Suicides In Movies Tripled From 1950-2006: Report

PHILADELPHIA — Depictions of explicit and graphic suicides in movies tripled from 1950 to 2006, according to an analysis of top-grossing films.

The report, by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, was published in the August issue of Archives of Suicide Research. It found no difference between PG-13- and R-rated films in the most explicit portrayals of suicide.

Lead author Patrick E. Jamieson said that although it's impossible to establish a causal connection, the tripling of U.S. teen suicide since 1960 has coincided with the increase in movie suicide portrayals. The results, based on an analysis of 855 top-grossing films and released Tuesday, indicate the need for further study of the effects of movie suicides on adolescent audiences, the authors concluded.

"We know as well that exposure to movie-portrayed suicide correlates with thinking that one cannot get effective treatment for mental health problems," Jamieson said. "There is something seriously wrong with a movie ratings system that attaches a PG-13 rating to a movie containing explicit, graphic modeling of suicide."

A Motion Picture Association of America rating of PG-13 means special parental guidance is strongly suggested for children under 13 and some material may be inappropriate for young children. An R rating means viewing is restricted and anyone under age 17 requires an accompanying parent or adult guardian.

The researchers looked at the top 30 movies in the U.S. each year from 1950 from 2006. From the 855 that had suicide references, they set up a suicide explicitness scale and weighed the portrayals in each movie based on how much or little of a suicide was merely suggested or was graphically shown.

From 1968 to 1984, movies rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America had five times more highly explicit suicide behavior portrayals than those rated G (general audiences) and PG (parental guidance suggested). The category PG-13 was instituted in 1985, but the report found PG-13 and R films became indistinguishable when it comes to depictions of suicides.

An MPAA spokesman did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request seeking comment Tuesday evening.

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Online:

http://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org

Comments

[Ides]

06:12 PM on 08/11/2011

In other news, the number of movies tripled between 1960 and 2011.

[realitytrumpsbull]

08:11 AM on 08/11/2011

Killing yourself is stupid. Don't do it. Even if your favorite Hollywood or music person bumps themselves off, don't do the copycat thing. Be 'you', be an individual, and live your own life. That's hard, in a media-saturated culture, but like the man said, YOU CAN DO IT! Find some other way of getting back at your parents or whatever's eating you, besides doing yourself in. Depressed? Get some exercise. Don't reinforce it, get out there and move those feet. Going outside is a mood-lifter, even if it's cold and rainy and stuff. 

If you're having problems in life, there's resources out there. The Government spends perfectly good money to give you someone to talk to, 24/7. I think the article was incomplete by failing to link to resources: 1-800-273-TALK. 
Or, online: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 

Maybe Hollywood can make a movie about helping people instead? That'd be boring, though, and not nearly as angst-y or edgy or whatever. Frankly sometimes I wonder how well-put-together some of those director people are. But, I digress. If you're on the ropes, down low, can't cope, get help. There's a lot of resources out there, including family/neighbors/police/pretty much anybody, if it's THAT bad. Don't do anything stupid/irreversible, life gets better!

[CharlottesvilleVA]

08:11 AM on 08/11/2011

I hear the depictions of sex in films way more than tripled since 1950. So did depictions of domestic violence. So did depictions of political corruption. So did depictions of divorce. So did depictions of bad acting.

So what's your point? I sure hope no tax dollars went toward this asinine "research."

[Chris B Hayes]

09:47 AM on 08/11/2011

Excellent point. I concur.

[L Mandrake]

08:06 AM on 08/11/2011

Well, most movies that have come out in the past few years make me want to commit suicide, so it makes sense.

[Wyatt Phoebe]

04:42 AM on 08/11/2011

Maybe its because there are more movies being made........

[realitytrumpsbull]

08:22 AM on 08/11/2011

My personal opinion on that, having seen some wretched cinema over the years is that some of the producers/directors are sick puppies, have an axe to grind, or something sharp and irritating wedged up there, sideways, and the stuff that some producers/studios turn out is...not the greatest, put it that way. But, it's all about ticket/copy sales, people don't turn out by the thousands to watch happy/boring stuff, they want chainsaws, they want mental anguish, gore, rounds per minute, Big Battles, that kind of thing.
With TV news, 'if it bleeds, it leads', people like the screen sensationalism. But...what if...everyone just kind of shut all that stuff off, sporting events, movie channel, news broadcasts, all that jazz, and just had 'happy time' for a year? What if we couldn't always be virtually 'on the scene' every time someone did something stupid? 

I think there's some kind of effect from repeatedly watching other people argue, fight, or get hurt or killed. Maybe it's not PTSD, but trauma/drama, gets your blood pressure going. Shock value, shock doctrine, all very shocking, especially the ticket price, that's good for a myocardial all by itself. Use your time more gainfully, and learn something/fix something/help someone instead...

[erminia colucci]

02:07 AM on 08/11/2011

Thanks for the interesting article, which make me reflect on the different way governments approach suicide compared to other health issues like smoking. If my information is correct, in some countries when smoking is portrayed in a movie, for the film to be screened some money have to be paid for smoke reduction programs. why should this not be the same for suicide prevention? Suicide is very often "used" in movie as a way to generate an immediate emotional reaction but this might increase the risk of suicide, especially in people at risk and young people. Thus, it would make sense to donate some money for suicide prevention programs everytime a movie includes a suicidal behaviour in its plot. The situation is different for documentaries when suicide is part of the actual story but film-makers can chose to have it in or leave it out. If they want it in, then they should be held more responsible for their choice and contribute to prevent suicide.
Ciao and... stay alive, suicide is NEVER the only option,
Dr Erminia Colucci

[realitytrumpsbull]

08:22 AM on 08/11/2011

Can we go back to the time when movies actually had plots and less with the emotiblogicals?

[tod47]

02:03 AM on 08/11/2011

ummm cool story bro?
why is this news?
atleast rope and razor sales have gone up as well

[exitBxC]

02:02 AM on 08/11/2011

I hear the sex & drug use crept up as well. DUH.

[Richcrafter]

01:17 AM on 08/11/2011

Art imitates life.

[Tuskin Roberts]

12:38 AM on 08/11/2011

More importantly, the number of movies that make me want to kill myself seems to have tripled since the 1980's.

[Gaudy]

01:05 AM on 08/11/2011

Is that their MAIN goal?

[L Mandrake]

08:07 AM on 08/11/2011

Oh man, I posted my comment then read yours. You beat me to it!

[Ecoli]

12:38 AM on 08/11/2011

Not only the movies depicts suicides but also the music industry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oofSnsGkops

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfNmyxV2Ncw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmOykXm8Ips

[realitytrumpsbull]

08:27 AM on 08/11/2011

I think they did the Ozzy makeover, trying to get at the kamikaze reflex a little. Nothing glorious about ending your life...

[TheKeenGuy]

12:34 AM on 08/11/2011

The Hays Code censorship guidelines were still in effect in 1950, which seriously limited the artistic freedom to show explicit suicidal behavior. So, of course the number of suicides in post-Code films would be much higher.

I am reading the actual essay on the Annenberg Public Policy Center, and it's puzzling. They address the lifting of the Hays Code in 1968, but still chose to begin the study with 1950 and then make their conclusion based on the overall rise between 1950 and 2006.

After the massive spike in onscreen suicides after 1968, the post-Code statistics do not show nearly as much of an upward trend between 1968 and 2006. Between the 1968-1984 data and the 1985-2006 data, the percentage of movies with explicit suicidal behavior increased from 15.4% to 26.2%,

So, when you look at the post-censorship numbers, depictions of explicit suicidal behavior have not tripled since 1968. They have not even doubled.

Therefore, I can only conclude that this is a misleading report which, intentionally or not, endorses Hays Code-style artistic censorship.

[c-tom]

12:55 AM on 08/11/2011

Logic, good sense, and the ability to follow statistics welcome aboard.

[Zilo]

06:34 AM on 08/11/2011

Thank you. All very logical points.

[Tyler Hansen]

12:21 AM on 08/11/2011

Yup, and while I have nothing to back this up, I'm pretty sure the number of murders, sex scenes, drug use scenes and explosions has gone by a similar, if not greater degree. Why? Well, two reasons...we are a culture that loves to be be titillated (bad) and we no longer find song and dance numbers featuring a perfectly quaffed gentleman in a tux and immaculately made up lady in a gown to be legitimate storytelling (good).

[ElBruce]

12:08 AM on 08/11/2011

Ozymandias from The Watchmen is taking notes on this, and adjusting his stock tips accordingly...

[PrairieGayCompanion]

11:59 PM on 08/10/2011

I thought they meant while watching movies in theaters; I was ready to go in the middle of the last Kevin Kostner movie.

[Tuskin Roberts]

12:36 AM on 08/11/2011

Lol. I thought I was the only one that read it like that.

[lackofoversight]

02:46 AM on 08/11/2011

My thoughts exactly but I couldn't figure out how to say it without appearing to make light of such a serious topic. But you did it ... and you did it well!
Fanned and Faved!