The Government Tunes in to Tune Out the Marketing of Violent Entertainment to Kids

Authors

Shannon McCoy

First Page

237

Abstract

This Note examines the recent investigation conducted by the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC" or "Commission") and its 2001 Follow-Up to that inquiry. The September 2000 Report ("Report") concluded that the entertainment industry intentionally and aggressively advertises both R and PG-13 movies to children under the age of 18. As a solution, the FTC recommended self-regulation by the entertainment industry. The 2001 Follow-Up to the Report ("Follow-Up") found that although the movie industry has made progress, a greater effort must be exerted to successfully eliminate the marketing of violent entertainment to children.' Both the Report and the Follow-Up demonstrate that self-regulation is not a feasible alternative. If the entertainment industry actually imposed the self-regulatory system suggested by the FTC, the adolescent audience would greatly decrease, thus causing severe cuts in industry profits.

Recommended Citation

Shannon McCoy, The Government Tunes in to Tune Out the Marketing of Violent Entertainment to Kids, 4 Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law 237 (2020)
Available at: https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/jetlaw/vol4/iss2/5