History Main / AvoidTheDreadedGRating

* Despite the ''Anime/SonicX'' fanfic ''FanFic/DontKeepYourDistance'' carrying a "T" rating on Website/FanFictionDotNet, there's little non-kid-friendly content to speak of besides a few minor and forced sexual jokes, main character Paint bleeding mildly from injuries in one scene (with little apparent consequence), and a scene where two minor characters are apparently taking some type of unnamed depressant drug together. It's more than likely that this has to do with T ratings inherently attracting more visitors than the more modest "K+". In general, many fanfic writers will give their stories T ratings to attract more readers, while avoiding M because [=FanFiction.net=] filters out M-rated fics by default.

* Due to Website/YouTube's COPPA settings, which puts limitations on any videos it deems "for kids"[[note]]Which disables targeted advertising, comments and adding the video to a list[[/note]] using extremely arbitrary algorithms, some content creators have proposed dropping [[PrecisionFStrike F-bombs]] so that they can get away with not marking their videos as for children.

* WordOfGod states that ''WesternAnimation/HighGuardianSpice'' was intended for younger demographics, but Crunchyroll forced the script to include cursing and blood to advertise the show as for "mature audiences". As a result, a lot of the occasional profanity, violence, and dick jokes came off as incredibly forced and clashed jarringly with the rest of the show, which otherwise stayed true to its original family-friendly intent--especially when compared to other Website/{{Crunchyroll}} shows.

[[caption-width-right:350:When you add in [[ClusterFBomb Cluster F-Bombs]], you'll [[{{Pun}} PG]] your way to success!]]

* [[AvoidTheDreadedGRating/AnimatedFilms Films -- Animated]]

[[caption-width-right:350:When you add in ClusterFBombs, you'll [[{{Pun PG]] your way to success!]]

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%% Getting Crap Past the Radar is antithetical to this trope. That trope is about stuff the censors MISS; this one is about stuff included with the intention the censors will see it and give a higher rating.

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* Subverted by ''Series/{{Ellen}}''. When Ellen [=DeGeneres=] and her character Ellen Morgan came out in 1997, ABC rated every subsequent episode TV-14 ''and'' aired a disclaimer before every episode warning for "adult content" as well, regardless of any actual subject matter. This certainly did not help the show's ratings and it was canceled after one more season. Within a few years, syndicated repeats of the series were rated TV-G.

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->''"[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic THE HORROR!!!]]"''

* WebVideo/ScottTheWoz briefly discusses this trope in the episode ''Rated E for Irrelevant'' and what he feels about the ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' games being rated E10+ by the [[MediaNotes/EntertainmentSoftwareRatingBoard ESRB]]:
-->'''Scott:''' Sometimes the game's rating can leave you perplexed, like, how the f[[SoundEffectBleep -bleep-]]k are so many Kirby games rated E10+? Like I get it, Kirby games are kind of [[NightmareFuel/{{Kirby}} intense]], but too intense for a seven-year-old?

-->'''Scott:''' Sometimes the game's rating can leave you perplexed, like, how the f[[SoundEffectBleep -bleep-]]k are so many Kirby games rated E10+? Like I get it, Kirby games are kind of [[NightmareFuel intense]], but too intense for a seven-year-old?

* Parodied on the ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' movie trailer parody ''The Midnight Coterie of Sinister Intruders'', a home invasion horror movie as done by Creator/WesAnderson. Despite all the scenes of violence and gore, it's still rated "G".

* WebVideo/ScottTheWoz briefly [[DiscussedTrope discusses]] this trope in the episode ''Rated E for Irrelevant'' and what he feels about the ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' games being rated E10+ by the [[MediaNotes/EntertainmentSoftwareRatingBoard ESRB]]:

See RatedMForMoney, and for more information on the rating systems, see UsefulNotes/MediaClassifications.

Despite [[RatedMForMoney the forbidden-fruit appeal of M-rated games]], this trope is rare in gaming -- the [[UsefulNotes/EntertainmentSoftwareRatingBoard "E" rating]] just doesn't carry the kiddie stigma that "G" does. This is mainly because, despite the rise of T and M-rated offerings at the UsefulNotes/TurnOfTheMillennium, Creator/{{Nintendo}} has remained a major player in the industry. Most of its franchises are E-rated, with their most popular (namely ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' and ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'') being among the best-known and most successful video game franchises of all-time. As such, most examples happen for somewhat obtuse reasons:

Perception means a lot -- [[UsefulNotes/GeneralAudiencesRating G]] ratings often indicate something for kids, while [[UsefulNotes/RestrictedRating R]] ratings tend to indicate something for adults ([[RatedMForMoney but not always]]), with [[UsefulNotes/ParentalGuidanceSuggestedRating PG]] and [[UsefulNotes/ParentsStronglyCautionedRating PG-13]] movies falling in between. So with a lot of otherwise perfectly clean, family-friendly movies, the word "damn" and/or "hell" might be added to the script, '''just''' to drop that dreaded G rating. (The phrase "brief mild language" appearing as a {{content warning|s}} is a giveaway.) With a PG rating, the movie will have a better shot at avoiding the "kid stuff" stigma that keeps teen or adult viewers away.

* ''VideoGame/CustomRobo'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube: aside from some periodic flirting by the resident womanizer character, and some robot-on-robot violence, there is absolutely nothing in the game that warrants a T rating. There IS, however, a massive amount of reading/text involved in the story, and several of the battles can get quite challenging, so presumably it would be frustrating for younger gamers to get through. ''Custom Robo Arena'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS, however, only got an E10+ despite similar a setup (though in fairness, the E10+ rating didn't yet exist when the [=GameCube=] Custom Robo was first released).

* Related, a lot of independent movies seem to believe this. Kid-friendly independent movies are rather rare, causing the perception that a lot of indie flicks are either [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible pretentious]] [[TrueArtIsAngsty angst fests]], homages to grindhouse movies, or overwrought dramas that have all the sex and violence that mainstream movies won't allow.

* "Children of the Gods", the pilot episode of ''Series/StargateSG1'', has a scene that features several minutes of full-frontal female nudity. This comes as a shocker to the audience, as another character was previously shown in similar circumstances, but the audience only sees [[ToplessnessFromTheBack her back above the waist]]. Apparently, this was done solely to appease Creator/{{Showtime}}, the network the show originally aired on, because "premium cable channels have to have nudity." The explicit nudity was cut when the series went to syndication and in its ChannelHop to the Creator/SciFiChannel, as well as when the pilot episode was {{recut}} into a feature-length DirectToVideo film, but is retained on the DVD collection of the series.

* "Children of the Gods", the pilot episode of ''Series/StargateSG1'', has a scene that features several minutes of full-frontal female nudity. This comes as a shocker to the audience, as another character was previously shown in similar circumstances, but the audience only sees [[ToplessnessFromTheBack her back above the waist]]. Apparently, this was done solely to appease Creator/{{Showtime}}, the network the show originally aired on, because "premium cable channels have to have nudity." The explicit nudity was cut when the series went to syndication and in its ChannelHop to the Creator/SciFiChannel, as well as when the pilot episode was {{recut}} into a feature-length DirectToDVD film, but is retained on the DVD collection of the series.

* ''Literature/LifeTheUniverseAndEverything'' features the "Award for the Most Gratuitous Use of the Word 'Fuck' in a Serious Screenplay", a reference to this trope. It's also arguably an example, as the word "fuck" is rarely used in the books otherwise. As the [[Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy radio adaptation]] was broadcast at 6.30pm, there was always a convenient [[SoundEffectBleep starship engine roar]] whenever the award in question was discussed.

'''This is NOT about movies that just happen to have a high rating.''' It is ''only'' about when something clearly unnecessary and unneeded is added to bump the rating higher, because without it the rating would be lower than what the company wants. Also note that it's not always certain what caused a movie to get (or not get) a certain rating, as outside a few guidelines, the MPA ratings are a black box.

Today in the United States, it's nearly impossible to get a G rating on any live-action or even AllCGICartoon movie without some ''serious'' negotiation. It apparently is to reinforce the AnimationAgeGhetto; the MPA is more than happy to rate something as PG for "nothing offensive" because it's live action. Almost no live-action or CG-animated movies make it to theaters with a G rating anymore.

It wasn't always this way. Since 1968, when modern MPA ratings began, the G rating has shifted and been significantly devalued. Originally, G-ratings were for movies for a "'''G'''eneral" audience, not for "'''G'''randparents and '''G'''oo-goo-babies", following the rationale of other countries' schemes, primarily that of the BBFC. Earlier G-rated films not only included violence, but sometimes even showed blood. ''Film/PlanetOfTheApes1968'', released the same year the MPAA ratings started, was rated G, but you saw Creator/CharltonHeston's bare butt and heard "damned dirty ape" and "God damn you all to hell!" A few years later in 1971, ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' was re-released with a G rating despite the racism, barely-off-screen sex, bloodshed, and a sea of dead bodies. The G-rated 1970 film ''Film/{{Cromwell}}'' was a historical drama heavy on violence and death, including an on-screen beheading. But the rearrangement of the ratings system between 1970 and 1972[[note]]Which saw the "M" (Mature) rating switch to "GP" (General Audences-Parental Guidance Suggested) to the modern "PG" rating as a result of confusion over its suitability for children[[/note]] largely put an end to that, with the notable exception of 1979's ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'', which was rated G despite featuring a couple of horrific deaths by TeleporterAccident, as well as references to sexuality.

Then in the early 1980s MoralGuardians protested about movies like ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'', ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'' and ''Film/{{Poltergeist|1982}}'' all receiving PG ratings despite their FamilyUnfriendlyViolence, and thus being seen by many young children who really shouldn't. After this, the MPAA introduced the [=PG-13=] rating, so movies that would've been PG under the old standard became PG-13, with the more "mature" G movies now becoming [=PG=]. Thus, the demographic for films that ''remained'' G became very young.[[note]]This happened shortly before [=VCRs=] took off. It turned out that the sort of film that could get a G rating after that is the sort that is usually more profitable direct to video. Say what you will about the quality of these films, but any parent will tell you that 30 minutes of free babysitting will buy you a ''lot'' of patience.[[/note]]

Then in the late 1990s the MPAA became more lenient on what movies could show and still receive a PG or PG-13 rating, rather than an R-rating (a phenomenon referred to as "ratings creep"). However the requirements for the G-rating essentially remained the same. This created a crunch from both sides whereby movies were less likely to be rated either G or R, the effects of which became increasingly noticeable as the 2000s progressed, even as the latter part of the decade saw a glut of R-rated films.

Beginning in 2010 however, the MPAA reversed course and imposed stricter regulations over all its ratings after a decade of continued pressure from watchdog groups. This effectively killed the G-rating as a mainstream rating completely. Any offensive or aggressive language, any hint of sex or even romance, any ToiletHumour, and anything violent was out. Characters experiencing anything perilous or potentially upsetting at all became enough to kick a movie up to PG. ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' was rated PG for... well, basically no reason ("mild thematic elements"). ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017'' being rated PG for "mild action" was probably the nail in the coffin. The PG-rating is now solidly synonymous with children's movies, with films that would previously have been rated PG now targeting the PG-13 rating.

OscarBait films often add some "stronger" content to get a PG-13 or R rating whereas their general tone would be that of a PG-rated film, as few films with this rating have won the Best Picture Award. (1968's ''Theatre/{{Oliver}}'' is the only G-rated film to win Best Picture, but it is also considered to be one of the award's weakest winners ever).

This also has applied to higher ratings, namely "R" and an adults-only rating, originally termed "X", which was not copyrighted unlike the others as it was meant to be available to anyone that desired to avoid the scrutiny of the ratings process, but this ended up backfiring as the letter "X" soon became synonymous with pornography, which mirrored what was happening to the BBFC's equivalent (which was changed to "R18" in 1982). A controversial example of this was 1973's ''The Exorcist'', which gained an "R" instead of an "X" because everybody involved was aware the latter rating was "box-office poison", especially for a large-budgeted film. By 1990, acclaimed films such as ''Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!'', ''Film/TheCookTheThiefHisWifeAndHerLover'' and ''Film/SexLiesAndVideotape'' were either assigned "X" ratings or went unrated, which caused an uproar among film circles large enough to force the MPAA to rename this rating to NC-17[[note]]Standing for "No Children Under 17", but it was later changed to "No One 17 and Under"[[/note]] late that year, but exhibitors and the media were leery over it, and after the failure of 1995's ''Film/{{Showgirls}}'' it largely fell into disuse, with filmmakers preferring to eschew the ratings system for works with strong adult content. (However, there have been isolated exceptions such as ''Film/{{Shame}}'' and ''Film/KillerJoe''.) Meanwhile, theater owners began giving less and less space to R-rated films after 2010 (mostly to make room for tentpole blockbusters with PG or PG-13 ratings), which led many studios to release two versions of more "mature" films: a PG-13 one for theaters and an "R-rated" one for home video, an extension of the "unrated cuts" often used in the home releases of several R-rated comedies in the 2000s.

Later attempts to content-rate media in the U.S. and abroad used the by-now-obvious shortcomings of film rating systems as an object lesson. When U.S. television created its "parental guideline" ratings in the late 1990s, the "G is for Grandma" effect was mentioned specifically, and is almost certainly the motivation for the U.S. TV rating system having both a TV-Y rating ''and'' a TV-G rating: TV-Y is "specifically for kids", and TV-G means "nothing offensive."[[note]]There's also a TV-Y7 rating to indicate a work is for older children. This rating has its own variation, TV-Y7-FV (for "Fantasy Violence"), which is applied to kid-oriented action/adventure shows and films.[[/note]] Similarly, the ESRB ratings for video games, needing to account for both content and playability, have both the "E for Everyone" rating and the "eC for Early Childhood" rating for younger players. The E10+ rating was introduced in 2004 after some games pushed the bar a little further earlier in the decade. Some of those lower-end E or E10+ games suffer as well, albeit to a lesser extent. Even though the video game industry is [[RatedMForMoney no stranger to edginess for marketing's sake]], this trope is probably least common in video games. That said, "E for Everyone" changed from its original name, "K-A for Kids to Adults", specifically because games sold better among older gamers when the rating didn't have "kid" in it. eC was retired as a rating in 2018; like how G-rated movies turned out to do better direct to video, eC-rated games do much better as iPad or Android apps. (The Apple App Store uses its own rating system, which designates formerly eC games "ages 4+"; the Google Play Store uses the local video game system, so they're lumped together with the E-for-Everyone games in the US.)

Perception means a lot -- [[UsefulNotes/GeneralAudiencesRating G]] ratings often indicate something for kids, while [[UsefulNotes/RestrictedRating R]] ratings tend to indicate something for adults ([[RatedMForMoney but not always]]), with [[UsefulNotes/ParentalGuidanceSuggestedRating PG]] and [[UsefulNotes/ParentsStronglyCautionedRating PG-13]] movies falling in between. So with a lot of otherwise perfectly clean, family-friendly movies, the word "damn" and/or "hell" might be added to the script, '''just''' to drop that dreaded G rating. (The phrase "brief mild language" appearing as a {{content warning|s}} is a giveaway.) At PG, the movie has a better shot at avoiding the "kid stuff" stigma that keeps teen or adult viewers away.

Perception means a lot -- R ratings tend to indicate something for adults ([[RatedMForMoney but not always]]). G ratings often indicate something for kids. In between are PG and PG-13 movies. So with a lot of otherwise perfectly clean, family-friendly movies, the word "damn" and/or "hell" might be added to the script, '''just''' to drop that dreaded G rating. The phrase "brief mild language" appearing as a {{content warning|s}} is a giveaway. At PG, the movie has a better shot at avoiding the "kid stuff" stigma that keeps teen or adult viewers away.

* ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}''. The main draw of the game, the multiplayer campaign, consists entirely of two groups of cute squid-people trying to paint more of an area than the other. The single-player campaigns do play with darker plot elements, but never explore the ideas of war or genocide that spring up deep enough to lose its child-friendly edge. There is hardly any morally objectionable content beyond the use of cartoony, unrealistic weapons. The games are rated E10+ for "Cartoon Violence", thanks to the characters exploding or melting upon death.

* [[AvoidTheDreadedGRating/AnimatedFilms Films — Live-Action]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* Averted with ''WesternAnimation/TheLastUnicorn''. Anyone watching the film these days is ''shocked'' to find the film has a G rating.
* The sole content descriptor for the movie of ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs'' is "brief mild language". This was an attempt to nudge the movie towards an older audience.
* While ''WesternAnimation/PoetAndersonTheDreamWalker'' wasn't rated, it's hard to imagine the solitary PrecisionFStrike dropped by the main character being put in for any reason but the attitudes behind this trope. Besides one part with the main character's girlfriend in her skivvies, there's not a lot in the way of objectionable content.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirlsMovie'' was originally going to get a G rating, but Creator/CraigMcCracken wanted it to be PG-13. He and the studio compromised on a PG.
* Allegedly ''WesternAnimation/TitanAE'' was originally given a G rating so the producers, not wanting to offend their target demographic, older kids and teens, added a brief shower scene to bump it up to PG. [[BoxOfficeBomb Not that it helped]].
* Inverted in the case of ''WesternAnimation/{{Rio}}''. Early promotional material said it was rated PG. Fox responded by pushing the film's release back a week (with only three months to release, no less) and edited it down to G by reanimating a pivotal scene. Despite this though iTunes (to this day no less) mistakenly rates the film PG.
** Creator/BlueSkyStudios actually deserves credit for '''inverting''' this trope. They were specifically aiming for G's, not only on ''Rio'' and [[WesternAnimation/Rio2 its sequel]], but also on ''WesternAnimation/HortonHearsAWho'' and ''WesternAnimation/ThePeanutsMovie''. Except for ''Rio'' at first, as well as ''WesternAnimation/Epic2013'', they've been successful at earning G ratings without their box office performances being threatened.
** Played straight(er) with their CashCowFranchise ''WesternAnimation/IceAge''. The first film was a comedy with lighthearted moments, but some dark and intense ones to balance it out. Many of the scary moments in the film would justify the PG rating it got. The [[WesternAnimation/IceAgeTheMeltdown second film]] ''was'' initially rated G, but was appealed and got a PG for mild language and ''innuendo'', a rather unusual move for a kids' movie. By the time the [[WesternAnimation/IceAgeDawnOfTheDinosaurs next]] [[WesternAnimation/IceAgeContinentalDrift three]] [[WesternAnimation/IceAgeCollisionCourse films]] came out, PG became the default and all the other films were rated as such.
* Despite some nudity, drug use, mild profanity and frightening images, and the fact that it is decidedly ''not'' a kids' movie, ''WesternAnimation/RockAndRule'' managed to only get a [=PG=] rating when it was first released. This can be attributed to the PG-13 rating not existing at the time (it was first introduced in the following year).
* In an inversion of this trope, ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooOnZombieIsland'' had to have about five minutes trimmed off in its UK release to avoid a 12.
* Creator/DonBluth wanted ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNIMH'' to have a PG rating to appeal to a larger audience (and the fact that it has more frightening scenes than most of the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon combined). Defying all logic (and one "damn"), the MPAA gave them a G. Then again though, [[AnimationAgeGhetto there's another reason it was rated 'G'...]]
** Bluth later inverted this trope for ''WesternAnimation/RockADoodle''. The part where Goldie poured wine down Chanticleer's throat would have given the film a PG rating, so that was changed to soda to ensure it got a G. Bluth also had to tone down some of the Grand Duke's misdeeds such as removing the scene where he [[WouldHurtAChild cooks a baby skunk into a pie]].
* Creator/{{Paramount}} originally wanted ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut'' to be rated PG-13, but Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone said they wouldn't make it unless it was rated R. In an inversion of this trope, Terrance and Phillip were originally going to sing "Mother Fucker", which got the film an NC-17 rating. To make it rated R, the song was changed to "Uncle Fucker". Trey and Matt said the change made the song funnier. Matt and Trey also said that the ping-pong ball scene was edited too in order to avoid the NC-17 rating. Originally, Creator/WinonaRyder actually ''was'' shooting ping-pong balls out of her vagina instead of just looking like it.
** Inverted again with ''Film/TeamAmericaWorldPolice''. The original cut received an NC-17 rating but a scene depicting graphic puppet sex was cut down to ensure an R.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'' has one use of "damning" (not in a profane context, but the intent is obvious), one apparent use of "jackass", one use of "freaking", and jokes such as [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick getting [[DrunkOnMilk drunk on ice cream]] in order to give the film a PG rating.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOutOfWater'': No profanity this time, but some "mild rude humor" such as a scene with a woman in a bikini laying on the beach, [=SpongeBob=] accidentally mooning Patrick, a censored curse word, and some trippy, drug-induced sequences (including a direct [[Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey 2001]] reference) seem to have been added for the PG rating.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOnTheRun'': "Crappy" is said twice and Squidward describes [=SpongeBob=] as being "freakin' annoying" to give the film a PG rating, with a content descriptor of "mild language" for the first time in the film franchise of the show, all with no dolphin chirps to censor it out (Although, in all fairness, in the US, "crap" and "freaking" are less profane than in the UK, some even going as far to treat them as playground insults, due to ValuesDissonance).
* The infamous line "Oh shit, what are we gonna do now?" from the 1986 ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'' was there to give it a PG rating (and "Open, damn it, open!" may have served that purpose too). This was reportedly in order to force parents to accompany their children to the theater, [[MerchandiseDriven so they would know which toys to buy]]. Like ''Franchise/StarWars'', this didn't work in the UK, where it got a U rating (though the line is missing from some DVD versions).
** The Family Home Entertainment video release of 1986's ''The Transformers: The Movie'' included Ultra Magnus's "Open, dammit, open!", but lacked Spike's "Oh shit".
** Oddly enough, despite the film including profanity to bump up the ratings, one of the songs in the soundtrack, NRG's "Instruments of Destruction," had some of the lines rerecorded to edit out comparatively mild words - "iron birds of foreplay" was changed to "iron birds of fortune," "violent seduction" to "violent eruption," and most bafflingly "iron tools of torture" to "iron tools of torment." Granted, the first two (particularly the first) could be argued to have been cut because they were of a sexual nature, but torture to torment is just... weird. The band later rerecorded the song again with all the lyrics replaced with a loop of Spike's infamous line, as a protest to the changes they were forced to make.
* A good deal of modern Disney films are now getting a PG rating for something that would have gotten a G in the '90s, notably ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'', ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'' and ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6''.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'' fits this as well, but to make it squarely in the PG range, a jarring CurseCutShort, in this case, Moana herself shouting "You lying, slimy son of a-!" after Maui traps her in a cave is added in. You can even see her beginning to mouth the next word.
** ''WesternAnimation/HomeOnTheRange'' got a PG for this one line alone, right around the time the G-rating was falling out of fashion:
--->'''Maggie:''' Yeah, they're real. Quit staring!
** It's theorized that part of the reason the hand-drawn Disney films such as ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'' and ''WesternAnimation/WinnieThePooh2011'' didn't make as much money as the CGI Disney films like ''{{WesternAnimation/Tangled}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' is because the hand-drawn films were rated G, while the CGI films were rated PG, and thus audiences believed that the CGI films would have more adult appeal in them than their hand-drawn counterparts.
* Averted with Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame|Disney}}''. Aside from the main female protagonist doing a pole dance, the entire theme of the movie focuses on lust and sin, with the plot centering around an elderly, genocidal judge obsessed with a young woman. The ending has him trying to burn her alive for refusing to have sex with him. It got a G anyway.
** In Australia, most G rated films simply state "For General Audiences" on posters or VHS/DVD covers, without any additional ratings advice. The Hunchback's home release on video was rated "G" but with an added tag of "Some scenes may be unsuitable for very young children". Later re-releases on DVD and UsefulNotes/BluRay have been bumped up to PG.
* The association between Disney and the "G" rating led Jeffrey Katzenberg to deliberately invoke this for the Creator/DreamworksAnimation films, either by [[WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}} including a bunch of dirty jokes]] or [[WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}} having a lion]] [[GroinAttack getting a low blow]] [[CurseCutShort and a zebra nearly uttering a]] [[PrecisionFStrike Precision MF-Strike]], or [[WesternAnimation/SharkTale featuring a shark]] being KilledOffForReal.
* A weird aversion happened with two movies based on adult animation in Quebec: there, both ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHeadDoAmerica'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsonsMovie'' carry a G rating, despite the source material not being for kids.
* Creator/{{Pixar}} originally averted this trope, but began to play it straight by [[TurnOfTheMillennium the late 2000s]], beginning with ''WesternAnimation/{{Up}}'' for their original films and ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' for sequels of G-rated films. Forbes [[http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2016/05/11/finding-dory-and-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-get-surprising-ratings/ discussed]] the latter's case. Before this, the only PG-rated Pixar film was ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', which featured heavy violence and adult themes to justify it. However, in 2011, ''WesternAnimation/Cars2'' got the G rating, despite having intense violence on par with ''The Incredibles''. In 2017, ''WesternAnimation/Cars3'' was also rated G, despite having slightly more mature content than [[WesternAnimation/{{Cars}} the first film]]. In 2019, ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory4'' also received a G rating, though it was a bit LighterAndSofter than [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory3 the previous film]], which was also rated G in early 2010, just before the MPAA changed its rules.
** ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' was originally going to be given a G, but the producers decided to add several little things to bump it up, most notably a joke involving TheBear and a scene with a SoundEffectBleep.
** Like its predecessor, ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'' earns its PG rating by portraying more mature content including the drinking of alcohol by primary characters, considerable action-related violence, and dialogue. Evelyn Deavor utters "hell", "crap" and "I'll be damned". Violet says "Boys are jerks and superheroes suck." There are also at least three utterances of "Oh my God!" A CurseCutShort with Frozone's "What the?!" and Bob says "I eat thunder and crap lightning!".
* The closest Creator/IlluminationEntertainment had to get a G rating was ''WesternAnimation/TheLorax'', and that's rated PG due to brief language (O'Hare sounding like he said the word "dammit") and a brief scene with a woman in a bikini.
** ''[[WesternAnimation/TheGrinch2018 The Grinch]]'' almost seems like a G-rated film, but a suggestive shot that appears when the Grinch is working out, as well as a joke involving Cindy's invention accidentally removing her friend's costume, might have been added to bump it up to PG.
** Then came ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretLifeOfPets2'', where words like "pissed" and "turd" are briefly exclaimed by characters.
* Inverted with ''WesternAnimation/SausageParty''. The movie came close to receiving an NC-17 rating, mainly because of [[spoiler:a piece of Lavash's pubic hair being visible at the end of the [[SexMontage food orgy]]]]. But after [[spoiler:his scrotum was digitally shaved]], it was reassigned with an R, [[CensorDecoy which is what the filmmakers were aiming for in the first place]]. This, of course, is saying a lot considering [[BlackComedy what]] ''[[BlackComedy did]]'' [[BlackComedy make it into the final film unaltered]].
* Averted for the most part with the films of Creator/{{Laika}}. While they are all rated PG, they contain many scary moments and adult themes across all five, more in line with "traditional" PG films. Many reviewers are quick to note the films are "[[AnimationAgeGhetto not for young children]]". The only times this was sort of played straight were with ''WesternAnimation/TheBoxtrolls'' and ''WesternAnimation/MissingLink''. While ''The Boxtrolls'' was rated PG for the predictable "action, some peril and mild rude humor", it is mostly benign, at least in comparison to their other work. ''Missing Link'', with a similar PG for "[=action/peril=] and some mild rude humor," is arguably even more benign than that, with a lighter tone and fewer scares.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017'' is the first piece of the franchise to ''ever'' receive a PG rating in the U.S., for "mild action", keeping it in line with most children's animated films rather than risking a G rating. This is especially notable given that the [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic source series]] has never been rated above "TV-Y", even at its most intense.
** This continued with the G5 movie ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyANewGeneration''. The film received a PG rating for "mild thematic elements", with the tipping point most likely being the FantasticRacism between the earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGoToTheMovies'' [[https://www.trailer-track.com/2018/01/04/in-the-pipeline-first-trailer-for-teen-titans-go-to-the-movies-incoming added uses of the words "darn", "damn" and "hell",]] as well as Raven mentioning Libyan terrorists as a nod to ''Film/BackToTheFuture'', to bump it up to PG. Though it's downplayed in that [[WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo the show it's based on]] is rated TV-PG.
* ''WesternAnimation/WatershipDown'' added Kehaar saying "PISS OFF!" and "Damn", just to absolutely make sure that an animated film based off a novel by a part-time animal rights activist featuring adorable animals engaging in gory violence wasn't shown to small children. It didn't work in the [=UK=], where it got a U rating, while the [=US=] passed it off with a much less lenient PG rating.
* Inverted with ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime''. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg wanted, and got, a G rating because of their concerns with certain scenes being too intense for young children. About 11 minutes of completed footage, mainly from the Tyrannosaurus Rex attack scene, were cut from the final release.
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