In the ’80s, at the suggestion of director Steven Spielberg, the Motion Picture Association of America modified its film rating system, creating more categories for parental guidance to reduce conflicts over film censorship. The result was a more nuanced approach to pushing the boundaries of the rating system, as a lower rating generally meant a wider potential audience and higher box-office performance. These battles have been fought since the pre-Code Era, when an X-rating could be a death sentence for a film if censors deemed it unfit for wide theatrical release.

​