Under 18? The content in this post may not be appropriate for some readers.Oh well, we warned you.The UK is now giving age ratings to online music videos, making permanent a pilot programme that's been going on since October 2014.Music videos on YouTube and Vevo that have been produced by major UK labels will be given a 12, 15, or 18 rating if they could be harmful to the delicate eyes of the country's teens. The ratings will be decided by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), the same body that gives age ratings to movies.
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Screenshot of the YouTube description for Dizzee Rascal's "Couple of Stacks." Note the "Partner Rating: 18" classification
Look close enough and you might just spy an age rating in the description box on YouTube music videos that contain naughty things like sex, drugs, bad language, or "dangerous behaviour presented as safe." You know, the kind of things that have no place in pop music.The government reports that since the start of the pilot 132 videos have been sent from music labels to the BBFC, of which only one has gained the highest 18 rating (no doubt pushing its view count up): Dizzee Rascal's "Couple of Stacks" requires viewers to click past YouTube's age gate before setting their eyes on Dizzee engaging in a horror film-style murderous gore-fest.
As for Vevo, the Department for Culture, Media & Sport says the company "are exploring plans to link these age ratings to additional technology on their platform that can support age controls."Baroness Joanna Shields, Minister for Internet Safety and Security, explained in a statement that the point is to "inform the viewer and help parents make informed choices" and "bring internet services in line with the offline world."Videos rated 15 so far include Ellie Goulding's "Love Me Like You Do," which features a few BDSM-themed glimpses from the Fifty Shades of Grey film.But for those 14-year-olds unable to escape their parents hovering over every mouse click, there are of course plenty of non-UK-produced music videos that aren't subject to the UK ratings. May I suggest starting with Rihanna's latest?
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