As the recent success of the Kick-Ass preview shows, Red Band Trailers (R/NC-17/unrated) are extremely popular online. Some people are complaining that images of little children cursing and killing people are too much for their own kids to see, but should studios stop distributing the extreme content, and are they doing enough to make it out of kids reach?
Red Band trailers are previews that are not rated by the MPAA and generally contain content not appropriate for all audiences. These trailers that are passed around websites with ease are all the rage online. Currently, you have to enter your birth date to be able to view the trailer. Is that enough to ensure that the audience under 18 is not able to see the material considered not suitable for them?
This article appears in Apr 14-20, 2010.