Austin 3:16: Uncensored: Escaped With "E", Uncensored!
Interesting developments recently regarding the BBFC (British Board Of Film Classification). Following complaints about some music videos getting "E" ratings (i.e exempt from classification) even though some contain strong language, violent and sexual content, there's been a call for previously "exempt" works (sport and music releases) to be classified the same as films and be given age-appropriate ratings. The Video Recordings Act of 1984 allows sport, music, nature and documentary works to be exempt. However, this ruling has allowed sexualised and violent music and sports (UFC) to "slip the net".
What makes this interesting in relation to wrestling is that many WWF UK video releases from the "Attitude Era" also "slipped the net". A few rare exceptions like WWF WrestleMania 13 and WWF King Of The Ring 1998 were given "18" certificates (WM 13 was the first WWF and wrestling release to get the rating, obviously for Steve Austin's excessive blood loss in his "I Quit" Match against Bret Hart, KOTR '98 was given the higher rating for Mick Foley's human pin-cushion-routine in "Hell In A Cell" against Undertaker, although this match has since been downgraded to "15" when released on more recent compilations). WWF: Badd Blood: In Your House was also given a then-rarely seen "18" due to the brutal "Hell In A Cell" Match between Undertaker and Shawn Michaels.
That said, many releases between 1996-1999 were treated as "sports" releases, although unlike the late 80's and early to mid 90's, this new WWF now featured profanity, sexual themes and strong bloody violence. While there was a warning on the video box that "viewer discretion is advised", in reality, many or all of these "forgotton" releases should have been "15's" at least.
When wrestling entered another boom in the UK in 1999, pretty much all of the videos got classified from then on. WCW videos (many of the old Turner releases had been given "PG" ratings, save for the odd especially bloody "15") also returned to UK stores (and were classified way too highly, in my opinion) and ECW appeared on UK video for the first time (most were "18" and rightly so. ECW was a much stronger, adult product than WWF and WCW could ever be).
These days, WWE is a more "PG" product, and so many of the events get a more family friendly "12" from the BBFC. Stuff from the extensive WWF/ECW/WCW back catalogue obviously gets a higher rating.
The WWF Attitude vids that escaped classification first time round were later released as "Tagged Classics" and classified as "15" and even "18".
If you ask me, pretty much every work should get a classification of some kind. I think that's the route we'll be going down now. The problem with pro wrestling is that how do you define it? Is it sports or entertainment or a weird mismatch of the two? It depends on how you look at it, when I was growing up an "E" would suffice as long as there was a warning before the start about not copying the "performances or actions".
The problem came when the WWF got "Attitude" and started incorporating more adult, realistic elements in their programming.
But what if everything changes in regards to sports/music releases? Would you classify boxing or football dvd's? It'll certainly be an interesting time and one that could open plenty of debate. I just find it ironic that wrestling "slipped the net" well over a decade ago and the media didn't pick up on it at the time!
