Follow the Money?

     "The almighty dollar, that great object of universal devotion..."  Or is it?  These words were first written way back in 1836.  Are they outdated?  I know, it's a crazy notion, right?  At least it seems to be true in at least one business industry.  The movie and film industry.

     Business is about money - it's about producing a product or a service that people want to buy or use in order to make more money to grow and do more of the same.  There is nothing wrong with that.  It's capitalism and it's the American way.  Other people making money is great.  I begrudge no one for being wealthy, it motivates me to work harder. 

     However, there is something very contradictory that occurs in the movie and film business.  Let me explain my thoughts.  The website BoxOfficeMojo lists the top 100 all-time box-office hits adjusted for inflation and scrolling through the list you will only find that 10 have been given the "R" rating with only four of them in the top 50.  Ten.  That's it.  Ninety percent of the most lucrative films have avoided the "restricted" label.  On the other hand, fourteen of the top 100 grossing films are fully animated and directed towards children and families. 

Why does it seem to me that all the movies coming out lately are "R" rated?  A movie's "R" rating scares away and even prevents a large percentage of the population from seeing it and that means decreased ticket sales.  Obvious, right?  It doesn't make sense.   
         I love watching movies, all types, but for the past few years I've have a hard time trying to find a good non-"R" rated film.  A preview comes on and the movie looks really good but then inevitably you here's the guy's voice at the end say: "Rated R" and I'm totally turned off.  The reasons for the "R" rating are obvious and in most cases explain why such movies are made but that debate is for another time.  But suffice it to say they aren't worth it.
     While almost any remotely successful film will make a lot of money it just seems to me that if you really wanted to be successful you would create a good or service that the greatest amount of people would be willing and able to enjoy.  An "R" rated movie doesn't fit this billing.

p.s.: I know current rating system didn't start until the 1960's but you would be hard-pressed to find many successful "R-type" rated movies made prior to this time.  And I understand that many PG-13 movies maybe should be "R" but again, that debate is for another time.)