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Journalism / Mass Communication QUESTION #6412
Question 1
The Hays Code (officially the Motion Picture Production Code) governed Hollywood film content. When was it introduced, what was its impact, and when was it finally abandoned?
  • Introduced in 1915, imposed limitations on violence only, abandoned in 1970
  • Promulgated in 1934, imposed highly restrictive guidelines on movie content (sexuality, violence, language), and was abandoned in 1966 when it was replaced by the Motion Picture Code and Rating Program (G, M, R, X)✔️
  • Introduced in 1945, regulated propaganda content in wartime films, abandoned after World War II
  • Introduced in 1927 when sound was added to films, regulated dialogue content, abandoned in 1950
Correct Answer Explanation

The Hays Code (officially the Motion Picture Production Code) was:

  • Named after Will H. Hays, who headed the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, established in 1922 after Hollywood scandals
  • Formally promulgated in 1934 and complied with by virtually every Hollywood producer
  • It imposed highly restrictive guidelines on depictions of sexuality, violence, crime, religion, and language
  • Abandoned in 1966, replaced by the Motion Picture Code and Rating Program with four initial ratings: G (general audiences), M (mature, parental guidance), R (restricted, no under-18 without parent), and X (no under-18)
  • Later, M was replaced by PG (parental guidance), PG-13 was added, and NC-17 replaced X

The Hays Code represented a system of industry self-censorship designed to avoid government-imposed censorship — an attempt to make the Social Responsibility Theory function through voluntary compliance rather than regulation.