LOS ANGELES, CA — Katy Butler, a bullied high school student from Michigan, will deliver more than 200,000 petition signatures to the Los Angeles office of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) on Wednesday, urging the MPAA to lower the rating of the anti-bullying documentary "Bully" from "R" to "PG-13."
When: Wednesday, March 7, 2012, 10 am PT
Where: Motion Picture Association of America's Office, 15301 Ventura Blvd., Building E, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
What: Katy Butler, a bullied high school student, will deliver more than 200,000 signatures from her Change.org petition, calling on the MPAA to lower the rating of the anti-bullying film "Bully" from "R" to "PG-13." Butler will hand-deliver several boxes of petition signatures to officials at the MPAA's Los Angeles office.
Butler, who is leading the campaign on Change.org, says that the MPAA's "R" rating of "Bully" will prevent middle school and high school students from seeing the movie, especially bully victims and bullies themselves.
"The MPAA ruled by one vote that 'Bully' deserves an 'R' rating, robbing many teenagers of the chance to view a film that could change their lives and help reduce violence in schools," said Butler. "More than 200,000 people have joined my campaign calling on the MPAA to change the rating on 'Bully,' sending a loud and clear message that this film should be seen by all. Together, we're calling on the MPAA not to silence the issue of bullying."
Butler's own experience with school bullying, including having her finger broken in the seventh grade by bullies, led her to start the campaign on Change.org to pressure the MPAA to change the rating of the film.
Live signature totals from Katy Butler's campaign (and comments from signers):
http://www.change.org/petitions/mpaa-dont-let-the-bullies-win-give-bully-a-pg-13-instead-of-an-r-rating
Katy Butler appearance on CNN (March 1):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlEiRFXLWN0
Reuters coverage of the campaign:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/01/us-bully-petition-idUSTRE82026420120301
Associated Press coverage of the campaign:
abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/weinstein-protests-rating-bully-documentary-15836226