canadians chuckle about when it comes to Americans. But I digress.

Can someone please tell me why Europeans are so much more fearful of their children viewing violence than sex? Are they morally corrupt — what the hell is wrong with them?

Or do they have their priorities correct?