COUNTERPUNCH LETTERS : Therapists and Movies
Regarding Carole Lieberman’s “Psychological Approach for Rating Movies” (Oct. 1 Counterpunch): I suggest she contradicts herself in at least one important aspect. Lieberman says that the most important thing at risk to all is the creative freedom of artists. Yet her suggestions for “improving” the rating system would further limit that creative freedom in the film/TV industry. Let’s not forget the old saw about too many cooks.
Two psychotherapists in a room will, more often than not, disagree on the topic at hand. If the ratings board had 10% of its makeup as psychotherapists, even should their thoughts be valid, what if no consensus could be reached? Which “expert opinion” would be the overriding one?
Further, Lieberman says that a film would need a psychotherapist on hand to act as script consultant and suggest alternatives to psychologically damaging content. Doesn’t that continue to limit the artistic freedom of the film’s creators? And even more damaging, it seems, would be the act of those creators listening to, and abiding by, such advice.
The ratings system now in place is imperfect. But to replace it with a system even more restrictive, in a time when our artistic freedoms are being attacked, is no answer.
JOEL DAVIS
Los Angeles
Only good movies
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